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 they of Bayon yelded them to the duke of Lancastre / and how the marshall of his hoost entred in to the towne and toke possessyon therof. Ca. liii. (Book 53)

THen this aūcyent mā came to the heraulte & sayd Syr retourne to your may¦sters that sente you hyder & saye to them fro vs that we wyl amyably put vs vnder the obeysaunce of my lorde the duke of Lancastre and of my lady the du∣ches his wyfe in lyke maner & fourme as other townes in Galyce haue done and wyll do / and we / pray you to be our frende and we wyll gy∣ue you .xx. moryskes of golde / when y^e heraulte herde hym say so / he sayd where be y^e floreyns / there they dyd gyue them to hym / and so he re∣tourned to his lordes / then the marshal demaū¦ded of hym what tydynges / what saye yonder vyllaynes wyll they be assayled / nay truely syr sayd the heraulte they haue no wyll therto but haue sayd to me that ye sholde come thyder / & they wyll amyably receyue you and put them∣selfe clerely vnder the obeysaunce of my lorde the duke & of my lady the duches as other tow¦nes haue done / well sayd the marshall so be it it is better for vs this treaty then the saulte / at the leest our men shall not be hurte. Then the marshall with all his company came to y^e tow∣ne & lyghted on foote / & at the barryers he foun¦de moche people of the towne but all theyr ar∣mure was not worth .x. frankes / there they we¦re to see the Engglysshmen / and there was the auncyent man to make theyr treatye / as soone as the heraulte sawe hym he sayd vnto the du∣ke. ¶Syr speke vnto yonder auncyent man

who maketh courtesye to you / for he hathe the auctoryte of the towne in his handes / then the marshall stepte forth and sayd / syr what saye you what wyll ye do / wyll ye yelde you to my lorde of Lancastre and to my lady as to your souerayne lorde and lady / ye syr sayd he we yel¦de vs to you in the name of them and put this towne vnder theyr obeysaunce as other tow∣nes in Galyce haue done / and yf it please you to entre in to the towne / ye shall be welcome / paynge for prouysyon yf ye take ony / wel sayd the marshall it suffyseth / we wyll nothyng but obeysaunce & loue of the countrey / but ye shall swere y^t yf the kyng of Castel come hyderor sen¦de hyder y^t ye kepe you agaynst hȳ & his alyes then they answered & sayd / syr we wyl swere it w^t good wyll / & yf he come hyder w^t puyssaunce or sende we shal close our towne agaynst hym / & sende you worde therof / and yf be stronger than he we wyll abyde styll vnder you / for ye shall fynde in vs no maner offrawde. That is ynoughe sayd the marshal / I aske no better / or it be a yere to an ende the matter shal be deter∣myned / for the herytage and crowne of Castell of Spayne / of Cordewayne / of Galyce / and of Syuyll shal abyde with hym that is strongest for there shall be sene in these countreys or the ende of August many dedes of armes done / & as grete an armye appere in Castell as hathe ben sene there this .C. yere past / well sayd the auncyent man / let it be as it wyll be / and let the ryght go to the ryght / we in this countrey of Galyce dare well abyde the aduenture / then y^e rebelles were brought forth & they of the tow∣ne sware to gouerne theyr towne well & truely as subiectes sholde do to theyr souerayne lorde and lady / and to knowledge the duke of Lan∣castre and his wyfe for theyr lorde and lady as other townes in Galyce had done / and y^e mar∣shall in theyr names receyued theyr othes and sware agayne to kepe and maynteyne them in peas and good iustyce.

ANd whē al this matter was done swor∣ne and promyse then they opened theyr gates & barryers & euery man entred who wol∣de & lodged all abrode in the towne & were the re a .iiii. dayes to refresshe them & theyr horses & to abyde for a fayre season / for in .iiii. dayes before in neuer seased raynynge. wherfore they were loth to departe / for y^e ryuers were waxed so grete y^t no man coulde passe without grete daunger / & also in that season they aduysed thē¦selfe whyder they wolde go to Bezanses or to Rybadane another stronge towne wherin we∣re the moost prowdest people and moost tray∣tours of al y^e countrey of Galyce / & on the fyrst day y^e marshal departed fro y^e towne of Bayon in Marol / & when they were in the feldes they founde y^e ryuers withdrawen wherof they we∣re ryght ioyful / then they rode forth towardes Rybadane & had with them grete caryage and moche prouysyon & rode all in peas / there we∣re none y^t stopped them of theyr way / for there were no lordes of Galyce y^t styred / so they rode tyll they came nereto the towne / & then lodged them vnder y^e olyues in a fayre playne within halfe a legge of the towne / & there determyned to sende theyr heraulte to speke w^t them of Ry∣badane / y^e marshall had well herde howe they were the falsest people & of the merueylest con∣dycyons y^t were in all the royalme / as grete a royalme as it was / for they dyd neuer set by y^e kynge nor no mā elles / but helde alonely of thē selfe / for theyr towne was strong / so y^e heraulte was sent to them to knowe theyr entencyons. And when he came thyder / the barryers were closed and the gate also / then he began to call and to knocke / but noo man wolde answere hym / yet he sawe men go vp and downe on the garettes of the gate & walles / but for nothyng that he coulde do / there was no creature wol∣de speke one worde to hym so there he stode cal¦lynge & makynge of sygnes more then an hou∣re / then he sayd to hymselfe / when he sawe he coulde haue there nothynge elles / I trowe the¦se men of Rybadane haue spoken with them of Bayon and are dyspleased that they gaue me xx. floreynes and dyd so lytell therfore / nowe they wyll make me bye it dere / I fere they wol¦de haue me tary here tyll it were late / and then take and hange me / and so therwith retourned to the marshall who demaunded what tydyn∣ges whyder they wolde be assayled or yelde as other townes had done / syr sayd the heraulte / surely I can not tell they be so prowde that for ony cryenge & callynge y^t I coulde make / there was none y^t wolde gyue me ony answere / then syr Iohn̄ Abaurell sayd / sawest thou no perso¦ne there / peraduenture they be fled awaye for fere of vs / fled away sayd y^e heraulte / syr sauyn¦ge your grace they thynke scorne therof / for or ye haue that towne they wyll put you to more payne then all the other townes in Galyce / syr knowe for trouthe therin be men ynowe / for I sawe grete nombre of thē / & called to thē on hy¦ghe & sayd / syrs I am an heraulte sent to speke w^t you / therfore here me / but they helde theyr

peas and loked on me and laughed. A sayd y^e marshall the false vyllaynes shall well be cha∣stysed / for I wyll not departe thens tyll I ha∣ue brought them to obeysaunce w^t out my lorde the duke of Lancastre communde me the con∣trary / let vs ete and drynke and then go to the assaulte / for I wyll se them a lytell nerer syth y^e vyllaynes be so prowde / and it was done as y^e marshall ordeyned.

ANd when they had eten & dronken they lepte on theyr horses and sown̄ted theyr trompettes makynge grete noyes / and within a whyle they came before the towne / and some knyghtes and squyers ran before the barryers but there they founde no body / but ouer y^e gate there were many crosse bowes and they began to shote and dyd hurte dyuers horses / then the englysshe archers araynged them before y^e bar¦ryers and on y^e dykes & began to shote agaynst the crosse bowes / so there was a sore assaulte whiche longe endured / true it is the towne of Rybadane is ryght stronge it coulde not be wonne on y^e one syde / for it standeth on a rocke so y^t no man can mounte therto / on the other sy¦de where y^e saulte cōtynued was playne groū∣de / but there were grete dykes drye without ony water / but they were euyll to mounte vpō knyghtes and squyers auayled downe & then began to mounte agayne with targes and pa∣uaises ouer theyr heedes for defence of stones that were cast downe / & the archers were rayn¦ged alonge on the dykes who shot so hooly to∣gyder that the defendauntes durst not appere abrode / that daye there was a grete assaulte & dyuers hurte bothe within and without / and at nyght they sowned the retrayte / Then the saulte seased & the englysshmen drewe to theyr lodgynges and toke theyr case & dressed them that were hurte / and the same daye Thyrty of Sonnayne was stryken with a quarell in the arme so y^t in a moneth after he coulde not ayde hymselfe with y^t arme but bare it in a towell.