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 ambassade that the kynge of Englande sente in to Fraunce to treate of the maryage bytwene the lady Isable the Frēche kynges eldest doughter: and hym selfe: and of the louyng answere they had. Capi. CC.iii. (Book 203)

THese Englysshe lor∣des rode fro Calais to A∣myence and to Clermount in Beauuosyn / & so to Pa¦rys / and ī euery place they were well receyued by the cōmaundement of the fren¦che kyng. They were lodged about y^t crosse of Tyrouer: They were a fyue hundred hor∣ses. The Frenche kynge was lodged at the castell of Lour / and the quene and her chyl∣dren at the house of saynt Poule / vpon the ry¦uer of Seyne. The duke of Berrey at the house of Nesle / the duke of Burgoyne at the house of Arthoyse / and the duke of Burbone in his owne house / the duke of Orlyaūce / the erle of saynt Poule / and the lorde of Coucy / at their owne houses. The kynge had assem∣bled there all his counsayle / to the entent to make the better answere to thembassadours of Englande. The kyng had cōmaūded that euery day there shulde be delyuered to these ambassadours two hūdred crownes of Frā∣ce / for their small expences / and for their hor∣ses. And the chiefe of these Englysshe lordes as the erle Marshall and therle of Rutlāde were often tymes with the kynge and dyned with hym. they had as good there as coulde be deuysed / for the loue of the kynge of En∣glāde. These lordes desyred euer to haue an answere / & they were euer fedde forthe with fayre wordes. For the noble men of Fraunce had great marueyle of the requestes of the Englysshe men. And that the kynge of En∣glande wolde marry with Fraunce / seynge that the warre had ben so cruell / and so long endured. And some of the Frenche kynges counsayle sayd / howe maye our kyng agree to gyue his doughter in maryage to his ad∣uersary / or this treatie shulde be made. We thynke we shall haue peace with Englande by some other wayes / though it be nat by the meanes of maryage. And as at y^t tyme there was a valyaunt knyght of the Frenche kyn∣ges counsayle / called sir Raynalt of Corby. He was a farre castyng man / and consydred what myght fall in tyme to come. Than̄e he sayd to the kyng and to his vncles. My lor∣des and maysters. A man shulde entre in at the ryght dore in to a house. It semeth that kyng Richarde of Englāde wolde nothyng to you nor to the realme / but loue and all fa∣uour / seynge that by reason of maryage / he wolde alye hym to you. Two tymes your counsaylours and his haue mette toguyder at Amyence and at Balyngham / to treate for a peace / & yet they coulde neuer take no good conclusyon / but on the state of a truce. And sir / it is well knowen / that Thomas duke of Gloucestre kyng Richardes vncle / is of a cō¦trary opinyon / against y^e king and his other two vncles / the dukes of Lācastre & of yorke. The kyng nor other can nat make hym agre wyllingly to haue peace / howe be it his puis∣saunce canne natte resyst the kynges power. Therfore sir / after myne opynyon / receyue this offre and refuce nat this treatie / and let these lordes haue suche aunswere / as maye cōtent them. Than the kyng and his vncles agreed therto / and specially the duke of Bur¦goyne / for he was so sore charged by reason of the warres / y^t gladly he wolde haue peace and the prīcypall cause was / bycause of Flaū¦ders / wherof he claymed to be lorde by rea∣son of his wyfe / bycause that countrey mar∣ched vpon Englande. And also the hertes of the Flemynges were rather Englysshe than Frenche / bycause of the entrecourse of mar∣chaundyse / bytwene England & Flaunders by See and by lande.

THan it was concluded by the Frenche kynges counsayle / that there shulde be as good there made to the Englysshmen

as was before. And whether it was by dissy∣mulacyon or otherwyse / the frenche men were determyned to make a good and a swere aun∣swere to the englisshe men / and to put them in hope that the kynge of Englande shulde haue his desyre. The quene and her chyldren laye at the house of faynt Powle{is} and where as the Englysshe lordes desyred to se theym / it was graunted to them / and specyally to se her / for whome their treatie was. than it was shewed them that they muste be content howe so euer they founde her / for they sayde she was but a yonge chylde of eyght yere of age / wherfore they sayd / there coulde nat be in her no great wysdome nor prudence / howe be it she was indoctryned well ynough / and that the lordes founde well / whan they sawe her. The Erle Marshall beynge on his knees sayde to her. Fayre lady / by the grace of god ye shall be our lady and quene of Englande. Than aunswe∣red the yonge lady well aduysedly / without counsayle of any other person. Syr quod she / and it please god and my lorde my father that I shall be quene of Englande / I shall be glad therof / for it is shewed me that I shall be than a great lady. Than she toke vp the erle Mar∣shall by the hande and ledde him to the quene her mother / who had great ioy of the answere that she had made / and so were all other that herde it. The maner / countenaunce / and beha¦uoure of this yonge lady / pleased greatly the Ambassadours / and they sayd amonge them selfe / that she was lykely to be a lady of hygh honoure and great goodnesse. Thus whan these lordes of Englande had ben at Parys a twenty dayes / and their costes and charges payed for by the frenche kynge / a reasonable aunswere was gyuen them / so that they were put in great hope to bringe aboute that they came for / howe be it the frenche men sayd / it coulde nat be doone shortly / bycause the lady was so yonge / and also she was fyansed to the duke of Bretayns eldest sonne / wherfore they sayd they must treat to breke that promesse / or they coude procede any further in that mater / and thervpon the frenche kynge and his coun¦sayle shulde sende into Englande the next lent after / to shewe howe the matter wente. And whan the dayes begyn to encreace and waxe fayre / Than the kynge of Englande to sende agayne in to Fraunce whome it shulde please hym / and they shulde be welcome. With this aunswere the englysshe men were contented and toke leaue of the quene and of her dough∣ter / and of the kynge / and of all other / and de∣parted fro Paris and toke the same way they came and so retourned to Calays / and than in to Englande. and the two erles rode in post before their company / to bringe tydynges to the kyng▪ they rode fro Sandwiche to Wynd sore in lesse thanne a daye and an halfe. The kynge was ryght ioyouse of their comynge / and was well contente with the frenche kyn∣ges aunswere. He set the mater so to his herte that he toke great pleasure therin / and tooke hede to none other thynge / but studyed howe he myght bringe it aboute to haue the frenche kinges doughter to wyfe.

ON the othersyde the Frenche kynge and his counsayle studyed daye and nyght / howe they myght make this maryage with Englande to the honour of the realme of Fraunce. There were many in the realme of Fraunce that sayd / that if they had been called to these treatyes / and our wordes herde / the kynge of Englande shulde neuer haue the doughter of Fraunce / for any maner of peace. What good shulde it be for Fraunce / seynge the trewce bytwene them endured but for two yere to come / and than shall we fall a∣gayne in warre / and eche of vs hate other as we haue doone before? The dukes of Berrey and Orlyance were of the same opynion / and dyuers other lordes of Fraūce. But the king / the duke of Burgoyne / and the chauncellour of Fraunce / enclyned to this maryage / and gladde to haue peace / reseruyng alwayes the honour of the Realme. The same tyme there was a squier in Fraunce of the nacyon of Nor¦mandy in the countrey of Caulx / he had in his dayes ben sore traueyled in farre parties / and as than he was newly retourned into Fraūce / his name was Robert le menuot / but as than he was called Robert the Hermyte / he was re¦lygyous and of good lyfe / of the age of fyfty yere / he had been at the treaties that was holden at Balyngham / at whiche tyme he was well herde / and howe he entred than in to that treatie I shall shewe you. ∵