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 kyng of Hungry wrote to the Frenche kynge the state of the great turke / and howe Iohn̄ of Bur¦goyn eldest sonne to the duke of Bur¦goyne was chefe and heed of the ar∣my that went thider. Cap. CC.vi. (Book 207)

IN this sayd season / Hē∣ry kyng of Hūgry sent swete and amyable letters to y^e frē∣che king / by a notable ambas¦sade a bysshop and .ii. knigh¦tes of Hungry. In the same letters was cōteyned a great parte of y^e state and doyng of the great turke / and how that he had sent worde to the kynge of Hungry / y^t he wolde come and fight with hym in y^e myd¦des of his realme and wolde go fro thens to the cytie of Rome / and wolde make his horse to eare otes vpon the high auter of saynt Pe¦ter / and there to holde his see imperyall / and wolde bringe the emperour of Constantyne the noble in his cōpany / and all the great ba∣rons of the realme of Grece / and eche of thē to kepe styll their owne lawe / for he desyred nothynge but the tytell and signorie. Thus the kyng of Hūgry in his letters / prayed the Frenche kyng to entende to ayde and socour him / and that this businesse in farre coūtreis might he publisshed abrode / to thentent that all knightes and squyers myght prouyde to come in to Hungry / to resyst agaynst Lamo∣rabaquy the great turke / to thentent y^t Chri∣stendome shulde nat be violated by him / and that his pride and bost myght be abated. In these letters were conteygned many wordes of great loue / as kynges & cosyns write eche to other in case of necessyte. And they were sente by suffycient personages / who dyde so moche / that the Frenche kynge enclyned his hert therto / and was the gladder to sette for∣warde the treatie of y^e mariage of his dough¦ter / to the kynge of Englande. Than anone these newes of Hungry were publysshed a∣brode / and written in to many countreis / to moue the hertes of gentylmen / knightes and squiers / suche as wolde auaunce them to get honour. The same season that these newes were brought to the kyng / there was at Pa∣rys the duke of Burgoyne and the duchesse / and Iohan of Burgoyne their sonne & heyre erle of Neuers / who as than was no knyght and the lorde Guye of Tremoyle & the lorde Wyllyam his brother / and many lordes and other of the realme of Fraunce. Than the du¦ke of Burgoyne enclyned sore to this viage / and specially that his son̄e shulde enterprice the sayd voyage / so he myght be chefe heed & leader of the army / that shulde go in that vi∣age. This Iohan of Burgoyne was but a yonge man / of the age of .xxii. yeres / Wyse / curtesse / tretable / humble / and welbeloued of knyghtes and squyers of Burgone / and of other nacyons / suche as knewe hym. He had to wyfe the doughter of duke Aubert of Ba∣uier / erle of Heynalte / Hollande / and zelāde / a good lady / wyse and deuout: and had two chyldren full lykely to come to great marya∣ges. One shewed this Iohan of Burgoyne howe the Frenche kyng wolde sende hym in this voyage in to Hungry / to se what he wol¦de saye. Than he sayd / if it pleace the kynge and the duke my father to sende me as chiefe of this armye / it shall please me ryght well / for I haue great desyre to auaunce my selfe. well sir quod they / ye were best to speke with the duke youre father that he maye speke to the kynge / for without his good wyll ye can do nothynge.

IT was nat long after / but that this Io¦han of Burgoyne spake to his father / prayeng hym humbly to consent y^t he myght

go in this voyage in to Hungry / and at the same tyme there was by hym sir Guye and sir Wyllyam of Tremoyle / and other / & they said to the duke. Sir / this request that your sonne maketh is but resonable / for it is tyme he take the order of knighthode / and more no¦bly he can nat take it / than in goyng the iour¦ney agaynst the enemyes of holy Churche. And it the kynge wyll sende any personage in that voyage / he can nat sende a more hono¦rable man / than̄e his owne cosyn germayne your sonne: and ye shall se many knyghtes go with hym / as well for their owne auaūce∣mentes as for your loue. Than the duke said well / so be it. I shall nat lette the good wyll of my sonne / I shall speke to the kyng ther∣in / and shall se what answere he wyll make. And anone after the duke spake to the kynge therin / and the kynge incontynent enclyned therto and sayd / howe it shulde be well done that he went / and we wyll that he shall go / and we wyll make hym as chefe of that iour¦ney. Than y^e tidyng{is} was shewed throughe all Parys and without / that Iohan of Bur∣goyne with a great company of knyghtes / shulde go in to Hungry to se the puyssaunce of the great Turke. and that iourney atchy∣ued / thanne the Christen men to go to Con∣stātyne the noble / and to passe ouer the arme or saynt George / and so to entre in to Sur∣rey / and to delyuer Hierusalem out of the pa¦nyms handes. Than awaked suche knygh∣tes and squyers as desyred aduauncement. Whan the duke of Burgoyne sawe that his sonne shulde go in this voyage / and that he shulde be chiefe of the army / he honored than the more the ambassadours of Hungry / who whan they sawe the kynges good wyll / the dukes & the Frenchmens / they were gladde / and toke their leaue of the kynge and of the other lordes of Fraunce / and so retourned to their countrey / and made relacyon to y^e kyng of Hungry howe they had spedde / wherwith the kynge was greatly reioysed / and made great prouisyon agaynst the cōmynge of the Frenche men / and sent these ambassadours to his brother the kyng of Almaigne to open his passages / and also to his cosyn the duke of Austriche / for throughe the straytes of Au¦stryche he muste nedes passe: And by all the wayes he caused great prouisyon of vitayle to be ordayned. And also he wrote letters to the great mayster of Pruce / and to the Rho∣des. Certifyeng them of the cōmyng of Io∣han of Burgoyne / with a thousande knygh∣tes and squiers of valyant men / to the entent to entre in to Turkey / and to resyst the great bost of kyng Basant / called the great turke.

IN this season the lorde Coucy was come to Parys / and was but new∣lye retourned fro a voyage / where he hadde ben a hole yere / whiche was on the fronters of Gēnes. And there were certayne great men genowayes / that had enformed y^e duke of Orlyaunce / that the hoole Duchy of Geane / desyred to haue to their chiefe lorde some noble persone / discended of the lynage of the flour delyce. And for as moche as the duke of Orlyaunce had wedded the dough∣ter of the lorde of Myllaygne / and that the lande and duchy of Geane shulde be ryght mete for hym / at the duke of Orlyaunce in∣staunce / the lorde of Coucy with thre hūdred speares and fyue hūdred cros bowes / passed ouer in to Sauoye and to Pyemont / by the accorde and consent of the erle of Sauoye / and came in to Aste in Pyemont by the con∣sent of the lorde of Myllayne / and came to a cytie called Alexandria / and so came to the fronters & marchesse of the genowayes / and there fell in treatie with them to know more playnly their entēcyons / for {per}force he coulde do nothyng / without he had had greatier pu¦issaunce than he had. And whan the lorde of Coucy came first vpon the fronters of the ry¦uer of Geane / where the entrees are stronge to conquere: if there be made any defence. Some lordes of the genowayes suche as fa∣uoured the lorde Coucy / and had enformed the duke of Orlyaunce / wherby he sente thy∣der the lorde of Coucy. They entreated him amiably and brought hym to their coūtreis / and offred to hym their castels. The lorde of Coucy who was sage / subtyle / and ymagina¦tyfe / and knewe right well the nature of the lombardes and genowayes / wolde nat trust them ouermoche / nor haue to great confyden¦ce in their offers and promyses / but alwa∣yes wysely he helde them in loue and amyte / as longe as he was amonge them / and ledde them forthe with fayre wordes and treaties. They had many cōmunycacyons in the felde toguyder / but neuer in no fortresse / and euer

the more he comuned with theym / the lesse he conquered or gate. the genouoys made to him sygne of loue and promysed hym many thyn∣ges / and wolde haue had hym to haue gone in to the cytie of Gennes or to Porte Vender / but the lorde of Coucy durst neuer assure hym in their offers. The conclusyon of his voyage was suche that he gate nothynge / and whan he sawe that he coulde nat atcheue his busy∣nesse / he signyfied his estate to the duke of Or¦lyance / whervpon he was remaunded and so he retourned to Parys / and came thyder the same season that all the busynesse was for the iourney goynge in to Hungery. The duke of Burgoyne reioysed greatly of his retourne / and he and duchesse sente for hym to their house of Arthoyse in sygne of great loue / than they sayd to him. Syr we trust moche in you / we haue caused Iohan our sonne and heyre to take on hym an enterprise in y^e honour of god and of all christendome / and we knowe well that aboue all other knyghtes of Fraunce / ye are the moste vsed and expert in all thynges / wherfore derely we requyre you that ye wolde be companion with our sonne in this voyage / and his chyefe counsaylour / wherof / we shall thanke you / and deserue it to you and yours. Than the lorde of Coucy said / my lorde & you madame / your wordes and requestes ought to be to me a cōmaundement / in this voyage I shall go if it please god for two causes. First for deuocyon to defende the faythe of Ihesu Christ. Secondly in that ye do to me somoche honour / as to gyue me charge of my lorde Io∣han your sonne / and I shall acquyte me truely to him to my power / howe be it of this dede ye may well dyscharge me / and to charge specy∣ally his cosyn and nere kynesman / my lorde Phylyppe of Arthoys erle of Ewe and consta¦ble of Fraunce / and his other cosyn the erle of Marche / bothe two ought / to go with hym in this voyage for they be both nere of his blode. Than the duke sayd. My lorde of Coucy / ye haue moche more sene than these other twayn haue and knowe better the orderynge of an army in straunge countreys / than outher our cosyn of Ewe or of March / therfore we charge you and praye you to execute our requestes. Than he aunswered and sayd my lorde / your prayer is to me a cōmaundement / and I shall do it / sythe it pleaseth you / with the ayde and helpe of my lorde Guye of Tremoyle and of my lorde Guillyam his brother / and of the ad∣myrall of Fraunce. Of this answere the duke and duchesse had great ioye.

THese lordes prepared them selues to go in this iourney into Hūgery / and lordes / knyghtes / and squyers were desyred to go in their company / and many de¦syred themselfe to go. Some were retaygned / and some went without maysters / and some consyderynge the voyage in to Hungery / and fro thence in to Turkey to be ouer longe / and chargeable for them / beynge nat retaygned / waxed colde in their enterpryse. For the set∣tynge forwarde of this yonge Iohan of Bur∣goyne / nothynge was spared / horse / harnesse / fresshe clothes / riche vessell / and plate of golde and syluer / and offycers apoynted to do their atendaūce / and money delyuered and werke / men payed. Than all barones / knightes / and squiers / for the honour of Iohn̄ of Burgoyne and also for the auauncement of their bodies / enforced them to make them redy. The lorde Phylyppe of Arthoys ordeyned hym so puys∣sauntly that nothynge was spared / and wolde go in that voyage as Constable of Fraunce. And the frenche kynge who loued him entier∣lye / helped hym moche towarde his charges / and so he dyd to the lorde Boucyquant mar∣shall of Fraunce. The duke of Burgoyne con¦sydered that this voyage of his sonnes shulde coste ouermoche fynaunce / and he thought it conuenyent that the state of his sonne shulde be mayntayned / and to fynde syluer to mayn∣tayne it withall / he foūde out subtelly a backe tayle / for by a former tayle all the countreys / cyties / and fortresses had ben tayled. And the said backe tayle mounted in Burgoyne of the chyuallry / syxe hundred thousande crownes of golde. And agayne / the duke made it to be tolde to all knyghtes and ladyes that helde of him in fee / yonge and olde / that they shulde go in to Hungery in their owne propre persones with his sonne / or els to paye a taxe of syluer. so they were taxed some at a thousande poūde the other at fyue hundred frankes / & eche man after his goodes and valure of his landes. La¦dyes and auncyent knyghtes remembringe the traueyle of their bodyes / and were nat sha¦pen nor made to endure suche payne / conpoū∣ded and payed at the wyll of the Duke. The yonge knyghtes and squyers were forborne

payeng of any money. but it was said to them that they shulde go with the lorde Iohan / at their owne coste and charge / and otherwyse nat. Of this backe tayle the duke reysed .lx. thousāde crownes / and so none was forborne.

THe tydynges of this voyage spredde abrode / and whan it came in to the countrey of Haynalt / knyghtes and squyers / suche as desyred auauncement spake togyther and sayde. A this were a mete voy∣age for my lorde of Ostrenant / who is yonge and for his brother the erle of Neuers / and if any of them wente we myght well go in their company. The erle of Ostrenant beynge at that tyme at Quesnoy / vnderstode what the knyghtes and squyers of his countrey sayde / and he thought no lesse thā they dyd / and had great affectyon to go in this voyage. & whan he herde any spekyng of that mater / he wolde answere but lytell / but dyssymuled the mater / but he was in good entencyon to speke with duke Aubert of Bauyer erle of Haynalt / and to do as he wolde counsayle hym. Within a whyle after the Erle of Ostrenant came in to Hay in Holande / where his father was with the duchesse his wyfe. Than he sayd to his fa∣ther. my lorde / suche tydinges rynneth abrode that my fayre brother of Neuers hathe enter∣prised this sōmer to go into Hungery / and fro thens in to Turkey / whereby all lykelyhode great dedes of armes shall be atchyued. and syr / as at this tyme I wotte nat where better to enploye myselfe in any dede of armes / wher¦in I wolde gladly knowe youre pleasure. I wolde go in that honourable voyage with a hundred knyghtes / and beare company with my fayre brother / the duke of Burgoyne and my lady the duches shall can me gret thanke / and many knyghtes and squyers of Haynalt wyll gladly holde me company. Than duke Aubert / as a man redy purueyed of aunswere sayd. Guylliam / what haste or wyll haue you to go in this voyage in to Hungery and in to Turkey / to seke armes vpon people and coun¦trey that neuer dyd vs any forfeyte / thou hast no tytell of reason to go / but for the vayneglo∣ry of the worlde. Lette Iohan of Burgoyne and our cosins of Fraunce do their enterprise / and do thy dedes aparte / & go thou in to Frese and conquere our herytage that these fresones by pride and rudenes do witholde fro vs / and wyll come to none obeysaunte / and to do this I shall ayde the. The wordes of the father to the sonne lyghtened greatly the herte of therle of Ostrenant / who aunswered and sayd. My lorde ye saye well / and if it please you that I shall do that voyage / I shall do it with ryght a good wyll. ∵ ∵