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 the truse whiche was acor¦ded bytwene Englande and Fraūce for thre yeres / was renewed. Cap. C.xci. (Book 191)

AS ye haue herde here before in the bokes of this hygh and excellent hystory / at the request of the ryght hygh and myghty prynce / my dere lorde and mayster Guy of Chastellone / erle of Blois / lorde of Auesnes / of Chymay / of Beau¦mont / of Streumehont / & of the Gode. I Io∣han Froysart preest and chapeleyn to my said lorde / and at that tyme treasourer and chanon of Chymay / and of Lysle in Flaunders / haue enterprised this noble mater / treatynge of the aduentures and warres of Fraunce and En∣glande / and other countreys conioyned and a lyed to them / as it may apere clerely / by the treaties therof made vnto the date of this pre¦sente day / the whiche excellent mater{is} as longe as I lyue by the helpe of god I shall cōtynue / for the more I folowe and labour it / the more it pleaseth me. As the noble knyght or squyer louynge the feates of armes / do perceyuer in the same / and be therby experte and made par¦fyte / so in laborynge of this noble mater / I de¦lyte and take pleasure. ¶It hath ben here be∣fore conteyned in our hystory howe truce was made at Balyngham / to endure thre yere by∣twene Englande and Fraunce / and for that purpose the erle of saynt Poll / the lorde of Ca∣stell Morant / and syr Taupyn of Cauteuell / ambassadours of Fraūce had ben in Englan∣de with the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke / for to vnderstande the kinges pleasure / and the opynion of the cōmons of Englande / for at the comunycacyon and parlyamente at Amyence / they were at a poynte of agrement of peace / vpon certayne artycles specifyed / re∣seruynge the agrement therto of the cōmons of Englande. thus these ambassadours were retourned in to Fraunce / and were answered howe that at the feest of saynt Mychell nexte ensuynge / there shulde be a Parlyament at Westmynster of the thre estates of Englande / at whiche tyme the mater shulde be declared / and a full aunswere made. Whan tydynges was come in to Englande of the frenche kyn∣ges sycknesse / that matter was greatly hyn∣dred / howe be it kynge Rycharde of Englan∣de / and the duke of Lancastre / had great af∣fection to haue had peace / so that if they might haue had their ententes / peace had ben made bytwene Englande and Fraunce. But the cō∣mynalte

of Englande desyred warre / sayenge howe warre with Fraunce was more conue∣nyent for them than peace. and of that opyny∣on was one of the kynges vncles / Th•• mas duke of Glocestre / erle of Perces / and consta∣ble of Englande / who was welbeloued in the realme / he enclyned rather to the warre than to peace. And of his opynyon were the yonge gentylmen of the realme / suche as desyred fea∣tes of armes. But his brother the duke of Lan¦castre / bycause he was eldest and of most puis∣saunce in Englande / he thought and said that the warre bytwene Englande and Fraunce had endured longe ynoughe / and that peace were more mete▪ for by the warre cristende me was sore febled / for the great turke Lamora∣baquyn was with greate puyssaunce on the fronters of Hūgery wherfore he sayd it shulde be honorable to all yonge lusty knyghtes and squyers to take their waye thyder / and there to exercyse dedes of armes.

LEtte vs wysely consydre the duke of Lancasters wordes / who spake them of good entent / for he had greatly tra¦ueyled in the warres of Fraunce / and conque¦red but lytell / and sore traueyled his bodye / brent and dystroyed the playne countreys in his waye / and after his retourne sone recoue¦red agayn / he sawe this warre drewe neuer to n••ne ••nde / but rather encreased. Also he sawe that if / fortune shuld turne agaynst y^e englyssh party / that great dōmage therof shulde ensue / and parceyued well that the kyng his nephue was enclyned moche rather to the peace than to the warre. I Iohan Froysart auctoure of this hystory / canne nat well saye / whether this dukes opinyon was good or nat / but it was shewed me that bycause the duke of Lancastre sawe his two doughters maryed in higher de¦gree than hymselfe / and out of the realme of Englande / the one was quene of Spaygne / the other Quene of Portugale. This caused him gretly to enclyne to the peace / for he knew well that the kynge of Spaygnes sonne / who had maryed his doughter / was as than but yonge / and in daunger of his owne subgiet∣tes / and knewe well that if he shulde peasably enioye the herytage of Spaygne / it was con∣uenyente that the englysshe men shulde kepe the peace with Fraunce / for if the peace shulde be broken by any incydent / than the Frenche men myght shortly be reuenged of the realme of Spayne, for they had open entrees as well through Aragon and Chathalone / as Bierne and Byskay / for the lady yolant of Bare was quene of Aragone / and she was good frenche and gouerned Aragon / Chathalone / Bierne / and Byskay / for the Vycount of Chatellon / who was heyre to therle of Foiz had so sworne and promysed the frenche quene / wherby the frenche men hadde many fayre entrees in to Spaygne without daunger of the kynge of Nauer / who wolde nat wyllyngly dysplease the frenche kynge his cosyn germayne / for as than syr Peter of Nauerre his brother / was with the frenche kynge / who alwayes apeased the frenche kynges ire and dyspleasure / whan he had any to his brother the Kynge of Na∣uer / for he was a true frenche man / and neuer founde the contrary. All these imagynacions the duke of Lancastre had in hym selfe / and shewed his mynde to his sonne the erle of Der¦by / though he were but yonge / yet he was of great wysdome / and lykely to come to great honour / whiche erle had thre sonne / Iohan / Humfrey / and Thomas / and two doughters by the lady his wyfe / doughter and heyre to the Erle constable of Englande / erle of Her∣forde and Northampton / by whiche lady he helde great herytage.

THe conclusyon of the parlyament hol∣den at Westmynster by the thre estates of the realme. A trewce was taken by see and by lande / bytwene Fraunce and Englande / their frendes and alyes / to endure fro the feest of saynt Mychell / to the feest of saynt Iohan Baptyst nexte after / and suche cōmyssioners as the frenche kynge had sent to this parlya∣ment were dyspatched / and the charter of the truce sent by them sealed / whiche treuce was well vpholden on all partyes. The Frenche kynge was sore febled by reason of his sycke∣nesse / and the physicyon mayster Guyllyam Harselay was as than deed / but whan he de∣parted fro Crayell fro the kynge / he ordeyned many receytes for the kynge to vse / wherby in the wynter season he recouered his helth / wher¦of all his louers and frendes reioysed / with the hole cōmynalte of Fraūce / for he was well be loued / and so he and the quene came to Pa∣rys / and helde their householde most parte at saynt Powle / and somtyme at Loure / and the

longe wynter nyghtes they passed the season with daunsynge and carollynge / and other re¦uels and dysportes. The quene was acompa∣ned with the duchesse of Berrey / the duchesse of Orlyance / and other ladyes. The same sea¦son the Vycount of Chastellon was come to Parys / who was newly entred in to the hery∣tage of the erledome of Foize and of Bierne / as ryght heyre / and he releued the sayde erle∣dom of Foiz / and dyd his homage to the kyng but nat for Bierne / for that coūtrey helde them¦selfe of so noble condycion / that they helde ser¦uyce to no man lyuynge. Howe be it the prince of Wales said to the erle of Foiz that last dyed / that he ought to releue of him / and to haue his resorte to the Duchy of Acquitayne. But al∣wayes the sayd erle denyed and defended it. And it is to be thought that the chalenge that the prince of Wales made thervnto / was by the settynge on and mouyng of Iohan erle of Armynake / as it hath ben shewed here before in this history / wherfore as nowe I wyll ouer passe it. Whan this vicount of Chastellon (cal¦led fro henseforthe erle of Foiz) was at Paris with the frenche kyng / he had there in his com¦pany with hym his cosyn syr yuan of Foize / bastarde sonne to the laste Erle of Foize / who was a goodly knyght. The erle of Foiz or he dyed wolde haue made hym his heyre / with a nother of his bastarde sonnes called Gracian / who dwelte as than with the kyng of Nauer / but the knyghtes of Bierne wolde neuer con∣sent therto / therfore the mater rested as it dyd / and the erle dyed sodaynly (as ye haue herde before) Whan the Frenche kynge sawe this yonge knyght syr yuan of Foiz / he lyked hym marueylous well / also the kynge and he were moche of one age / and by reason of the fauour that the kynge bare to this yonge knyght / the erle of Foiz had the shorter spede / and was delyuered of all his businesse / and than departed in to his owne countrey / and syr yuan abode styll with the kynge / and retay¦ned as one of his knyghtes of his cham¦bre / with .xii. horses / & all other thynges therto be∣longynge.