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 peace that was hadde by∣twene the duke of Bretayne and sir Olyuer Clysson. Cap. CC.vi. (Book 206)

yE haue herde howe the duke of Bre∣tayne and syr Olyuer of Clisson war¦red longe togyther mortally / for by∣twene them they toke none to mercy / and sure∣ly syr Olyuer of Clysson and his partie bare them so valyaūtly / that of thre he had twayne / for the lordes of Bretaygne dyssimnied with the duke / and men of the cyties and good tow∣nes sayde / howe they must nedes lyue and vse their marchaundyse / what so euer warre was bytwene the duke and syr Olyuer of Clysson / for they sayd it touched them nothinge / wher∣fore they wolde nat entermed••e bytwene them but euer the Vycount of Rohan / the lorde de Leo•• / and the lorde of Dignan / treated for a peace to be had bytwene them. So moch they pursewed that the duke promysed to be entrea¦ted / so that the myght se syr Olyuer in his pre∣sence / and speke with him. and thervpon these lordes on a day rode to a fortresse of syr Oly∣uers to speke with him / and there they shewed him for what cause they we•• come thyder / and howe they had got graūt of the duke to sende to him a safeconducte / safely to go and come to speke with hym / sayeng y^t surely they thought

if he were ones in his presence / all the yuell wyll and displeasures shulde be clerely par∣doned. Than sir Olyuer sayd. Sirs / ye are all my frendes and louers / and I trust great lye in you / and beleue that the duke hath pro¦mysed as you saye / and I thynke he wolde gladly se me in his presēce. But so good helpe me and saynt yues / vpon his worde and pro¦mise I ensure you / I wyll nat ones issue out of my house. But I shall tell you what ye shall saye to hym / that if he wyll haue me to come to hym / let hym sende hyder in pledge his eldest sonne / and whan he is here / than̄e I wyll go and speke with hym / & suche ende as I shall make his sonne shall make. yf I retourne he shall do in lykewise / and if I a∣byde he shall abide. Whan these lordes sawe they coude haue none other ende / they tooke their leaue and retourned to Wannes where the duke was / and shewed euery thynge as they had herde. The duke coude haue none other waye. This sir Olyuer bare hym selfe so valyauntly in this warre / that he wanne more than he lost. He toke two tymes all the dukes vessell and plate of golde and syluer / and dyuers other iewelles / wherof he hadde great profyte.

The conclusyon of the warre and hate by¦twene the duke of Bretayne and sir Olyuer Clysson / was thus. The duke of Bretayne (lyke a great lorde as he was) sawe well he coude nat come to his entent of sir Olyuer of Clysson / and that he had ouer many frendes in Bretayne / for sauyng their alegiaūce to y^e duchy of Bretayne. All the bretons / knygh∣tes / squyers / prelates / and men of the good Cyties and good townes / enclyned more to the lorde Clysson than to the duke. And the highe barons dissymuled / and had aunswe∣red the duke / that they wolde nat entremedle them with that warre / but sayde they wolde gladly sette a peace and accorde bytwene thē Also the duke of Orlyaunce specially confor¦ted couertly in many maner of wayes sir O∣lyuer of Clysson / and he was alwayes ioy∣ous whan he herde of his good spede / in any of his entreprices. The duke of Bretaygne who was a subtyle prince and ymaginatyfe and had endured moche payne duryng this warre / and sawe well he was nat very well beloued with his owne people / as the chyl∣dren of the lorde Charles of Bretayne were / the one called Charles of Bloyes / who was slayne at the batayle of Alroy / and Iohn̄ of Bretayne erle of Ponthieur and of Lymogi¦nes / who had to wyfe the doughter of sir O∣lyuer of Clisson / and the lorde Henry of Bre¦tayne his brother / and their suster the quene of Naples and of Hierusalem. Also the duke sawe that he began to waxe olde / & that his chyldren were but yonge / and {per}ceyued well he had no frendes in Fraūce / except the duke of Burgoyne & the duches his wyfe. And he sawe well his chyldren shulde haue as fewe for by their mothers syde / they came & were issued of the membres and braunches of Na¦uer / whiche generacion was nat ouermoche loued in Fraunce / for the great myscheues y^t kynge Charles of Nauerre father to the du∣chesse of Bretayne had done / in tyme past in Fraunce / wherof the remembraunce as than endured. And the duke sawe that if he dyed in that estate / bothe with sir Olyuer of Clis∣son and with the erle of Ponthieur / he than douted that his chyldren that were so yonge shulde haue ouer many great enemyes. and also he sawe that the alyaunce bytwene hym and Englande began to waxe colde / For he was enformed that the kynge of Englande shulde haue to wyfe the doughter of Fraūce thesame lady that was promysed to hym for his sonne and heyre. The duke dyde cast all these doutes. Than̄e all thynges consyde∣red / he ymagined to breke his herte without dissimulacion / and make a ferme peace with sir Olyuer of Clysson & with Iohan of Bre¦tayne: And wolde putte hym selfe at their pleasure / to make amendes for all wrathes / forfaytes / and dōmages / that euer they dyde to hym or to his men / duryng the warre. He wolde desyre nothynge but that they shulde take hym for duke of Bretayne / and his chil¦dren after hym / accordyng to the artycles of the peace before made / bytwene hym and the chyldren of sir Charles of Bloyes / whiche charter of peace he wolde nat breke nor any artycle comprised therin. And also to kepe and vpholde euery thyng that he had promy¦sed to Iohn̄ of Bloyes his cosyn / erle of Pō-Ponthieur. And if he hadde nat his parte of the herytage of Bretayne suffycient / he wol∣de putte the ordring therof without any dis∣symulacion to the vicount of Rohan / and to

the lordes of Dignan / of Leon / of Lauall / and of Beaumont / and of the lorde Iohn̄ of Harpeden. Whan the duke of Bretayne had aduysed in hym selfe all this purpose / with∣out makynge of any man of his counsayle / He called to hym his secratorie and in a cha∣bre they two alone / he caused hym to write a letter to sir Olyuer of Clysson / as swetely & amiably as coude be deuysed / desyring hym that they might speke toguyder secretely / on trust to haue good peace bytwene thē. Whan this Letter was made / deuysed / and sealed / Than he toke a secrete person / cōmaundyng hym to go to the castell of Iosselyn / and saye I do sende the to speke with my cosyn sir O∣lyuer of Clysson / and salute hym fro me and delyuer hym this letter and bring agayne an answere. And on payne of thy ly••e kepe this secrete / and shewe no creature whider thou gost / nor who dothe sende the. He tooke his iourney and spedde hym so well / that he cāe to the castell Iosselyn. The porters had mar¦ueyle whan they herde hym saye that he cae fro the duke of speke with their maister. they wente and shewed their lorde therof. Than he cōmaunded that the messanger shulde cōe to hym / and so he dyde. And well and wisely declared his message / and delyuered his let∣ter sealed with the dukes seale / whiche sir O¦lyuer knewe ryght well / and opyned & reed the letter two or thre tymes / the better to vn∣derstande it. And in the redyng he had great marueyle of the swete wordes / cretable / and amyable / that was comprised in the letter. He studyed a season / and at last sayd / howe he wolde take aduyse and write agayne. sir Olyuers men hadde great marueyle of this / for before he had forborne no man of the du∣kes / but outher he was slayne or putte in pri¦sone. Than̄e sir Olyuer wente in to his le∣crete chambre / and began to muse and yma∣gyn vpon these newes: At last he apesed his yuell wyll / in that y^e duke humyled hymselfe so moche towardes him / and that he wrote so swetely. yet he thought in hym selfe to proue the duke further / or he aduentured hym selfe to go to the duke / for he thought if he toke a∣ny hurte / no man wolde bewayle hym / if he lost hym selfe by folly. Than he wrote a let∣ter to the duke ryght swete and tretable / but the conclusyon was / that yf he wolde haue hym to come & speke with hym / that he shuld sende his son̄e and heyre to lye in hostage for hym / tyll his retourne. This letter was de∣lyuered to the dukes varlet / who retourned therwith to Wannes where the duke was / & there delyuered his letter. The duke reed it / and studyed a lytell and sayd. I shall do it / to the entence to treate louyngly with hym. Than thē duke wrote a letter to the vycount of Rohan / who was at the castell of Cayre / Whan the vycount sawe the dukes letter / he came incontynent to Wannes. Than the du∣ke shewed all his purpose and entencyon. & sayd Vycount / you and the lorde of Mount∣bursier shall leade my son̄e to the castell Ios¦selyn and leaue hym there / and bringe with you the lorde Olyuer Clysson / for I wyll a∣gree and make peace with hym. The vicoūt sayd it shulde be done gladly. So they toke the dukes sonne and heyre / who was about the age of eight yere / and ledde hym to y^e ca∣stell Iosselyn / to the lorde Olyuer Clysson / who receyued them ryght honorably. And whan he sawe the chylde and the good affe∣ction of the duke / he humyled and apesed his herte greatlye: and with that the knyghtes tolde hym and sayd. sir / ye se the good wyll of the duke / he hath spoken nothyng but his hert dothe agre to the same. I se it well quod sir Olyuer / and for that I se and {per}ceyue his good wyll / I shall put me so farforthe / that I shall yelde me vnder his obeysaunce. And it semeth ye be ryght nere to hym / seynge he putteth his affiaunce and trust in you / to de∣lyuer you his heyre to bringe to me to lye in hostage / tyll I be retourned. I wotte nat / if he haue shewed you what he hath written to me / sygned and sealed with his seale. The lordes answered and said. Sir / he hath well tolde vs / that he hath ryght great desyre to come to a peace and accorde with you. In this ye maye right well beleue vs / we be of your blode. Than̄e sir Olyuer went for the letters that the duke had sent hym / and reed them. Sir quod they / all that is conteyned in this letter he hath said vnto vs / and vpon the same estate he hath sent vs hyder. Than sir Olyuer ordaygned hym to departe with the sayd lordes / and toke the dukes sonne a∣gayne with them and said / howe they shulde bringe agayne the chylde to his father / say∣eng that he trusted right well his {pro}myse / cō∣sydring that he had proued hym so farre / and

that he had shewed suche humilyte: He dou∣ted nat but that his herte was in vnyte. So they came to Wannes. The duke had apoyn¦ted that sir Olyuer shulde tary at a Freres without the towne of Wannes / and there the duke shulde come and speke with hym: as it was ordayned so it was done. and whan the duke sawe that sir Olyuer had brought aga¦yne his sonne and heyre / he reputed if for a great curtesy / and was well content therw^t. Thus the duke and sir Olyuer mette in the Freres / and there they two alone entred in to a chambre / and cōmuned toguyder a sea∣son / and after issued out through a gardeyn and came to the ryuer syde / and there they en¦tred in to a bote / and fro thens entred in to a shyppe that laye at ancre. And so whan they were farre of fro all people / they cōmuned a longe season toguyder. What their wordes were I knowe nat / but their dealynge was as I shall shewe you.

THeir men had went they hadde been styll in the Freres / but as it was she∣wed me / they were thus in the shyppe more than two houres / & there made a good peace bytwene them / and sware faythe and trouth eche to other without dissymulacyon. Than they called agayne y^e boteman / & he brought them agayne where he had them / and so en∣tred agayne by the gardeyne syde in to the Freres. Than anone after the duke cāe out and ledde sir Olyuer of Clysson by y^e hande and so went in to the towne of Wannes / and in to the castell called le Mote. Of this pea∣ce euery man was greatly reioysed / and to se them so amiably togyder / and so was all the countrey. At the makyng of this peace Iohn̄ of Bloyes erle of Ponthieur lost nat / for his reuenewes was therby augmented of twētie thousande crownes of golde by yere for euer to hym and to his heyres. And at this peace a maryage was ordayned for y^e duke of Bre¦taynes doughters / to confyrme the better the loue and alyaunces bytwene them / great ne∣wes ran through Fraunce and Englande of this peace.

ye haue herde here before / howe sir Peter of Craon fell in the frenche kynges displea∣sure and of the duke of Orlyaunce / bycause of sir Olyuer of Clysson / in that he wolde ha¦ue slayne hym on a nyght as he went to his house warde: & howe the duke of Bretayne susteyned hym in his house / by whiche occa∣syon the frēche kyng wolde haue made warr̄ agaynst the duke / if the sickenesse that tooke hym had nat been / by whiche incydentes the kynges army brake vp. & also ye haue herde howe the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne bare great displeasure / to all suche as coun∣sayled the kyng therto: As sir Olyuer of clys¦son / the lorde de la Ryuer / the lorde Iohan le Mercyer / Montague and other / who after∣warde endured therby great prisonment: & howe the two dukes had the gouernaūce of the realme / as long as the kynge was in his sickenesse. also it hath ben shewed what mor¦tall warre was bytwene the duke of Bretay¦gne and sir Olyuer of Clysson: & also howe the lordes de la Ryuer / sir Iohan Mercyer / and Montague were delyuered out of pri∣sone / whiche Montague had nat so moche trouble as the other had / for as soone as the kyng was returned to his helth / he toke Mō¦tague agayne about hym & made his excuse. So by reason of these sōdrie sickenesses that the kyng had dyuers tymes / gretly troubled the realme of Fraūce / and moche abated the kynges puissaunce / so that he had nat euery thyng done accordyuge to his wyll. In this season sir Peter of Craon was nothyng dis∣pleased with the kynges sickenesse / nor with the trouble that they of his counsayle hadde / howe be it than he made sute to retourne a∣gayne in to the kynges fauour and loue / and the duke of Burgoyne and the lorde Guy of Tremoyle were his aduocates to treate for hym. And lightly his peace had been made / and the duke of Orlyaunce had nat ben / for he letted all that treatie / for as longe as the hate eudured bytwene sir Olyuer Clysson & the duke of Bretaygne / sir Peter of Craon coude come to no peace nor accorde. but whā it was surely knowen that there was a peas made bytwene the duke and sir Olyuer / thā the quarell agaynst sir Peter of Craon was molyfied and well apeased. The same sea∣son quene Iane of Naples and Hierusalem and duches of Aniou / had a plee in parlya∣ment agaynst sir Peter of Craon / for y^e sōme of a. C.M. frākes. this lady lay styll at Pa∣ris / the better to entende to her busynesse. sir Peter of Craon y^t sawe hym selfe in y^t dāger

and that he was in sute in the {per}lyament / and knewe nat howe his busynesse shulde passe / outher with hym or agaynst hym / for the la∣dyes partie was strong / and had good profe of whom he had receyued the money / in the dayes of kyng Loyes her husbāde. All these thynges cōsydred / he ymagyned y^t it was nat easy for him to beare. and also he knewe well he was in hate with the frenche kyng & with the duke of Orlyaunce / but the duke and du∣chesse of Burgoyne cōforted and ayded hym asmoche as they myght. He gate suche grace that he was at Paris secretly / in the house of Arthoys with the duches of Burgoyne.

¶Nowe we shall leaue to speke of hym at this tyme. ∴ ∴