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 iudgemēt made in the par¦lyament for the quene of Napoles a∣gaynst syr Peter of Craone. Cap. CC.ix. (Book 209)

THe same seasone that the Englysshe men were at Paris / quene Iane duches of Aniowe / who wrote her selfe quene of Napoles and of Iherusalem was at Pa∣rys and pursued dylygent∣ly her busynesse. She was a lady of great co∣rage / she pleted in parlyament for two causes. The fyrst was for the herytage of the countie of Roussey agaynst the Erle of Brayne / for Loys the duke of Aniou her lorde & husbande had bought it and payed for it / to a lady that was coūtesse of Roussey / somtyme wyfe to the lorde Loys of Namure / but afterwarde she was deuorsed fro hym for a reasonable cause / as it was sayde. The seconde sute this quene had was agaynst syr Peter of Craon / she de∣maunded of hym the sōme of a hundred thou∣sande frankes / whiche she was redy to proue that he had receyued it in the name of his lord and mayster / Loys kyng of Napoles / Cysyll / and Iherusalem her husbande / whiche money was delyuered hym to haue payed in to Po∣well / and or it was payed he herde howe his sayd mayster my husbande was deed. Than he iourneyed no further / but returned agayne in to Fraunce / and kept styll the sayd sōme of money to his owne profyte / and neuer made acompte to the sayde quene therof / nor to her chyldren Loys and Charles / but spente and wasted the money in pride and bobbans. The quene layde to his charge that for faute of pay¦ment of the sayd money / the realme of Napo∣les was loste and conquered by Margarete of Duras / and by the heyres of the lorde Char¦les de la Paix / by reason that suche soudyours as her husbande had to mayntayne his war∣res in Puell & Calabre / were nat payed their wages / wherby many tourned to the Erle of saynt Seuyre and to Margarete of Duras / and other departed and lefte the warres. All these causes were put in to the Parlyament chambre at Parys / where all causes were pre¦posed / shewed and demaunded / and all the de¦fences and aunsweres herde on all partyes. Their plee had endured the space of thre ye∣res. And though syr Peter of Craon were ab∣sent fro the parlyament / yet his aduocates de∣fended his cause / and sayd though he had re∣cyued the sayd sōme in the name of his lorde and mayster / yet his mayster was as moche bounde to him as that sōme came to and more for the good seruyce that he had done to him. This plee had endured so longe that it was necessary to haue a conclusyon / and the lady made importunate sewte to haue iudgement. The lordes of the parlyament consydred all thynges / and sayd they wolde gyue no iudge¦ment / without both parties were present / and syr Peter of Craon durste nat well apere in Parys / bycause of the Kynges dyspleasure / and the duke of Orlyance / for the offence that he had doone to syr Olyuer of Clysson consta¦ble of Fraunce / and without he were present / they wolde gyue no sentence defynityue / wher vpon the sayd lady pursewed to set hym clere in Fraunce / and by her meanes he was par∣doned / so that he myght ryde and go where he lyst without any daunger / except the sute that was bytwene her and hym for the sayd sōme of money. So he was clerely dyscharged of all other charges / and lordes & ladyes made hym good chere / I wote nat whether it were by dissymulacyon or otherwyse. thus he was agayne at Parys / holdynge as great estate as euer he dyd. The same tyme he was apoyn¦ted to be one of theym to receyue and bringe the englysshe ambassadours to the kynge / for he was a knyght that hadde sene moche / and knewe moche honoure. Than the daye was prefyxed that the iudgement concernynge the quenes maters shulde be determyned / at whi∣che day there were present in the parlyament / great nombre of the lordes of Fraunce / to the entent that the maters shulde be the more au∣tentyke. There was the quene of Cicyll and Iherusalem / and her sonne Charles prince of Thaurent / and Iohan of Bloys / called Io∣han of Bretaygne erle of Ponthyeure and of Lymogynes / and the dukes of Orlyaunce / Berrey / Burgoyne / and Burhone / and the erle of Brayne / and the bysshoppe of Laon. And before theym the lady was herde to laye her tytell for the countie of Roussey. And on the other parte there was syr Peter of Craon and many of his lygnage. Fyrste iudgement was gyuen for the countye of Roussey / and that was / the herytage was remyssed and iud¦ged in to the handes and possessyon of the erle of Brayne / and to the heyres that shulde dy∣scende of the ryght braunche of Roussey / re∣serued that the quene shulde haue agayne re∣payed to her all the money that kynge Loys

her husbande hadde payed to the countesse of Roussey laste deed. Of this iudgement the en¦herytours of the countie of Roussey / to whom the herytage pertayned thanked greatly the lordes of the parliament. Than suche as were ordayned to gyue the seconde sentence arose vp and sayde howe that by the sentence of the parlyament / sir Peter of Craon ought to pay to the quene of Napoles duchesse of Aniowe the somme of a hundred thousande frankes in redy money / or els his body to go to prysone tyll she were contented and satysfyed. Of this iudgement the sayde lady thanked the lordes of the parlyament•• and in contynent at the cō∣playnte of the lady / handes was layde on him by the kynges commaundement / and so was ledde to the castell of Loure / and there surely kepte. So the lordes departed fro the parlya¦ment. Thus these two iudgementes were gy∣uen by the princypall occasyon of this lady / duchesse of Aniou. ∴ ∴