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 sodayne dethe of the Erle Gascon of Foiz / and howe the erle of Chastellon came to then herytaūce. Cap. C.lxxx. (Book 180)

THe same seasone also dyed the noble and gentle erle of Foiz ryght maruey∣lously / I shal shewe you by what incydente. Truely of all sportes this Erle loued hūtynge with houndes and grey houndes / and of them he was well prouy¦ded / for always he had at his cōmaundement mo than .xvi. hundred. The erle as than was at Barrey / in the marches of Orthays / and wente dayly a huntynge in to the woodes of Saluaterra / the way to Panpylona in Na∣uerre / and the same daye that he dyed he had hunted and kylled a beare / and by that tyme it was high noone. Than the erle demaunded of them that were aboute hym where his dy∣ner was prouyded. It was shewed him at the hospytall of Ryon / a two lytell myles fro Or∣tays / and so thyder he rode to dyner / and so a lyghted there and went in to his chambre / the whiche was strawed with grene herbes / & the walles sette full of grene bowes / to make the chambre more fressh / for the ayre without was marueylously hote as in the moneth of May. Whan he felte that fresshe ayre he sayd. A this fresshnesse dothe me moche good / for the daye hath been very hoote / and so sate downe in a chayre. Than he talked and deuysed with syr Espayne du lyon of his houndes / whiche had ronne best / and as he thus deuysed / there cāe

in to the chambre sir Ienbayne his bastarde sonne and sir Peter of Cabestan / and the ta∣bles were redy couered in the same chambre. Than water was brought forthe to wasshe / and Coiandon of Spaygne toke asyluer ba¦son and sir Tybaulte toke the towell. Than the erle rose & put out his handes to wasshe / and as sone as the colde water fell on his fyn¦gars / he waxed pale in the face / and sodainly her herte fayled hym / and so fell downe / and in the fallynge sayd. Ah I am but deed. God haue mercy on me: He neuer spake worde af¦ter / howe be it he dyed nat so soone / but laye in great payne. The knyghtes that were a∣bout hym were sore abasshed and so was his soone: They tooke hym in their armes and layde hym on a bedde and couered hym / tru∣sstynge that he was but in a traunce. The .ii. knyghtes that had gyuen hym water / to the entent that it shulde nat be sayde that they had enpoysoned hym / toke the bason and the ewer and sayde / Sirs / here in your presence beholde here this water / the whiche we toke assaye of and yet wyll do. And there they drā¦ke therof / so that euery man was cōtent with them. They put in to the erles mouthe drin∣ke and spyces / and other thynges comforta∣ble / but all that aueyled nothyng. For in lesse than halfe an houre he was deed / and yelded vp his brethe swetely. God of his pytie ha∣ue mercy on him. all such as were there were greatly troubled and abasshed. Than they closed the Chambre doore / to the entent that his dethe shulde nat be so sodaynly knowen abrode. The knightes behelde sir Ienbayne his sonne / who wepte pituously and wrang his hādes. And the knightes that were with hym sayde. Sir Ienbayne / ye haue nowe loste youre father: We knowe well he loued you entierly. Leaue your sorowe / and leape on your horse and ryde to Orthayes. Take you possessyon of the castell and of your fa∣thers treasoure that is within it / or euer the dethe of your father be knowen abrode. Sir Ienbayne enclyned to those wordes & sayd. Sirs I thanke you of your good couusaile the whiche I shall deserue. But than̄e lette me haue some token that is on my father / or elles I shall nat be suffred to entre in to the castell. That is trewe sir quod they / take sōe token fro your father. Than he toke a rynge fro his fathers fynger / and a Knyfe that he bare alwayes about hym. These tokens the porter of the castell knewe well: If he hadde nat brought them / he shulde nat haue enered in there.

THus sir Ienbayne of Foiz de{per}∣ted from the hospytall of Ryone and thre with hym / and rode in haste to the castell of Orthayes. He rode throughe the towne / no man mystrusted hym / and so came to the Ca∣stell and called the Porter / who aunswered and sayd. sir / what wolde you haue? Where is my lorde your Father? He is at the hospy∣tall of Ryon quod the knyght / and hath sent me for certayne thynges that is in his cham∣bre: and than I must returne agayne to him. And to the entent that thou shuldest beleue me / Beholde here his rynge and knyfe. The porter opyned a wyndowe and sawe the to∣kyns: whiche he knewe well. Than the por∣ter opyned the wicket and he entred in / & his varlettes dyd set vp his horse. As soone as he was entred he sayde to the porter. Close a¦gayne the gate. Than he toke the porter and sayd. Delyuer me the kayes / or els thou arte but deed. The porter was abasshed & sayde. Sir / why say ye thus? Bycause quod he my father is deed / and I wyll haue y^e possessyon of his treasour / or any other come here. The porter obeyed for he durst do none otherwise and he loued sir Ienbayne as well as ano∣ther. The knyght knewe ryght well where the treasour laye / whiche was in a stronge towre / wherto belonged thre stronge dores / surely bolted and barred / and dyuers kayes parteynyng to them. Whiche kayes he coude nat fynde redely / for they were in a cofer of stele / and locked with a lytell kaye of Stele. whiche kaye the erle euer bare on hym / wher¦soeuer he wente / in a lytell purse aboute his necke. Whiche (after sir Ienbayne was de∣parted fro the hospytall) was founde by the knightes that were about the deed corse. thā they marueyled what kaye it shulde be that the erle bare so priuely about hym selfe. than therles chapelayne called sir Nicholas of Es¦call / who knewe all the erles secretes (for the erle loued hym well / & euer whan he went in to his treasorie house / he had his chapelayne with hym) sayde / As soone as he sawe the kaye. Ah / sir Ienbayne hath but lost his pay¦ne /

for this is the kaye of a lytell cofer wher∣in are all the kayes of the Towre and cofer / wher all the Erles treasour lyeth. Than the knyghtes sayde. Sir Nicholas. Go & ryde you to Orthayes and beare hym the kaye. Sirs quod he / sythe ye gyue me the coun∣sayle I shall do it / for it were better he had his fathers treasoure than another: and also I knowe well his father loued hym entierly Than he tooke his horse and tooke the kaye and rode to the castell of Or••hayes. And all that season sir Ienbayne was sertchynge all aboute for they kayes / and coulde nat fynde thē / nor wyst nat howe to get the towre dore opyn / it was so stronge: nor also he hadde no instrumentes to breke it opyn with all. And in this meane season the men of the towne hadde soone knowledge / by varlettes or wo¦men that came / to the hospytall / howe therle shulde be deed. These were harde tidynges to them / for the erle was welbeloued withall his people. They of the towne assembled to guyder in the markette place / and sayde one to another / suche as hadde sene sir Ienbayn passe through the towne alone. We haue sene sir Ienbayne passe through the towne alone towardes the castell / & it semed by his coun∣cynaunce he was nat content. Surely there is some thyng a mysse / sor he was nat wonte to cōe home before his father. Thus as they were cōmunynge toguyder / there came in to the towne the Erles chapelayne. Than̄e the men of the towne came aboute hym and de∣maūded newes of therle their lorde. It hath been shewed vs that he is deed. Is it so or nat? Nay quod the preest he is not deed / but he is sore sicke / and I am come home before to cause thynges to be dressed for hym / and than I muste retourne agayne to hym. And so therwith he passed forth to the castell / and dyde so moche that he entred / of whose com∣myng sir yuan had great ioye / For without the kaye that he brought he coulde nat haue entred in to the Towre where as the trea∣sour was. Than the men of the towne hadde great suspecte of the Erles dethe and sayde. It is nere hande nyght / and as yet we here nothynge of our lorde / nor of none of his of∣fycers / and sir yuan and his chapelayne are entred in to the castell suspeciously. Let vs watche the castell this night / and to morowe we shall here other tidynges. Lette vs sende secretely to y^e hospitall / than shall we knowe howe the mater gothe. Also we knowe well / the moost parte of the erles treasour is with in the Castell / and if it be stollen awaye by crafte / we shalbe blamed for it. Ignoraunce shall nat excuse vs. They all thought it was best for them so to do. Than̄e the men of the towne drewe about the castell and kepte the gates of the towne surely / that none shulde entre nor issue without lycence. Thus they watched all nyght / and in the mornyng they had parfyte knowledge of the dethe of their lorde. Than euery man / woman / and chylde cryed out and wepte pituously / for the Erle was welbeloued. Than the watchmen dou∣bled and encreased in harnesse aboute the ca∣stell.

WHan sir yuan of Foize sawe the maner of the men of the towne / and sawe well howe he was {per}∣ceyued / and that they knewe the certayntie of the dethe of his fa¦ther. Than he sayde to sir Nycholas. Sir / I haue fayled of myne entēt / I se well I can nat departe hens without lycence. The men of the towne haue knowledge of my fathers dethe / and they assemble in great nombre be∣fore y^e castell. It behoueth me to humble my selfe to them / for force can nat aueyle me. sir / ye saye trouthe quod the preest: ye shall wyn more by swete and fayre word / than by rude and frowarde dealynge. Go your waye and speke with them. Than sir yuan went in to a towre nere to the gate / & opyned a wyndowe ouer the bridge / in the whiche towre he was brought vp in / tyll he maryed the lady Iane of Boloyne / who afterwarde was duchesse of Berrey: as ye shall here after in this hy∣storie. Sir yuan opyned the wyndowe and spake to them that were the princypals of the towne / who cāe on the bridge nere to the win¦dowe / to here what he wolde saye. Than he spake a loude and sayde. O ye good people of Orthays / I knowe well the cause of your assēbly: it is nat w^tout a great occasion: how be it I requyre you as derely as ye loued my lorde & father / that ye be nat displeased with me / thoughe I haue aduaunsed my selfe to entre in to this castell first / or any other shu∣de entre / and to take possession therof / and of

suche goodes as be within it / for I wyll do nothyng but good. ye knowe well my lorde my father loued me as well and entierly / as his owne sonne / and wolde fayne haue foūde the wayes to haue made me his enherytour. And nowe it hath pleased god to call hym to his mercy / without accomplysshyng of any thynge of myne aduauncement: And nowe he hath lefte me amonge you / where I haue been brought vp / and lefte nowe as a poore knyght / bastarde sonne to the erle of Foize / without I haue your ayde and helpe. Wher∣fore sirs / I requyre you in goddes behalfe to haue pytie on me / wherin ye shall do great almesse. And I shall open the castell and suf¦fre you to entre / I wyll nat kepe it agaynst you. Than they aunswered and sayde. Sir yuan / ye haue spoken so nobly / that it ought to suffyce. And sir / we saye that we wyll a∣bide with you / and our entent is to kepe this castell and goodes with you. And if the Vi∣count of Chastellon your cosyn / who is next enherytoure to this countrey of Byerne / as nexte parente to your father come hyder / to challenge his herytage and mouables / or he haue it / he shall knowe well howe we shall defende you and your right / fro hym and fro your brother sir Gracyen. But we suppose / that whan̄e the Frenche kynge was laste at Tholous / and my lorde youre Father with hym / that some order was takenne / as tou∣chyng your fathers enherytaunce: And this can sir Roger of Spaygne your cosyn tell / no man better than he. We shall write to him and shewe hym of the dethe of the erle your father / and desyre hym to come hyder to hel∣pe and counsayle vs in all thynges / concer∣nynge the landes of Bierne and of Foiz / and also for the mouables: and for thentierment of my lorde youre father. And this we pro∣myse you faythfully to vpholde. With this aunswere sir yuan was well contente: And thanne opyned the gate of the Castell of Or∣thayes / and suche entred as wolde: And the same daye the Erles body was brought thy∣der. At the metyng of the corse / men and wo∣men wepte pituously / in the remembraunce of his noblenesse and puyssaunt estate: His wytte and prudence / his Prowesse and lar∣gesse / and the great prosperyte that he lyued in: For there was nouther Frenche nor En∣glysshe that durste dysplease hym. Moost parte of the people sayd. Nowe our neygh∣bours wyll make vs war / where as we were wonte to lyue in peace and fredome. Nowe shall we be in bondage / in misery / and sub∣iectyon. Nowe there is none to ayde vs.

AH Gascone Gascone fayre son̄e. Why dyde ye euer so dysplease your father / y^t it coste you your lyfe. If ye had ben lefte with vs it shulde nowe haue ben to vs a great cōforte but we lost you to yong / & your father hath taryed to short a season with vs. He was but threscore and thre yeres of age. He myght haue lyued for any age / many a yere lengar. It was no great age for suche a prince / hauynge euery thyng at his ease and wysshe. Ah thou lande of Bierne / destytute and without conforte of any noble herytour. What shall become of the? Thou shalte ne∣uer haue agayne suche another / as was this gentyll erle of Foiz. With suche lamentaci∣ons and wepynges / the body of this Noble Erle was borne throughe the towne of Or∣thayes / by eight noble knyghtes. The first the Vycounte of Brunyquell / and agaynst hym the lorde of Compayne. The thirde sir Roger of Spaygne / and agaynst hym sir Raymonde of Laysne. The fyfthe sir Ray∣monde de la Mote / agaynst hym the lorde of Besache. The seuenthe sir Menault of No∣ualles / and agaynst hym Rycharde of saynt George. And behynde was sir yuan his ba∣starde sonne. The lorde of Corase. The lor∣de of Barantyne. The lorde of Baruge. the lorde of Quere / and mo than threscore other knyghtes of Byerne / who were soone come to the hospytall of Ryone / whan they knewe of the Erles dethe. Thus he was caryed w^t open vysage to the freers in Orthayes / and there he was enbaumed and layde in leed / & so lefte vnder good kepynge / vnto the day of entierment. And nyght and daye withoute cease / there was brinnynge aboute his body / four and twentie torches borne by eight and fourtie yomen. Foure and twentie in the nyght / and foure and twentie in the daye. ∵

THe dethe of this noble erle of Foiz / was anone knowen in dyuers coun¦treis / & mo were rather sorie of his dethe than gladde / for he had in his dayes gi¦uen suche gyftes / so liberally / that it coulde nat be eschewed: wherfore he was be loued of euery man that knewe hym. Pope Cle∣ment whan he knewe of his dethe was right soroufull for hym bicause he had taken great payne in fortherynge of the maryage / of his cosyn Iane of Boloygne / who was duchesse of Berrey. The same season there was at Auignon the bysshop of Palmes / who durst nat com at his benifyce for a displeasure that the erle of Foize had to hym / and yet he was of his lynage. The cause was / the bysshopp̄ wolde haue exalted his iurisdiction and aba¦ted therles / for all that therle made hym bys∣shop. Than the pope sente for the bysshoppe to come to his palais / and whan he was cōe the pope sayde. Sir bysshoppe of Palmes / your peace is made / the erle of Foiz is deed. Of those tidynges the bysshoppe was glad / and within a shorte season after he departed fro Auignon / and wente to his bysshoprike in to the countrey of Foize. Tidynges of the dethe of this erle was anone come into Fraū¦ce to the kynge / and to his counsayle. The Frenche kyng and his brother / and the duke of Burbone were sorie of his dethe / bycause of his noblenesse. Than the counsayle saide to the kyng. Sir / the coūtie of Foiz is yours by right successyon / seyng the erle of Foiz is deed without heyre of his body laufully be∣gotten / no man canne debate with you ther∣in. Also they of the countie thynke the same. And sir / there is one thyng that helpeth gret¦lye your tytell / ye haue lende there on fyftie thousande frankes. Sir / sende and take pos¦sessyon of your guage / and kepe it as youre owne enherytaūce. For they of the same coū∣trey desyre to be vnder youre hande. It is a fayre countre and shall come to you to good purpose / for it marcheth nere to the Realme of Arragone / and also to Chattelone. And paraduenture here after ye may happe to ha¦ue warre with the kyng of Arragon. Than the countie of Foiz shalbe a good fronter / for therin be many fayre and stronge castelles to kepe in men of warre / and to make good ga∣rysons. The kyng herde well those wordes / and anone enclyned to their counsayle / and sayde. Sirs / lette se / whome shall we sende on this message. Than̄e it was determyned to sende y^e lorde de la Ryuer / bycause he was knowen in that countrey / and with hym the bysshoppe of Noyon. These two lordes pre¦pared them selfe to go on this legacyon. and whan̄e they departed they rode at leysar by small iourneys / and toke their waye by Aui∣gnon.

IN this meane season worde was sente to the Vicount of Chastellon / beyng in the realme of Arragon / of the dethe of his co¦syn the erle of Foiz. Than he rode tyll he cāe in to Bierne / streyght to Orthays. They of the towne made hym good chere / howe be it they toke him nat as than for their lorde / and saide / howe all the countrey was nat assem∣bled / and that first they must assemble toguy¦der the prelates / lordes / and men of the good Townes / and to counsayle toguyder what they shulde do. Sayeng: that is a good coū¦trey that holdeth of hym selfe / and the lordes that dwelleth therin / and hath herytages to be free. Than̄e it was aduysed for the best. First to make the entierment of the erle Gas∣cone of Foiz at Orthays / and to sende for all the nobles of Bierne and of Foize / suche as wolde come / and than to take counsayle whō they shulde accepte for their lorde. Than all barones and prelates / and heedes of good townes of Bierne and of Foiz were sent for. They of Bierne cāe thyder / but they of Foiz refused to come there and sayde / they wolde kepe their countrey. For they herde saye the Frenche kyng wolde sende thyder to chalēge they countre of Foiz. Howe be it the bysshop of Palmes was desyred to come to Orthais / bycause of lynage / and so he came thyder in good array / as to hym apparteyned.

The day of the obsequy of the gentyll erle Gascon of foiz / last erle of that name / done in the freres in the towne of Orthays / the yere of our lorde god / a thousande thre hundred fourscore and a .xi. on a monday. There was moche people of the countrey of Bierne and of other places / bothe lordes / knightes / and other prelates. There were four bisshoppes the bysshop of Palmes who sayd the masse / and the bysshoppes / of Ayre / of Auron / and of Tenues in Bierne. There was a goodly

herse and well ordred. And duryng the masse tyme / there was holden before the aulter by four knightes foure baners / with the armes of Foiz & of Bierne. The first helde sir Ray∣mon of Newcastell. The seconde sir Espay∣gne du Lyon. The thirde sir Peter deguier. The fourthe sir Menaulte of Noualles. sir Roger of Spaygne offred the sworde / by∣twene the Bourge of Campaigne and Pier of Arnaulte of Bierne / capitayne of Lourde. The shelde bare the Vicount of Bruniquell bytwene sir Iohan of Newcastell and Iohn̄ of Chanteron. The helme offred the lorde of Valētyne and of Bierne / bytwene Arnalton of Rostem and Arnalton of saynt Colombe. The horse was offred by the lorde of Corase / bytwene Arnalton of Spayne and Raymo∣net of Campaygne. This entierment was honorably done / accordyng to the vsage of y^e countre: and there were the two bastarde sō∣nes of the erle of Foiz / sir yua•• and sir Gra∣cien / and the Vicount of Chastel••on / and all the barons of Bierne and some of Foiz. But assone as the seruyce was done / they of Foiz departed and rode the same daye to dyner to Herytell / two myles fro Orthais. and y^e next day be tymes the bysshoppe of Palmes de{per}∣ted / he wolde nat be at the generall {per}lyament whiche was the same daye a monge them of Bierne. Thus the erle was buryed in y^e fre∣ers before the hyghe aulter. So there is no more mencion made of hym / god haue mercy vpon his soule. ¶Nowe let vs speke of the order that was taken at Orthais.

AS it was enformed me / it was said to the Vycount of Chatelion. Sir / we knowe well that as next of blode ye ought to succede in the herytag{is} / as well of Bierne as of Foiz: But as nowe we can nat receyue you as oure lorde / for therby we myght bring the lande of Bierne in to great trouble / warre / and daunger. For as we do vnderstande / the Frenche kynge who is our good neighbour dothe sēde hyder of his coū¦sayle / we knowe nat for what entent / tyll we here them speke. We knowe well & so do you that our lorde the erle / whome god pardone / was this last yere at Tholous with the fren¦che kyng / and had secrete cōmunycacion to∣guyder / the whiche firste hath nede to be de∣clared / for if he haue gyuen and released to the Frēche kyng Foiz and Bietne / the kyng than with puissance wyll haue & optayne it. Wherfore or we do any thing we wyll know the artycles / for we of Byern be in other case & of other cōdycion than they of Foiz. We be all fre without homage or seruytude / and the countie of Foiz is holden of the Frenche kyn¦ge: and also the people of Foiz their hertes be so Frenche / that lightly they wyll receyue the frenche kyng to their lorde and soucray∣gne: For they haue sayde sithe the erle was deed / he hath none heritour of his body lau∣fully gotten. Wherfore the countie of Foize they saye / shulde parteyne to the ordynaūca of the Frenche kyng. But sir we shall kepe our holde / and we wyll serue no lorde but su¦che as we ought to do / wheder it be the frēch kyng or you. But sir / we wyll counsaile you to worke wysely in this busynesse / by treatie or otherwyse. Than the Vycount said. sirs / by what meanes wyll ye coūsayle me to wor¦ke / for I haue promised to worke by your ad¦uyse in euery thyng / accordyng to reason. sir quod they / we wyll aduyse you to desyre sir Roger of Spaygne your cosyn to kepe you company / at your cost and charge. And go in to the countie of Foiz and treate with the pre¦lates and noble men / and with theym of the good townes / that they wolde receyue you to their lorde / or elles to sytte styll and dissy∣mule the mater tyll ye haue apeased y^e french kyng / and taken with hym some cōposicion / by meanes of golde and siluer / that ye might haue the enheritaunce in rest and peace. if ye do thus than do ye wisely / and if ye maye be herde with them that be sente fro the Frenche kynge in to the countie of Foize / thoughe it cost you a hundred thousande or two hūdred thousande frankes / ye shall fynde ynoughe to paye it with all / For the erle that is deed / hath lefte ynoughe behynde hym. Howe beit sir / in any wyse we wyll that his two bastar∣de sonnes haue parte largely of his goodes. Than the lorde answered and sayde. Sirs / I am content as ye wyll. And here is my co∣syn sir Roger of Spaygne / and in all youre presences / I desyre hym to ryde with me in this iourney. Than sir Roger answered and said. Sir / I am content to ryde with you to be as meane bytwene bothe {per}ties. But if the Frenche kyng my souerayne lorde or his am¦bassadours desyre me to be of their coūsayle /

orels cōmaūde me nat to medell / than I must nedes leaue you. The Vycount was content and saide. Cosyn / I trust they wyll nat aga∣ynst your will take you fro me. and if I may haue you nere me / I thynke to make a good ende of all my busynesse.

THan (as I was enformed) the Vy∣count of Chastellon made a request before thē all / to borowe fyue or .vi. thousande frankes to performe his iourney. Also the two bastardes made their request / that they might haue parte of their fathers richesse. Than the coūsayle toke aduise togi¦der / & at last acorded that the Vicoūt shulde haue fyue thousande frankes: And the two bastardes of Foiz eche of them two thousāde frankes and incōtynent the tre••ourers were cōmaunded to delyuer the money. All offy∣cers that were in the Erles dayes / were suf∣fred to occupy styll without any chaungyng and than kepers were sette to kepe the castell of Orthais / and the richesse that was within it. The Vicount at his first cōmynge to Or∣thais / gaue pardon to all the prisoners with in the castell / wherof there were a great nom¦bre. For the erle of Foiz was a cruell man & wolde spare no man / but to punysshe at his pleasure / though he were neuer so great a {per}∣sonage. He had ones in prisone the said Vy∣count of Chastellon in the botome of a don∣gion / eight monethes / for all that he was his cosyn germayne. And whan̄c he delyuered him / he sette hym to raūsome at .xl. thousāde frankes / whiche was truly payde. And also as longe as he lyued he loued hym neuer af∣ter / so that the Vicount durst neuer come in his sight / for if the erle had lyued two yeres lengar / the Vicount shulde neuer haue had any parte of y^e heritage of Foiz or of Bierne.

THus this counsayle at Orthays bra¦ke vp / and euery man departed and lefte the Vycount to prepare for his iourney / who made hym redy as soone as he might / and desyred certayne knightes & squi¦ers to go with hym. Thus he departed fro Orthais with a two hundred horse / and rode to Moriens a good towne on the fronter / by¦twene Byerne and Bygore / a four myles fro Pauy and a sixe myle fro Tarbe. And the se∣conde day he rode to saynt Gausens / another good towne at the entre of the coūtie of Foiz on the ryuer of Garone. and there tidynges came to hym howe the bysshoppe of Noyon / and sir Buryaulx de la Ryuer and other of y^e Frenche kynges counsayle were cōe to Tho∣lous. Than the Vycount tooke counsayle of sir Roger of Spayne what was best for him to do: sir Roger answered and sayd. Sithe we haue herde tidynges of them / let vs tary here and se what they wyll do. I thynke they wyll sende shortely to vs: and so there they taryed / for in dede they coulde go no further in to the countie of Foiz / for all the good tow¦nes / castelles and passages were closed aga∣ynst them: As Calumuche / Casteres / Moūt¦tesquen / Carthas / Ortyngas / Fossat / the cy∣tie of Palmes & the castell / Montaunt / and all the castels on the fronter of Aragon. they of the countie of Foiz sayd / that no straūger with any puissaunce shulde entre in to no ca¦stell nor towne of their countrey / tyll the ma∣ter were determyned. and as they of the coun¦trey shewed themselfe they were better myn¦ded to be Frenche / & to be gouerned by a sene¦schall (as the countre and cytie of Tholous was / and Carcasson and Beauuoyre) rather than to be vnder any other ruler. Howe be it the mater went otherwyse / as ye shall here. For whan the Frenche kynges cōmyssaries were come to Tholous they demaunded ne∣wes of the archebysshoppe / and of the senes∣chall of Foiz and of Bierne / and of other / su∣che as had ben at Orthays at the buryeng of the erle of Foiz. There they were enformed in what case the countre stode in. Than they toke aduyse togyder / & determyned to sende for sir Roger of Spaygne / bycause he was the Frenche kynges man by faythe and ho∣mage / and his oftycer / as seneschall of Car∣cassone. They sent a credable persone with a letter to hym. The messanger rode to saynt Gausens / a .xii. myle fro thens. Than he de∣lyuered to sir Roger of Spaygne his letter / sir Roger toke & reed it / and sayd to y^e squyer Sir / ye shall tary here all this day & to mo∣rowe ye shall departe / I thynke ye shall nat go without company. Than sir Roger and the Vycount counsayled toguyder. Than it was thought for the beste that sir Roger of Spayne shulde ryde to Tholous and speke there with the bysshop of Noyon and with the Lorde de la Ryuer / to knowe what they

wolde say. The next day {ser} Roger of Spayne and the messanger rode forthe togyder / and came y^• same nyght to Tholouse. Syr Roger toke vp his lodgyng / and the messanger went to his maysters. Than the cōmyssioners said to morowe we shall here tydynges / seynge sir Roger is come. The next day after masse syr Roger drewe to the bysshop and to the lorde de la Ryuer / & made good chere eche to other / bycause they were all of aquayntaunce / and there communed the cause of their cōmynge. Than the kinges cōmyssyoners shewed forth the kinges procuracions / and howe they were set and stablysshed to take possessyon and sea∣son of the countie of Foiz. and whan syr Ro∣ger had well herde them at length / he replyed with swete wordes and sayde. Lordes I am nat so nere of y^e kinges coūsayle as ye be / and if I were sauynge your correction / I wolde counsayle the kyng that he shulde take agayn his money / and somwhat more (trewe it is he hath lente money on the herytage of Foize / to be reysed after the dethe of the erle) yet let the kynge leaue the ryght of the enherytaunce to the nexte enherytoure of the blode / this shall be for the kynges profyte / honour / and salua∣cyon / and in this that I saye / I shall laye dy∣uers reasons / if ye wyll here it. There is one thynge whiche is clere / the erle of Foiz layde his lande to pledge by fraude / for as for golde and syluer he had ynough / for that he dyd was for nothynge but to dysheryte the Vicount of Chastellon wrōgfully / bycause he hated hym without cause. Also as touchyng the kynges profyte / I ensure you the kepyng of the lande of Foize shulde coste the kynge more than the rentes or reuenues cometh vnto. And thyrdly the kyng shall lese therby the homage and ser¦uyce of suche a man as is able to do him good seruyce / this ought to be well regarded. also it shulde be a great charge to the kynges consy∣ence to dysheryte any persone / without a rea∣sonable cause / for if the herytage of Foiz shuld haue ben bought and solde / fyrste all suche as claymeth any ryght therin shulde haue ben a greed with all and satyfyed / whiche was nat so. wherfore my lordes these reasons well con¦sydred / seynge ye be great wyse men and coun¦saylours to the kynge / take good hede what ye do / or ye pronounce any thynge that shulde tourne to the kinges sclaunder / or hurte to his conscyence / if ye do otherwyse it were great synne / and as yet there is tyme suffycyente to fynde remedy. My cosyn the Vicount of Cha¦stellon / hathe sente me hyther to you / to shewe you this mater / and ryght effectuously desy∣reth you / and so do I in his name / to take re∣garde in this behalfe. It is nat good nor con∣uenyent a man to take euery thynge byforce / that he maye take. Whan he had sayde / than the bysshoppe and the lorde de la Ryuer loked on eche other / at laste the bysshop sayde. Syr Rodger / we se and knowe well that all that ye haue sayd is for good entente / but our cōmys∣syon stretcheth nat so farre to quyte the bar∣gayne that was bytwene the kyng and therle of Foize / howe be it for the loue of you / and to bringe the matter somwhat to good purpose / and that all partyes myght be cōtent / we shall put this mater in suffraunce / and ye shall take the pay••e to ryde with vs into Fraunce to the kynge and to his counsayle / and than shewe there your reasons as ye shall thinke best / and if by your meanes ye can cause the vycount of Chastellon to enioy the herytage of Foiz / who is enherytoure therto / as ye saye / we shall be ryght gladde therof / for we wyll dysheryte no person. Syrs quod syr Roger I am well con¦tente with your sayenge / if it please you to a∣byde here a season / your costes shall be borne of the good that is in the castell of Orthays.

THe thyrde day sir Roger of Spayne tooke leaue of the kynges cōmyssyo∣ners and sayde. Syrs / I thynke to bringe this mater to a good purpose / I must be fayne to make a iourney into Fraunce / if I tary longe I pray you be nat myscontent / for it shall nat be in my faulte / and I shall sende you daily messangers and letters. Thus they departed / they taryed at Tholous / and sir Ro¦ger rode to saynt Gausens to the Vycount of Chastellon / and shewed him all the mater. the Vycount was ioyfull of those tydynges and sayd. Fayre cosyn syr Roger / all my trust is in you the mater toucheth me nere it is for then∣herytaunce wherof I beare the armes / I can nat tell whome to sende in to Fraunce / but all onely you to shewe my tytle to the kynge and to his coūsayle / wherfore sir for the loue of me / and for that I may deserue to you in tyme to come / take on you the charge of this voyage: syr Rodger sayd. Syr for the loue of you and of your lynage I shall do it. Than sir Roger

prepared for his iourney to ryde in to Fraūce and so toke the way to Rodes / and the shorter way / for as than truce was bytwene Fraunce and Englande / or els the way that he toke had nat been sure for hym / for on the fronters of Rouuergue / Quercy / & Lymosyn / there were many fortresses that made warre for the En∣glysshemen. ¶Nowe I wyll leaue for a sea¦son spekynge of syr Roger of Spayne / and speke of the frenche kynge / and of the duke of Bretayne. ∵ ∵