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 a feest and iustes made by the kyng of Englande in Lōdon / whyle the Christen knyghtes and squyers were at the sege before the towne of Aufryke agaynst the sarazyns. And howe this feest was publisshe in dy¦uers countreis and landes. Cap. C.lxxiii. (Book 173)

YE haue herde before in this hystorie / what a feest was holdē at Paris whā quene Isabell of Fraunce made there her first en¦tre / of the whiche feest tidynges sprede abrode in to euery coūtre. Than kyn∣ge ••icharde of Englande & his thre vncles / ••••••yng of this goodly fest at Paris / by y^e re∣portes of suche knyghtes & squyers of their owne as had ben at the same fest. Ordayned a great fest to be holden at the cyte of Lōdon where there shulde be iustes & .lx. knyghtes to abyde all cōmers / and with thē .lx. ladyes fresshely apparelled to kepe thē company. & these knightes to iust two dayes besyde son∣day. & the chalenge to begyn the next sonday after y^e fest of saint Michaell. As than in the yere of our lorde god. M.CCC. fourscore & ten / whiche sonday the said .lx. knightes & .lx. ladyes at two of y^e clocke at after noon shuld issue oute of the towre of London / and so to cōe a long the cytie through Chepe / and so to Smyth. elde. and that daye .xii. knightes to be there redy to abyde all knyght{is} straūgers suche as wolde iust. This sōday was called the sonday of the fest of chalenge. And on the mōday next after / the sayd .lx. knightes to be in the same place redy to iuste / & to abyde all cōmers curtesly to ron with rokettes. and to the best doer of the out syde shulde be gyuen hym for a price a riche crowne of golde. and the best doer of the in syde / duely examyned by the ladyes in the quenes chambre / shulde haue for a price a riche gyrdell of golde. And the tuesday folowynge the knightes shulde be agayne in the same place / and to abyde all maner of squyers straūgers and other / suche as wolde iust with rokettes. and the best iu∣ster on the out syde / shulde haue for his price a courser sadled: and the chiefe doer of the in syde shulde haue a faucon. the maner of this fest was thus ordayned and deuised / and he∣rauldes were charged to crye and publysshe this feest in Englande / in Scotlande / in Al∣mayne / in Flaūders / in Brabant / in Heynalt and in Fraunce / the heraldes departed some hider and some thider. These tidyng{is} sprede abrode into dyuers coūtreys. The heraudes had daye and tyme suffycient. Knightes and squiers in dyuers coūtreys apparelled them selfes to be at this feest / some to se the maner of Englande and some to iuste. Whan these tidynges came in to Heynalt sir Wyllyam of Heynault erle of Ostrenaunt who was yon∣ge and lyberall / and desyrous to iuste. Pur∣posed in hym selfe to go to the feest in Englā¦de / to se and to honour his cosyns / kyng Ry∣charde of Englande and his vncles / whome he had neuer sene before. He hadde great de∣syre to be aquaynted with them / and desyred other knightes and squyers to kepe hym cō∣pany / and specially the lorde of Gomegynes bycause he was well acquaynted with En∣glysshe men / for he had ben dyuers tymes a∣monge them. Thanne sir Wyllyam of Hay∣naulte purposed whyle he made his proui∣syon to go in to Hollande to se his father Au¦berte / erle of Heynaulte / Hollande / and ze∣lande / to the entente to speke with hym / and to take leaue to go in to Englande. He de{pro}∣ted fro Quesnoy in Haynault / and rode tyll he came to Haye in Hollande / where the erle his father was at that tyme. and there he she¦wed his father his purpose that he was in to go in to Englande to se the countrey & his co¦syns / whom he had neuer sene. Than therle his father answered and sayd. Wyllyam my fayre son / ye haue nothyng to do in Englāde for nowe ye be by couenaunt of maryage a∣lyed to the realme of Fraunce / and your su∣ster to be maryed to the duke of Burgoyne / wherfore ye nede nat to seke none other aly∣aunce. Dere father quod he / I wyll nat go

in to Englande to make any alyaūce. I do it but to feest and make myrthe with my cosins there / whom as yet I neuer sawe, & bycause the feest whiche shalbe holden at London / is publisshed abrode. wherfore syth I am signi¦fyed therof & shulde nat go thyder / it shulde be sayd I were proude & presuptuous / wher fore in the sauynge of myne honoure I wyll go thider / therfore dere father I requyre you agree therto. Sonne quod he do as ye lyste / but I thynke surely it were better that ye ta∣ryed at home. Whan the erle of Ostrenaunt sawe that his wordes contented nat his fa∣ther / he wolde speke no more therof / but fell in other cōmunicacion. But he thought well ynough what he wolde do / and so dayly sent his prouisyon towardes Calais. Gomegy∣nes the heraulde was sente in to Englande fro therle of Ostrenaunt / to gyue knowlege to kynge Rycharde and to his vncles / howe that he wolde come honorably to his feest at London. Of those tidynges the kynge and his vncles were ryght ioyouse / and gaue to the heraulde great giftes / whiche after stode hym in great stede. For after in the ende of his dayes he fell blynde / I can nat tell if god were displeased with hym or nat / in his da∣yes he lyued marueylously / wherfore in his olde dayes and that he hadde loste his syght there were but fewe that were sorte therof. Thus the erle of Ostrenaunt departed from Haye in Hollande / and toke leaue of his fa∣ther / and so retourned to Quesnoy in Hey∣naulte to the coūtesse his wyfe.

THis noble feest wherof I make mē∣cyon / was publysshed and cryed in dyuers places / wherby knyghtes & squyers and other / aduaunsed them selfes to go thyder. The erle Walleran of saynt Pole who as than had to his wyfe kyng Richarde of Englandes suster. He prepared greatly to go in to Englande / and so came to Calys. And also the erle Ostrenaunt departed fro Heynaulte / well accompanyed with knygh∣tes and squyers / and so passed throughe the countrey of Arthoys / and came also to Calis and there he founde the erle of saynt Poule / and the shyppes passagers of Douer were there redy. and whan the shippes were char∣ged and the wynde good / these lordes tooke the see: howe be it as it was shewed me / and I thynke it true / that therle of saynt Poule passed first in to Englande before the erle of Ostrenaunt. And whan he came to London / he founde there the kyng / and his brother in lawe sir Iohan Hollande / and other lordes and knyghtes of Englande / who receyued hym with great ioye / and demaūded of hym tidynges of the realme of Fraunce. He aun∣swered well & wysely. Than therle of Ostre¦naunt passed ouer on a thursdaye and so cāe to Cauterbury / and on the friday he visyted saint Thomas shrine and offred there in the mornyng / and laye there all that daye / & the nexte day rode to Rochester. And bycause he had so gret a company and cariages he rode but small iourneys / to ease his horse. And on the sondaye he rode to dyner to Dertforde / & after dyuer to London to be at the feest / whi∣che began the same sonday.

ON the sonday nexte after the feest of saynt Michaell / this feest and tryū∣phe shulde begyn / and that daye to be done in Smythfelde / iustes called the cha¦lenge. So the same sonday about thre of the clocke at after noone / there issued out of the towre of London. first threscore coursers ap¦parelled for the Iustes / and on euery one a squier of honour ridyng a softe pase. Than issued out threscore ladyes of honour moun∣ted on fayre palfreys / ridyng on the one syde richely apparelled: and euery lady ledde a knight with a cheyne of syluer / which knigh¦tes were apparelled to iust. Thus they cam ridynge a longe the stretes of London with great nombre of trumpettes and other myn∣strelles. And so came to Smythfelde / where the quene of Englande and other ladies and damoselles were redy in chābres richely ad∣orned to se the iustes / and the king was with the quene. And whan y^e ladyes that ledde the knyghtes were come to the place / they were taken downe fro their palfreys / & they moū∣ted vp in to chambres redy aparelled for thē. Than the squiers of honour alighted fro the coursers / & the knightes in good order moū∣ted on them. than their helmes were sette on and made redy at all poyntes. Than thyder came the erle of saynt Poule / nobly accom∣panyed with knyghtes and squyers all ar∣med with harnesse / for the iustes to begynne the feest / whiche incontynent beganne: and

there iusted all knyghtes straungers / suche as wolde and hadde leysar and space / for the nyght came on. Thus these iustes of cha∣leng began / and cōtynued tyll it was night. Than knyghtes and ladyes withdrue them selfes: & the quene was lodged besyde Pou∣les in the bysshoppes palace / and there was the supper prepared. The same euennynge came therle of Ostrenaunt to the kyng / who was nobly receyued. ¶ Nowe for these iu∣stes on the sonday. For the aunswerer with∣out / The erle Walleran of saynt Poule had the price. And of the chalengers the erle of Huntyngdon. There was goodly daūsyng in the quenes lodgyng / in the presence of the kynge and his vncles / and other barons of Englande: and ladyes and damoselles con∣tynuyng tyll it was daye / whiche was tyme for euery persone to drawe to their lodgyn∣ges / except the kyng and the quene / who lay there in the Bysshoppes Palays / for there they laye all the feestes and iustes duryng.

ON the nexte day whiche was mon∣daye / ye myght haue sene in dyuers places of the cytie of London / squy¦ers and varlettes goynge aboute with har∣nesse / and doynge of other busynesse of their maisters. After noon kynge Richarde came to the place all armed richely apparelled / ac∣companyed with Dukes / erles / lordes / and knyghtes. He was one of the inner partie. Than the quene well accompanyed with la¦dyes and damosels came to the place where the iustes shulde be / and mounted in to chā∣bres and scaffoldes ordayned for thē. Than came in to the felde the erle of Ostrenaunte / well accōpanyed with knyghtes of his coū∣trey / and all were redy to iuste. Than came the erle of saynt Poule and other knyghtes of Fraunce / suche as wolde iuste. Than be∣gan the iustes / euery man payned hym selfe to gette honour. Some were stryken down fro their horses. These iustes contynued tyll it was nere nyght. Than euery {per}son drewe to their lodgynges knyghtes and ladyes / & at y^e hour of supper / euery man drewe to the courte. There was a goodly supper & well ordayned. And as that day the price was gy¦uen to the erle of Ostrenaunt / for the best iu∣ster of the vtter partie / and well he deserued it. The price was gyuen hym by the ladyes lordes and herauldes / who were ordained to be iudges. And of the inner partie a knyght of Englande called sir Hughe Spenser / had the price.

THe nexte daye Tuesday / there was iustes agayne in the same place of all maner of squyers / whiche endu∣red tyll it was nyght / in the presence of the kyng / quene / lordes / and ladyes. Than eue∣ry man drewe to their lodgyng{is} / as they had done the dayes before / and at supper they re∣tourned to the bysshoppes palais / where the kyng / the quene / and the ladyes were. There was a goodly and a costely supper / and after great daunsynge / contynuynge all nyght.

The wednisdaye after dyner they iusted in the same place / all maner of knightes & squy¦ers suche as wolde iuste. that was a sore and a rude iustes / enduryng tyll nyght / and than w^tdrue: & at the hour of supper they resorted where they supped before. The Thursdaye the kyng made a supper to all knyghtes and gentylmen straungers / and the quene to all ladyes and damoselles. Than on the friday the duke of Lancastre made a dyner for all knightes & squyers straungers / whiche was a goodly dyner. And on the Saturdaye the kyng and all the lordes departed fro Lōdon to Wyndsore / and therle of Ostrenaunt and the erle of saynt Poule / with all other knigh¦tes and squyers straungers were desyred to acompany the kyng to Wyndsore / euery mā rode as it was reason to the castell of Wynd¦sore. Than there began agayne great feest{is} / with dyners and suppers gyuen by the king and specially the kyng dyde great honour to the erle of Ostrenaunt his cosyn / whiche erle was desyred by the kyng and his vncles that he wolde be content to take on hym the order of the garter. The erle aunswered / howe he wolde take coūsayle in that mater. Than he coūsayled with the lorde of Gomegines and with Fierabras of Vertan bastarde / who in no wyse wolde discorage nor counsayle hym to refuce the order of the garter. So he toke it on hym / wherof the knightes and squyers of Fraūce suche as were there had great mar¦ueyle / and murmured sore therat among thē selfe: sayeng the erle of Ostrenaunt sheweth well that his courage enclyneth rather to be Englysshe than Frenche / whan he taketh on

hym the order of the garter / and weareth the kynge of Englandes deuyse. He sheweth well he regardeth nat the house of Fraunce / nor the house of Burgoyne. The tyme wyll come he shall repent hym selfe. All thynges cōsydred / he knoweth nat what he hath done for he was welbeloued with the frenche kyn¦ge / and with the duke of Thourayne his bro¦ther / and with all the blode royall / in suche wyse / that whan he came to Parys or in to a¦ny other place to any of them / they euer ma∣de hym more honour than any other of their cosyns. Thus these Frenche men euyll accu¦sed hym without cause / for that he had done / was nothyng contrary nor hurtfull to the re¦alme of Fraunce / nor to his cosyns nor fren∣des in Fraunce. For he thought none other∣wyse but honour and loue / and to pleace his cosyns in Englande / and to be therby the ra∣ther a good meane bytwene Fraūce and En¦glande / if nede were. Nor the daye that he toke on hym the order of the garter / and his othe / euery man maye well vnderstande that he made none alyaunce / to do any preiudyce to the realme of Fraunce. For that he dyde / was but for loue and good company / howe be it / no man canne let the enuyous to speke yuell.

WHan they had daūced and spor∣ted them a certayne ••pace in the castell of Wynsore / and that the kyng hadde gyuen many fayre gyttes to y^e knightes and squy∣•••••• of honour / of the realme of Fraunce and Heynaulte / and specially to the yonge erle of Ostrenaunt. Than euery man toke leaue of the kynge and of the quene / and of other la∣dyes and damoselles / and of the kynges vn∣cles. Than̄e the erle of saynt Poule and the Frenche men / and the Henowayes and al∣maygnes departed. Thus ended this great feest in the cytie of London / and euery man went to their owne. Than it fortuned / as a none brute ronneth farre of. The Frenche kynge / his brother / and his vncles / were en∣fourmed by suche as hadde ben in Englande at the sayde feest / of euery thyng that hadde been done and sayd / nothyuge was forgot∣ten / but rather more putte to / in the exaltyng of yuell dedes / than fortheryng of good de∣des. It was shewed the kyng playnly / how the erle of Ostrenaunt had ben in Englande and taken great payne to exalte and to do ho¦noure to the Englysshe men / and in helpyn∣ge forwarde the feest holden at London. and howe he hadde the chiefe prise and honoure of the iustes aboue all other straungers. and howe he had spoken so fayre to the Englysh men / that he was become the kynge or En∣glandes man / and had made scruyce and aly¦aunce with hym. And taken on hym the or∣der of the Garter / in the chapell of saynt Ge∣orge in Wyndsore / whiche order was fyrste stablysshed by kynge Edwarde the thirde / and his sonne prince of Wales. And howe that no man myght entre in to that confrary or company / without he make seruyaunt or othe / neuer to beare armoure agaynste the crowne of Englande. Whiche promyse they sayd / the erle of Ostrenaunt had made with oute any reseruacyon. with these tidynges / the Frenche kynge / his brother / and his vn∣cles were sore troubled / and greuously dis∣pleased with the erle of Ostrenaunt. Than the Frenche kyng sayde. Lo sirs / ye maye••e what it is to do for hym. It is nat yet a yere paste / sythe he desyred me that his brother myght be bysshoppe of Cambrey. And by these tidynges that gyfte were rather preiu∣dyciall to the realme of Fraunce / than auaū∣cement. It hadde been better we had gyuen it to our cosyn of saynt Poule. The Heyno∣ways dyd neuer good to vs / nor neuer wyll: for they be proude / presumptuous / and to fi∣erse. Alwayes they haue owed better good wyll to the Englysshe men than to vs / but a daye shall come they shall repent them. We wyll sende to the erle of Ostrenaunt / cōmaū∣dynge hym to come to vs / to do vs homage for the coūtie of Ostrenaunt / or els we shall put hym fro it / and annexe it to oure realme. They of his counsayle answered and sayde. Sir / ye haue well deuysed / lette it be done as ye haue sayde. It maye well be thought that the duke of Burgoyne / whose doughter the erle of Ostrenaunt had to his wyfe / was nothynge content with those tidynges / for al¦wayes he had auaunsed his sonne of Ostre∣naunt / towardes the kyng and his coūsaile. This mater was nat forgotten / but inconti∣nent the Frenche kyng wrote sharpe letters to therle of Ostrenaūt / who was at quesnoy

in Heynaulte / cōmaundyng hym to come to Parys to do his homage / before the kynge and the other peeres of Fraunce / for the cou∣tie of Ostrenaut / or els the kyng wolde take it fro hym / and make hym warre. Whan the erle had well ouersene these letters / and par∣ceyued howe that the Frenche kyng and his counsayle were displeased with hym / to ma∣ke his answere he assembled his counsayle. as the lorde of Fountayns / the lorde of Go∣megynes / sir Wyllyam of Hermes / the lorde of Trassegnies / the bayly of Heynaulte / the lorde of Sancelles / sir Rase of Montigny / the abbot of Crispyne / Iohan Sulbart / Ia¦quemart Barrier of Valencennes. These wysemen counsayled togider / what answere might be made to the kynges letters. There were many reasons alleged / at last all thyn∣ges consydred / they thought it for the best to write to the Frenche kynge and to his coun∣sayle / to take a daye to answere clerely to all maner of demaundes / by the mouthe of cer∣tayne credyble {per}sons / and none by writyng. And in the meane season they sente certayne notable personages to the erle of Heynaulte and duke Aubert of Holāde to haue their coū¦sayles what answere to make. Thus they dyde. They wrote swetely and courtesly to the kynge and to his counsayle / so that with those fyrst letters the kyng and his coūsayle was well content. Than therle and his coū∣sayle sent in to Hollande the lorde of Tras∣segines and the lorde of Sancelles / Iohan Semart and Iaques Barrier. They rode to the erle of Heynault / and shewed hym the state of the countie or Heynault / and the let∣ters that the Frenche kyng hadde sent to his sonne the erle of Ostrenaunt. the erle of Hey¦naulte had marueyle of that mater and said. Sirs / I thought neuer otherwyse / but that it shulde come thus to passe. Wyllyam my son̄e had nothyng to do to go in to Englāde. I haue delyuered hym the rule and gouer∣naunce of the coūtie of Heynaulte. he might haue done & vsed hym selfe / accordyng to the counsayle of the countrey. Sirs / I shall tell you what ye shall do. Go to my fayre cosyn the duke of Burgoyn / for it lyeth well in his power to regarde and to sette an order in all thynges demaunded by the Frenche kynge / I canne gyue you no better counsayle. With this answere they departed out of Hollande and came in to Heynault / and there shewed what answere they had / wherwith the erle & his counsayle were content. There was as∣signed to go in to Fraūce to the duke of Bur¦goyne / the lorde of Trassegnies / sir Wyllm̄ of Hermyes / sir Rase of Montigny / Iohan Semart / and Iaques Barrier: To shewe and declare all y^e processe and sute that they made at the Frenche courte / shulde be ouer longe to resyte. But finally all thynges con∣cluded / for all y^t the duke of Burgoyne coude do / there was non other remedy / but that the erle of Ostrenaunt must come personally to Parys / and to knowe his homage due to the Frenche kyng for the countie of Ostrenaunt or els surely to haue warre. The lorde of cou¦cy & sir Olyuer of Clysson toke great payne for the erles sake / but sir Iohn̄ Mercier and the lorde de la Ryuer labored on the contra∣rye syde / as moche as they might. ¶ Nowe let vs leaue to speke any more of this mater / and retourne to speke of the lordes & knygh∣tes of Fraunce / who were at the siege before the strong towne of Aufryke agaynst the sa∣razyns. ∴ ∴