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 bridge of Taylbourcke was wonne by the frenche men / and howe the Englysshe men fortifyed themselfe against the comyng of the frenche men / And howe the admy∣rall of Fraunce and his rout arryued at Edenborowe in Scotlande. Cap. secundo. (Book 2)

THus the siege was layd before Tailbourcke by four bastedes▪ there was in Tail bourcke a bridge on the ry∣uer of Charent / and the En∣glysshe men and Gascoyns had well fortifyed it / so that all the season before they coude no shyppe passe to Rochell nor in to Xaynton / without daūger or by truage. Than the frenche lordes aduysed to wynne the bridge to haue the lesse to do / and to lye the more surer in their bastydes. They caused to come to Rochellshippes by the ryuer of Charent / and in theym certayne Geneuoys and crosbowes / and made them to scrymysshe with them of the bridge. There was a sore as∣saute / for the Englysshe men and gascons had ryght well fortifyed the bridge / and valyant∣ly dyde defende thēselfe / So they were assay∣led by lande and by ryuer. ¶Iohan the sonne of the erle of Harcourt was there made knight and reysed his baner / the duke of Burbone his vncle made him knight. This assault was well cōtinued / and many a feate of armes the•• done the Geneuoys and crosbowes that were in the shyppes shotte so rudely and so hole toguyder at them on the bridge / that none of them durste scantely shewe any defence. What shulde I ma¦ke longe tale? By force of assault the bridge on the ryuer was wonne / and all that were foūde theron slayne and drowned / none scaped. thus the french men had the bridge of Taylbourc / their siege was the easyer. It was but thre lea∣ges fro faynt Iohn̄s Dangle / and two leages fro Xauntes / in the best countre of the worlde.

OF the losse of Tayllebourke / they within Dynaudon & other were sore dismayed / as they had good cause / for they had lost ther∣by the passage of the ryuer / howe be it yet they wolde nat yelde them. They thought thēselfe in a stronge place / and trusted on some rescue fro Burdeaux / For it was shewed in all those fronters and englysshe forteresses / that the du∣ke of Lancastre / or elles the erle of Buckyng∣ham with two thousande men of armes & four thousande archers / shulde come to Burdeaux to fyght with the frenche men / and to reyse all their siege. Of this they greatly trusted / but it fortuned otherwyse / as I shall shewe you. It was ordayned in Englande / that the Duke of Lancastre and sit Iohan Hollande brother to

the kynge / Sir Thomas Percy / six Thomas Tryuet / the lorde Fitz water / six Wylliam wyn¦desore / sit Iohn̄ Fitzwaren / and other barons knightes and squyers with a thousande spea∣res and thre thousande archers / shulde haue gone to Burdeaux to haue ben there all the so∣mer / and to haue refresshed Mortayne / Bout∣uyll / and other fortresses in Gascoyne and Lā¦guedocke / and to fight with the Frenche men / if they founde them in the countrey. And after that they had taryed there a season / than to ha∣ue gone fro thens in to Castell / to Bayon / and to Nauarre: For they were in treatie with the kyng of Nauer. This was ymagined in En∣glāde / but all tourned to nought / for whan they knewe the certaynte that the admyrall of Fraū¦ce / with a thousande speares of chosen knigh∣tes and squyers were come in to Scotlande. Than they chaunged their purpose / and durst sende none of their men oute of the realme / for they doughted greatly the dedes of the frenche men and Scottes / ioyned toguyder. Also the same tyme there ranne a voyce through all En¦glande / howe they shulde be the same Somer assayled with the frenchmen in thre {per}tes. One by Bretaygne. for the duke there was become frenche: And another by Normandye / for the whiche (as it was sayd) The constable of Frā¦ce made his prouisyon at Harflewe and Depe / and so a longe the Scesyde to saynt Valeries and to Crotoy: And the thirde by the Scottes so that for dought of this / they wolde suffre no knightes nor squyers to go out of Englande / but made prouisyon to defende their hauyns & portes of the see. The same season the Erle of Arundell Richarde was admyrall of the See / and was on the See / with a thre or fourescore great shyppes / furnysshed with men of armes and archers. And he hadde small shippes that ranne in and oute / and viewed the boundes of the yles of Normandy to knowe tidynges.

¶Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of the duke of Burbone and of the siege of Tayllebourcke / where as he laye a nyne wekes: & let vs shewe howe the admyrall of Fraūce toke lande in the realme of Scotlande / and what chere they had made to them at their firste lodgynge.

tHe Frenche army that went in to scot¦lande had wynde at wyll. It was in the monethe of Maye / whan the wa∣ters be peaseable and meke / and the ayre softe and swete. First they costed Flāders / Holande zelande / and Frise: and at last aproched to the sight of Scotlande. But are they aryued / the•• fell an harde aduenture / to a yonge knyght of Fraunce a proper man of armes / called sir Au∣bert Dāgyers. The knyght was yong and of haute courage / and to shewe his strength and lyghtnesse of body / he lepte vp clene armed on the walle of the shyppe / and in the lightynge / his fete slypped / and so fell ouer the borde in to the see / so that he coulde nat be holpen: For in∣cōtynent he sanke downe / bycause of y^e weight of his harnes / & also the ship sayled euer forthe. Of this knightes aduenture / all the barownes and knyghtes were sore dyspleased / but there was no remedy. And so longe they sayled that they arryued at Edenborowe / the chiefe towne in Scotlande. And whe•• as the kyng in tyme of peace moost cōmenly laye. And as soone as the erle Duglas and the Erle Morette knewe of their cōmynge / they wente to the hauyn and mette with them / and receyued them swetely: Sayeng / howe they were right welcome in to that countrey: And the barons of Scotlande / knewe ryght well sir Geffray de Charney / for he had been the somer before two monethes in their company: sir Geffray acquaynted them with the Admyrall / and the other knyghtes of Fraunce. As at that tyme the kynge of Scot∣tes was nat there / for he was in the wylde scot∣tysshe: But it was shewed these knight•• / howe the kyng wolde be there shortly / wherwith they were well content: and so were lodged there a∣bout in the vyllages. For Edenborough / tho∣ughe the kynge kepte there his chefe resydence and that it is Parys in Scotlāde / yet it is nat lyke Tourney or Valencēnes / for in all the tow¦ne there is nat foure thousande houses. Ther∣fore it behoued these lordes and knyghtes to be lodged about in vyllages: As at Donfer / Me lyne / Castell / Dōbare / Aluest / and suche other. Anone tidynges sprange about in Scotlande that a great nombre of men of armes of Fraū∣ce were come into their countre. Some therat dyde murmure and grudge / and sayde: Who the deuyll hath sente for theym? What do they here? Can nat we maynteyne our warre with Englande well ynoughe withoute their helpe? We shall do no good as longe as they be with vs? Let it be shewed vnto them / that they may retourne agayne? And that we be stronge y∣nough in Scotlande to maynteyne our warre without theym: And therfore we wyll none of their company. They vnderstande nat vs nor

we them / therfore we can nat speke toguyder. They wyll anone ryffle / and eate vp all that e∣uer we haue in this countrey. They shall doo vs more dispytes and domages / than thoughe the Englysshe men shulde fyght with vs. For thoughe the Englysshe men brinne our houses we care lytell therfore / We shall make them a∣gayne chepe ynough / We axe but thre dayes to make them agayne / if we maye geate foure or fyue stakes and bowes to couer them. ∵ ∵