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 ambassadours of Por∣tyngale had answere of the kynge of Englande / and grete gyftes / & howe they toke theyr leue and wente in to theyr countreys. Ca. xlvi. (Book 46)

And syr bycause of suche rencountres & dedes of ar∣mes y^t our men haue had on theyr enemyes syth y^e elecey∣on of kyng Iohn̄ of Portyn¦gale / the Portyngales are entred in to grete ioy & most comonly say y^e god is for them & theyr ryght / & syr they say not moche amys to say y^e god is w^t thē / for in euery thynge as touchyng ony dede of armes lytell or moche euer syth the dethe of kynge Ferrant / they haue had the vyctory / & y^e erle of Foys y^t nowe is one of y^e gretest lordes of the worlde & full of hyghe prudence / as we knowe by them of his countrey / he sayd y^t for∣tune was with vs of Portyngale / & yf the kny¦ghtes of Byerne had byleued hym whā he de∣parted out of his couutrey / they sholde not ha∣ue armed themselfe agaynst the kynge of Por¦tyngale y^t nowe is a wyse and a dyscrete man & fereth god & loueth holy chyrche / & exalteth it as moche as he may / and is often tymes in his oratory on his knees in herynge of deuyne ser¦uyce / he hath ordeyned y^t for what so euer busy¦nes it be y^t none speke to hym tyll he be out of his oratory / and is a grete clerke / & taketh ly∣tell hede of ony grete sermones / and specyally he wyll haue iustyce kepte in all his royalme and poore men maynteyned in theyr ryght. Thus syr at your request I haue shewed you the maner of our countrey / and all y^t I knowe of the kynge and all his counsayle / and by thē I was cōmaunded at my departyng fro them to shewe you euery thynge y^t I knewe. Wher∣fore syr it maye please you that I myght haue an answere / Laurence sayd the duke or this ty¦me▪ I haue shewed you / and yet agayne I say it that your comynge and these tydynges doth me grete pleasure / and ye shall not departe fro me tyll ye be satysfyed of all your requestes / & well answered in that ye be come for / syr sayd the squyer I thanke you / then the duke called for wyne & spyces / & so toke theyr leue & wente to theyr lodgynge to Arcorch to the house of y^e Fawcon in London / there they were lodged with Thomelyn of Colebrunque.

ANd it was not longe after but that the duke of Lancastre and the erle of Cam¦brydge his broder had counsayle togyder of y^t busynes▪ of Castell and Portyngale / wherof y^e erle of Cambrydge was well contente / for he had ben in y^t countrey before / more then a yere and he was glad to here of the condycyons & tytles of the kynge of Portyngale / and of the quene of Castell / and sayd to his broder / syr when kynge Ferrant lyued / the Chanon Rob¦sart and syr Wyllyam Wyndesore and dyuers other knyghtes y^t were there with me shewed me as it is nowe fallen / for they sayd how they had herde dyuers of y^e same coūtrey murmure on the quene of Castelles tytle to Portyngale therfore I toke away with me my sone / & had no grete affeccyon to that maryage / In the na¦me of god sayd y^e duke / the squyer that is here of Portyngale hathe declared all the matter / and I thynke we can not haue so fayre an en∣tre in to Castell as by Portyngale / for the roy¦alme of Aragon is ferre of / and also the kynge there and his chyldren haue alwayes ben mo∣re fauourable to the frensshe partye thenne to vs / Therfore it were not good syth the kynge of Portyngale maketh for vs this good 〈◊〉〈◊〉

to refuse it. So on a day for this matter there was a parlyament holden at Westmynstre / & there it was accorded y^t the duke of Lancastre sholde haue at the costes of y^e royalme bitwene a .M. & .xii.C. speres of chosen men / & .ii.M. archers / & a .M. of other yomen / & they were all paydein hande for halfe a yere & therwith all the kynges vncles were well contente & spe¦cyally the duke of Lancastre to whom pryncy¦pally y^e matter touched / & as he y^t sholde be che¦fe of y^e armye / and to dyspatche these ambassa∣dours of Portyngale / the kynge of Englande wrote to the kynge of Portyngale louynge let¦ters conteynyng grete amyte y^t he wolde bere to Portyngale / & grete gyftes were gyuē to y^e mayster of saynt Iaques in Portyngale / & to Laurence Fongase who was alwayes with y^e duke of Lancastre / & w^t the erle of Cambrydge & so on a day these ambassadours toke theyr le¦ue of y^e kyng & his coūsayle / & dyned y^t daye w^t y^e duke of Lancastre & the erle of Cambrydge / & the nexte day they were delyuered / & as I vn derstode the duke of Lancastre sente letters to the kynge of Portyngale / & also by credence y^t he sholde sende a .vii. galeys / & an .xviii. or .xx. other vesselles to the porte of Brystowe on the fronters of Wales for hym & his company to passe in to Portyngale / so the ambassadoures departed & wente to Hampton / & there founde theyr shyp y^t taryed for them / & so entred in to the see & had wynde at theyr wyl / & so entred in to y^e hygh Spaynysshe see / & within .v. dayes they were in the hauen of the porte of Portyn∣gale / at whiche tyme the kynge was there and was ryght ioyfull of theyr comynge.

ANd there y^e grete mayster of saynt Ia∣ques in Portyngale & Laurence Fon∣gase shewed y^e kynge & his counsayle al y^t they had sene & herde in Englande as well of y^e kyn¦ge as of his vncles & delyuered theyr letters whiche certefyed al theyr saynges / then anone after the kynge of Portyngale (Who gretely desyred the ayde out of Englande to y^e entente to cause his enemyes to haue the more fere) de¦termyned w^t his coūsayle y^t mayster Alphons V••etat chefe patron & mayster of all his shyp∣pes and galeys in Portyngale y^t he sholde pre¦payre redy .vii. galeys and .xviii. other grete Chyppes / & to sayle in to Englande to fetche y^e duke of Lancastre & his cōpany / & so Alphons was cōmaunded thus to do / & he incontynent dyd so and so on a daye departed fro the porte of Portyngale and in .vi. dayes he arryued at Brystowe / at whiche season the lordes of En∣glande / for y^e moost parte were aboute y^e mar∣ches of Wales / for the kynge was there when the duke of Lancastre knewe of the comynge of these shyppes he was ryght ioyfull. Then knyghtes & squyers and al suche as sholde go with hym were sente for / so that in the porte of Brystowe there were .CC. vesselles with the flete of Portyngale redy apparelled for y^e du∣ke and his company / and the dukes entencyon was to haue with hym his wyfe & his chyldrē & to make with them some good maryages in castel & in Portyngale or his retourne agayne in to Englande / for he thought not shortely to retourne / for he saw the busynes in Englande lykely to be harde and sharpe / & how the kyng his neuewe was yonge and had aboute hym peryllous counsayle / wherfore he was y^e glad¦der to be gone / & or he departed in the presence of his bretherne / he ordeyned his sone y^e lorde Henry erle of Darby his lieutenaunt of all y^t he had in Englande & set aboute hym wyse & sad counsayle / he was a lusty yonge knyght / & was sone to the duches of Lancastre the lady Blaunche doughter to quene Phylyp of En∣glande / I neuer sawe .ii. better ladyes nor of more noble condycyon nor neuer shal thoughe I sholde lyue this thousande yeres whiche is impossyble.

WHen duke Iohn̄ of Lancastre had or∣dred all his busynes in Englonde thē he toke leue of the kyng & of his bre∣therne / and so he wente to Brystowe / & there taryed a .xv. dayes & shypped all his horses & bagages mo then .ii.M. with hay / lytter / and fresshe water for them. Then the duke entred in to a galey well apparelled & had by hym a grete shyp yfnede were for hym / & for the du∣ches Constaunce his wyfe who wente in this iourney with a good courage / for she trusted then to recouer her herytage of Castell and to be quene there or she retourned agayne / & she had with her a doughter called Katheryne / & by her fyrst husbande .ii. other doughters Iza¦bel and Phylyp / whiche Phylyp was maryed to syr Iohn̄ Holande who was constable of y^e oost & the marshall was syr Thomas Mor••∣aur who had also in maryage one of his dou∣ghters / howbeit she was a bastarde & was mo¦der to y^e lady mercell damoysel Mary of saynt Hyllary of Hauman / & admyral of y^e dukes na¦uey was syr Thomas Percy / also there was syr yon fythwaren / the lorde of Lucy / syr Hen∣ry Beaumond de poumins / syr Iohn̄ of But nuell / the lorde Talbot / the lorde Basset / syr

Wyllyam Bea••champ / syr Wyllyam Wynde∣fore / syr Thomas Tracon / syr Hughe Spen¦ser / the lorde Wylloughby / the lorde Braston / syr wyllyā Fermiton / sir Iohn̄ Dambricourt syr Hughe Hastynges / syr Thomas Wance∣stre / syr Mauburyn Liniers / syr Loys of Ro∣chestre / syr Iohn̄ Soustre / syr Phylyp Ta∣cyel / syr Iohn̄ Bouboufer / syr Robert Clycon syr Nycholas Trenton / Hugyn of Caurele / Dauyd Houlegiax / Thomas Allerey / Hobe∣quyn Beaucestre / and dyuers other all with penons besyde y^e barons they were a .M. spe∣res of knyghtes and squyers of good men of armes / and .ii.M. archers / and a .M. of other tawle yomē / they had a fayre season as in y^e mo¦neth of May whiche is lyghtly pleasaunt and peasyble / and so they sayled coostynge the Ile of wyght and Gernsey tyll they came open on y^e coost of Normandy they were .CC. sayles & it was a grete beautye to se the galeys glyde on the see approchynge the lande full of men of armes and arches sekynge for some aduentu¦res / for it was sayd to them that the armye of Normandy was on the see / and truely so they were tyll the Englysshe flete appered before y^e boundes of Ouarentyne / but they knewe by theyr balengers that the armye of Englande was comynge / and therfore they withdrewe themselfe in to the hauen of Harflewe.

THere is lyghtely nothynge but that it is knowen / and specyally of dedes of armes / for lordes / knyghtes / and squyers wyl gladly talke togyder therof / When the dyscom¦fyture was at Iuberoth where as the kynge of Castell toke suche losse as ye haue herde / ty¦dynges therof came in to Franuce as it was reason / for there were many there that had lost at y^e batayle theyr frendes and kynsmen / and as then there was no warre so lykely to be as in Castell / also they herde true reporte howe y^e duke of Lancastre claymed as his ryght enhe¦rytaunce the herytage of Castell / and howe he had raysed in Englonde a grete armye to the entente to drawe in to Castell or in to Portyn¦gale / so then knyghtes & squyers of y^e low mar¦ches to auaunce theyr honoure drewe & sente eche to other to determyne howe they myght best drawe in to Castell / some coūsayled to go thyder by lande to eschewe y^e perylles of y^e see / & also to scape fro the encountrynge of y^e En∣glysshe nauye / & some sayd nay therto / for they sayd y^e passage by lande was ouer longe. And also they thought y^t the kynge of Nauare was not clerely fauourable to y^e frensshe partye / for the frensshmen & he loued but smally togyder / for it was sayd / & true it was the frensshe men had taken fro hym all his enherytaūce in Nor¦mādy / howbeit I can not tell yf his quarel we¦re iust or not / so thus these cōpanyōs doubted gretely the perylles y^t myyght fall by goynge by lande as well for the kynge of Nauare as for other / & they thought they sholde neuer co∣me there by the way thrugh Aragon / so at last they concluded to go to Rochell as they dyd / & there to take these / there they rygged an .xviii vesselles & toke but fewe horses w^t them / & whē they were all redy & had wynde at theyr wyll / they entred in to theyr vesselles & so sayled to∣warde Bayon / for y^t waye or nere therto / they must nedes passe / & in y^t company there was y^e lorde of Coursey / syr Iohn̄ Handoy / y^e vycoūt of Verliere / syr Peter of Vellamines / syr Guy of Baueux / syr Iohn̄ of castell Morant / y^e lor∣of saynt Liger / syr Iames of Fougeres / y^e lor∣of Bellannes / syr Trystram of Langurant / y^e lorde Bartoys of Barres / & dyuers other / so y^t they were a .CCC. knyghtes & squyers of cho¦sen men desyrynge armes / thus they sayled by the see & had wynde and wether as they wolde wysshe / & so aryued without peryl or domage at the porte of saynt Andrewe in Bysquay / in y^e yere of our lorde .M.iii.C.lxxx. & .vi. y^e .xiiii day of the moneth of May.

WHen these knyghtes & squyers of Fraū were aryued at saynt Andrewes there they refresshed them .ii. dayes / & in that space they drew out of theyr shyppes theyr hor¦ses & bagages / then they set forthe & demaun∣ded where they sholde fynde the kynge of Ca∣stell / & it was shewed them howe they sholde fynde hym in the cyte of Burgus in Spayne where as thē he had a grete counsayle for y^e bu¦synes of his royalme. These knyghtes & squy∣ers toke theyr way to Burgus / & so came thy∣der / & the kynge of Castell was ryght ioyfull of theyr comynge / & demaūded of them tydyn∣ges of Fraunce & what way they came thyder They answered howe they came by the see fro Rochel & how it was sayd in fraūce y^t the duke of Lancastre had a grete army of mē of armes & archers to come y^e same season in to Castel or elles in to Portyngale / & also how y^e kynge of Portyngale had sent a nōbre of galeys & other shyppes in to Englāde for hym / of these tydyn∣ges y^e kyng of Spayne was more pensyue thē he was before / how be it he made no semblaunt but well he thought he sholde haue sore warre

in that season / how be it he made good chere to these knyghtes and squyers of Fraunce & than¦ked them gretely of theyr comynge. And then he sayd to syr Robert of Braquemont / and to syr Iohn̄ his broder. Syrs when ye departed fro me the yere that is past I desyred you that when soeuer ye retourned agayne hyder that ye sholde brynge with you tenyse balles of Pa¦rys for vs to play togyder / how be it it had ben better I hadde charged you to haue brought good ba••senetes / & good harneys / for I thyn∣ke we shall fynde the season well to enploye them. Syr sayd the knyght / we haue brought of bothe / syr alwayes we can not be armed nor alwayes play. Thus the kynge of Castell ma¦de them ryght good chere / then they had affec∣cyon to god on pylgrymage to saynt Iames syth they were in y^e countrey and some of them had auowed so to do / so they rode all togyder for company / and trussed with them all theyr harneys as thought they sholde haue gone to batayle / & they dyd wysely in theyr so doynge / for it stode them in good stede or they retour∣ned agayne as ye shall here after. Nowe let vs retourne to y^e duke of Lancastres armye who were on the coost of Normandy.

IN lyke maner as by cōparyson as faw∣cons / pelegrynes that haue stande and ••ested longe on the perche hath grete desyre to flye abrode / In lyke maner the knyghtes and squyers of Englonde desyred to fynde dedes of armes to auaunce themselfe / and sayd eche to other / Why do ye not aryue & go se the boun¦des & portes of Normandy / there be knyghtes and squyers to awake vs / and to fyght with vs / these wordes multyplyed that it came to y^e dukes eyres / and the duke or he departed out of Englonde knewe that syr Iohn̄ of Male∣stroyt / and the lorde of Cambor & Morfonac / and a grete nombre of knyghtes and squyers of Bretayne lay at the syege in bastydes befo∣re the castell of Brest by the commaundement of the constable of Fraunce. So when y^e duke herde of the grete desyre y^t his men had to fyn∣de some dedes of armes / then he sayd to his ad¦myrall syr Thomas Percy / and to the consta∣ble of his armye syr Iohn̄ Holande commaun¦dynge them to addresse theyr nauey towarde Bretayne sayenge howe he wolde goo and se the castell of Brest to vysyte & comforte y^e com∣panyons therin & to loke on thē y^t be without in the bastyde / of these tydynges y^e Englysshe men were ioyful. Then Alphons Vietat chefe patron of the nauey of Portyngale who knew ryght well the way and the entrees in to Bre∣tayne / whiche were ryght peryllous & daun∣gerous / he made his Galey to lede the trace & shewed y^e way to other. The season was sayre & pleasaunt / & the see peasyble / soo they sayled towarde the hauen of Brest / & then taryed for the tyde / for they knewe well with the fludde they sholde in to y^e hauen of Brest / grete plea∣sure it was to here the trompettes & claryons The same season syr Iohn̄ of Malestroyt the vycount of Combor & Morfonac were syttyn¦ge at dyner / whē tydynges came to them how the Englysshe armye was come then they rose and armed them / for they knewe wel that whē y^e duke of Lancastre had taken lande he wolde fyght with them and rayse theyr bastydes / soo they were all well armed and of good mynde to defende them yf they were assaylled. They were a .CCC. knyghtes and squyers / the En∣glysshe men were ryght ioyful whē they were in the hauen of Brest / and vnderstode howe y^e Bretons helde theyr bastydes / and sayd howe they wolde go and se them and fyght with thē for they had grete desyre to doo some dedes of armes.