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 duke of Burgoyne and the duchesse his wyfe toke great dy∣lygence / to fynde the meanes to re∣deme out of prisone the erle of Ne∣uers their sonne / and the other priso¦ners beyng in Turkey. Cap. CC.xxi. (Book 221)

THe duke of Burgoyn and the duches studyed all the wayes they coulde de∣uyse / by what maner or tre¦tye they myght gette their sonne out of prysone / they knewe well or they coulde haue hym they shulde be fayne to pay for hym a great raunsome. they mynisshed their hous∣holde and kept a meaner estate / and gathered as moche golde and syluer as they coulde / for without that / they coulde nat bringe aboute their purpose. And they gate theym aquayn∣tauuce with marchauntes venycience and ge∣nouoys / and suche other / for they thought by their meanes they shulde the rather come to their purpose. the duke of Burgoyne lay styll at Paris with the kynge his nephue / and had the chiefe gouernaunce of the realme / wherby his busynesse had the better effecte. The same seasone there was at Parys a marchaunt of Turkey / who had all the doynge for all other Lombardes / he was knowen and spoken of through out all the worlde / his name was cal∣led Dyne of Responde / & by hym all exchaun∣ges were made. He was in good fauour with the kyng and other lordes before this iourney in Turkey / but than after the batayle he was moche more made of. Often tymes the duke of Burgoyne demaunded of hym counsayle howe he myght entre in to treatie with Lamo¦rabaquy / for the redempcion of his sonne and of the other prisoners in Turkey. Sir {quod} this marchaūt / lytell and lytell some meanes wyll be founde. Syr / the marchauntes of Gennes and of other isles are knowen ouer all / and oc∣cupyeth the trade of marchaūdyse in Quayre in Alexandre / in Dāmas / in Danuet / in Tur¦key / and out in farre countreys hethan / for as ye knowe well marchaundyse flyeth ouer all the worlde. Syr / let the kynge and you write amyably to theym / and promesse them great benefytes and profytes / if they wolde do for you. There is nothynge but it is ouercome with golde and syluer. And also syr the kynge of Cyper / who hath hadde no warre with the kyng Lamorabaquy / he may ryght well ayde you. Syr / as for me ye may be sure I wyll do what I canne / for I am bounde therto. It is nat to be marueyled though the duke of Bur∣goyne and the duches sought out wayes howe they might recouer agayne their sonne / for he was their heyre / therfore it touched thē ryght nere. The ladyes of Fraunce tooke great so∣rowe for their husbandes and louers / specyal∣ly the lady of Coucy coude nat forget her hus∣bande / she wepte pytuously nyght and daye and coulde take no comforte. The duke of Lo¦rayne and syr Henry her two bretherne came to saint Gobyn to se and to recomforte her / as moche as they myght / & they sayd they wolde sende in to Turkey to knowe howe he dyd / for they said they vnderstode howe he had a more gentyll prisone than any of his felowes had. The lady Coucy thanked greatly her two bre¦therne for their counsayle and great comforte. Than she desyred sir Robert Den a valyaunt knyght of Cambresys / to take the payne to go in to Hungery and in to Turkey / to se what condycyon her husbande the lorde of Coucy was in. The knyght sayd for her sake he was content to go thyder / & to bringe the certaynte of his estate. Thus he made him redy and fiue persones with him. Other ladyes in Fraunce sent in lyke wyse to knowe what case their hus¦bandes were in.

YE haue herde here before / howe the kynge of Hungery wolde in no wyse consent that sir Morant shulde passe into Turkey with the frenche kynges presen∣tes / and in this opynion the kynge longe con∣tynued / whiche was right dyspleasaunt to sir Morant and to syr Helley / but they coude nat amende it. And so it happed y^t the great may∣ster of the Rodes came in to Hungery to the cytie of Bode / to whome the kyng made good chere / wherto he was bounde / for the daye of the batayle the kynge had ben slayne or taken and he had nat ben / and there he founde these two knyghtes of Fraunce. They came to him and shewed hym howe the kynge wolde nat suffre them to passe in to Turkey / with suche presentes as the frenche kynge had sent to La¦morabaquy / wherof he had meruayle / & sayde howe he wolde speke to the kynge therin / and that they shulde well knowe / and so he dyd / and shewed to the kyng suche reasons that he tourned the kynges opynion / and so than they had leaue to passe in to Turkey with all their presentes. and so they passed forthe vnder sure safe conduct and came to Lamorabaquy / who receyued theym and their gyftes ryght hono∣rably / after their vsage / and made great ioye

of the presentes. The knyghtes for all y^t spake but ones all onely with the erle of Neuers at good leysare / and at their departynge the erle sayde to them. Syrs / I requyre you recom∣maunde me to my lorde my father and to my lady my mother / and to my lorde of Berrey / and specyally to the kynge / and salute fro me all my other frendes / and desyre them that if Lamorabaquy wyll set vs to raunsome / that by meanes of marchauntes or otherwyse / our raunsomes may be quyckly payed / and we de¦lyuered / for by longe taryenge we shall lese / for in y^e begynnyng we were but .viii. prisoners / and nowe we be .xvi. whiche is in all .xxiiii. and we shall nat be delyuered without we be delyuered all at ones / and as soone all as one / for Lamorabaquy hath so promysed / and sure¦ly he wyll nat be founde false of his worde. syr Morant and syr Helley aunswered and sayd / howe his cōmaundement shulde be doone / to the whiche he was bounde. So they depar∣ted and retourned in to Hungery / and by the way they encountred the messanger that was sent in to Fraunce to the kynge / bringynge a gayne letters fro the frenche kynge to the kyng of Hungery. Than this messanger retourned agayne with theym / for he had no more to do whan he sawe them retourne / and had done their voyage into Turkey / and so retourned all togyther in to Fraunce. ∴ ∴