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 Derby toke leaue of the frenche kyng / and went to his cosyn the duke of Bretaygne. Cap. CC.xxxix. (Book 239)

WHanne the erle herde his coūsaylours so ernestly counsayle him / his spyrites opened and sayd. Syrs / I wyll do as ye wyll haue me for to haue your counsayle was the entente that I sent for you. Syr quod they ye saye well / and syr we counsayle you trewly to our power / and as the matter requyreth. Than as secretly as they coude / they ordeyned for their departure. Than it was deuysed howe they might passe the see / or any knowledge therof shulde come in to Englande. They deuysed that of two wayes they muste take one / outher to go into Haynalte and in to Holande / and there take the see at Dordright / or els to go in to Bre∣taygne to the duke / and there to take the see / and so to lande at Plummouth / or where as god wolde in Englande. All thynges consy∣dred / they sayd the best way shulde be by Bre∣taygne / and than they sayd to the erle. syr / go and take your leaue of the frenche kynge / and thanke hym of the curtesy that he hath shewed vnto you / and take leaue of the duke of Orly∣ance / and of the kynges vncles and other / and thanke theym all of the good chere they haue made you. and desyre of the kinge to haue con¦ducte to go in to Bretaygne / sayenge that ye wyll go se the duke your cosyn / & to tary there a season with hym. The erle acorded to their counsayle / and whan he was redy he wente to Parys to the kynge / as he was acustomed to do / for euer whan he came there was no dore closed agaynst him. At this last tyme he spake wysely to the kynge / and shewed hym howe he wolde go and sporte hym a season in Bre∣tayne / and to se the duke / whome he called his vncle / for he had had to his wyfe his fathers suster / doughter to Kynge Edwarde. The frenche kynge thought nothyng but well / and so gaue hym lyghtly leaue. Than the erle de∣syred to haue conducte to bringe hym thyder. He graunted his desyre. So to make shorte / the Erle ordeyned all his busynesse by great wysdome / and toke his leaue of all the lordes of Fraunce / suche as were there as than / and he gaue great gyftes to the kynges offycers and to offycers of armes / and to mynstrelles / and in the howse of Clysson he made a supper to all suche as wolde come to hym. And the nexte daye he toke his horse and departed fro Parys / and issued out at the gate of saynt Ia¦ques / and toke y^e way to Estampes. A knight of Beawsey dyd guyde hym / called syr Guy of Baygneux. So longe they rode that they came to Blois / and there they taryed an .viii. dayes / for the erle had sente a knyght and his haraulde in to Bretayne to sygnyfie the duke of his cōmynge / as reason was.

WHan duke Iohan of Bretaygne knewe that his nephewe the erle of Derby was cōmynge thyder / he was therof ryght ioyfull / for he loued alwayes the Duke of Lancastre and all his bretherne / and sayde to the knight that brought him worde / who was called Gillyam de la Pierre. Sir / why dothe our nephewe tary by the way / that he cometh nat hyther streyght? The knyght excused the erle as well as he myght. Well quod the duke I sawe no man this seuen yere that I wolde be gladder to se / than my nephewe the erle of Derby / retourne to hym & cause hym to come for he shall fynde my countrey redy open to receyue hym. Of that aunswere the knyght was gladde / and retourned as shortely as he coulde / and came to Bloys / and shewed the erle and his counsayle the dukes aunswere. The next day they rode forthe and had payed for euery thynge / and in the erle of Derbyes company was syr Peter of Craon / who was banysshed out of the realme of Fraunce / and all his castelles / rentes / and reuenues seased for the sōme of a hundred thousande frankes / iudged to the duchesse of Aniou quene of Na¦poles / by proces of the lawe. Thus the erle of Derby came to Nauntes and there founde the duke / who receyued him nobly and all his company. Than syr Guy le Bayneux retour∣ned in to Fraunce / and the erle taryed with the Duke of Bretaygne / who made hym as good chere as coulde be deuysed. And all this seasone the bysshoppe of Caunterbury was styll with the erle and his coūsayle. The duke spared nothynge vpon the erle nor vpon his men / but shewed them all the loue of the worl∣de / and yet the duke knewe well the dysplea∣sure that kynge Rycharde had agaynste the erle / wherof he had pytie. Whan the erle con∣sydred the dukes good wyll and fauoure / he dyscouered to hym parte of his busynesse / as

touchynge the duchy of Lancastre / and suche herytages as the duke his father had in pos∣sessyon whan he dyed / and desyringe therin to haue the dukes counsayle / sayenge / that he was nat repealed agayne by the kynge / but gyueth dayly away parte of his enherytaun∣ces / wherby he shewed the duke that many no¦ble men / and prelates in Englande were nat well contente with the kynge / and the realme therby in great dyfference / In so moche / that dyuers noble men and the londoners / had sent to hym to haue hym to come in to Englande / promysynge that they wolde make his peace with the kynge / and set hym in his herytage. Whan the duke herde that he sayd. Fayre ne∣phue / where as be many wayes the best ought to be chosen. By the kynge ye are in a harde case / ye demaunde counsayle / and I wyll coun¦sayle you to gyue credence to your frendes in Englande / the londoners are myghty and pu¦yssaunt / they and by the ayde of other prela∣tes / lordes / and knyghtes of the realme / shall bringe the kynge to agre to their desyres. and nephewe / I shall ayde you with spyppes and with men of warre / to resyste the daungers vpon the see. Of that offre the erle thanked the duke of Bretayne. ∵ ∵