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 Frenche kyng assēbled the prelates and other noble men of his realme / with the Vniuersyte of Paris / to take counsayle howe they shulde order pope Benedic at Auy∣gnon. Cap. CC.xxxiii. (Book 233)

WHan the frenche kyng had herde the aunswere of Pope Bonyface at Rome / and howe the kynge of Al∣mayne in lykewyse aunswe¦red / how that first pope Be¦nedyc muste be put dowue. that done / than he wolde make a conuocacyon of prelates and noble men of his realme / and come to Parys. There were certayne prela∣tes in Fraunce / as the archebysshop of Reins syr Guy of Roye / and the archebyssoppes of Rone and Sens / and the bysshoppes of Pa∣rys / of Beauoys / and of Anxex / they had sore susteyned the opynyons of pope Benedyc at Auygnon / and specyally of Clement / bycause he was auaunced by their meanes. These syxe prelates were nat called to the kynge in this counsayle / but other prelates and the vnyuer∣syte of Parys. And whan the bysshop of Cam¦bray had shewed before them all / howe he had spedde at Rome / and the aunswere that pope Bonyface and his cardynals had made hym / and the aunswere of the kynge of Almayne / than they entred in to counsayle / and it was a greed / y^t the vnyuersite shulde haue the great∣test voyce. Than it was determyned by the vnyuersite that the kyng shuld sende syr Bou¦ciquant his marshall in to the partyes of Aui∣gnon / and to do so moche by treatie or other∣wyse / that Benedic shulde leaue his papalyte and to ordeyne hym selfe in all poyntes by the kyng and his counsayle. and that the churche in all the lymytacions in the realme of Fraū∣ce shulde be as newter / tyll the churche were brought in to parfyte vnyte / and that doone / than euery thynge to returne to the true right. This counsayle was thought good and was accepted of the kynge and all other. Than the marshall of Fraunce and the bysshop of Cam¦bray were ordeyned to go to Auignon. They departed fro Parys / and rode tyll they came to Lyons on the ryuer of Rosne / and the•• they two departed a sōdre / for it was ordeyned that the marshall shulde tary ther styll tyll he herd tydynges fro the bysshoppe / who rode forthe and so came to Auygnon. There were some of the cardynalles that knewe well wherfore he came / but they dissymuled the mater to knowe what pope Benedic wolde say. whan the bys∣shop of Cambraye had refresshed hym at his lodgynge / & had chaunged his apparell / than he wente to the popes palayes / and whan he came in the popes presence he made his reue∣rence but nat in such wyse as he ought to haue doone / if he had taken hym as pope / as other men dyd / and yet he made hym bysshoppe of Cambray / but that promocyon he had by the meanes of the lordes of Fraunce. Than the bysshoppe of Cambray who was well langa∣ged / bothe in laten and in frenche / spake and shewed howe he was sent thyder fro the french kynge and fro the kynge of Almayne / and so beganne his proces / and whan the bysshoppe came to the vtteraunce of the mater / howe the pope shulde resygne and depose hymselfe fro the papall dygnyte / and that he that was at Rome shulde do likewyse. With those wordes the pope beganne to chaunge colour / and lyfte vp his voyce and sayd. I haue endured great payne & traueyle for the churche / and by good election I was created pope / and nowe to de∣pose my selfe / that shall I neuer do during my lyfe. and I wyll that the frenche kynge knowe that for all his ordynaūce I wyll do nothynge therafter / but I wyll kepe my name and pa∣palyte tyll I dye. Syr quod the bysshoppe of Cambray / sauyng your grace / I toke you for more prudent than I nowe fynde you. fyrste demaūde counsayle of your bretherne the car∣dynalles / and than make aunswere / for you a∣lone can nat make no resystence agaynst them if they agree to this opynyon / nor ye are nat a¦ble to resyste the puyssaunce of the kynges of Fraunce and Almayne. Than two cardynal∣les that were there such as the pope had made before / they parceyuynge the mater nat lykely to do well / rose and sayd to the pope. Holy fa∣ther / the bysshoppe of Cambray speketh well / syr we desyre you do herin after his coūsayle. Well quod the pope I am contente. So they departed for that tyme / and the bysshop went to his lodgynge / and went nat to se any car∣dynals / but dyssymuled hym selfe. The nexte day be tymes the bell sowned to the consistory / and than there was a conuocacyon of all the cardynalles that were at Iuygnon. They all assembled at the palays / and entred in to the consistory / and thyder was called the bysshop of Cambraye / who in laten shewed at length his message / and the cause of his cōmyng thy∣der. Whan he had sayd than he was aunswe∣red / howe the pope shulde take counsayle to answere / and in the meane tyme he to departe

out of the house / & so he dyd / and in the meane season Benedic and his cardynalles counsay∣led togyder / and were longe debatynge of the mater / and many thought it herde and a con∣trary mater to put downe that they had crea∣ted. than the cardynall of Amyence spake and sayd. Lordes / whether we wyll or nat / it must behoue vs to obey the Frenche kynge and the kinge of Almayne / sythe they be conioyned to¦gyder / for without thē we can nat lyue / howe be it we shulde do well ynough with the kyng of Almayne if the frenche kynge wolde take our parte / but it is otherwyse / for he cōmaun∣deth vs to obey / or els he wyll stoppe fro vs the fruites of our benefyces / without the whiche we can nat lyue. Trewe it is holy / father that we haue created you as pope / on y^e condycion that to your power ye shuld ayde to refourme the churche / and to bring it in to parfyte vny∣on / and this ye haue alwayes sayd and mayn¦tayned / therfore syr aunswere atemperately / and in suche maner as we may prayse you / for syr ye ought better to know your owne corage than we. Than dyuers other of the cardynal∣les sayd / syr the cardynall of Amyence sayeth well and wysely / wherfore syr we pray you all in generall / that ye wyll speke / and shewe vs what ye wyll do. Than Benedyc aunswered and said. The vnyon of the churche I desyre / and I haue taken great payne therin / but syth god of his deuyue grace hathe prouyded for me the papalyte / and that ye haue chosen me therto / as longe as I lyue I wyll be pope / and I wyll nat depose my selfe nouther for kyng / duke / erle / nor other treatie / nor by no processe nor meanes / but y^t I wyll abyde pope. Than the cardynals rose vp all togyder with great murmurynge / some sayd he had spoken well / and some sayd contrary. Thus they dyffered and were in dyscorde. The most parte depar∣ted out of the consystory / and toke no leaue of the pope / and retourned to their lodgynges. Some suche as were in this popes fauour ta¦ryed styll with hym. Whan the bysshoppe of Cambray sawe howe they departed in suche maner / he knewe well they acorded nat well / and therwith auaunced hym selfe / and entred in to the consystory / and so came to the Pope whyle he sate styll in his see / and without do∣ynge of any great reuerence sayde. Syr gyue me myne aunswere / sythe ye haue had your counsayle aboute you / ye ought to gyue me myne aunswere that I may retourne. This pope Benedic who was in great dyspleasure for the wordes that the cardynall of Amyence had spoken / sayd. Bysshoppe of Cambray I haue counsayle of dyuers of my bretherne the cardynals / who hath created me in to the dig∣nyte papall / and haue receyued all the solemy∣nytyes therto belongyng / and am writen and named pope by all my subgiettes / and as pope I wyll abyde as longe as I lyue / I wyll nat do the contrary to dye in the payne / for I haue doone no cause why to lese it / and saye to our sonne of Fraunce / that hyther vnto I haue ta¦ken him as a good catholyke prince / but nowe bysynister meanes if he wyll entre in to great errour / he wyll repente it. I praye you to say to hym fro me / that he be well aduysed howe he enclyneth to any thinge that shulde trouble his conscyence. Therwith this Benedic rose out of his chayre / and went in to his chambre / and certayne cardynalles with hym / and the bysshoppe of Cambray retourned to his lod∣gynge / and dyned sobrely / and than after toke his horse and passed the bridge of Rone / and came to vile Nefe / and at nyght lay at Baig∣noulx / whiche partaygned to the Realme of Fraunce / and he vnderstode that syr Boucy∣quant marshall of Fraunce was come to porte saynt Andrewe a nyne leages fro Auygnon. The nexte day thyder came the bysshoppe of Cambray / and shewed hym the aunswere of Benedic. Whan the marshall vnderstode that this pope Benedic wolde nat obey the kynge his maysters ordynaunce / he sayd to the bys∣shop. syr ye are best to retourne in to Fraunce / ye haue no more to do here / and I shall exe∣cute that I am cōmaunded to do by the kynge and his vncles. The next daye the bysshoppe departed and toke the way to Albenoys and to Pyne / and the marshall set clerkes awarke to write / and sente for knyghtes / squyers and men of warre through all the countrey of Viu¦rays / of Vyuieres / and Auuergne to Mount pellyer / for he had cōmyssyon so to do by the king / and also he sent to the seneschall of Beau¦cayre / that he shulde close all the passages as well by the ryuer of Rone as by lande / to the entent that nothynge shulde entre in to Auig∣non. He wente hym selfe to the pownte saynt Esperyte / and closed there the passage ouer the ryuer of Rone / that nothynge shulde entre that way in to Auygnon. Thus the marshall

daily gathered men of warre / and many came to serue hym / some for obeysaunce / and some to pyll and robbe theym of Auygnon. There came to hym syr Raymonde of Thourayne / and the lorde de la Both / the lorde of Tornon / the lorde of Monclaue / and the lorde Duses / so y^t the marshall had a great nombre of men. Than the marshall sent an haraulde to defye pope Benedic in his palays / and all the car∣dynals that wolde take his parte. This was harde tydynges to the cardynals / and to them in the cytie of Auygnon / for they knewe well they coulde nat longe susteyne the warre a∣gaynst the puyssaunce of the Frenche kynge / than they determyned to go and speake with the pope / and so they dyd / and shewed hym howe they coulde nat nor wolde nat susteyne the warre agaynst the frenche kynge / for they sayd they must lyue and haue their marchaun¦dyse to go as well by lande as by ryuer. This Benedyc aunswered folysshly and sayd: syrs your cytie is stronge and well prouyded / I wyll sende for men of warre to Gennes and in to other places / and to my sonne the kynge of Aragon / that he come and serue me / whiche I am sure he wyll do / for he is bounde therto for two causes / he is of my lygnage / and also he ought to be obeysant to the pope. Sirs / ye are abasshed of to lytell a cause / go your wayes and kepe and defende your towne / and I shall kepe my palays. Other aunswere the cardy∣nals and the men of the cytie coulde nat haue of this Benedyc. So euery man retourned home. This Benedic had of longe tyme pur∣ueyed his palays with wyne / corne / larde / oyle and of all other thinges parteynynge to a for∣tresse: and also he was of his person hygh and cruell / and wolde nat be abasshed for a lytell thynge. The marshall of Fraunce departed fro pount saynt Spyrite / and passed with all his company by the towne of Orenge / by con∣sent of the prince of Orenge / and so entred in to the countre of Venyce / whiche was lande parteygnynge to the churche / the whiche a∣none was ouer rynne / and the men of warre passed at y^e bridge of Sourgnes / and so they were lordes of all the ryuer / and the marshall taryed in the towne of Sourgnes with a gret nombre of menne of warre to kepe the towne and passage / and also the garysone of Noues whiche partayned to the pope. Than the mar¦shall went and lodged at saynt Verayne nere to Auignon / and his men therabout / and day¦ly came thyder men of warre / so that the cytie of Auignon was closed in before and behinde by lande and by the ryuer / so that nothynge coulde entre nor issue without leaue. for at the towne of Noue without Auygnon / whiche partayned to the realme of Fraunce / was the seneschall of Beaucayre with fyue hundred men / and kepte the entre on that syde / and the marshall of Fraūce with two thousande men was on the other syde of Auignon / and he sent to theym of the cytie that without they wolde obey and open their cytie / that he wolde burne all their vynes and houses abrode in the coun¦trey aboute to the ryuer of Dureuse. That sō∣monynge greatly abasshed the men and wo∣men within the cytie / for their herytages laye without Auignon vnto the ryuer of Dureuse. Than they went to counsayle without know∣ledge of the pope / and they called to their coun¦sayle certayne cardynals / as the cardynall of Amyence / of Poictours / of Newcastell / of Vi¦uyers / and dyuers other. Than suche as had moste to lose shewed these cardynalles howe the marshall of Fraunce had thretened them to brinne their vynes and their howses / and all this had caused the frenche kynge / agaynst whome they coulde nat resyste / for his puys∣saunce was so nere them. and all thynges con¦sydred / they sayde they were better to obey to the frenche kynge / than to holde their paryl∣lous opynyons / for of Benedyc they coulde haue no ayde nor comforte / and they demaun∣ded of these cardynalles if they wolde ioyne and take their parte. The cardynals said they were content to take their wayes / for vitayles beganne to fayle theym / and also their bene∣fyces were in the realme of Fraunce / whiche they sayd they wolde nat wyllyngly lese. So they entred in to treatie with the marshall of Fraunce / the whiche toke suche effecte / that all the men of warre entred in to the cytie of Aui∣gnon / and it was apoynted to besiege the pa∣lays / their couynaunt was to do no hurte nor dyspleasure to the cardynalles nor to none of their men / nor to the hole body of the towne. This to do the marshall promysed. So they entred in to Auignon / and lodged at their ease and lybertie / and than all the passages as well by lande as by water were opened / to the en∣tent that all maner of bytayle myght come to the cytie.

WHen he that wrote him selfe pope Be¦nedyc / beynge closed in his palays) sawe that the cardynals and the men of the cytie had made a treatie with the mar∣shall of Fraunce without his counsayle or ad∣uyse / he was therwith sore dyspleased / howe be it he sayd that he wolde nat submytte hym selfe / to dye in the payne / and so he kepte hym selfe close in his palais / which was as stronge a place as any in the worlde / and most easyest to be kepte / so that it be well vytayled. This pope had sent letters to the kynge of Aragone instantly to socoure hym in his nede / and to sende him men of warre that he myght be able to resyst the marshall of Fraunce also he sente the kynge worde in his letter / that if he coulde get hym thens fro Auignon / he wolde go and kepe his see apostolyke in Aragon / at Par∣pygnon or at Barcelone. The kynge of Ara∣gon sawe well the popes letters / but he made no force of them / and sayd to his coūsayle that were aboute hym. What / weneth this preest that to susteyne hym and his argumentes / I shall enterpryse to make warre agaynste the frenche kyng to ayde hym / than I might well be reputed a fole? Syr quod his counsayle ye say trouthe / ye haue no nede to medle in that mater / for syr ye may be sure the frenche kynge hath suche counsayle aboute hym / y^t he wolde make no warre agaynst hym without a iuste cause / lette the clergy alone / for if they purpose to lyue the prelates must obey the great lordes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 whome their rentes and reuenues are / they haue longe kept them in peace. And also syr••he frenche kynge hath writen to you all re¦dy / desyringe you to determyne you and your countrey to be newter / as he is and wyll be / and syr ye were beste so to do / for my lady the quene who is the Frenche kynges cosyn ger∣mayne / is content so to be / and so is the moste parte of your realme / and the clergy in lyke∣wyse / and specyally Catelone and Spayne / and syr we thynke it is the best opynion / for if all cristen kynges do nat the same the churche shall neuer come to vnyte by reasone of two popes. Thus the kynge of Aragon and his counsayle deuysed togyder / and pope Bene∣dic was styll in his palays / trustynge to haue ayde of the kynge of Aragon / but he was dys∣ceyued / and the marshall of Fraūce was with in the cytie of Auygnon / and the palays was so kept that none coulde issue out nor entre in. They lyued with that store they had / for of vy¦tayles they had suffycient for two or thre yere / but they lacked woode to make fyre with all / and to sethe their meate / whiche made theym abasshed. Euery weke the marshall herde ne∣wes fro the frenche kynge and the kynge fro hym / and the kynge cōmaunded hym that he shulde nat departe thens tyll he had atchyued his enterprise. Thus the pope coude nat issue out of y^e palays / there was suche watche layde on hym.

THe conclusyon was / whan this Be∣nedyc sawe that he was so straytely kepte / and that fyre fayled hym / and other prouysions dayly dyscreased / and sawe that no comforte nor ayde came to hym fro no parte / at laste he yelded / at the request of cer∣tayne of the cardynalles / and the treatie was thus / y^t he shulde nat departe out of Auignon tyll there were made an vnyon in the churche / and a certayne garde was sette aboute hym / and the cardynalles and ryche men of Auig∣non bounde them selfe to kepe this Benedyc so strayte / that they shulde rendre accompte of hym agayne / outher quycke or dede. Suche cardynals as had their benefyces in Fraunce tooke great payne to make this treatie and composycion / for they sayde all with one ac∣corde / that they wolde abyde with the frenche kynge. Thus this busynesse ended at y^t tyme / and euery man departed / and the Marshall went to Parys / and anone after he ordeyned him to go in to the realme of Hungery / for the kynge of Hungery had written to the frenche kynge howe Lamorabaquy assembled great puyssaunce of men of warre / of turkes / ara∣byes / tartaryes / and suryens / and of dyuers other of his secte / to fyght with hym. The erle of Derby the same season beynge at Paris in the house of Clyssone / nere to the temple / was wyllynge to go in to Hungery / whiche shulde be the lesse coste to the Frenche kynge / for he had euery weke redy payed him fyue hundred crownes of golde / and the erle thought hym selfe moche bounde to the frenche kynge for that grace / and whan that tydynges came fro the kynge of Hungery in to Fraunce / the erle of Derby entended well to that mater / and thought in hym selfe that voyage to be ryght honourable for hym to passe his tyme there / wherby he shulde the lightlyer forget the tyme

of his trouble / and spake to them of his specy∣all counsayle / and they counsayled hym to go in that voyage / so that he knewe fyrst the duke of Lancastre (his fathers) pleasure in that be∣halfe. Than the erle one of his knyghtes called Dinorth in to Englande / to knowe his fathers pleasure. This knyght came in to En¦glande / and founde the duke of Lancastre at a Castell a twenty myle fro London / called Hertforde. There he shewed hym his sonnes entente. And whan the duke vnderstode the mynde of the erle his sonne / and the good wyll that he had to go in to Hungery / to passe the tyme of his banyssment / he was ryght well content / and sayd to the knyght. syr / ye be wel∣come / your wordes and my sonnes lettre re∣quyreth counsayle•• ye shall rest you here with vs a season / and in the meane whyle we shall take aduyse / and in the whyle ye may go and se my sonnes chyldren / for ye muste beare ty∣dynges of them to their father. Syr quod the knyght ye say true. So this knyght syr Dy∣north taryed a season in Englande.

NOwe had the frenche kinge good oc∣casyon to write to the kynge of Al∣mayne and to his coūsayle in / what case he had brought pope Benedic and the car¦dynalles. The kynge than sent thyder a noble ambassade / as the patryarke of Iherusalem. / syr Charles of Hangers / and other knightes / and they founde the kynge at Strawbourgh and dyd their message / wherwith the kynge and his counsayle were well content / and sayd howe they wolde determyne on that matter / but they said / they wolde gladly that the kyng of Englande shulde take the same waye / the whiche they feared shulde be herde to do. with this aunswere the ambassadours retourned in to Fraunce / and shewed the kynge what they had doone and sene. The frenche kynge than to thentent to bring his purpose to passe / sente agayne in to Englande to kynge Ry∣charde / and the messangers shewed the kynge the cause of their cōmynge. The kynge gaue good herynge to the mater / but as than he had nat the prelates of the realme nor the clergy with hym / nor were nat so plyable to folowe his pleasure / as they in Fraunce to folowe the pleasure of their kynge / and this he shewed to the frenche kynges messangers / howe be it he sayde he wolde do his deuoyre / and so he dyd. And so the messangers returned in to Fraūce and kynge Rycharde on a daye at Westmyn∣ster assembled all his prelates and clergy of Englande / and whan they were there y^e kynge shewed wysely the dyfference that was in the churche / and howe the frenche kynge by dely∣beracyon and aduyse of counsayle / and by con¦sent of the vnyuersite of Parys and other cler¦kes / he was determyned to be newter / and in lykewyse so are the kynges of Spaygne / of Scotlande / of Aragone / and of Nauer / and howe that all Almayne / Boesme / and Italy / were of the same opynyon. In lykewyse the kynge of Englande / desyred that his realme shuld folowe the same. Whan the prelates and the clergy / who knewe nothynge why they were sent for / herde that mater they had great marueyle / and were sore abasshed / some stode styll and spake no worde / and some began to murmure and sayde. Our kynge is become frenche / he entendeth to nothynge / but to dys∣honour and distroy vs / but he shal nat. What / wolde he bringe vs out of our beleue / he maye do so moche that he shall haue yuell therof / let vs nat folowe this opynion / sythe the frenche kynge taketh that waye / lette hym holde hym selfe newter / and let vs holde styll our beleue / and lette no man put it fro vs / without there be greater apparaunce of a surer foundacyon / than we se as yet. Whan kyng Rycharde sawe the dyfference and murmurynge of the cler∣gy / he caused the bysshoppe of London to de∣maunde of all the clergy what was best to do. They all aunswered that the matter was so great / that therin requyred great counsayle and delyberacyon / and so they departed / and euery man went to his lodgynge. And whan the londoners knewe the cause of that assem∣ble / and the request that the kynge had made / they were than sore troubled agaynst y^e kyng / for the people of Englande were so fermely set on the beleuynge on the pope at Rome / that they wolde nat leaue it / and sayde howe that Rycharde of Burdeaulx wolde distroy them all if he be let alone / his herte is so frenche that he canne nat hyde it / but a daye wyll come to paye for all / that he shall repente hym and all suche as gyue hym suche counsayle. What so euer the kynge sayd to haue his people new∣ter / they wolde in no wyse agree therto. And the frenche kynge was nat well content with his sonne kynge Rycharde / in that he had nat

incontynent caused his realme to haue been newter / but to saye the trouth / the kynge was nat to blame therin. And also suche accyden∣tes fell soone after / the whiche were so great and horryble that the lyke hath nat ben sene in all this hystorye vpon no kynge crysten / ex∣cept of noble kynge Peter of Lusygnen / kyng of Cyper and Iherusalem / whome his owne brother and the cypriens martyred. ∴ ∴