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 frensshe kynge taryed at Sluse with his grete oost to the en∣tente to entre in to Englande. Ca. iv. (Book 54)

IF the apparell for this voyage was grete and sum¦ptuous in Flaunders and at Sluse / in lykewyse was it in Englāde I haue shew¦ed you somwhat therof / he∣re before / wherfore I passe it ouer breuely / yf the taxes and tallages were grete in fraunce in lykewyse they were in en∣glande / so that many a man sorowed longe af∣ter / but bycause the comons sawe it was nede∣full sayd / it is not agaynst reason thoughe we be taxed nowe & to gyue of our goodes to kny∣ghtes and squyers to defende theyr herytages and ours. There was raysed the same tyme in Englande for the defence of the countrey more then .ii. mylyons of floreyns / and receyuours therof were the archebysshop of yorke broder to the lorde Neuell / the erle of Oxenforde / syr Nycholas Branbre / syr Myghell Polle / syr Symon Burle / syr Peter Gauloufer / syr Ro∣bert Tryuylyen / syr Iohn̄ Beauchamp / Syr Iohn̄ Salysbury and other of the kynges pry¦uy counsayle / as for the kynges vncles there was nothynge done by them / nor they wolde not medle therwith nor brynge the royalme in trouble but they toke good hede to maynteyne the honoure of y^e royalme / & to kepe y^e passages & portes for they byleued surely to haue y^• same yere / y^e frensshe kyng w^t his puyssaūce to aryue in Englande / so these sayd lordes and knygh∣tes receyued the taxes and dyd what they lyst / & the chefe of them & he that had moost profyte was y^e erle of oxenforde / for by hym euery thyn¦ge was done / and without hym nothyng done

so that after whē theyr busynesses were passed the people made trouble to knowe where y^e mo¦ney became / and some of the cytees & good tow¦nes of Englande wolde haue accomptes ther∣of / with y^e ayde of the kynges vncles as ye shal here after when tyme shall be to speke therof / for it shall not be forgotten out of the hystory.