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

¶How the kyng of Portyngale wro¦te amyably to the duke of Lancastre whē he knew that he was aryued at saynt Iames in in Galyce / & of the so∣cours that the kyng of Castel sent for in to fraunce / & how the towne of Ru¦elles in Galyce was taken by the en∣glysshe men. Ca .liii. (Book 53)

YE haue herde before in this hysto∣ry how y^e duke of Lācastre with a fayre cōpany of mē of armes & ar∣chers were aryued at Coulongne in Galyce & how by cōposycyon y^e towne not y^e castel was yelden to h•• / thus they sayd they wolde do as other townes in Galyce dyd / & so therby they were not assayled / & thē y^e duke his wyfe & chyldren came to the towne of saynt Iames called Cōpost••lia & there laye•• & was in purpose to do tyl he herde other tydyn¦ges fro y^e kyng of Portyngale who knewe of a surty y^t the duke was at saynt Iames / wherof he had grete ioy / thynkyng y^t bytwene thē they sholde make a goodly war in to Castell / thē he wrote letters ryght amyably w^t grete salutacy¦ons & sent thē by certayne messagers to y^e duke & the duches who receyued y^e letters ryght ioy¦ously / for y^e duke knew wel he sholde haue gret¦nede of y^e kynge of Portyngale / for w^tout hym or his comforte he saw well he sholde make but smal spede in his busynes in Portyngale or in Castel / then y^e duke gaue to y^e messagers grete gyftes & wrote agayne letters w^t grete saluta∣cyons & amytyes to y^e kyng of Portyngale / cer¦tefyeng hym in his letters y^t he desyred gretely to se & speke w^t hym / thus in the meane season y^e letters & messagers wente bytwene y^e kyng of Portyngale & the duke of Lācastre y^• tyme pas¦sed / & kyng Iohn̄ of Castel fortefyed hym in al y^t he myght & sent of••e in to fraūce letters & mes¦sagers desyryng to haue ayde of mē of war to defende & kepe his royalme of Castel / sayng y^t in y^e somer folowyng he thought he sholde ha∣ue grete war / bycause y^e kynge of Portyngale & the englysshmen were ioyned togyder in aly¦aunce wherby they sholde be stronge ynoughe to ouer ryn y^e royalme of castel w^tout they were withstāded / y^e frēsshe kyng & his coūsayle wro¦te agayne to y^e kynge of Castel / byddyng hym to take no thought nor doubte / for within y^• mo¦neth of Ianuary he wolde gyue englāde so mo¦che a do y^t they sholde not know what to do say¦enge y^t when they had dystroyed al Englande thē in y^e somer they wolde take y^e see agayne & so passe in to Galyce & in to portyngale & y^t if y^e englysshmē there & y^e portyngales kept y^e felde they wolde cause thē to flee / so y^t within a yere they wolde make an ende of al y^e warres / so the kyng of castel cōtēted hȳselfe with this āswere for he saw wel he coulde haue none other as at y^• tyme / so there came none out of Fraūce to hȳ but suche as were there before / for al knyghtes & squyers farre & nere wente to Parys & in to Pycardy & so to Lysle / to do way & to tournay y^• coūtrey .iii. myle of length was ful of mē of warre / y^• nombre was so grete y^t suche as had y^e rule of the nauy sayd y^t they coulde not passe at y^e fyrst passage but .xl.M. mē / thē it was ordey¦ned & aduysed y^t they sholde suffre no mā passe without he were a {pro}pre mā of armes & y^t euery knyght sholde haue but one varlet / & a baron .ii. squyers & that no horse sholde passe but all onely for y^e lordes / & to execute this there were mēset at Sluse to se y^t none other sholde passe

howbeit there were such a nombre of rascalles in flaūdres & theraboute y^t they ete vp al in the countrey / & the pore men of the coūtrey payde for all theyr charges / for they durst not speke agaynst thē / they were worse to y^e countrey thē yf englysshmen theyr enemyes had lyen there & it was grete doubte y^t the kynge & the lordes ones passed ouer in to Englāde & suche people to abyde behynde lest they assēbled togyder & dystroy al / & surely so they had done if the iour¦ney had done amysse. Now let vs retourne to the duke of Lancastre. ¶In the meane season whyle the duke of Lancastre the duches & his chyldren with his cōpany lay at saynt Iames knyghtes & squyers of his cōpany lyued at ad¦uenture where they might catche it / & on a day syr Thomas Moreaulr marshal of the oost & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hym syr Mauburne of luners / syr Iohn̄ dā∣brychsourte / Tyrry & wyllyā of Sonnayne & a .CC. speres & .v.C. archers rode forth in to Galyce / & so came to a walled towne a .vii. my¦les fro saynt Iames called Ruelles / for the vy∣laynes y^t dwelte therin wolde not tourne to y^e duke / but were rebell & had often tymes ouer∣throwen of the dukes foragers as they passed by y^e barryers of theyr towne / for they had bro¦ken so y^e wayes y^t they coulde not repasse none other way but by theyr barryers / & when they sawe a vaūtage they wolde yssue out lyke the¦ues & dystroy foragers or other that passed by wherof y^e cōplayntes came to the marshal y^t he sholde prouyde some remedy acordyng to his offyce•• wherfore he came before this towne of Ruelles / y^e watche of y^e towne had wel blowen theyr comyng / wherby ••hey within closed fast theyr barryers & gates so y^t none abode w^tout / ••••so moūted vpon the walles / the marshal whē he saw theyr demeanyng saw well they•• wolde abyde the saulte / then he sayd to syr Iohn̄ Dā∣brychcourte and to Tyrry of Sonnayne / syrs take your horses & ryde aboute the towne & be holde wel where we may best assayle y^e towne with leest hurtynge of our men / so they moun∣ted on theyr horses & rode aboute the towne it was of no grete crycute wherfore they retour∣ned agayne the soner & had wel aduysed euery place & so came to the marshal & sayd / syr in all this towne there is but .ii. gates / y^e one here be fore you & the other ryght ouer agaynst it / syr we thynke these .ii. places are most easy for vs to gyue ony assaulte / for rounde aboute y^e tow¦ne elles are grete dykes & depe ryght euyll to go downe & worse to mounte vp agayne / for hedges & busshes of thorne y^t growe therin / I byleue it well sayd the marshal you syr Mau∣burne shal haue a certayne cōpany w^t you & go to the other gate / & I shall abyde here and let vs giue assaulte both at ones I wote not what shal come to vs / but gladly I wolde se yonder vyllaynes y^t are lenynge on y^e batylmentes of the walles of theyr towne / they loke on vs to se what we wyll do / they are lyke apes etynge of peres & chyldren wolde take it fro them.

OF y^e marshalles wordes his cōpany lau∣ghed & loked vp to y^e walles to beholde y^e vyllaynes / thē syr Maulburyne wente forth w^t his penō & with hym .C. speres & .iii.c. archers & wente to y^e gate & there taryed / so thē anone y^e assaulte bega in .ii. partes right sharpe & fyers & the mē within the towne were ouer y^e gates & threwe downe dartes so fyersly y^t it troubled y^e archers & crosbowes / but they hurte many of thē with theyr shot bycause there were none at the barriers to defende thē / for they were al clo¦sed w^tin the towne & defended thēselfe w^t shot & cast of dartes / so the englisshmē brake vp y^e bar¦ryers & came to y^e gate / & bet & russhed so therat y^e they made the gate to trymble & shake when they w^tin saw theyr gates lykely to be brokē vp they went downe fro the walles in to y^e strete & bare grete tymbre & wood to the gates / thē wo¦mē chyldren & al maner of people bare stones & fylled empty tonnes & pypes & set thē agaynst theyr gates / & so set other aboue on thē & fylled thē in lykewyse one vpō another / & some were styll ouer the gates & dyd cast downe grete bar¦res of yron / so y^t none durst aproche nere y^e ga∣te w^tout he wolde be slayne / thus the vylaynes of Ruel kepte theyr towne agaynst y^e Englyssh men / so y^t they lost but lytell y^t day / & so the En∣glysshmē retourned backe alōge myle of y^t coū¦trey to a towne where was no persone abydyn¦ge / & there they lodged tyll the nexte mornyng y^t nyght the mē of Ruelles counsayled togyder to know what they sholde do / & how they shol∣de maynteyne thēselfe agaynst y^e englysshmē & they sent out theyr spyes to se where y^e englyssh men were suche as were sent forthe retourned agayne & reported surely howe they were lod∣ged at the bace towne of senace / & y^t by al symy¦lytude they wolde retourne agayne to y^e assaul¦te the nexte mornyng / thē they sayd among thē selfe / foly it was to begyn & more foly to conty∣newe / we can haue no blame though we yelde vs to the duke of Lancastre or to his marshall for we haue defended our towne an hole daye amonge ourselfe without counsayle or comfor¦te of ony gentyll man or ony man of warre.

& at lengthe we cannot endure agaynst them / Now syth they know the waye thyder & what we can do it were better for vs to yelde then to be ony more assayled / for if we be takē perforce we shal lese our bodyes & goodes / so they were al of this opynyon y^t yf the Englysshe men re∣tourned y^e next day they wolde treate with thē and yelde vp theyr towne / theyr lyues & goo∣des saued.

THe Englysshmen in the mornynge re∣tourned / anone vpon the sone rysynge to go to the saulte. When they of y^• towne sawe y^t / they sent out .iiii. of theyr men to make theyr treaty / & as the marshal rode vnder his penon he saw in the felde these .iiii. mē & sayd / yonder I thynke be of the men of Ruelles comynge to speke with vs / brynge thē hyder / & when they were come before y^t marshal they kneled dow∣ne & sayd / syr the mē of y^e towne of ruelles haue sent vs hider to speke w^t you / pleaseth it you to here vs / yes sayd the marshal / say what ye wyl syr sayd they we are redy to put you in possessi¦on of y^e towne of Ruelles / so that you wyl saue our lyues & goodes & we wyl accepte my lorde the duke of Lancastre & my lady the duches for our lorde & lady / in lyke maner as they of Cou¦longne & saynt Iames haue done. wel sayd the marshal I am cōtent & wyl assure you of your prouysyon / for it behoueth our men to lyue / syr sayd they y^t is but ryght / there is prouysyon ynough in this coūtrey / syr pleseth you to tary here a lytell & we shal retourne in to the towne & shewe what you haue sayd / & syr we tryst ye wyll vpholde this couenaunt / ye truely sayd y^e marshall / therfore retourne agayne breuely / so they retourned to theyr towne / & shewed howe they had spoken with y^t dukes marshal / & how they had made with hym suche a treaty y^t they sholde be in saufegarde of theyr bodyes & goo∣des excepte vytayles / then they of the towne sayd god graunt it so to be / thē they dyd rydde theyr gates of the tonnes with stones & tymbre y^t they had set there / & opened the gate wyde / & so came to the barryers with the keys in theyr hādes sayng / syr we know wel ye be hider sent fro my lorde the duke of Lancastre & fro my la¦dy his wyfe / syr we rendre to you the keyes of this towne & put you in possyssyō therof on su∣che cōdycyons as our men haue made reporte to vs / on the same condycyon sayd the marshal I receyue it / so he entred in to the towne / & he & all his menlodged here & there at theyr plea∣sure & there taryed al a day / & or he departed he sayd to syr maulburyn / syr I delyuer you this towne for you & your cōpany / ye shal haue here a fayre garyson / syr sayd he y^t is true / & I take it w^t a good wyll / for the garyson pleaseth me well / then syr Maulburyn of Luners abode in the garyson of Ruelles in Galyce / & had vnder hym a .lx. speres & a C. archers / & syr Thomas moreaulx retourned to y^e duke & to the duches to saynt Iames.