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 dethe of pope Clement at Auygnon / and of the lectyon of pope Benedic. Cap. C.xcvi. (Book 196)

IN that tyme in the mo¦neth of Septembre / passed out of this worlde at Auy∣gnon Roberte of Geneue / named pope Clement / and it came by hym as he had alwayes said before. whan any man spake of the peace and vny••n of the church / he wolde say alwayes / howe he wolde dye pope / and so he dyd / in maner as ye haue herde here before / wrongfully or ryghtfully I wyll nat determyne. Than the Cardynalles there were sore abasshed / and studyed whome they myght chose to be pope. The same tyme the Frenche kynge retourned agayne to his helth / wherof all suche as loued him had great ioye / and specyally the good quene / who had gyuen moche almesse and done many pylgry¦mages for the kynge / and caused generall pro¦cessyons to be made in Parys. As I was en∣fourmed y^e cardynals at Auygnon dyd electe and chose to be pope the cardynall de la Line. To speke truely this cardynall was an holy manne and of good lyfe. This electyon was made condycionally / that if the frenche kynge and his counsayle were content therwith / or els nat. Nowe regarde and considre the great subiectyon that the churche was in / In that where the churche shulde be free / they submyt¦ted them to be vnder suche as shulde haue ben ordred by theym. Thus this cardynall de la Lyne was chosen pope / and named Benedic. He gaue generall graces to all clerkes that wolde come to Auignon. And by the coūsayle of his bretherne the cardynalles / he wrote of the creacyon of his papalyte to the Frenche kynge. But as I was enfourmed the kynge toke lytell regarde therto / for as than he was nat determyned whether he shulde take hym for very pope or nat / and ther vpon the kynge sent for the greatest clerkes of the vnyuersyte of Paris / to haue their aduyse and counsayle. Than mayster Iohan of Gyg••neourte and mayster Pyer Placyous (who were in pru∣dence and lernyng / the greatest clerkes in Pa¦rys sayde to the kynge in the name of all the hole vnyuersyte / howe that the cysme of the churche corrupted the crysten fayth / and howe that it myght nat long endure in that estate / without all crystendome shulde repent it / and rynne in great daunger / and specially the pre∣lates and preestes of the churche. They of the vnyuersyte were determyned to sende no rol∣les to Auygnon / for any clerkes to haue any graces of this Pope Benedyc. The frenche kynge sawe well their opynyons were reaso∣nable / and wolde haue none of his clerkes en∣rolled to seke for the popes graces / tyll the ma¦ter were better determyned. Thus that mater abode styll in that estate. Howe be it the duke of Berrey exalted greatly this pope Benedic / and sent his roll / wherby moche people were purueyed of graces of this Benedic. The du∣ke of Burgoyne and the duchesse dyssymuled the mater with the kinge / and so dyd the duke of Orlyaunce with many other great lordes of Fraunce. and some for fauoure helde them to this pope Benedyc / who denyed no man his graces / to the entent that his courte at A∣uygnon shulde be full / and to haue the more reputacyon. The duke of Bretaygne folowed the frenche kynges opinyon / for he was before tyme so abused by the enformacyon of his co∣syn the erle of Flaunders / that his herte wolde neuer enclyne to beleue on Pope Clemente / though the clerkes of Bretaygne beleued and helde hym for pope. So whan any promocy∣on was voyde in Fraunce / the kynge promo∣ted his clerkes / without gyuynge any know∣ledge therof to this pope Benedic / wherwith he and his cardynalles at Auygnon were sore abasshed / and douted leste the frenche kynge wolde restrayne suche rentes and profytes as they were wonte to haue of the benefytes gy∣uen in the realme of Fraunce. Than they de∣termyned to sende a legate in to Fraunce to speke with the Kynge and his counsayle / to knowe howe he wolde ordre hym agaynst the churche / and to shewe hym howe that he that is chosen pope is vnder this condycyon / that if he be pleased / than he to abyde styll as pope / or els they to put hym out of his papalyte / and the cardynals to entre agayne in to conclaue / and chose one after the kynges pleasure / At this tyme was come to Paris and was about the kynge / the freer mynour a meke man / who was sente in to Fraunce by pope Bonyface of Rome. The frenche kynge herde gladly this freers prechynge. Than came in to Fraunce the legate fro Auygnon / who was a great and a subtyle clerke and well langaged. Than the hole vnyuersyte counsayled the kynge / and sayde howe it were well done that eyther Bo∣nyface or els Benedyc to be put out of th•• is

papalyte / and all his cardynalles to be putte out of their cardynalyties. And in stede of them to be chosyn good clerkes / wyfemen / and of good conscyence / as well of Almayne and Fraunce / as of other nacyons. And they to be sette toguyder by good delyberacyon and counsayle / without fauour or yuell wyll to sette the churche therby at one poynt with one pope. They sayde / they sawe well there was none other waye to bringe it to a good conclusyon / bycause pride and enuy so rey∣gned in the worlde / that the princes and lor∣des eche helde their owne partie. This pre∣posycion that the vnyuersite hadde made be∣fore the kynge / pleased right well the kynge / and the dukes of Orlyaunce & of Surgoyne. And the kyng sayd he wolde write and sende messangers to the kynge of Almaygne and of Bo••sme / and of Hungry: and to the kyng of Englande. And he thought hym selfe sure ynough of the kynges of Castyle / of Nauer / of Aragon / of Cicyle / of Naples / & of Scot∣lāde / that they wolde obey to suche a pope as he and his Realme obeyed vnto. And vpon this / the frenche kyng sente his letters & mes∣sangers to these sayde kynges. There was good leysar in doing of this / bothe in goyng and cōmyng agayne with answere. and in y^t meane tyme there passed out of this worlde at Parys / the noble clerke maysters Iohan of Gygencourt / of whose dethe the kynge and the lordes / and y^e hole vniuersyte were right sorie / for he laste nat his felowe behynde him and he had in his dayes taken great payne to reforme the churche / and to haue brought it in to a perfyte vnyte.