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 syr Symon Burle wolde ha¦ue had by his counsayle saynt Tho∣mas of Cauntorburyes shryne remo¦ued to the castell of Douer / wherby he acheued grete hate. Ca. lv. (Book 55)

SIr Symon Burle was capytayne of the castel of Do¦uer / and he herde often tymes newes out of Calays by the fysshers / for they kepte styll theyr custome of fysshynge. Somtyme before Boloyne & before the porte of Whytsande and when other frensshe fysshers met with them they wolde tel eche other tydynges somtyme more then they knewe / for the fysshers of the see what soo euer warre was bytwene Englande and Fraunce / they dyd no hurte one to another / but were as frendes aydynge eche other and bought & sol∣de eche with other fysshe if one sped better then another for yf they sholde haue made war one w^t another / there durst none haue gone a fyssh¦ynge w^tout conduyte of men of warre / thus syr Symon Burle vnderstode by y^e fysshers that surely the frensshe kynge wolde passe ouer in to Englande and take landyng at Douer and at Sandwytche / syr Symon byleued wel tho∣se wordes and thought it was true and so dyd all englande / so on a daye he came to Cauntor¦bury and wente to the abbaye / and there they demaunded of hym tydynges / and he shewed as moche as he knewe / and by his wordes he shewed that saynt Thomas shryne whiche is goodly and ryche was not there in surety by∣cause the towne was not stronge / and he sayd that if the frensshemen sholde come thyder whi¦che by all lykelyhode they wolde do / for Coue∣tyse of wynnynge the robbers & pyllers wolde robbe that towne and abbey chyrche and all / & they wyll cary awaye with them the shryne yf they fynde it here / wherfore I wolde counsayle and aduyse you to cary it to y^e castell of Douer there it shal be in suretye thoughe al englande were lost / then the abbot and all the couent to∣ke his counsayle / though he ment well in grete dyspyte and dyspleasure / sayenge syr Symon wyll ye depose our chyrche fro our sygnory / yt ye be afrayde make yourselfe sure / for thoughe ye close yourselfe with in y^e castell of Douer forfere / yet the frensshmen shall not be so hardy to come hyder to vs / and so Symon Burle mul∣typlyed so moche inwardes in maynteynynge his request y^e the comons of the countrey were sore displeased with hym and reputed hym not profytable for y^t countrey / and ryght well they shewed after theyr dyspleasure as ye shall here in the story / So syr Symon Burley wente to Douer agayne.

THe frensshe kynge came to Lysle to she∣we that y^e iourney pleased hym / and to approche the soner to his passage / so the kyng approched / and it was sayd in Flaunders and in Actoys / they shall take shyppyng outher on Satterday / monday / or tuysday / so that in eue¦ry day in y^• weke it was sayd he sholde departe to morowe or y^e nexte day after / and his broder the duke of Tourayne / & the bysshop of Beaw¦uoys chauncellour of Fraunce & dyuers other grete lordes toke theyr leue of y^e kyng at Lysl and they retourned to Parys / & it was shewed me howe the kynge had gyuen the gouernyng of the royalme to his broder the duke of Tou∣rayne tyll his retourne agayne / with the ayde of dyuers other lordes of Fraunce suche as we¦re not ordeyned to go in to Englande as y^e erle of Bloys and other / & yet all the season y^e duke of Berry was behynde & came but fayre & ease∣ly / for he had no grete appetyte to go in to En∣glande / & his longe taryeng was dyspleasaūt to the kynge & to the duke of Burgoyne and to the other lordes / they wolde gladly he had ben come / styll grete prouysyon was made whiche was costly and dere a thynge not worth a fran¦ke was solde for .iiii. howebeit for all that mo∣ney was not spared / for euery man desyred to be well stuffed of euery thynge / in maner of en¦uy euery mā to be better appoynted then other and thoughe the grete lordes were well payde theyr wages other poore companyons bought the bergayne / for they were owynge for a mo∣nethes wages / and yet coulde gete nothynge / the treasourer of the warres and clarkes of y^e chambre of accomptes sayd / syrs abyde tyll the nexte weke and then ye shall be payde / and soo they were answered wekely / & yf ony payment were made to them / it was but for .viii. dayes / and were owynge .viii. wekes / soo that some

when they sawe the maner of dealynge & howe they were soo euyll payde / they were sore dys∣pleased and sayd / surely this voyage shall be but of small effecte / for by all lykelyhode when the money is gadered of y^e taxes / then they wyl breke this iourney and retourne home agayne in to theyr owne countreys / suche as dyd cast suche doubtes & prouided therafter were wyse but the poore knyghtes and companyons su∣che as were re••eyned by y^e grete lordes spente all that they had / euery thynge was so dere in Flaunders / that harde it was to gete outher brede or drynke / or yf they wolde sell theyr wa∣ges or armure there was no money to gete / & yf ony were bought it was dere / there was soo moche people aboute Dan / Bruges / and Ar∣denbrughe / and specyally at Sluse / for when the kynge came thyder they wyst not where to lodge / the erle of saynt Poule the lorde of Con¦cy / the dolphyn of Auuergne / the lorde Dan¦toygne / and dyuers other lordes of fraunce to lye more at theyr case lodgynge at Bruges / & somtyme went to Sluse to the kynge to know when they sholde departe and euer it was sayd to them within .iii. or .iiii. dayes / or when the duke of Berrey is come and y^t we haue wyn∣de to strue vs / so euer the tyme passed and the day shortened and began to be foule and colde and the nyghtes longe / wherwith dyuers of the lordes were not contente to tary so longe / and also theyr prouysyons mynysshed.