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 erle of Heynalt and the erle of Ostrenante his sonne made a great army of men of armes knygh∣tes and squyers to go in to Frese. Cap. CC.xiiii. (Book 214)

Ye haue herde here before howe duke Auberte of Bauyer / and Guylliam his sonne erle of Ostrenant / had gret desyre to go in to Frese to conquere that coun¦trey / wherof the sayde duke Aubert by ryght succession of herytage / shulde be erle and lorde therof. and to auaunce the same iourney / the erle of Ostrenant had sent Fyerebrace of Ver¦tayne to haue some ayde of the englysshe men / who spedde hym so well that kynge Rycharde of Englande for the honour of his cosyns / sent certayne men of armes with two hundred ar∣chers / vnder the guydyng of thre gentlemen / one called Cornewayle / another Colleuyll / knyghtes / the thyrde asquyer / I knowe nat his name / but I was well enfourmed that he was a valyaunt man of armes / he hadde his chynne cutte of in a fray a lytell before / and he had a chynne made of syluer / tyed aboute his heed with a lase of sylke. These englysshmen came to Encuse at their tyme prefyxed. This duke A••berte and his sonne had a valyaunt man of their coūsayle called Gylliam of Cro∣enbourge / who greatly exorted theym to the warre / for he hated greatly the fresones / and had doone them many dyspyghtes / and dyd after / as ye shall here. Thus the duke Aubert departed fro the Haye in Holande with Gyl∣lyam his sonne erle of Ostrenant / and so came in to his countrey of Haynalte / to the towne of Monts / and there he assembled togyther the thre estates of the countrey / and there she∣wed vnto them the great desyre that he had to go in to Frese / and the rightfull occasion that he had so to do / and caused there to be openly shewed certayne letters patentes apostolykes and imperyalles ryght noble and autentyke / sealed vnder leade lyole and entre / by the whi∣che apered euydently the ryght and tytell that he had to y^e signory of Frese / and than he sayd openly. Lordes and valyaunt men my subget∣tes / ye knowe well that euery man ought to kepe and defēde his herytage / and that a man may laufully moue war•• to recouer his lande

and herytage. ye knowe also y^e fresons ought by right to be our subgiettes / and they be ino∣bedyent and rebell agaynst vs and our sygno¦ry / as people without lawe or faythe. and ther¦fore good and dere frendes ye know well that without your ayde / bothe with bodyes and goodes / we canne nat fournysshe to bringe to execusyon so hygh an enterprise / wherfore we desyre you in this busynesse to ayde vs / that is to say with money and with men of warre / to the entent that these inobedyent fresons maye be subdued and brought to obedyence. These wordes or suche lyke / spoken by the duke / the thre estates by a cōmune acord graūted their lordes petycyon and request / lyke suche peo∣ple as greatly desyred and alwayes had done to do obedyent seruyce and pleasure to their lorde and prince. And as I was enfourmed they caused him to haue in redy money moun¦tante to the sōme of thyrty thousande pounde / besyde the towne of Valencēnes / who in lyke wyse dyd their deuoyre / and also in the towne of Monts. These thynges thus concluded / the valyaunt princes / the good duke Auberte and Giullyam his sonne erle of Ostrenant / se¦ynge the good wylles of his men / was ryght ioyfull / whiche was no meruayle / for he sawe well that he was well beloued with his sub∣giettes / and shulde be well fournysshed with money. Than he had coūsayle to sende to the frenche kyng / and to shewe him the enterprise of his voyage / and to desyre ayde of hym / and thyder was sent two valyaunt and wyse men that is to saye / the lorde Lygne and the lorde of Ieumont / who were two ryght valyaunt knyghtes and well beloued with the frenche men / and specyally the lorde Lygne / the kyng had made hym one of his chamberlayns / and had hym in good fauoure / he spake with the kynge and shewed hym the dukes entent and request. to the whiche the kynge and his coun¦sayle fauourably agreed / & specyally the duke of Burgoyner / bycause his doughter was ma¦ryed to therle of Ostrenāt / wherby he thought that in tyme to come after / it shulde be to their profyte / and to their heyres / howe be it many great lordes and other spake of this iourney in dyuers maners. Some sayd / to what pur∣pose dothe these heyno wayes desyre the kyng of ayde / they haue ben in Englande & sought for ayde there. Hath nat the erle of Haynalt of late taken on hym the blewe garter to tye his legge withall / which is y^e ordre in Englande / it semyth therby he hath no great affectyon to Fraunce? Than other that were ryght wyse answered and sayd. Syr ye do wronge to say thus / though the erle of Ostrenant haue taken the ordre of the garter / yet for all that he is nat alyed with the englysshe men / but he is fermly alyed with Fraunce. Hath nat he in maryage the lady Katheryne / doughter to the duke of Burgoyne? whiche is a farre greater alyaūce than is a garter / therfore neuer say but that he wyll loue and do pleasure to Fraunce / by rea∣son of his maryage / rather than to Englande for y^• garter / wherfore the kinge shall do right honourably to ayde hym. Thus the frenche men deuysed amonge them selfe / and spake in dyuers maners / both of that iourney and also of the iourney in to Hungery and in to Tur∣key / agaynst Lamorabaquy and the turkes. ∴ ∴