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 voyage in to Englan¦de was broken by reason of the wyndes & of wynter and by coun∣sayle of the duke of Berre. Ca. lix. (Book 59)

SO fynally the duke of Berre came to Sluse to the kynge / and the kynge sayd to hym / a fayre vncle how grete¦ly I haue desyred to se you / why haue you taryed so long we had ben as nowe in En∣glande and fought with our enemyes if ye had ben come / the duke began to smyle and to exscu¦se hymselfe / and shewed not incontynent what laye in his harte / fyrst he thought he wolde se what prouysyon and ordenaunce was made. and to se the nauey that was named so goodly Soo they were there a .vii. dayes that euery daye it was sayd we shall departe to morowe / howbeit surely the wynde was soo contrary that in no wyse they coulde sayle in to Englan¦de / wynter was well on / it was past saynt An∣drewes tyde / it was no good season for so ma∣ny noble men to take the see / and many of theyr shyppes were redy crossed in a redynes to de∣parte / some were in theyr shyppes to be the for¦most sholde passe / as syr Robert / and syr Phy∣lyp Artoys / syr Henry of bare / syr Peter of Na¦uare and dyuers other. Then the kynges coū∣tayle drewe togyder to se howe they sholde per¦ceyuer in theyr iourney / but the duke of Berre brake all and shewed so many reasons reasona¦ble that suche as had moost desyre to goo were gretely dyscouraged / he sayd it was a grete fo¦ly to counsayle the frensshe kynge who in a ma¦ner was but a chylde to take the see in that sea∣son of the yere / and to go fyght with suche peo∣ple as we knowe not theyr condycyon / nor the way thyder / and as it is sayd it is an euyll coū¦trey to make warre in / for thoughe we were al there a lande yet they wolde not fyght with vs but when they lyst / and we dare not then leue our prouysyon behynde vs / for yf we do it wyl be lost / and they that wyl make suche a voyage so ferre of hath nede to begyn in the harte of y^e yere and not in wynter / call all the maryners togyder and loke yf they wyl not saye that my

wordes be good / for thoughe we be as nowe a thousande and .v. hundred shyppes / yet or we come there we shal not be .iii. hundred / then be holde what peryll we sholde put ourselfe in / I saye it not bycause I wolde haue the iourney lefte / but I speke it by waye of counsayle / and syth that the moost parte of the royalme encly∣neth to this iourney / therfore fayre broder of Borgoyne I wolde that you and I sholde go but I wolde not counsayle that the kynge shol¦de goo for yf ony mysfortune sholde fall it shal be layde to vs / well sayd y^e frensshe kynge who was present at all those wordes / yf none wyll go I wyll go. Then the lordes began to smyle and sayd / the kynge hath a couragyous wyll / Howbeit they toke counsayle to deferre that voyage tyll Aprell or May nexte after / & theyr prouysyons as Bysquet / powdred flesshe / and wyne sholde be kepte saufely tyll then / and the¦re they ordeyned that the lordes and theyr com¦panyes sholde retourne thyder agayne in the moneth of Marche / anone this was knowen / and so brake the voyage for that season / y^e whi∣cost the royalme of Fraunce a .C.M. frankes xxx. tyme tolde.