Here begynneth the thirde and fourthe boke of sir Iohn̄ Froissart of the cronycles of Englande, Fraunce, Spaygne, Portyngale, Scotlande, Bretayne, Flaunders, and other places adioynyng, translated out of Frenche in to englysshe by Iohan Bourchier knyght lorde Berners, deputie generall of ye kynges towne of Calais and marchesse of the same, at the co[m]maundement of our most highe redouted souerayne lorde kyng Henry the eyght, kynge of Englande and of Fraüce [sic] [and] highe defender of the Christen faithe. [et]c

¶Of the yelding vp and takyng of the stronge castell of Vanchadore in Lymosyn / of olde parteyning to syr Geffcay Tete Noyre. Cap. C .lxvii. (Book 167)

YE haue herde here before: howe sir Geffray Tete Noyre / who had ben longe capitayns of the castell of Vanchadore in Ly∣mosyn / raigned valiauntly / and howe he helde his fortresse agaynst all men / as longe as he lyued. And in his lyfe dayes had pa••esed the coūtrey / more than .xxx. my to long about hym. also ye haue herde howe he dyed / and by what incydence: And howe on his dethe bedde he ordayned his .ii. nephues Alayne Roux & Peter Roux to be capitayns of that castell of Vāchadore after his dethe. and caused in his presence / all the company∣ons of that garison to swere faythe / trouthe / and homage: seruyce and trewe obeysaunce to the sayd two capitayns. And after y^e dethe of this Geffraye Tete Noyre / these two bre∣therne raigned there a certayne space / & held alwayes the coūtrey in warre and in compo∣sycion of patesyng. And bycause that castell parteyned to the herytage of the duke of Ber¦rey (for he had bought it of the erle of Moūt pensyer / and his sonne Iohan of Berey bare his name therby) therfore the duke was sore displeased that it was out of his handes / but he coude nat amende it. yet he had layd siege therto dyuers tymes by bastides and none o∣therwyse / but they within sette lytell therby.

for they wolde issue out and ryde abrode in y^e countrey at their pleasure. This Alayne nor Peter wolde in no wyse obey any peace or truce that was taken bytwene Englāde and Fraunce. They sayde they were nat bounde to obey / but wolde make warre at their plea∣sure / wherby the countreis of Auuergne and Lymosyn were sore traueyled. And the duke of Berrey to resyst them caused sir Wyllyam Butler a gentyll knyght of Auuergne / & sir Iohan Boesme Launce and sir Loyes Dā∣bier / with dyuers other knight{is} and squyers of Auuergne and Lymosyn / to laye siege by bastydes to the castell of Vanchadore / & laye there at the cost of the countrey. There they laye a louge season.

SO it fell the same season / as it was shewed me: Alayn and Peter Roux toke their aduyce toguyder and de∣nysed to attrappe & to take by crafte sir Wyl∣lyam Butler and sir Iohan Boesme Launce who hadde done them dyuers displeasures. These two bretherne ymagined bytwene thē and sayde one to another / Howe they wolde secretely say / howe they wolde yelde vp their fortresse for a certayne sōme of floreyns: And to say howe they are wery and wyll kepe the garison no lengar / but to retourne in to their owne countreis. To the whiche deuyse they sayde surely the duke of Berrey wyll gladly leane vnto. Also they deuysed to demaunde no more but tenne thousande frākes / bycause that somme myght soone be made And also they sayde they wolde haue agayne their mo¦ney and the two knyghtes also prisoners / by reason of a busshment that they wolde laye in a great towre. Beholde nowe what a fo∣lisshe ymaginacion these two Bretons were of to betray these two knyghtes / and to haue their money / if any iuell came to them therby it ought nat to be cōplayned. Vpon this de∣termynacion they putte out of the castell one of their varlettes / and sayde to hym. Go thy waye to the Frēche bastydes and suffre them to take the. Thā requyre to be brought to sir Wyllyam Butler and to sir Iohan Boesme Launce. Than delyuer them this letter fro vs and demaunde for an answere / for the ma¦ter toucheth vs and them also greatly. The varlet sayd it shulde be done / for he thought none yuell / and so went to the Frenche basti∣des. And whan he came nere to the bastydes he was demaūded what he wolde / he answe∣red and sayd he wolde gladly speke with sir Wyllyam Butler or with sir Iohan Boesme Laūce. He was brought to them / for as than they were toguyder. Whan he sawe them he made his reuerence and drewe them aparte / and delyuered to them the letter that Alayne and Peter Roux had sente them. Of that ty∣dinges they had great marueyle / and so toke the letter and reed it / and therin they founde / how that Alayne & Peter Roux wolde speke with them for their profite. Whan they herde that they had more marueyle than̄e they had before / & douted of trayson. Howe be it they sent them worde that if they wolde come out of the castell / and speke with them without / they wolde assure them to entre agayne in to their fortresse without daunger or trouble. This was the answere y^t the varlet brought to their maister. Thanne Alayne and Peter roux said / we thynke we may be sure ynough by these wordes / sythe their faythes and sea∣les be at the writyng / they are true knyghtes and also we shall speke with them for a trea∣tie / whervnto we thynke they wyll gladly en¦tende. The nexte mornynge they opynned a wycket ioynyng to the gate / & aueyled dow∣ne a planche borde hangyng by two chaynes and issued out and stode on the planche. than sir Wyllyam Butler and sir Iohan Boesme Laūce came thyder and lyghted of their hor∣ses / and made their menne to drawe abacke. Than the two capitayns within said. Sirs may we surely come out and speke with you. ye surely quod the knyghtes. shall we be as sure agayne of your parte without trayson. ye sir surely quod they without doute. Than Alayne and Peter Roux passed the bridge & came to thē / so they four were toguyder with out other company. Than the two Frenche knightes said. Sirs / howe saye you. What cōmunycacion wyll ye haue with vs? Are ye in mynde to yelde vp your Castell to vs? ye truely sirs quod they on a condycion / & that is to gyue vs ten thousande frākes for y^e pro∣uisyons that is in the castell / for we are wery of y^e warre / we wolde drawe in to Bretayne. These two knyghtes were ryght gladde of those wordes and sayd. Ah / ye speke to vs of marchandyse / and we shall here you gladly. But as nowe we haue nat here the money re¦dy

we shall prouyde for it. Well sirs {quod} they of Vanchador whan ye are redy gyue vs know∣ledge / and we shall kepe couenaunt. But sirs / kepe this mater secretly and sagely / for if it were knowen amonge myne owne company they wolde take vs perforce and slee vs / than shulde bothe you and I fayle of our ententes. Syr quod they dought nat therof / we shall so conuey the mater y^t ye shall take no domage. Therwith they departed one fro a nother / the bretons entred in to Vanchador / and the fren∣che knyghtes retourned to their bastydes.

SIr Willyam Butler and syr Iohan Boesme laūce / in this mater thought nothynge but good / supposynge that the bretons wolde nat dysceyue theym / as to haue their money and to betraye them also. in contynente they wrote to the duke of Berrey / who was as than at Ryon in Auuergne. they sent with the letter a gentleman named Guyo¦mell of saynte Wydall / and infourmed hym of all the mater / thynkyng howe it shulde be ioy∣ouse tydynges to the duke / for he greatly de∣syred to haue that castell. This squyer tooke the letter and departed fro the bastydes / and rode so longe through Lymosyn & Auuergne that he came to Ryon / and there he founde the duke of Berrey / and delyuered hym his let∣ters fro the two knyghtes. The duke reed the letters / and whan he had well vnderstande the contentes therof the duke was gladde / and a¦none after the duke called his counsayle and his treasourers / and said. Sirs beholde here is newe tydynges / our knyghtes that kepeth the bastydes before Vanchador haue written to vs that they are in certayne treatie with the capytayns within the castell / they offer to yeld vp the fortresse for the sōme of tenne thousande frankes / that is no great sōme for euery yere it coste them of Lymosyn and of Auuergne to kepe warre against them / more than threscore thousande frankes. We wyll accepte their of∣fre betymes leste they repente them herafter / therfore my treasourers make vp the sōme of tenne thousande frankes / we wyll lende them to the countrey / and whan I am in possession of the castell I wyll rayse a tayle in Lymosyn and in the fronters / whiche were vnder their patesynge / they shall pay me the double. Sir quod the treasourers / it shall be made redy within these fyue or syxe dayes. Well quod the duke I am contente. Thus that matter was concluded. The tresourers made redy the mo¦ney in crownes of the sonne / and put it in to foure cofers. The same daye that the money shulde haue been sente / there came to Ryon to the duke of Berry / the Dolphyn of Auuergne and the lorde of Reueyll / for certayne maters touchynge them selfe. They were welcome to the duke / and the Duke was so ioyfull of the treatie for Vanchador that he coude nat kepe it secrete but shewed to these two knightes the letters sente to hym fro syr Willyam Butler / and syr Iohan Boesme Launce. Whan they herde it they studyed a lytell. Than the duke sayde / syr wheron do yemuse se you any su∣spectiousnes in this mater / I pray you shewe me or I sende the money? Syr quod the erle Dolphyn / ye know well howe therle of Army nake and I were ordeyned to by and to gette agayne as many fortresses as we coude in the coūtreys of Auuergne / Carnesyn / Rouergne / and Lymosyn. With dyuers we made trea∣tyes / but for all y^t euer we coulde do / we coulde neuer brynge them of Vanchador to herkyn or to leane to any maner of treatie / nother to gyue it vp / nor to selle it. Whan we spake ther∣of they wolde skante make vs an aunswere. and syr I knowe if they nowe wyll make this treatie with you it is nat for defaute of vitay∣les / for if none came to theym this eyght yere yet they haue ynough / wherfore we haue mar¦uayle what shulde moue them therto at this presente tyme / therfore it maketh vs to doute of traysone / for men of warre inclosed in for∣tresses are sore imagyners / and whan their imaginacion inclyneth to any yuell dede / they wyll craftely colour it / wherfore sir take good aduyse. Well syrs quod the duke ye haue sayd well / we shall prouyde for the mater more sub¦stancyally than I thought to haue done.

THanne the duke of Berrey called to hym one of his knyghtes / called syr Peter Mespyn / and sayde to hym. Syr ye shall go with this money to the basty¦des before Vanchadore / and saye to syr Wyl∣lyam Butler & to syr Iohan Boesme launce / that in the mater they wrote to me of / that they deale therin substancyally / and that they trust nat to moche in the bretons within Vancha∣dor / and shewe them that we haue herde more tydinges than they be ware of / wherfore lette

theym be well aduysed of all poyntes. Thus this knyght departed fro Ryon with the mo∣ney / he rode with his company tyll he came to the bastydes whyther he was welcome. The somers with the money were dyscharged and put in sauegarde. Than syr Peter Mespyn opened his message and said. Syrs my lorde the duke of Berrey sendeth you worde by me that as touchynge the treatye that ye are in hande withall / touchyng the garyson of Van¦chador he cōmaundeth you to worke wysely / that ye lese nat bothe your bodyes and the mo¦ney that he hath sent you. also he sayth he hath herde tydynges that pleaseth hym nothynge / wherfore he wyll ye take good hede & be well aduysed / for he douteth of trayson / he sayeth that often tymes the coūtrey of Auuergne and Lymosyn wolde haue gyuen for the fortresse of Vanchadore threscore thousande frankes / and nowe to offre it for ten thousande / causeth my lorde the duke and his counsayle to haue suspecte. The two knightes whan they herde that they were pensyue / and aunswered and sayde. We se well double wytte is better than syngle / ye say well / we thanke you of your ad∣uyse / and ye shall abyde here styll with vs and helpe to counsayle vs as it is reason / within these two daies we shall se howe y^e mater shall come to passe / he sayde he was contente so to do. Thanne anone after these two knyghtes sente a varlet to the castell of Vanchador / for it was as than treuce bytwene the parties / sig¦nyfyed to Alayne Rour and to Peter Rour / that the tenne thousande frankes were redy / and desyringe theym to kepe their promesse. And they answered the varlet / that they wold kepe their promesse surely / and that whan so euer they wolde come / to sende theym worde therof.

ALayne and Peter Rour who thought no good as it was knowen and {pro}ued / whan their purpose was broken and knowen for they had deuysed to haue taken sir Willy∣am Butler and syr Iohan Boesme launce / as they shuld haue entred in to the castell of Van¦chador by reasone of a great towre that was within the castell / the whiche was always a∣ble to beate the castell. These two knyghtes bretons who entended nothynge but malesse / layde in busshement in this towre thyrty men in harnesse / to the entent that whan the frenche men were entred in to the castell / thynkynge to be lordes therof / that in the night these thyr∣ty shulde issue out / and slee & take the frenche men at their pleasure. Whan they had thus or¦dayned / than they sente to syr Willyam But∣ler and to sir Iohan Boesme launce / that they shulde come and bringe with them their mo∣ney / and they shulde haue the castell opened. Of these newes the frenche men were ioyous / and sayd to the messanger. Retourne to your maysters and shewe them that to morowe in the mornyng we shall come thyder. The mes∣sanger retourned and shewed this to his may¦sters. The frenche knyghtes wente to coun∣sayle togyder and dyd cast more doutes than they dyd before / by reason of the wordes that the duke of Berrey had sente them by six Pe∣ter Mespyn. Than they ordeyned and conclu¦ded to lay a busshemente of their men nere to the castell / and than they with thyrty of their men harnessed vnder couert shulde go before and entre into the castell / and to regarde wyse¦lye the castell within / and to cast all maner of doutes / and than if they se any thynge to su∣specte / than one of them to blowe a horne / and to kepe the bridge and gate open / and at the sowne of the horne the busshement to come to the gate as faste as they canne / and to entre and take season of the castell. Thus as it was ordayned so it was done. The next mornyng euery man was redy / & the busshement layde of a syxe score speares / and the two knyghtes with thyrty in their company couertly armed came to Vanchador / and syr Peter Mespyn was with them / with the money trussed pro∣perly in thre panyers vpon two somers. they founde the two bretons redy at the barryers / who opened the barryers agaynste their co∣myng. Whan they were entred and within the gate / than the two bretons wolde haue closed the gate after them / but the frenche knyghtes said. Nay syrs nat so / be ye true marchauntes or nat / ye knowe well ye muste yelde vp to vs this castell for the payeng of the sōme of tenne thousande frankes / the which is here redy. ye maye se them here vpon this somer / if ye kepe trouth with vs so shall we do with yon. With those wordes Alayne and Peter Rour wyste nat what to say / but to bringe the frenche men out of suspecte they aunswered. Syrs ye saye well / we are contente as ye please. Thus they wente forthe and lefte the barryers open / for if

it hadde ben closed the busshment coulde nat haue entred to haue come tyme ynough to ha∣ue resysted the false turne that the bretons had deuysed. For ymagyners shulde haue euery thyng as they lyst / and if there were nat coun∣ter ymaginers agaynst thē. Bothe the frenche men and bretons entred in at the gate / than A¦layne and Peter Roux wolde haue closed the gate / but than the frenche men sayd. Syrs let the gate alone / we wyll haue it open / it is rea∣son / we are redy to delyuer you our money a∣cordynge to our promesse. Well syrs quod the bretons / lette se laye forthe the money. With a good wyll quod the frenche men. There they layde forthe a couerlet / and the florens layde a¦brode. In y^e meane season whyle Alayne and Peter Roux behelde the fayre sōme of florēce / the frenche knyghtes went aboute to se the ma¦ner of the castell. Thanne syr Peter Mespyn came / to syr Willyam Butler & sayd. syr cause this great towre to be opened / or ye paye all your money / for there may be within it a bussh¦mente / wherby we maye be atrapped and lose bothe our bodyes and the money also. Than syr Willyam sayd to Alayne. Syr / open this towre / we wyll se it open or we delyuer our mo¦ney. Syr quod Alayne I canne nat do so / the keyes be lost. With those wordes the frenche knightes had more suspecte in the mater than they had before / and said. Alayne it can nat be that ye shulde lese the keyes of the soueraygne towre of this castell / open it with fayrenesse / or els we shall open it perforce / forye haue pro∣mised and sworne to rendre to vs the castell as it is without fraude or male engyn / and ther∣fore you to haue ten thousande frankes / the whiche sōme is here redy to be delyuered. than Alayne aunswered agayne and sayd / I wyll nat open it tyll I haue receyued y^e money / and layde it in sauegarde. than whan I haue recey¦ued the money I shall serche for y^e keys. Sirs quod they / we wyll nat abyde so longe / we se clerely by your wordes that your meanyng is nat good / for you wyll dysceyue and betraye vs / wherfore we lay our hādes on you / Alayne and on your brother Peter / in the name of the kynge our soueraygne lorde and the duke of Berrey / we wyll haue this towre incontynent opened perforce / and serche euery place with∣in this castell bothe aboue and beneth / to se if ye haue layde any busshemente or nat / and if we fynde in the castell any thyng done by you / that ought nat to be done / ye are loste without redempcyon or pardone / for reasone wyll so / and if we fynde the castell as it ought to be we shall kepe our bargayne with you well & true∣ly / and shall conducte you whyder ye lyste / to the gates of Auignon if ye wyll. whan Alayne and Peter Roux sawe howe the mater wente / and that they were arested they were sore abas¦shed / and were as halfe deed / & repented them that they had doone so moche / for they sawe well they were dysceyued. Than the frenche knightes perceyued well howe they were cul∣pable / and that the mater was nat well. than they made a signe to hym that bare the horne to blowe / & so he dyd. Whan the french busshe∣ment herde it / they came to y^e castell as faste as their horses coulde ryn & sayd. Go we to Van¦chadore they blowe for vs / it semeth our men hath nat founde the castell acording as it was promysed / we thynke there be some trayson / a¦non they were come to the castell / for they were nat farre of / the barryers were open and kept by the frenchmen / for the bretons within were nat maysters of the castell / for their busshe∣mente were within the towre. The Frenche men entred and founde the capytaynes in the courte comunynge with the bretons.

THan Alayne and Peter were sore a¦basshed / seynge so many of their ene∣myes aboute them. And as for them that were within the towre knewe nothynge of the besynesse / nor coude se nor here nothyng the towre was so thycke. some that were with in sayde. Harke syrs me thynke I here moche murmurynge without / we may be dysceyued frenche men be subtyle / we thought to take / but I feare we be taken / our capitayn Alayne is dysceyued and we to / I feare we shall nat issue out without their congye. Thus whan the frenche men sawe howe they were lordes of the castell / they were than bolder than be∣fore / and tooke and put vp agayne their flo∣reyns / & sayd to Alayne. delyuer vs the keyes of this towre / for we wyll se what is within. The bretons prolonged the mater and sayde. Syrs begynne fyrste to serche in outher places and thā returne to this towre. The frenchmen answered. Alayne / ye do but prolōge the ma∣ter / for we wyll begynne here fyrst. and other at ones delyuer the keyes or els thou shalte be slayne with these daggers. whan the two bre∣therne

herde that they douted the dethe / they fledde fro it as longe as they myght / howe be it to saye the trouth it had been more honora∣ble for them to haue been slayne there than to haue taryed any longer / for afterwarde they dyed a shamefull dethe / as ye shall here. And Alayne Roux beyng in this daunger yet pra∣ctysed another crafte if it wolde haue serued / and sayd. Syr Willyam and you syr Iohan / it is of trouth that within this toure are thirty men in harnesse / my brother and I dyd sette them there with moche payne / for we knewe well they wolde neuer agree to our apoynte∣mente / therfore we haue closed theym within this towre to be sure of them / tyll ye haue the full possessyon of the castell and there ye may haue them and ye wyll / they are all good pri∣soners / and delyuer vs our money as ye haue promysed / and lette vs go our wayes. Whan the french knightes herde that they were som∣what better content than they were before and studyed a lyttell / than sir Willm̄ Butler saide / how so euer it be / or we delyuer our money we wyll haue knowledge of all the keyes of this castell / therfore shew vs where they be. Whan Alayne sawe it wolde be none otherwyse / he sente for them in to his chambre. Whan they were brought to the place than it was demaū∣ded whiche keyes serued for y^e towre. Alayne full sore agaynste his wyll shewed forthe the keyes of the great towre. Than they opened the towre / and founde within the thyrty com∣panions in harnesse hydde priuely within the towre. Alayne and his brother were sore abas∣shed whan they sawe the frenchmen entre into the towre / and harde the wordes that sir Wil∣lyam Butler sayd / whiche were these. Syrs / issue out fayre & easely one by one / if nat ye are all but deed / we take you as prisoners / feare nat the dethe ye shall haue no hurte / so ye wyll shewe the trouth of that we shall demaunde of you. Whan they sawe the frenche men and vn¦derstode that they shulde nat be slayne but ta∣ken as prisoners / they layde downe their wea¦pons and harnesse / and yelded them selfes / for they sawe well defēce coulde nat aueyle them. There the thyrty men were taken and put a parte and examyned / and there they iustyfyed the trayson before Alayne and Peter Roux / who coulde nat denye it. Than the knyghtes of Fraunce sayde to them. Syrs / it greatly dyspleaseth vs to fynde you in this defaulte / we canne nat punysshe the mater the cause is so weighty / we shall put it to the discrecyon of the duke of Berrey / if he wyll haue pytie on you we shall be gladde therof / we trust he wyll for the ioye that he wyll haue for the recoue∣ryng of this castell / for it was the place that he most desyred to haue agayne of all the world. These wordes somewhat comforted theym. They were put in to a chambre vnder sure ke¦pynge / and other in to dyuers chambres and towres. Than the castell was serched aboue and beneth / there they founde great prouysy∣on / and lefte it all there styll and toke away no¦thynge therof at their departynge / and as for golde / syluer / and harnesse / therof was made a boty & euery man had his parte / and the pri¦soners the knyghtes had them for their parte.

THus as I haue shewed / the stronge castell of Vanchadore was taken by the frenche men in this season. And than syr Wyllyam Butler sette there a capy∣tayne a squyer of Lymosyn a valyaunt man / called Pier Mardych / and with hym a thyrty speares of good men of warre / and they raun¦somed their prysoners suche as were worthy to be raunsomed / and suche as were great pyl¦lers and robbers / and frenchmen borne / they strake of their hedes / and hanged them vpon gybettes / newe made before the castell gate. Than the frenche knightes departed to go to Ryon to the duke of Berrey / & toke with them Alayne and Peter Roux. Tydinges sprange abrode howe the stronge castell of Vancha∣dore was taken / wherof the countrey of Au∣uergne and Lymosyn & those marchesse were greatly reioysed / for the castell had been out of the frenche mennes handes more than fyftene yere / and durynge that season that garysone had done great domage to the countrey. Sir Willyam Butler founde in the castell a yonge squier of Bretayne / a fayre yong man named Monadich / and was cosyn to Geffray Tete¦noyre / and he was but newely come thyder to lerne to exercyse dedes of armes. He had ben brought vp in an abbaye in Bretayne / & was come out of the house bycause he wolde be no monke. The frenche men wolde haue stryken of his heed among other / but sir Willm̄ But¦ler had pytie on hym and saued his lyfe / with that he wolde become frenche and serue hym. Thus the frenchmen rode to the duke of Ber¦rey /

and brake vp their bastydes. The men of armes departed and went euery man to their owne / and y^e capytaynes came to Ryon to the duke of Berrey / & led with them the bretons / who desyred thē on the waye y^t they shulde nat enfourme the duke of Berrey to sore agaynst them. the frenchmen promysed to fulfyll their desyre. So longe they rode that they came to Ryon / and there founde the duke and the du∣chesse / who receyued them with great ioy / for he rekened it to be a gret acte / the conquering of the castell of Vanchadore / and gaue them fayre gyftes & presentes. Than they demaun∣ded of the duke what his pleasure was shulde be done with Alayne and Peter Roux. he an∣swered he wolde take aduyse in that matter / and so toke counsayle / and there it was deter∣myned that he shulde sende them to the kyng. And so they were delyuered to the seneschall of Auuergne / and he cōueyed them to Parys / and there they were put in prison in the castell of saynte Anthony / in the kepynge of the vy∣count of Affer / who as at that tyme had the ke¦pynge of y^t castell. And they had nat ben longe there but that they were delyuered to the pro∣uost of Parys / and put in to the chatellet and there iudged to dye as traytours and robbers of the realme of Fraunce. Than they were de¦lyuered to the hangman and fast bounde and layde in a carre and brought with trompettes to the place of execucion named y^e halles / and there set on the pillery and turned four tymes aboute in the syght of all the people / and there was openly red and publysshed all their de∣des / and thā beheeded and quartered / & their quarters sent to the four chefe gates of the cy∣tie. Thus Alayne and Peter Rour lost sham∣fully their lyues / & the castell of Vanchadore.