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 coronacyon of kyng Henry duke of Lancastre / by the consent of the realme / & the maner of the feest. Cap. CC.xlv. (Book 245)

IN the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hun∣dred fourscore & nynetene / the last daye of septembre / on a tuysday began a par∣lyament at Westmynster / holden by Henry duke of Lancastre / at whiche tyme there was assem∣bled prelates and clergy of the realme of En∣glande a great nombre / and also dukes / erles / and barones / and of euery towne a certayne. Thus the people assembled at Westmynster / there beynge presente the duke of Lancastre: and there the same duke chalenged the realme of Englande / and desyred to be kynge by thre reasones. Fyrst by conquest. secondly bycause he was heyre. And thyrdly bycause Rycharde of Burdeaur had resygned the Realme in to his handes by his free wyll / in the presence of certayne dukes / erles / prelates / and barones in the hall within the towre of London. These thre causes shewed / the duke of Lancastre re∣quyred all the people there present / as well one as other / to shewe their myndes and ententes in that behalfe. Than all the people with one voyce sayd / that their wylles was to haue him kynge / and howe they wolde haue none other but hym. Than the duke agayne sayd to the people. Sirs / is this your myndes. and they all with one voyce sayde / ye / ye. And than the duke sate downe in the syege royall / whiche seate was reysed vp in the hall / and couered with a clothe of estate / so y^t euery man myght well se hym sytte. And than the people lyfted vp their handes a hygh / promysing hym their faythe and allegyaunce. Thanne the parlya∣ment cōcluded / and the day was taken for his coronacyon of saynt Edwardes day / the mon¦day the .xiii. day of Octobre / at whiche tyme / the saturday before his coronacyon he depar∣ted fro Westmynster and rode to the towre of London with a great nombre. and that night all suche squyers as shulde be made knyghtes the nexte day / watched / who were to the nom∣bre of .xlvi. Euery squier had his owne bayne by him selfe / and the next day the duke of Lan¦castre made theym all knyghtes at the masse tyme. Than had they longe cotes with strayte sleues furred w^t mynyuer lyke prelates / with whyte laces hangynge on their shuldes. And after dyner the duke departed fro the towre to Westmynster / & rode all the way bareheeded / and aboute his necke the lyuery of Fraunce. He was acompanyed with y^e prince his sonne and syxe dukes / syxe erles / and .xviii. barons / and in all knyghtes and squyers a nyne hun∣dred horse. Than the kynge had on a shorte cote of clothe of golde / after the maner of Al∣mayne / and he was mounted on a whyte cou••∣ser / and the garter on his left legge. Thus the duke rode through London with a great nom¦bre of lordes / euery lordes seruaunt in their maysters lyuery. All the but gesses & lombar∣des

marchauntes in London / and euery craft with their lyuerey and deuyse. Thus he was conueyed to Westmynster. He was in nombre a syxe thousāde horse / and the streates hanged as he passed by. and the same day and the next there were in London rynnynge seuen cundyt¦tes with wyne whyte and reed. That nyght the duke was bayned / and the next mornynge he was confessed / and herde thre masses as he was acustomed to do / and than all the prelates and clergy came fro Westmynster churche to the palays to fetche the kynge with procession and so he went to the churche a procession / and all the lordes with hym in their robes of scar∣let / furred with menyuer / barred of their shul∣ders acordynge to their degrees / and ouer the kynge was borne a clothe of estate of blewe / with four belles of golde / and it was borne by four burgesses of the portes / as Douer and o∣ther. And on euery syde of him he had a sword borne / the one y^e sworde of the churche / and the other the sworde of iustyce. The sworde of the church his sonne the prince dyd beare / and the sworde of iustyce therle of Northumberlande dyd beare / for he was as than constable of En¦glande / for the erle of Rutlande was deposed fro that offyce / and the erle of Westmerlande who was marshall of Englande / bare the cep∣tour. Thus they entred in to y^e churche about nyne of the clocke / and in the myddes of the churche there was an hygh scaffolde all coue∣red with reed / and in the myddes therof there was a chayre Royall / couered with clothe of golde. Than the kyng sate downe in y^t chayre and so sate in estate royall / sauynge he had nat on the crowne / but sate bare heeded. Than at four corners of the scaff olde / the archebysshop of Caunterbury shewed vnto the people howe god had sent them a man to be their kyng / and demaunded if they were content that he shulde be consecrated and crowned as their kynge. And they all with one voyce sayd yea / & helde vp their handes / promysynge him faythe and obeysaunce. Than the kynge rose and wente downe the scaffolde to the hygh auter to be sa∣cred / at whiche consecracyon there were two archbysshoppes and ten bysshops / and before the aulter the•• he was dispoyled out of all his vestures of estate / & there he was anoynted in vi. places / on the heed / on the brest & on the two shulders behynde / and on the handes. Than a bonet was ser on his heed / and whyle he was anoyntynge the clergy sange the latyny / and suche seruyce as they synge at the halowing of the fonte. Than y^t kinge was aparelled lyke a prelate of the churche▪ with a cope of reed sylke and a payre of spurres with a poynte without a rowell. Than the sworde of iustyce was dra∣wen out of the shethe and halowed / and than it was taken to y^e kyng / who dyd put it agayne in to the sheth / than the archebysshop of Caun¦terbury dyd gyrde y^e sworde about hym. than saynt Edwardes crowne was brought forthe whiche is close aboue and blessed / and than the archebysshop dyd sette it on the kynges heed. After masse the kyng departed out of the chur¦che in the same estate and went to his palays / and there was a fountayne that ranne by dy∣uers braunches whyte wyne and reed. Than the kyng entred in to the hall / and so in to a pri¦uy chamber / and after came out agayne to dy¦ner. At the fyrst table sate the kynge. At the se∣conde y^e fyue peres of the realme / at the thyrde the valaunt men of London. at the fourth the newe made knightes. At the fyft the knyghtes and squiers of honour. And by the kyng stode the prince holdynge the sworde of the churche / and on the other syde the Constable with the sworde of iustyce / and a lytell aboue the mar∣shall with the ceptour / and at y^t kynges borde sate two archbysshops and .xvii. bysshoppes. And in the myddes of the dyner there came in a knight / who was called Dinereth all armed vpon a good horse rychely aparelled / and had a knyght before hym bearyng his speare / and his sworde by his syde and his dagger. The knyght toke the kyng a lybell / the whiche was red. Therin was conteyned that there were outher knight / squyer / or any other gētylman that wold say that kyng Henry was nat right full kyng / he was there redy to fyght with him in that quarell / before the kynge / or where as it shulde please hym to apoynte. that byll was cryed by an haraulde in syxe places of the hall and in the towne. There was none that wolde chalenge hym. Whan the kynge had dyned he toke wyne & spyces in the hall / and than went in to his chambre. Than euery man departed and went to their lodginges. thus the day pas¦sed of kynge Henryes coronacyon with great ioy and feest / whiche endured all the next day. The erle of Salysbury was nat at this solēp∣nyte for he was in sure prison / and the kinges coūsayle and dyuers other noble men / and the

londoners / wolde that his heed shulde haue ben stryken of openly in chepe / for said he had well deserued it / for bearynge of letters and credēce fro Rycharde of Burdeaux to the frenche kyng / and there to reporte openly that kyng Henry was a false traytoure / whiche faute they sayd ought nat to be {per}doned. Kyng Henry was more gentyll than so / for he had some pytie on hym / for therle excused hym and sayd / that he dyd / was by the kynges cōmaun¦dement / & by the settyng on of the four knygh∣tes that were beheeded. Kinge Henry beleued well the erles wordes / but his coūsayle wolde nat beleue it / but said / and so dyd y^e londoners that he shulde dye / bycause he had deserued deth. Thus the erle of Salysbury was in pri¦son in great daunger of his lyfe. And syr Io∣han Holande erle of Huntyngdon capytayne of Calais / was well enfourmed of the hole ma¦ter / and howe his brother kyng Rychard was taken and in prisone in the towre of London / and had resygned his crowne and all / & howe Henry of Lancastre was kinge of Englande. This erle of Huntyngdon / what so euer dys∣pleasure he had for the trouble of his brother / yet wysely he consydred the tyme and aduen∣tures / and sawe well y^t he was nat able to with stande all the power and puyssaunce of the re∣alme. Also the countesse his wyfe / who was co¦syn germayne to kynge Henry / sayd. Syr / it must behoue you to passe your displeasure pa¦cyently & wysely / and do nat that thynge wher¦by ye shall haue dōmage / for the kyng may do you moche good / and ye se that all the realme enclyneth to hym / if ye shewe any dyspleasure to hym warde / ye are but lost. wherfore syr / I requyre you and I coūsayle you to dyssimule the matter / for as well kynge Henry nowe is your brother as kyng Richarde was / therfore syr stycke and leane to him / and ye shall fynde hym your good louer / for there was neuer a rycher kynge in Englande than he is / he may do to you & to your chyldren great good. The erle herde well the wordes of his wyfe and be¦leued her and enclyned hym to kynge Henry / and offred hym humble obeysaunce / and pro∣mysed hym faythe and trouthe. The kyng re∣ceyued hym and had great ioy therof / and he dyd so moche with meanes of his frēdes / that therle of Salysbury was taken to grace / and his excusacyons accepted / and was clene par∣doned.