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

¶Howe and by what incydent the siege was reysed before the towne of Aufryke / and by what occasyon and howe euery man retourned to their owne countreis. Cap. C.lxxiiii. (Book 174)

YE haue herde here before / howe the christen men had besie¦ged the stronge towne of Aufry¦ke / by lande & by see: Settyng all their ententes / howe to con∣quere it / for they thought if they might wyn it / the brute therof shulde sounde / to their great honours and prayse. and howe they myght there kepe them selfe toguyder / and to resyst agaynst their ennemyes: sayenge howe they shulde alwayes haue conforte of the Christen men / and specially of the Fren∣che kyng / who was yong and desyrous of de¦des of armes / consydring howe he had truce with the Englysshmen for two yeres to cōe.

the sarazyns feared the same / wherfore dayly they made prouysyon for the towne / and re∣fresshed alwaies their towne with newe fressh men / hardy aduenturers / accordynge to their vsage. Thus the season passed on / and after the christen men hadde suffred the great losse of their companyons with lytell wynnynge or aduauntage on their partye / all their hole hoost were in a maner dyscomforted / for they coulde nat se howe to be reuenged. Than ma∣ny of theym beganne to murmure / sayenge we lye here all in vayne / as for the skrymys∣shes that we make / therby shall we neuer wyn the Towne of Auffryke / for if we slee any of them / for eche of them they wyll gette agayne ten other. They be in their owne countrey / they haue vytayles and prouysyons at their pleasure / and that we haue is with great daū¦ger and parell. What shall we thynke to do? if we lye here all this wynter / longe and colde nyghtes / we shalbe morfounded and frosen to dethe. Thus we shall be in a herde case by dy∣uers wayes. first in wynter no man dare take the see for the cruell and tyrryble wyndes and tempestes of the see / for the sees and tempestes are more fierser in wynter than in somer / and if we shulde lacke vytayles but eight dayes to¦gyther / and that the see wolde suffre none to come to vs / we were all deed and lost without remedy. Secondly though it were so that we had vytayles and all thynges necessary with out daunger / yet howe coulde our watche en∣dure the payne and traueyle contynually to watche euery night. the parell and aduenture is ouer herde for vs to beare / for our enemyes who be in their owne countrey / and knowe the countrey / may come by nyght and assayle vs to their great aduauntage / and do vs great domage / as they haue done all redy. Thyrdly if for faute of good ayre & of swete fresshe mea∣tes / wherwith we haue been norysshed / that mortalyte hap to fall in our hoost / we shall dye euery man fro other / for we haue no remedy to resyst agaynst it. Also furthermore if the geno¦uoys turne agaynst vs / which are rude people and traytours / they may be nyght tyme entre in to their shyppes / & so leue vs here to pay for the scotte. All these doutes are to be consydred by our capytaynes who lye at their ease / and regarde nat the case we be in▪ and also some of the genouoys spared nat to speke / and sayd in raylynge to the crysten men. What men of ar∣mes be ye frenche men / whan we departed fro Genne we thought that within fyftene dayes that ye had layen at siege before the towne of Aufryke / ye shulde haue conquered it / & nowe we haue ben here more thanne two monthes / and as yet we haue done nothyng / as for such assautes & skrymysshes as ye make / the towne nedeth nat to feare this yere / nor yet the nexte. by this maner of meanes ye shall neuer con∣quere this realme of Aufryke nor yet of Thu∣nes. This comunynge spred so abrode in the hoost / that it came to the knowlege of the gret lordes and capytaynes of the armye / and spe∣cyally the lorde of Coucy / who was sage and discrete / and to whose coūsayle the chefe parte of the host inclyned euer vnto. He sayd to him selfe and considred howe all these doutes were greatly to be feared / and to the entente to or∣dayn hastely remedy / he assembled secretly all the great lordes of the hoost togyder in coun∣sayle / bycause wynter aproched. This coun∣sayle was kept in the duke of Burbons tente / and the conclusyon was to dyslodge for that seasone / and euery man to retourne the same way as they came / the lordes prepared secretly for this. than the patrons of the galees were sente for / and their purpose was shewed vnto them / and they wyst nat what to say to the con¦trary / at laste they sayde. My lordes take no doute nor suspecte in vs / we haue made you promesse / wherfore we wyll acquyte vs truely to you / for if we wolde haue enclyned to the treaties of the affrykans / they wolde gaue de∣syred to haue had peace with vs / bnt we wold neuer gyue heryng to them. we wyll kepe our faythe to you / syth we haue promysed so to do. Sirs quod the lorde of Coucy / we repute you for good and trewe / and valyasit men / but we haue consydred dyuers thynges / wynter apro¦cheth / and we are destytute of vitayles & other prouysions. By the grace of god we ones re∣tourned in to the realme of Fraunce / we shall so enfourme the kynge / who is yonge and lu∣sty and desyrous to knowe the maner of these marches / and seynge that he hath treuce with the englysshe men / we thynke small counsay∣lynge wyll cause hym to come hyther with a puyssaunce royall / as well to ayde the king of Cicyll / as to make some conquest vpon the sa¦razyns / wherfore syrs / we requyre you make redy your galees and all other vessels / for we wyll departe within shorte dayes. The geno∣uoys

were nothynge content with the frenche men / in that they wolde departe fro the siege before the stronge towne of Aufryke / but they coulde fynde none other remedy / wherfore it behoued them to suffre. A generall brute ran through the hoost / howe the genouoys were a¦boute to bargayne with the sarazyns / & take their parte / and to betray y^e crysten men. The crysten men beleued this to be true / and some said one to an other. our souerayne capitayns as the duke of Burbone / the erle Dolphyn of Auuergne / and the lorde Coucy / syr Guy de la Tremoyle / syr Iohan of Vyen / and syr Phy∣lyppe of Bare / they knowe surely howe euery thynge gothe / and therfore we shall thus so∣daynely departe fro the siege. Their depar∣ture was publysshed throughe the hoost / and euery man cōmaunded to conuey euery thing in to their shyppes. Than saruaūtes and var∣letres were redy to trusse all maner of bagga∣ges / and to cary it in to their vessels lyenge at ancre. Whan euery thyng was cōueyed / euery man entred in to suche shyppes as they came in / and dyuers barones and knyghtes made couenaūt with their patrons and maysters of their shyppes / some to sayle to Naples / some to Cicyll / some to Cyper / and some to Rodes / to the entent to go to Iherusalem. Thus they departed fro the siege of Aufryke / and toke the see in the syght of the sarazyns that were within the towne. Whan they sawe their de∣parture / they made gret noyse with blowyng of hornes and sownynge of taburs / and shou∣tynge and cryeng / in suche wyse / that the host of sarazyns that lay abrode knew therof. than ye shuld haue sene the yonge sarazyns moūte on their horses / and came to the place where the siege had layne / to se if they coulde haue founde any thynge there. Agadingor of Oly∣ferne / and Brahadyne of Thunes formest. And there they sawe howe the christen men were so clene departed / that they had lefte no¦thynge behynde that they myght cary. There the sarazyns rode vp and downe more than two houres / to se the maner howe the crysten men had lodged theym selfe at the siege / they greatly praysed the crysten mennes subtyltie / in that they had made so many pyttes in the erthe to haue therby fresshe water. And whan they hadde been there a certayne space / and well regarded the galees and shyppes on the see / some of theym entred in to the towne of Aufryke / to se their frendes and alyes / and o∣ther departed agayne to their lodgynges / and made bost of their voyage / sayenge howe the crysten men durst abyde there no lengar / and sayd howe their puissaunce was nothynge to regarde / and that they wolde neuer more sette somoche by the frenche men nor by the geno∣uoys / as they had done before. and of this they sayd trouth / I shall tell you howe & wherfore.

AFter that this siege was thus conty∣nued / as I was enfourmed y^e sarazins waxed proude / for they sawe well howe the genouoys had done their full power to hurte and to anoy them / and they sawe that this voy¦age was to their great coste / and yet had won but lytell / whiche was of trouthe. And all that season the sarazyns knewe nothing of the deth of so many crysten knyghtes and squyers as were slayne at the great skrymysshe / but the same day that the crysten men departed / they had knowledge therof / and I shall shewe you by what meanes. The sarazyns founde in the felde a varlet of the genouoys / lyenge on the grounde sore sycke of the hote feuer / and was nat able to go to the galees whan his felowes departed. And of the fyndynge of this varlet / the sarazyns were ryght ioyfull / and brought him before their lordes / and shewed howe they had founde hym / than a trucheman was set to here his examynacion. In the begynnynge he wolde shewe nothyng / for he reekened himselfe but deed / and he desyred the sarazyns incon∣tynent that they wolde put hym to deth. than the lordes of the hoost / as Agadingor Doly∣ferne / Brahadyn of Thunes / and dyuers o∣ther / thought if they shulde cause hym to dye they shulde wyn nothyng therby / yet rather to saue his lyfe / so y^t he wolde shewe the trouthe of that he shulde be demaunded. Than it was shewed hym that if he wolde without lyenge shewe the trouth / his lyfe shulde be saued / and to be delyuered franke and free / and sent into his owne coūtrey by the first shyp that shulde come thence / outher in to the lande of Geneue or Marcyll / and also that he shulde haue gy∣uen to hym a. C. besantes of golde. Whan the varlet who feared dethe herde this promesse he was well comforted / for he knew well what so euer the sarazyns promyse by their faythe shulde be truely kepte / and also ye knowe well naturally euery man is lothe to dye. Than he

said to the truchman. cause the lordes to swere on their lawe to vpholde all that ye sayd / and than shall I aunswere you to all that I shalbe examyned of / as farre forth as I knowe. The trucheman shewed this to the lordes / and they made faythfull promesse by their fayth to full∣fyll their promesse. Than y^e varlet sayd. nowe demaund what ye wyll / and I shall answere. Than firste he was demaunded of whence he was. He answered and sayd / he was of Port∣nances. Than they demaunded of hym of the feates of the frenche men that had been at the siege. He named to them dyuers / for he hadde kepte often tymes cōpany with harauldes / by whome he had lerned dyuers of their names. Than they desyred to knowe y^e occasion why they departed so sodaynely fro the siege. wher to he answered wysely and sayd. As for that I can nat tell / but by supposynge / and acordyng as I haue herde spoken in our host / as for me I was neuer a counsayle with the lordes. but as the brute went / the frenchmen were in doute of the genouoys that they shulde betray them / and the genouoys denyed it and sayd / they ne¦uer thought it nor neuer wolde / and blamed the frenchmen y^t they shulde so slaunder them. Also it was sayd that parte of the occasyon of their departure was bycause the wynter drue¦nere / and they were afrayde of taking of suche domage as they had receyued before. what do¦mage was that quod the lordes. Syrs {quod} he / the same daye that ten of our men shulde haue fought with ten of yours / they lost about a .lx. knightes and squiers of name and armes / the genouoys sayd for that cause they departed. They beleued well y^e varlet / of whiche newes the lordes sarazyns had great ioye. They en∣quered of hym no further / but vphelde to him all their promesses / & so he retourned to Port∣nances and to Geane / and shewed all this ad∣uenture / and what he had said and herde / and he receyued no blame therof. Than the sara∣zyns sayd amonge them selfe / they shulde nat nede to care for the frenche men nor for the ge∣nouoys of a longe season after / and said howe before the towne of Aufryke they had taken no profyte / howe be it they sayde they wolde take better hede to their portes and hauens and the see costes of their Realmes / and specyally to the straytes of Marroke they set sure watche / that the genouoys nor venysians shulde nat passe that wayes in to Englande / nor in to Flaunders / with their marchaundyses / with∣out payenge of a great trybute / and yet that to be by greate grace and lycence. Thus the sa∣razyns assembled and alyed them togythers of dyuers realmes / as of Aufryke / Thunes / Bogy / Martoke / Belmaryn / Tremessyans / & Granade / all agreed togyder to kepe strayt∣ly their portes and passages / and to sette ga∣lees armed on the see to a great nombre / to the entent to be lordes and maisters of the see. and all this they dyd for the great hatred that they had to the frenchmen and genouoys / bycause they had ben at the siege before Aufryke. thus they dyd great trouble to the goers and com∣mers on the see / so that moche yuell and mys∣chefe grewe therby / for by meanes that the sa∣razyns were thus lordes of the see / suche mar∣chaundyses as came fro Dāmas / fro Cayrel fro Alexaunder / fro Venyce / fro Naples / and fro Geane / were in y^t season so dere in Flaun∣ders and so scarce / that many thynges coulde nat be gotte / nouther for golde no syluer / and specially all spycery was wonderfull dere and gayson.

YE haue herd here before howe the cry¦sten men departed for the siege of Au¦fryke. They all passed the see / but all aryued nat at one porte / for some were so sore tourmented on the see / that they retourned in great daunger / howe be it some of theym re∣turned to Geane. Processyons were made in Fraūce for their good spede / for there was no tydynges herde of them. The lady of Coucy / the lady of Sulley / the lady Dolphyn of Au∣uergne / and other ladyes of Fraūce / who had their husbandes in this voyage were in great sorowe / as longe as the voyage endured. and whan tydynges came howe they were passed the see / they were ryght ioyfull. The duke of Burbone and the lorde of Coucy retourned priuely / and lefte behynde them all their cary∣age and trayne / and so they came to Parys a¦boute saynte Martyns tyde in wynter. The frenche kynge was ioyouse of their comynge / as it was reason / and demaunded of them ty∣dinges of Barbary / and of their voyage. they shewed al that they knewe / and had herde and sene. The kynge and the duke of Thourayne were glad to here them speke. Than the kyng sayd / if we can bringe it aboute to make peace in the churche / and bytwene vs and Englāde /

we shall gladly make a voyage with an army royall in to those parties / to exalte the crysten fayth / and to confounde the infydels and to ac¦quyte the dedes of our predecessours / as kyng Ppilyp and kinge Iohan / for they bothe eche after other tooke on them the crossey / to haue gone to the holy lande / and they had gone thy∣der if y^e warres had nat fallen in their realme. In lyke wyse we wolde gladly make suche a voyage. Thus the Frenche kynge comuned with these lordes / and so the day passed / and lytell and lytell men came home fro their voy¦age / and the kynge helde hym selfe that season most comenly at Parys / somtyme at y^e castell of Lowre / and a nother tyme in the howse of saynt Powle / where the quene most comenly laye. So it fell in the same season aboute the feest of saynt Andrewe / and that all knyghtes and squyers were retourned fro their voyage into Barbary / wherof all y^t worlde spake. than in the frenche kynges court there was a mocy¦on moued for a newe iourney to be made thy∣der. And bycause that the frenche kynge had gret affection to dedes of armes / he was coun¦sayled and exorted therto / and it was sayde to hym. Syr ye haue deuocyon and great yma∣gynacion to go ouer the see / to fyght agaynst the infydels / and to conquere the holy lande. That is trewe quod the kynge / my thought nyght and day is on none other thyng. and as I was enfourmed / it was y^e lord of Tremoyle and sir Iohan Mercier that had these wordes to the king / for they owed their fauour to pope Clement beynge at Auignon. and loke what they two sayd y^e kyng wolde agre to them / for they were most speciall in fauour. Than they sayd to the kynge. Syr ye can nat with good conscience take on you this voyage / with out first the church be all one. syr begyn first at the heed / than your enterprise shall take good con¦clusyon. Why quod the kynge where wolde ye haue me to begyn? Syr quod they at this pre¦sent tyme ye be nat charged with any great bu¦synesse / ye haue treuce with the englysshe men for a longe space. wherfore syr if it please you this peace durynge / ye myght make a goodly voyage. and syr we can se no better nor more honourable a voyage for you / thanne to go to Rome with a great puyssaunce of men of ar∣mes / and pull downe and dystroy that ante∣paye / whome the romayns by force hath crea∣ted and set in the seate cathedrall of saynt Pe∣ter / if ye wyll ye maye well accomplysshe this voyage / and we suppose ye can nat passe your tyme more honorably. And syr / ye maye well know that if this antepape and his cardynals knowe ones y^t ye be mynded to come on them with an army / they wyll yelde them self / & aske mercy. The kynge remēbred hym selfe a lytell and sayd / howe he wolde do as they had deuy¦sed / for surely he said he was moche bounde to pope Clement / for the yere past he had ben at Auygnon / where as the pope and his cardy∣nals made hym ryght honourable chere / and had gyuen more than was demaunded / bothe to hym selfe / to his brother / and to his vncles / wherfore the kynge sayd it hadde deserued to haue some recompence. and also at his depar∣ture fro Auignon / he had promysed the pope to helpe & to assyst hym in his quarell. At that season there was at Parys with the kyng / the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne. than it was agreed and concluded that the nexte Marche after the kynge shuld departe fro Parys / and take the way towardes Sauoy and Lombar¦dy / and the erle of Sauoy to sende his cosyn Germayne with hym / and the kynge to haue vnder his charge the duke of Tourayne his brother with four thousande speares / and the duke of Burgoyne with two thousande spea∣res / and the duke of Berrey two thousāde / the constable of Fraunce two thousande speares / with the bretons / raintoners and lowe mar∣ches / the duke of Burbon a thousāde speares / the lorde of saynt Poll and the lorde of Coucy a thousande speares / & all these men of armes to be payed in hande for thre monethes / and so fro terme to terme. And whan those tydyn∣ges were knowen in Auignon / pope Clement and his cardynals were greatly reioysed / and thought in a maner their enterprise atcheued. Also the kinge was coūsayled nat to leaue the duke of Bretayne behynde hym / but to sende and to desyre hym to prepare hym selfe to go with him in this voyage. The kyng wrote no¦tably to hym / and sent his letters by a man of honour an offycer of armes / signyfyenge the duke in his letters the state of this voyage. Whan the duke had red these letters he turned hym selfe & smyled / and called to hym the lorde of Mountboucher and sayd. Syr harke and regarde well what the frenche kyng hath writ∣ten to me / he hath enterprised to departe this next Marche with a great puissaunce to go to

Rome and to distroy suche as take parte with pope Bonyface. As god helpe me his iourney shall tourne to nothynge / for in shorte space he shall haue more flax to his dystaffe than he can well spynne / I thynke he wyll leaue soone his folyssh thought. And also he desyreth me to go with hym with two thousande speares / howe¦beit I wyll honour him as I ought to do / and I wyll write to him ioyously / bycause he shall be contente / and shewe hym / howe if he go in this voyage he shall nat go without me / seyng it pleaseth him to haue my company / howe be it sir of Moūtboucher I say vnto you / I wyll nat traueyle a man of myne for all y^t the kyng hath purposed and sayd / nothynge shall there be done in that behalfe. The duke of Bretayne wrote goodly letters and swete to the frenche kynge / and the officer of armes returned with theym to Parys / and delyuered them to the kynge / who redde them and was well conten¦ted with the aunswere. ∴ ∴