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 kynge of Cypres was slayne and murdred in his bedde by his owne broder by exhortacyon and corrupcyon of the infydelles / for the bountye & hardnes that was in hym Capitulum .xl. (Book 40)

IN this same season there ca¦me other tydynges ī to fraū¦cefor th••der came kyng Lyō of Armony / not w^t no grete company / but as a man cha¦sed out of his royalme wher¦of he was kynge / by the tur∣kes / & al his royalme was wonne / excepte one castel standynge on y^e see / called Courthe / whi¦che was kepte by the Gen••uoys / bycause that castell was the key / yssue & entre by the see / to go to Alexandria / & in to the Sowdans londe for these Geneuoys gothe a marchaundyse by the meanes of truage y^t they pay in to Rude / & in to Prester Iohn̄s londe / and in euery place they are welcome / bycause of y^e golde & syluer y^t they brought thyder / & for other merchaūdy se y^t they exchaunge in Alexandria / in Cayr / in Damas / & in other places amonge the Sara syns / for in suche maner the worlde is gouer∣ued / for y^t is not in one countrey is in another & therby euery thynge is knowen / & the Gene∣uoys be those y^t furthest doth aduenture theyr merchaūdyse. They be lordes of y^e portes of y^e se aboue y^e Venisiās / & more feared & doubted amonge the sarasyns thē ony other people on the see / they be valyaunt men & of grete entre∣pryse. A Galy well furnysshed of y^e Geneuoys dare well assay .iiii. Galeys of the Sarasyns The turke & Tartaryes sholde do moche do∣mage to crystendome yf the Geneuoys were not / bycause they be renomed to be chefe lor∣des of the see / marchynge on infydelles / ther∣fore they haue euer .l. Galeys & grete shyppes rynnynge on the see to defende the Iles / as y^e Ile of Cypres the Ile of Rodes / y^e Ile dostye & all the boundes of the see & Grece vnto Tur∣kye / & they haue the towne & castel of Pere stō¦dynge on the see before Constantyne le noble / whiche is kepte at theyr cost & charge / & .iii. or iiii. tymes euery yere it is refresshed with y^t / y^t is necessary / the Tartaryes & Turkes haue dyuers tymes assayed to gete it / but they coul¦de neuer attayne therto / for they haue euer lost there more then they haue wonne / for y^e castell of Pere stondeth on a rocke / & there is but one entre / whiche the Geneuoys gretely dyde for∣tefye. Also the Geneuoys haue the towne & ca∣stell of Iason / whiche is ryght noble & a grete profyte to them & to other nere countres of cry¦stendome / for yf Pere / Iason / Stycye / & Ro∣des were not with the ayde of the Geneuoys / the infydelles wolde soone come to Gaiet / yea & to Naples / to the porte of Cornet / & to Rome but y^e sayd garysons / whiche alwayes be well prouyded for with men of warre / & Geneuoys with the shyppes & galeys are euer redy to de¦fende them / wherfore the Turkes dare not ad¦uenture on that partyes / but y^t they do is on y^e fronters of Constantyne le noble / & towarde Hungery / yf the noble kynge of Cypres Peter of Liesieguen who was so noble & valynnt a prynce & had conquered y^e grete cyte of Alexā∣drie & Satalye yf he had lyued longer he wol¦de haue gyuen the Sowdan & Turkes so mo¦che a do / that syth Godfrey of Boloyns dayes they had neuer so moche / & y^t ryght wel knewe the Turkes / & Tartaryes / & infydelles / suche as knewe his prowes & hygh dedes / & therfore to haue hym dystroyed they made merchaun∣dyse with the kynges broder called Iaquet y^t he sholde slee the kynge his broder / & so he dyd for he slewe him in his bed / whiche was a fow¦le dede for bloode / to slee so valyaunt a mā as was the kynge of Cypres / who intended and

ymagened nyght & day on none other thynge but how he myght wynne the holy londe / & to haue it out of the handes of y^e infydelles / & syr Phelyp of Maysyeres chauncellour to Peter of Liesiegnen kynge of Cypres wrote on his tombe as it foloweth / the copy wherof is in y^e chapytre house of the freer Celestynes in Pa∣ris Peter of Liesiegnen y^e .vi. kyng latyne of Iherusalē after Godfrey of Boloyne / & kynge of Cypres / who by his grete prowes & hyghe empryse toke by batayle at his cost these Cy∣tees. Alexandrie in Egypte / Triple in Surie Layas in Armony / Sytalie in Turkye / & dy¦uers other Cytees & castelles on y^e infydelles & enemyes of the lawe of Ihesu Cryst (Anima¦eius requiescat in pace) ¶And when the Ge∣neuoys who loued hym gretely as it was rea¦son / when they knewe of his dethe they prepa∣red .vii. Galyes & sente them in to Cypres & to¦ke there perforce the cyte of Samagose & Ia∣quet within it / & ouer ranne the best parte of y^e royalme / & wolde haue destroyed the royalme but bycause there were stronge townes & for∣tresses to kepe fronter warre agaynst the tur∣kes / therfore they lefte them styl in the mennes handes of the countre / excepte the cyte of Sa∣magose / whiche they kepte styll & fortefyed it / but when they wanne it fyrste they had there grete ryches / & so they ledde with them to Ge∣nes this Iaquet who had murdred his broder True it was this kyng of Cypres had a fayre sone whom they maryed & crowned kynge / & put this Iaquet in to strayte pryson / & wolde not put hym to dethe / & kepte styll in theyr hā∣des Samagose / I knowe not yf they kepe it as yet or no / then within a season after y^e yon∣ge kynge of Cypres dyed in his bed / wherof y^e Geneuoys were sore dyspleased / but they coul¦de not amende it / so y^e lande was without ony heyre / I can not tell who gouerneth it nowe / but the same yere y^t I was in the erle of Foys house / it was shewed me by a knyght of Biern the lorde of Valenchyn / howe the Geneuoys had a grete parte of the lande / & helde styl Sa¦magose / & how they of the countrey had crow¦ned to theyr kynge / the sayd Iaquet for lacke of other heyre / I can not tell by what meanes he came out of pryson & out of the handes of y^e Geneuoys / when the sayd kynge Lyon of Ar∣mony came fyrst in to Fraunce / y^e kynge there & the lordes made hym good chere / as it was reason / for he was come thyder out of a farre countre / & so by hym & his was knowen tydyn¦ges of the royalme of Grece / & of the Empyre of Constantyne le noble / for he was examyned of the puyssaunce of y^e Turkes & of the Tarca¦ries who had put hym out of his royalme / he answered & sayd y^t the grete Tacō of Tarcarie had alway made hym warre / & it was he y^t had put him out of his royalme / thē he was demau¦ded yf y^t Tacon of Tartarie were puys;saunt / ye truely sayd he / for by his puyssaunce with the puyssaunce of the sowdan he hath subdued the emperoure of Constantyne le noble kepte the lawes of the Tartaries. The kyng answe¦red & sayd nay. But the Tacon of Tactarie & the sowdan haue longe made warre agaynst the Emperour of Constantyne le noble / at the last he was fayne to make his ende or elles he coulde haue no peas / whiche emperour of Cō¦stantyne le noble was sone to my lady Mary of Burbon / & sone to the emperour Hugues of lesiegnē / whiche emperour was fayne to giue his doughter in maryage ••o y^e sone of y^e Tacō of Tarcarie. Howbeit the emperour abydeth styll in his cry••tē lawe / & all is by reason of co¦myctyon of this maryage. Thē it was demaū¦ded of hym what y^e erle Co••••er of Sauoy dyd in y^t countrey seyng he was so valyaunt a mā & had so grete a puyssaunce / then the kynge an¦swered & sayd / y^t when the erle of Sauoy was in y^e empyre of Hūgry & made warre agaynst the turkes & tartaryes / there by his valyaunt¦nes he conquered on the Tartaryes / & on the Sowdans lande two good townes / as Cali∣pole / & Lobeme / & lefte men there to kepe them & after the retourne of the erle of Sauoy / the townes were kepte styll crystē as longe as the good kynge of Cypres lyued / but as soone as the Sowdan & the Tacon of Tartarie knew of his dethe / they feared nothynge the Empe∣of Constantyne le noble / but raysed an army of a .C.M. horsemen / & so came & ranne before Cōstantyne le noble / & fro thens they wente & besyeged Calipole / & conquered it perforce / & slewe all the crysten men y^t were within it / & had made so grete warre agaynst the Empe∣rour of Cōstantyne le noble y^t all his puyssaū∣ce coulde not resyst thē / but they forbare hym by reason of his doughter whom the sone of y^e grete tacon coueted to haue in maryage / whi∣che is a harde case for the tyme to come / for the offycers of the Tacon be as now in the cyte of Constantyne le noble / so y^t the grekes there ly¦ue vnder thē / & by truage / & yf the kynges cry∣sten put not therto a remedy / or at lengthe the matter shall go so euyll y^t the Turkes & Tar∣taries shall conquere all Grece / & tourne it to

theyr byleue / for so they make theyr auauntes / they do mocke the popes / wherof one is at Ro¦me / & another at Auignyon. They say y^t the .ii goddes of crystendome warreth eche agaynst other / wherby they afferme our lawe to be the more feble & the lyghter to be dystroyed / & con¦dempned / they lay therto reason in y^t they that sholde cxalte the crysten fayth / are y^e fyrst that mynyssheth it / & dystroy it / then it was demaū¦ded of the kynge of Armony whether that the Sowdan / & the Tacon of tartarie were .ii. of the grettest prynces amonge the infydelles y^t were knowen with the Grekes / the kynge an∣swered & sayd / nay surely / they be not y^e gretest for alwayes the turkes are more noble / more greter / more sage / & more redoubted in warre as longe as they haue a good heed and gouer¦nour / as they haue had this .C. yere / for thou∣ghe y^e Tacon of Tartarie holde in subieccyon the Emperoure of Constantyne le noble / yet y^e lorde of Turkey holdeth in lykewyse y^e Tacō & this lorde of Turkey is called Lamoraba∣qum / & to say the trouthe he is a valyaunt mā in armes / & a wyse man in his lawe of Lamo∣rabaquin I cōplayne me not / for he neuer dyd me hurte / for he hath alwayes kepte his warre agaynst the Emperoure of Hungery. Then y^e lordes of Fraunce demaunded of hym yf this Lamorabaqum were so grete / & so feared as he sayd / ye truely sayd the kynge of Armony / and more then I speke of / for the Emperour of Cōstantyne le noble / & the Emperoure of Hū∣gery feareth hym in lykewyse doth the Sow¦dan of Babylon / & the Tacon of Tartarie / & as I haue herde say of y^e Tartaryes / y^t Tacon wolde or this tyme further haue put vnder y^e Emperoure of Constantyne le noble / but for doubte of Lamorabaqum / y^e Tacon knoweth hym & his nature so well / for as sone as he kno¦weth one gretter then hymselfe / he wyll neuer haue ioy tyl he haue put hym vnder / Wherfore the Tacon wyll not do to Cōstantyne le noble y^t he myght well do yf he wolde / then he was demaunded yf this Lamorabaquin had ony grete power of men / y^e kynge sayd / ye surely / for in .xxx. yere where soeuer he wente / he had euer in his company a .C.M. horses alwayes lodged in y^e feldes / and neuer entreth in to ony towne / & for his garde he hath euer .xx.M. tur¦kes •• whereso euer he goeth he hath his fader with hym / & he hymselfe is of a .lx. yere of age / & his fader .lxxx. & .x. & he loueth moche y^e fren∣she language / & suche as cometh thens / he de∣syreth to se all the grete lordes of y^e worlde / & y^e frensshe kynge & his estate & ordre / & one speke to hym of Fraunce he is well content. Then y^e kynge was demaūded why y^e Lamorabaqum suffred y^e Tacon in peas syth he was so grete an Emperour / bycause sayd y^e kynge y^t the Ta¦con feareth hym & dare make hym no warre / & also there be certayne townes & portes in Tar¦tarie y^t yerely payeth trybute to Lamoraba∣quin / & also they are al of one lawe / & they wyl not lyghtly dystroy theyr owne lawe / & he mer¦uayleth gretely of y^e warre amonge crystē mē howe eche of them dystroyeth other / wherfore he is often in mynde to come in to crystēdome & to wyn all before hym I wolde he had won my lāde rather thē y^e Tacon / for it had ben bet¦ter for me / he was demaūded why / & he answe¦swered & sayd. Lamorabaquin is a lorde of no¦ble cōdycyon / & yf he were .xxx. yere yonger he were lykely to make grete cōquestes where as he wolde employ his warre / for when he hath wonne a countrey / towne / or sygnory / he desy∣reth nothynge but truage / & leueth styll euery man in his owne byleue / & he putteth neuer no mā fro his herytage / he desyreth nothynge but the souerayne domynacyon / Wherfore I saye yf he had conquered y^e royalme of Armony / as the Tartaries haue suffered me in peas / & my royalme styll in our owne byleue by knowled gynge hym as my souerayne / as other grete lordes do / y^t marche nere hym / as the Grekes & Tracyens who take hym for theyr souerayne lorde / wherby they are out of doubte of the so∣ueraynte of the Sowdan / & of the Tacon of Tartarie / the lorde of Satalie / & the lorde de¦la Palice / & the lorde of Hawlte lodge / these .iii. lordes & theyr landes are in peas by reason of a truage y^t they pay to Lamorabaquin / ther is no Turke nor Tartarien y^t dare do thē ony wronge or domage / then it was demaūded of y^e kynge of Armony yf his lande were so clere∣ly lost that it myght not be recouered agayne / truely sayd the kynge it is without recouery / without the puyssaunce of crystendome come thyder stronger thē the Turkes & Tartaries for as I haue sayd / the ferther they come for∣warde / more they are lykely to cōquere / for ex∣cepte one towne called Courth / whiche is the fyrst towne of the royalme of Armony / & is as yet in the crysten mennes handes / al y^e resydue of y^e royalme is in y^e infydels handes / & where as y^e chyrches were wonte to be / there they set vp theyr ydolles & theyr mawmettes / then it was demaunded if the towne of Courth were stronge / ye truely sayd y^e kynge / it wyll not be

wonne without it be by lōge syege / or elles be∣trayed / for it standeth nere to the see in a drye place bytwene .ii. rockes / whiche cā not be ap∣proched / for yf y^t Turkes or Tartaries had it in theyr hādes & another good towne not ferre thens called Adelphe / all Grece were dystroy∣ed / & Hungery sholde haue moche a do. Then it was demaunded yf Hungery marched nere to Tartarie & to the Turkes / the kynge sayd / ye truely & nerer to the Turkes & Lamoraba∣quin then to ony other / then the lordes sayd / it is grete meruayle y^e Lamorabaquin suffereth hym to be in rest syth he marcheth soo nere to Hungery / & he beynge so valyaunt a man & so grete a conquerour. In the name of god sayd the kynge of Armony / or this tyme he hath stu¦dyed as moche as he myght how to haue done domage to the royalme of Hungery / & yf an in¦cydent had not ben or this / he had ben farre in the countrey of Hungery / he was demaunded what incydent it was / & the kynge sayd I shal shewe you.