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 sir Iohn̄ Bourchier gouer∣nour of Gaunt during the truse / had newe vitayled the towne of Gaunt / And howe a maner of people called comporsels dyde moche hurte in the countre. Capitulo Primo. (Book 1)

SIr Iohn̄ Bourchier who had y^e gouernyng of Gaūt vnder kynge Rycharde of Englande / & the capiteyns of the cōmontie of the tow∣ne / as Peter de Boyes / frā¦ces Atreman / and Peterle Myttre. They prouyded surely for the warre / and duryng the truse / they had greatly vitay∣led and refresshed the towne with all prouision parteyning to the warre: and also the castell of Gauure / and other places vnder their rule.

In the same season there was a cōpany of rut∣ters gadered togyder in the wode of Respayle / and there they had fortifyed a house / so that it coude nat lightly be wonne. They were people chased out of Alos / of Grantmount / and out of other places in Flaūders / and had lost all that euer they had and wyst nat how to lyue / but by robbyng and pillyng / wheresoeuer they coude gete it: so that there was as than no spekynge but of these pygges of Respayle. This woode is bytwene Reguays and Grauntmount / An∣ghien and Lysen: they dyde moche hurt in the lordship of Athe / & in the lande of Floberge and of Lyssues / and in the lande of Danghien. and these pyllers were borne out by them of Gaunt / for vnder the coloure of them they dyde moche hurt as in robbynge and sleynge. They wolde go in to Heynalte and take men and women in their beddes / and leade them to their forteresse and raunsome thē at their pleasure: they made warre to euery man. The capitayne of Athe / who was called Baudrius dela Mocte / layde often tymes awayte for them / but he coude ne∣uer trappe them / they knewe so many shyftes. They were so feared in the frōters of Heynalte and Brabant / that none durst go that waye in to the countre.

THe duke of Burgoyne on the other par¦te / for the war•• that he loked for / he gar¦nysshed and prouided for all his townes in Flā¦ders. There was capitayne of Bruges the lor¦de of Guystelles / and of Courtrey sir Iohan Ieumount / and sir Willyam of Namure. As than sir Willm̄ of Guystels was lorde of Dan / and of Courtray sir Iohan Ieumount and sir Peter of Neyper. In lykewise in all the tow∣nes on the fronter of Fraunce / there were men of warre set by the duke of Burgoyne. In the towne of Ardenbourcke / there was in garyson sir Guy of Pontaillyer marshall of Burgoyn / sir Ryflarte of Flaunders / sir Iohan of Ieu∣mont / sir Henry of Coynge / the lorde of Mon∣tigny in Ostrenant / the lorde of Longueuall / sir Iohan Barnet / sir Peter Baylleull / Phil∣pot Gany / Raoleyn dela Foley / and dyuers o∣ther. These men of armes were two hundred / and so they toke aduyse toguyder / and were in wyll to ryde in to the foure craftes and distroy that countre / for moche vitayle came fro thens in to Gaū••. And so on a day they departed and toke that way / and the same day that the fren∣che men were rydden forthe / there was rydden forthe out of Gaunt a two thousande men mete for the warre / and Fraūces Arreman was their capitayne / And so sodainly they mette with the frenchmen in a village: and whan eche of them knewe other they sawe well they shuld haue ba¦tayle. Than the frenchmen valiantly set fote to the erthe and approched their ennemyes / and the gauntoyse in lykewise set on them. There they beganne to shole and to fight eche with o∣ther: they were on suche a place that the gaun∣toyse coude nat passe at their aduaūtage. there was a sore batayle and many feates of armes done on bothe partes / and dyuers caste to the grounde. Sir Riflart of Flaunders was the•• a good knight / and dyd valiantly. The knigh¦tes and squyers fought valiantly with the gaū¦toyse / & so it behoued them to do / for there was no raunsome. But finally the gauntoyse were of suche nombre that they obteyned the place / and the frenchmen were constrayned to lepe on their horses or els they had been all lost / for the gauntoyse surmounted them. And there was slayne sir Iohn̄ Varlet / sir Peter of Bailleule Bell Forrier / Philyppe of Gancy / Raolen de¦la Foley / and dyuers other whiche was great domage. And the other were fayne to flye and to entre in to Ardc̄bourcke / or els they had ben deed without recouerie. And after this aduen∣ture the vycount of Meaulx was sent in gary∣son to Ardenbourcke / with a certayne nombre of men of armes / and they newly repayred the towne: and he had with hym a hūdred soeares of good men of armes. And as than sir Iohan of Ieumont was great baylye of Flaunders / &

so he had ben two yere before. He was greatly douted in all the countre of Flaunders bycau∣se of his valyantnesse / And whan he might get any of the gauntoyse / there went no raunsome for them: For he outher putte them to dethe / or els cutte of their handes and fete or putte oute their eyen and sende them home / to gyue ensā∣ple to the other gauntoyse. He was so renou∣med in Flaunders to do iustyce without pytie / in correctyng the gauntoyse / that there was no spekyng in all Flaunders but of hym.

THus in euery Realme the worlde was in trouble / as well bitwene Fraūce and Englande as Castell and Portyngale for the•• the warre was newly renewed. and the lady of Auiowe / who wrote her selfe quene af Naples and of Hierusalem / was come to Iuygnon to the pope / and there kepte her house and her son Loyes with her / who was called kynge of Ce∣cyle / the whiche his father hadde conquered. The quenes entencyon was to make warre in Prouence / without they of that countre wolde take her for their lady / and become vnder her obeysaūce. And sir Bernarde de la Salle was entred in to Pronence / and made warre there in her quarell. The same season y^e lorde of Cou¦cy was also at Auygnon / and had layen a .xv. wekes in his bedde / of a hurte that he hadde on his legge with rennyng of a horse. And whan he was hole / than he oftentymes dyde vyset the quene and recōforted her / the whiche he coulde do rightwell. The quene taryed therefor to a∣byde for the duke of Berrey / who was also co∣mynge to Auignon to speke with the pope / and to ayde his suster the quene. The frenche kyng and his vncles hadde sente in to Prouence / sir Loyes of Sanxere marshall of Fraunce with fyue hūdred men of armes to warre in that coū¦tre / without they wolde come to obeysaunce vn¦der the quene. Some submytted themselfe but nat all / howe be it the cytie of Marcell / and the grettest parte of the countre yelded them to the quene / but the cytie of Ayes in Prouence / and Tarraston / and dyuers knyghtes of the coun¦tre wolde nat yelde them to the quene / sayeng: howe she had no ryght to demaunde the coun∣tie of Prouence / tyll she were peasably recey∣ued for lady / and her sonne as kynge of Pulle and Calabre in Naples and Cecile. and whan she hath possession of these / than Prouēce shall obeye her / as reason requyreth. In those mat∣chesse there made warre for the erle / Sir Char¦les dela Pa••••e / the erle Conuersaunt / and sir Iohan of Luzenbourge his sonne. And with me quene at Auignon as chefe of her counsayle was sir Iohan of Baylleule.

IN the same season there fell in Lombar∣dye a marueylous insydence / which was moche spoken of / throughe out all the worlde. and that was of the Erle of Vertus / called sir Galeas / and of his brother sir Barnabo / the grettest in all Lombardy. They had raygned longe and gouerned all Lōbardy lyke two bre∣therne. The one of them ruled nyne cyties and the otehr tenne. & the cyte of Millayne was go¦uerned one yet by the one & thother yere by the other. Whan sir Galeas dyed / he left behynde hym a sonne / who was than erle of Vertus / & named like his father sir Galeas / but than swa¦ged the loue bitwene him and sir Barnabo his vncle / for than sir Galeas doughted hym of sir Barnabo his / vncle leest that he wolde take a∣way his lādes fro him / lyke as he dyde fro his father. For his vncle of olde tyme toke awaye the lande fro their brother sir Mauffe / and cau¦sed him to dye. So thus therle of Vertus dou∣ted hym greatly of his vncle. howe be it he wro¦ught subtelly to bringe hym selfe insuretie / I shall shewe you howe. Sir Barnabo had in vsage / that all suche landes as he had rule of / he raunsomed thē so greuously and wolde taxe the men two or thre tymes in a yere / to paye the halfe or thirde parte of their goodes / and none durst saye agaynst hym for feare. And sir Ga∣leas erle of Vertus dyde otherwyse / for the en∣tent to gete loue he toke none ayde of his men / but lyued all onely by his reuenewes / And that rule he kept a fyue yere after the dethe of his fa¦ther / so that he had the loue of all Lombardy / and euery man said / they wolde be gladde to ly¦ue vnder hym. And euery man spake yuell of {ser} Barnabo priuely as they durst / bycause he to∣ke so excessyuely of them. So finally the Erle of Vertus thought to execute his entent / as he that doughted greatly his vncle / and as it was sayde / he sawe some lykelyhode. On a day he sente secretely for suche as he trusted best / And to some he shewed his entent / but nat to all / for feare that his purpose shulde be knowen.

And so it fortuned / that sir Barnabo on a daye rode forthe fro one Castell to another to sporte hym. The erle of Vertus his nephewe knewe therof and layde for hym thre busshemeutes / to the entent that his vncle shulde nat scape / for he must nedes at least passe by one of them. The erle cōmaūded to take hym but nat to slee him /

without he made great defēce. So as sir Bar∣nabo roode forthe and thought none yuell / nor was in no feare of his nephewe / So he fell in the daunger of one of the busshmentes / the whi¦che opyned and approched hym with their spe∣res couched in the rest. sir Barnabo had with hym a squyer of Almaygne / who came to hym and sayd. Sir / saue your selfe / for yonder com¦pany maketh but yuell countenaunce agaynst you / they are parteyning to youre nephewe sir Galeas / Sir Barnabo aunswered / I knowe nat howe to saue my selfe / if they owe me any yuell wyll / But I haue done no trespasse to my nephue / wherby that I ought to flye awaye. so alwayes they of the busshement drewe nerer & nerer streight vpon hym. There was a knight of Almaygne with sir Barnabo / and whan he sawe this company approche towarde his mai¦ster: He had sir Barnabos swerde in his hāde and drewe it oute of the sheth / and tooke it his maister and sayd. Sir / defende your selfe / and than the knight drewe out his owne swerde ly∣ke a valyant man to stande at his defence / how be it all aueyled hym no thyng / For incōtynent he was enuyroned / and his mayster also with their ennemyes. and the sayd knight was the•• slayne / bycause he putte hym selfe to defence / wherof sir Galeas was afterwarde ryght sore displeased. So sir Barnabo was there taken for he made no defence / nor none of his men / & so he was brought to a castell whe•• his nephue was / who was gladde of his comynge. The same day {ser} Barnabos wyfe and chyldren were taken / who were to mary / and they were kepte in Myllayne in prison. Than sir Galeas toke all the seignories / townes and castels / that par¦teyned to sir Barnabo in all Lombardy to his possessyon: and his vncle dyed I can nat saye howe. I thynke he was lette blode in the necke accordynge to the blode lettyng in Lombardy whan they wyll auaūce a mannes ende. Anone these tidynges sprang abrode / some were glad therof and some were sorte. For this sir Bar∣nabo hadde done in his tyme / many cruell and horryble dedes / and pytuous iustyce withoute reason / so that but fewe people complayned his trouble / but sayde / He hadde well deserued it. thus ended sir Barnabo / who had in his dayes raygned puissauntly in Lombardy.

¶Nowe lette vs retourne to the duke of Bur¦bons and the Erle of Marchesse army / & what they dyde in Poictou and in Lymosyn.

THey depted fro Moleyns in Bur¦bonoyse / and so rode forthe with great reuell: And the duke had in his company his nephewe Iohan of Harcourte. The specyall nom∣bre of his army came out of Berry / Auuergne / Poictou / Rouergue / Xaynton / and Lymosyn / And they met togider at Nyorte / a .xii. leages fro Poicters. In this meane season sir Wyllm̄ of Lynacke / a right valyant knyght seneschall of Xaynton / who was as than gouernoure of Myllayne (in those marchesse) and so he came in to Angoulinoys / with a certayne nombre of men of armes / a two hundred: He rested before the castell of the Egle / in the whiche were En∣glishemen. And all the wynter and somer past before had greatly domaged the countre. than this sir Wyllyam lyghted a fote / and so dyd all his cōpany / and valyantly assayled the castell. It was a sore assaute and well contynued / for they within defēded them selfe for feare of their lyues. Sir Wylliam hym selfe that day dyde right nobly / and gaue ensample howe his men shulde assayle withoute any sparynge. This assaut was so well contynued / that the Castell was taken byforce: the Frenche men entred in by ladders / & all that were within slayne and taken. Thus this sir Wylliam of Lygnac dyde the first enterprise in that season / abydinge for the duke of Burbone and his route.

wHan the duke of Burbone was come to Nyorte / and his company: There he founde a great nombre of men of warre / abydinge for hym. And there was redy his cosyn the erle of Marche / with a great nō∣bre / and also the Vycount of Tonnere / and sir Henry of Thouars seneschall of Lymosyn / the lorde of Pons / the lorde of Parteney / the lorde of Thouars / the lorde of Puyssaunce / and dy∣uers other barons of Poytou and of Xaynton. And than sir William of Lignacke came to the duke / who had newly wonne the Castell of the Egle / wherfore the duke gaue hym great than∣kes. Whan all these men of warre were assem∣bled toguyder / they were a seuyn hundred spea¦res besyde the Geneuoys and other varlettes: They were in nombre two thousande fightyn∣ge men. Thasie they toke aduyse whyder they shulde go / outher to Vertuell or to Taylboure or to Mountlewe. And all thynges consyde∣red / they determyned to go to Mountlewe / by cause it was a castell / standyng on the laundes

of Burdeaur. They thought if they might get that castell•• all other shulde be the more easyer to wynne. And also / than shulde no man come out of Burdeaur without their knowledge. so they rode thyderwarde and passed Angolesme and so came before Mountlewe / and they layd their siege. The chefe leaders of all the dukes hoost / was sir Iames Pounsarte / and Iohan Bonne Launce. Incontynent they made redy to assyle the castell / and so enuyroned the ca∣stell aboute / and gaue assaulte with great cou∣rage / and they within defended them selfe va∣liantly. Surely there was an harde assaute & well contynued / and many a proper dede of ar¦mes done / For the frenchmen dilygently moū∣ted vp on their ladders / and fought with dag∣gers hande to hande on the walles. So moche dyde the frenche men / that by pure assaute they wan the castell / and they within slayne / There were but a fewe that were saued. Whan the frē the men had possession of Moūtlewe / they new lye furuysshed it with men of warre and other prouisyon. And than they toke the waye to tayl bourcke / of the whiche forteresse Dynaudon of Perat was capitayne / a proper man of armes he made but lytell counte of the frenchmen. and whyle the duke laye at siege before this castell / his company wanne two lytell fortresses / whi∣che had sore harryed the fronters of Poictou & Lymosyn / by reason of the Englyss••men that were in them. These two fortresses were called Troucet and Archat / and all that were within were slayne / and the castelles delyuered to thē of the countre / and they dyde beate thē downe to the grounde. ∵ ∵