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 Englysshe knyghtes that were sente to Parys to the frenche kynge / fro the kynge of Englande and his vncles to treate for a peace. Cap. C .lxxv. (Book 175)

THe wyll and purpose of the frenche kynge none wolde breke / for it pleased greatly all the knyghtes & squyers of Fraunce / by∣cause they wyst nat where better to enploy their sea∣son / and euery man prepared towardes that voyage / and namely the clergy of all the pro∣uynces of the realme / ordayned and graunted a tayle / to sende at their costes and charges men of warre with the kynge. Howe be it this voyage tourned to nothynge / as the duke of Bretayne had sayd before / and I shall shewe you by what incidence. About y^e feest of Can∣delmas came other tydynges to the Frenche kyng and to his counsayle / whiche they loked nothynge for. Certayne of the kynge of En∣glandes coūsayle / and suche as were of his pri¦uy chambre / were sent nobly to Parys to the frenche kyng / and they that were chefe of this legacyon was / syr Thomas Percy / syr Loys Clyfforde / and sir Robert Briquet / with dy∣uers other knyghtes in their company / but I herde as than no mo named. Whan these thre knyghtes were come to Parys to hym / than the french kyng was desyrous to knowe what it myght meane / that the kynge of Englande dyd sende so hastely of his counsayle to hym. These knyghtes of Englande / syr Thomas Percy and other / alyghted in Parys in the streate called the Crosse / at the signe of the ca∣stell. The frenche kynge as than lay in the ca∣stell of Lowere / & his brother the duke of Tou∣rayne with hym / and his other thre vncles in other lodgynges in the cytie / and the cōstable syr Olyuer Clysson. It was nere hāde noone whan the englysshe men came to Parys / and they kept their lodgynge all that day & nyght after / and the next day aboute nyue of y^e clocke they lept on their horses ryght honorably and rode to the castell of Loure to the kyng / where he with his brother and vncles / the Erle of saint Poll / the lorde of Coucy / the constable of Fraūce / sir Iohan of Vien / & sir Guy de la tre¦moyle with dyuers other barons of Fraunce / were redy to receyue the englysshe ambassa∣dours / who alyghted at y^e gate and entred in / and there receyued them the lord de la Ryuer / syr Iohan Mercyer / sir Lyon of Lignach / sir Peter Villers / sir Willyam of Tremoyle / and syr Marcell. there they receyued them honou∣rably / and brought theym in to the chambre / where the kynge taryed for them. Than they dyd of their bonettes and kneled downe. syr Thomas Percy hadde the letters of credence that the kynge of Englande had sente to the frenche kynge / he delyuered them to the kyng who tooke them / and caused the knyghtes to stande vp / than they stepe some what backe. The kynge opyned the letters and red them / and sawe well that they had credence / than he called to hym his brother and his vncles and shewed them the letters / than his vncles sayd. Syr call forthe the knyghtes / and here what they wyll say. Than they aproched and were cōmaunded to declare their credence. than si•• Thomas Percy spake and sayd. Dere sir / the entencyon of our souerayne lorde the kinge of Englande is / that he wolde gladly that suche of his specyall counsayle / as his vncles dukes of Lancastre / yorke / and Glocestre / and other

prelates of Englande / suche as his specyall 〈…〉〈…〉 might come in to your presence and to your counsayle / as shortely as myght be / to treate for a maner of peace / so that it he and you togyther myght couenably and resona∣bly be con••oyned / and meanes sounde to haue a conclusyon of peace / he wold be therof right ioyfull / and for that entente he wolde nouther spare his owne payne and laboure / nor yet none of his men / nother to come hym selfe or to sende suffyciente persones ouer thesee to the cytie of Amyence / or to any other place as∣signed. And syr we be come hyder for this en∣tente to knowe your pleasure in this behalfe. Than the kynge aunswered and sayde. Syr Thomas Percy / you and all your company are ryght hertely welcome / and of youre co∣mynge and wordes we are ryght ioyfull / ye shall ••ary here in Paris a season / and we wyll speke with our counsayle and make you suche a couenable answere or ye depart / that it shall suffyce you. With this answere the englysshe men were well content. Than it was nere dy∣ner tyme / and the englysshe men were desy∣red to tary to dyne. And so the lorde of Coucy brought them in to a chambre and the lorde de la Ryuer. There they dyned at their layser / and after dy••er they retourned in to the kyn∣ges chambre / and there had wyne and spyces and thanne toke their leaue of the kynge and wente to their lodgynge.

THe comynge of syr Thomas Percy and his company in to Fraūce and the tydynges that they brought / pleased greatly the frenche kynge and the duke of Burgoyne / and dyuers of his counsayle / but nat all•• and specially suche as ayded to sustayne pope Cle¦mentes quarell / for they sawe well by these ty¦dynges / that if the frenche kynge enclyned to this treatie / that it shulde greatly let & hynder the voyage that was mynded to go to Rome / to distroy pope Bonyfac•• and his cardynals / or els to bringe them to the beleue of pope Cle¦mente But the mater of treatie of peace was so ••egh / and touched so moche the welthe and prefyte all crystendome / so that no persone durst speke against it. The duke of Burgoyn and his counsayle / with the kynge and his bro¦ther and the duke of Burbone / were all of one acorde. The kyng made good chere to {ser} Tho¦mas Percy & to the englysshmen / but amonge them there was one knyght / called sir Robert Briquet / wheme the frenche kynge loued nat / he was a frenche man borne / but alwayes he helde him selfe outher naueroys or englysshe / and as than he was one of the king of Englan¦des priuy chambre. The frenche kynge dissy∣muled with hym sagely / for whan he spake to theym / alwayes the kynge wolde tourne his selfe to syr Thomas Percy or els to syr Loys Clyfforde / and sayd. Syrs / we wolde gladly se this peace to be had bytwene vs and our ad¦uersary the kynge of Englande / for the qua∣rell and warre hath to longe endured bytwene vs. and one thinge I wyll ye knowe / y^t it shall nat be hyndred on out parte / though it be gret¦ly to our cost. Sir quod they the kyng our so∣uerayne lorde / who hath sent vs hyther hathe great affection to haue peace / and saythe that it shall nat be let on his parte / and hath mar∣ueyle that the warre and dyscensyon bytwene your landes hath endured so longe / and that no good amyable meanes hathe been had or this tyme. Than the frenche kynge answered and sayd / we shall se the good affection that he hath thervnto.

THese englysshemen taryed at Parys vi. dayes / and euery day dyned with one of the dukes of Fraunce / and in the meane season it was determyned / that the frenche kynge / his vncles and his priuy coun∣sayle shulde be at Amyence / by the myddes of Marche next after / there to abyde the coming of the kynge of Englande / his vncles / and his counsayle / if they wolde come thyder. And the englysshe knyghtes sayd / they made no doute but at the lest the kynge of Englandes vncles shulde be at the day assigned at Amyence. this was the conclusyon of this treatie. The daye before that they shulde departe out of Parys / the kynge came to y^e palays where his vncles were / and there he made a dynner to the En∣glyssh knightes / and caused sir Thomas Per¦cy to sytte at his borde and called hym cosyn / by reason of the Northumberlandes blode / at which dyner there was gyuen to sir Thomas Percy and to the englyssh knightes and squi∣ers great gyftes and fayre iewels / but in the gyunge of them / they ouer slypte syr Robert Briquet. and syr Peter Villers chefe steward with the frenche kynge / delyuered the gyftes / and be said to syr Robert Briquet. Sir whan

ye haue done suche seruyce to the kynge my maister / as shall please hym / he is ryche and puisaunt ynough to rewarde you. With whi¦che word{is} sir Robert Briquet was sore abas¦shed / and parceyued well therby that y^e kyng loued hym nat / but he was fayne to suffre it. after dyner mynstels began to play / that pa¦styme ones past sir Thoms Percy cāe to the kyng & sayd. Sir / I and my company haue great marueyle of one thing / y^t ye haue made vs so good chere and gyuen vs so great gyf∣tes that sir Robert Briquet hath nothynge / who is a knight of our maisters preuy cham¦bre. Sir we desyre to knowe the cause why: therto answered the frenche kyng and sayd. Sir Thomas / the knyght that ye speke of / syth ye wyll knowe y^t mater. he hath no nede to be in batayle agaynst me / for if he were ta¦ken prisoner his raunsome shulde soone be payde / and therwith the kyng entred in to o∣ther cōmunycacion. Than wyne and spyces were brought forthe / and so tooke leaue & re∣tourned to their lodgynge / and made a reco∣nyng and payde for euery thyng. The nexte daye they departed & spedde so in their iour∣neys that they arryued in Englāde / and she∣wed the kyng and his vncles howe they had spedde / and greatly praysed the frēche kyng / and the chere that he had made them / & she∣wed of the gyftes and iewels that he had gy¦uen them. ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue a lytell to speke of the Englysshe men / and some what shewe of kyng Iohan of Castyle. ∴ ∴