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 dethe of the duke of Glou¦cestre and of the exle of Arūdell / and howe the kynges vncles and the lon¦doners toke the mater. Capi. CC.xxvi. (Book 226)

YE haue herde here before / of the couert hates that was by∣twene kynge Rycharde of En∣glande / and his vncle Thomas duke of Gloucestre / whiche the kynge wolde beare no lengar / but sayd / and also was counsayled / rather to distroye ano¦ther man than hymselfe. And ye haue herde howe the kyng was at Plasshey / & by crafte and coloure / brought hym out of his owne house to London / And by the waye about .x. or a .xi. of the cloke in the nyght / therle mar∣shall arested hym in the kynges name. And for all that he cryed after the Kynge / yet the kynge made a deafe eare / and rode on before and so the same nyght the kynge laye at the towre of London / but the duke of Glouce∣cestre was otherwise lodged. For byforce he was put in to a Barge / and out of the barge in to a shyppe that laye in the Thamise / and the erle marshall with hym and all his com∣pany. And dyde so moche / that the nexte day by night they came to Calais / without kno∣ledge of any man / excepte the kynges offy∣cers of the sayd towne.

yE maye well knowe / whan̄e the ta∣kynge of the duke was knowen at Pla••hey / by the duchesse and her chyldren / they were sore troubled and abas∣shed / and thought well that the matter went nat well. The duchesse demaunded coūsaile (what was best to do) of sir Iohan Laquy∣ham. The knight answered / that it was best to sende to his bretherne / the dukes of Lan∣castre and of yorke / that they myght fynde some meanes to apeace the kynges dysplea∣sure. For he sayde / he thought that the kyng wolde nat displease them. The duchesse dyd as the knyght counsayled her / and she sente incontynent messangers to these two dukes / who were farre a sondre / who whanne they herde therof / were sored displeased / and sente worde agayne to the duchesse that she shuld be of good cōforte. For they sayd / they knew well the kyng wolde nat entreat hym but by laufull iudgement / for otherwise they coude nat suffre it: but as thanne they knewe natte where he was. The Duchesse and her chyl∣dren were somwhat conforted with their an∣swere. The kynge the nexte daye wente fro the towre of London to Eltham / and there taryed. The same night was brought to the towre of London as prisoners / the erle of A∣rundell and the Erle of Warwyke / wherof they of the cytie of London had great mar∣ueyle / and made therof great murmurynge / but none durst saye nay agaynst the kynges pleasure. But all maner of people / knightes squyers / burgesses of good cyties & townes of Englāde said. We haue very well suffred. the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke / bretherne to the duke of Gloucestre / They maye prouyde for this whanne it please thē. We thynke they wolde well haue prouyded for the mater / if that they hadde knowen the

kynges entent agaynst their brother of Glo∣cestre / but bycause they were nat dilygent in the cause / the matter is come yuell / and lyke to haue an yuell conclusyon.

WHan the duke of Glocestre was brought to the castell of Calys / than he feared hym selfe great∣lye / & said to the erle Marshall For what cause am I brought out of Englande hyder to Calais? Me thyn¦ke ye holde me as a prisoner. Lette me go a∣brode and se the fortresse aboute. Sir quod the marshall / that ye desyre I dare nat do it / for I haue the charge vpon you on payne of my lyfe. The kynge my soueraygne lorde is a lytell myscontente with you. Wherfore / ye muste take pacyence here for a seasone / tyll I here other newes / and that shalbe shortely by goddes grace. For sir / as helpe me God / I am right sorie for your trouble if I myght remedy it. But sir / ye knowe well I am swor¦ne to the kynge / wherfore I must obey / and so wyll I do / for sauynge of myne honoure. The duke coude haue none other aunswere / But by that he sawe / he feared greatly his lyfe. And on a daye he desyred a preest that sange masse before hym / that he myght be cō∣fessed. And so he was at good leysar before the sacrament / with deuout herte / and cryed God mercy / and was sore repentaunt of all his synnes. And in dede it was tyme so for hym so to do / for his dethe was nerer to hym than he was ware of. For as I was enfour∣med / whan he hadde dyned and was aboute to haue wasshen his handes / There came in to the chambre foure men / and caste sodayn∣lye a towell aboute the dukes necke / two at the one ende and two at the other / and drewe so sore that he fell to the Erthe / and so they strangled hym / and closed his eyen. & whan he was deed they dispoyled hym / and bare hym to his beed / and layde hym bytwene the shetes all naked / and his heed on a softe pyl∣lowe / and couered with clothes furred. And than they yssued out of the chambre in to the hall / well determyned what they wolde saye and sayde openly / Howe a palueysye hadde taken the duke of Gloucestre the same night sodaynly / and so dyed. These wordes anon were abrode in the towne of Calais. Some beleued theym and some natte. Within two dayes that the duke was thus deed / the erle marshall appareled hym selfe in blacke / by∣cause he was his nere cosyn / and were ma¦ny other knyghtes and squyers that were in Calays. His dethe was sooner knowen in Fraunce and in Flaunders than in Englād. The Frenche men were gladde therof / For there was a cōmon brute / that there shulde be no good peace bytwene Fraunce and En∣glande / as long as he lyued. And in all trea¦ties bytwene Fraūce and Englande / he was euermore harder and obstynaier / than̄e any other of his bretherne / wherfore they cared nat for his dethe. In lykewise many men in Englande / bothe knyghtes / squyers / and o∣ther officers of the kynges / who were in fea∣re of hym / bycause of his crueltie. All suche were gladde of his dethe. They toke to re∣corde his cruell dedes / by y^e duke of Irelāde whom he had exyled out of Englande. Also of y^e deth of that valyant knight sir Symon Burle / and of sir Robert Triuylien / sir Ni¦cholas Bramble / sir Iohan Standysshe / & dyuers other. The dukes dethe was but ly∣tell regarded in Englande / excepte but with suche as were of his opinyon. Thus this du¦ke dyed in Calais. his body was enbaumed and seared in leed and couered / and so sente by See in to Englande. And the Shyppe that caryed hym / arryued at the Castell of Hadley / vpon Thamyse syde / and fro thens caryed by chariot symply to his owne place at Plasshey / and there buryed in the Chur∣che / Whiche the sayde duke hadde founded in the honoure of the hooly Trynite / wher∣in were twelue Chanonnes to synge diuyne seruyce.

YE maye well knowe that the du¦chesse of Gloucestre and Affren his sonne / and his two susters / were sore discōfyted whan they sawe the duke brought thyther deed. The duchesse had double sorowe / for Richarde erle of Arundell her vncle was be heeded openly by the kynges cōmaundemēt in Chepesyde. there was no lorde durst spe∣ke to the contrary / the kynge beyng presente at the same iustyce doynge. It was done by the erle Marshall / who hadde to wyfe the doughter of the sayde erle of Arundell / and

yet he bounde his eyen hym selfe. The erle of Warwyke was in great daunger to be behee¦ded: but the erle of Salisbury who was in the kynges fauour desyred the kynge for his lyfe / and so dyde dyuers other barons & pre∣lates in Englande. The kynge enclyned to their requestes / so y^t he myght be banysshed and putte in suche a place as he shulde natte come fro / for the kyng wolde nat clerely for∣gyue hym. He sayde he had well deserued to dye / bycause he was of counsayle with y^e du∣ke of Gloucestre and with the erle of Arun∣dell / to haue brokē the peace and truce taken bitwene Fraunce & Englande: For the whi∣che artycle the kyng sayd / they had deserued to dye / for the peace was taken bytwene the {per}ties / on suche cōdycion y^t who so euer dyde breake it / shulde be worthy to dye. The erle of Salisbury / who had ben the erle of War∣wykes companyon dyuers tymes / in excu∣syng of him said. Howe he was an olde man and was desyred by the duke of Gloucestre / by his fayre wordes. Wherfore he sayd / that he dyde was natte of his owne mocyon / but by theirs. Affyrming howe there was neuer none of y^e Beauchampes that euer dyd tray∣son agaynst the crowne of Englande. Thus the erle of Warwyke for pytie was respyted fro dethe. He was banysshed in to the ysle of Wyght: And it was sayde to hym. Erle of Warwyke / ye haue deserued to dye as well as the erle of Arundell / but for the great ser∣uyce that ye haue done in tyme past to kynge Edwarde and to the prince his sonne / and to the crowne of Englande / aswell on this syde the see as byonde / hath done you great ayde / for the kyng hath pyte on you and hath graū¦ted you your lyfe. But it is ordayned by iud¦gement / y^t ye shall go in to the ysle of Wight and lyue there as longe as ye can / and shall haue suffycient of your owne to maynteyne there your estate soberly / but ye maye neuer departe thens. The erle toke this punysshe¦ment a worthe / and thāked the kyng and his counsayle for sauyng of his lyfe / and so ma∣de hym redy to go thyder at the daye apoyn∣ted. In the whiche ysle was space sufficient for a lorde to kepe his estate enuyroned with the See. Thus passed forthe these Iudge∣mentes in Englande at that season / whiche multiplyed dayly worse & worse: as ye shall here after.

WHan the dethe of y^e duke of glou¦cestre was knowē by the dukes of Lancastre and of yorke / incō¦tinent they knewe well that the kynge their nephue had caused hym to be slayne and murdered at Calays. As than these two dukes were nat toguyder eche of thē were at their owne plates. They wrote eche to other to knowe what were best to do / and so they came to London / For they knewe well that the londoners were nat con¦tent with the dethe of the duke their brother. Whan they mette there toguyder / they tooke coūsayle / and sayd: Suche dedes ought nat to be suffred / as to putte to dethe so hyghe a prīce / as was their brother / for ydell wordes and false reportes. For they sayd / though he spake oftentymes of the breakyng of y^e peace yet he neuer brake it: And bytwene sayenge and doyng is great difference / for by reason of wordes / he ought nat to deserue dethe by suche cruell punycion. these two dukes were in the case to haue put all Englande to great trouble / and there were ynowe redy to coun¦sayle them therto / and specially them of the erle of Arundelles lynage and of the erle of Staffordes / whiche was a great kynred in Englande. The kyng as than was at Elthā and had sente for all suche as helde of hym in chiefe. And he had redy assembled toguyder about London / in Kent and Essexe / mo than ten thousande archers. And sir Iohan Hol∣lande his brother was with hym / and therle Marshall and the erle of Salisbury / and a great nombre of lordes and knyghtes: & the kyng sent to thē of London / that they shulde nat receyue the duke of Lancastre. They an¦swered and sayd. They knewe no cause that the duke hadde done / why they shulde refuce hym. The duke of Lancastre was at Lōdon and the erle of Derby his sonne / and also the duke of yorke and his sonne Iohan / erle of Rutlande. The kyng loued the erle of Rut∣lande beyonde measure / who dissymuled the dethe of his vncle the duke of Gloucestre / & shewed howe he wolde gladly se a good pea¦ce bytwene the parties / & said howe he knew well that his vncle dyde wronge oftentymes agaynst the kynge. The londoners in lyke∣wyse consydred the great myschiefe y^t myght fall in Englande / by the discencyon bytwene the kynges vncles & the kyng / and their aly∣aunces.

Also they consydred / syth the myschefe was fallen of the duke of Gloucestres dethe / that there was no recouery therin. they knewe well it was bycause y^e duke of Gloucestre had been to lauesse of his tonge / and wolde haue styrred the realme to haue broken the trewce bytwene Englande and Fraunce. Wherfore suche as were wyse men in the cytie dissymu∣led the mater / and thought it was no tyme to a mende it as than / they feared the puyssaūce of Fraunce / and lesynge of their marchaun∣dyse. Than beganne to treate and went as a meane bytwene the king and the duke of Lan¦castre / who was in many imagynacions / for the dethe of his brother troubled him sore. Al∣so he sawe howe his nephue kynge Rycharde was alyed by mariage with the frenche kyng. Also y^e duke of Lancastre had .ii. of his dough¦ters out of the lande / one quene of Spayne / a nother quene of Portugale / by whome he thought he shulde haue great ayde if he made warre agaynst his nephue kynge Rycharde. All thynges consydred the duke chaunged his courage / at the desyre of the londoners / and of other prelates of Englande / who were meane bytwene the kyng and hym / and by their mea¦nes the kynge was agreed with the duke / and peace made. with that the kinge promysed fro thens forwarde to be gouerned by the duke of Lancastre / and to do nothyng but by his coun¦sayle and aduyse / whiche promesse the kynge nothynge fulfylled / but was counsayled by yonge and wylde coūsayle / whiche was to his hurte and great dōmage / as ye shall here after in this hystory.

THus the kyng of Englande had peace with his vncles / bycause of the dethe of the duke of Gloucestre. Than he be¦ganne to reygne more fiersly than he dyd be∣fore. The kynge went and lay in Essex / where as the duke of Gloucestre had the chiefe rule / whiche ought to haue pertaygned to Affcen his sonne and heyre / but the kynge toke all / for the ordynaunce in Englande was / the kynge to haue y^e warde of all herytours chyldren or∣phelyns vnder the age of .xxi. yeres / and than they to haue their herytages. Thus the kinge tooke the wardeshyppe of his cosyn / the duke of Gloucestres herytour / and the kynge toke the possession & profyte of all the dukes lande / and kepte the chylde with hym. And the du∣chesse of Gloucestre and her two doughters were with the quene. The duke of Gloucestr•• by enherytaunce was constable of Englande the kynge toke that offyce fro the right heyre / and gaue it to his cosyn the erle of Rutlande. The kynge than kept greate state than euer he dyd: nor there had nat ben no kynge before in Englande that spente so moche yerely by a hundred thousande nobles as he dyd. In lyke wyse the kynge had with hym the heyre of the erle of Arundell / who was beheeded at Lon∣don. And bycause a knyght that was belon∣gyng to the duke of Gloucestre called Cerbe / spake at a tyme certayne wordes agaynst the kynge and his counsayle / he was taken and beheeded. Syr Iohan of Quynghay was in great parell / but whan he sawe that the ma∣ters went so dyuersely as they dyd / he dyssy∣muled as moch as he might / and departed fro the duchesse of Gloucestres house / and wente and dwelt in other places. ¶In those dayes there was none so great in Englande / y^t durst speake agaynst any thynge that the kyng dyd or wolde do. He had counsayle mete for his ap¦petyte / who exhorted hym to do what he lyst. The kynge kept styll in his wages ten thou∣sande archers night and day / that wayted on him / for he reputed himselfe nat parfytely sure of his vncles / nor of the lygnage of Arundell. ∵ ∵