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IT hathe ben shewed here before in this hystory how the erle of Buckynghā made a voyage thrughe the royalme of Fraunce & came in to Bretayne / the duke of Bretayne had desyred hym
so to doo bycause parte of his countrey wolde not be vnder his obeysaunce / there the erle of Buckyngham & his company lay al y• wynter & the begynnyng of somer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in grete pouer¦te / before Nantes & Wennes tyll it was Maye & then he retourned in to englande / & when the erle. Thomas of Buckyngham & his company laye before Wennes in lodgynges without. There were dyuers skyrmysshes bytwene the englysshment & frensshmen / & thyder came Oly¦uer Clyūon constabable of Fraunce to se the warre yt was there made / & to speke with ye en∣glysshe knyghtes / for he knewe them well / for in his yongth he was brought vp amonge thē in Englande / & soo he made good company wt them in diuers maners as noble men of armes wyll do eche to other / & as frensshmen and en∣glysshmē haue alwayes done / & as then he had good cause so to do / for he entended a purpose whiche touched hym ryght nere / but he wolde dyscouer his entente to noo man lyuynge but alonely to a squyer that was there who had al¦wayes before serued ye lorde Charles of bloys for yf the constable had dyscouered his entente to ouy man he had ben out of all hope to haue sped & brought aboute his purpose whiche by the grace of god he atteyned vnto. The consta¦ble coulde in no wyse loue ye duke of Bretayne nor he hym longe tyme or they shewed it. And where as he sawe Iohn̄ of Bretayne in pryson in englande he had therof grete pyte / & whē he sawe the duke of Bretayne in possessyon of the herytage of Bretayne / & when he thought that he was in moost loue with ye duke then he sayd syr why do ye not put to your payne that your cosyn Iohn̄ of Bretayne were out of the kyng of Englandes pryson syr ye are bounde therto by othe & promyse / for syr when all the coun¦trey of Bretayne was in treaty with you / ye pre¦lates noble men & good townes & the cyte of Nantes & Archebysshop of Reynes / syr Iohn̄ Craon / syr Boncequalte / as then marshall of fraunce ••reted wt you for the peas before Com∣percorentync / than & there ye sware yt ye sholde do your full puyssaunce to delyuer your cosy∣nes out of pryson & syr ye haue done nothynge in that matter. Wherfore be you sure the coun∣trey of Bretayne loueth you the lesse & oweth you the smaller fauoure / ye duke to his demaū∣de dyssymuled & sayd / holde your peas syr Oly¦uer / where shalde I gete .iii. or .iiii.M. fran∣kes that is demaunded for theyr raunsomes. Syr sayd the constable yf the countrey of Bre¦tayne sawe that you were wel wyllynge to the matter / they wolde be contente to pay a taxe ••∣a fowage to delyuer the pryson ers who are ly∣ke to dye in prison without god helpe them / sy-Olyuer sayd ye duke as for my countrey of bre∣tayne shall not be taxed for me / my cosynes ha∣ue grete prynces of theyr lygnage as ye frenssh kynge / and the duke of Anioy / they may helpe to delyuer them / for they haue alwayes sustey∣ned the warre agaynst me / and when I sware to ayde to theyr delyueraunce myne entencyon was none otherwyse but that ye frensshe kynge or theyr kynsmen sholde pay theyr raunsomes the constable coulde gete of ye duke none other answere / thus as I haue begon to shewe you. The constable sawe clerely howe ye erle of bu••∣kyngham & the barons & knyghtes of englan∣de suche as hadde ben with hym in the voyage thrughe fraunce & so in to Bretayne were no∣thynge contente with the duke of Bretayne by¦cause he wolde not open his townes to them ly¦ke as he had promysed when he departed out of Englande / but whyles the englysshmen lay before wennes & in the subbarbes of Nanibont they endured grete pouerte / for they hadde no∣thynge to ete and theyr horses dyed for fawte of foode. The englysshmen were fayne to ga∣ther the thystelles in the feldes & braye them in a morter & tempre it with water and make ther of a paast & so bake it to ete / suche pouerte they endured / and they sayd amonge themselfe / the duke doth not acquyte hymselfe nobly agaynst vs syth we haue put hȳ in possessyon of ye syg∣nory of Bretayne / and yf we sholde do well we sholde take it fro hym agayne and gete out of pryson Iohn̄ of Bretayne his aduersary & ma¦ke hym duke / the countrey loueth hym better then he that is now duke / We can not better be reuenged of hym nor soner to cause hym to lese the duchy of Bretayne / the constable of fraunce knewe ryght well what wordes & sore murmu¦racyons the englysshmen had amonge them∣selfe agaynst the duke of Bretayne / wherwith he was nothynge dyspleased / for euery euyll worde that they spake he wolde it had ben .xii. Howbeit he made therof no semblaunt / no mo¦re dyd a squyer of Bretayne to whome he had broken his mynde / to go in to englande on his message / this squyer was called Rollant / and so it was that syr Iohn̄ of Harleton capytayne of Chyerbourge was with the constable at the castel Iosselyn vnder saufconduyte / and there the constable made hym good chere and to his company and kepte the englysshmen as good company as he coulde the rather therby to ge∣te
theyr good wylles / then ye constable squyer auaunced forth & spake to syr Iohn̄ Harleton before the constable & sayd / syr Iohn̄ ye sholde do me a grete pleasure to do one thynge for me whiche shall cost you nothynge / syr sayd y• kny¦ght for the loue of the constable though it be to my cost I am contente to do that I can for you what is that I sholde do / syr sayd the squyer yt I myght be assured to go in to Englande to se¦myne olde mayster Iohn̄ of Bretayne / the gret¦test desyre that I haue in this worlde is to se hym / by my fayth sayd syr Iohn̄ harlton it shal not be let for me but that ye shal go as soone as I am retourned to Chyerbourge I wyll go in to englande / & ye shal go with me I shal bryng you thyder / for your request is not to be refu∣sed / syr sayd the squyer I thanke you / and I re¦pute it for a grete curtoysy. Thus this squyer wente with syr Iohn̄ Harlton to Chyerbourg and when he had made euery thyng redy he de¦parted and entred in to the see with Iohn̄ Rol¦lant in his company & so came to London and brought the squyer to ye castell where as Iohn̄ of Bretayne was who knewe hym not at the fyrst metynge / at ye last he called hym to his re∣membraunce & so spake togyder / & there he she∣wed Iohn̄ of Bretayne / howe that the consta∣ble of fraunce dyd & wolde do his payne for his delyueraunce / howe can yt be sayd Iohn̄ of Bre¦tayne / syr sayd y• squyer I shall shewe you / my lorde the constable hath a doughter to mary / so that yf ye wyll swere & promyse when ye be re∣tourned in to Bretayne to take her to your wy¦fe he wyll delyuer you out of englande / he hath founde well the meanes how / syr howe say you wyll ye do thus / ye truely sayd he / ye shall re∣tourne to the constable & say in my name howe there is nothynge I may doo to be delyuered but I wyll do it / & as for his doughter gladly I wyll take her to my wyfe / thus the squyer & Iohn̄ of Bretayne departed & passed out of en∣glande & retourned in to Bretayne & recorded to the constable all yt he had sene & harde / & the cōstable who desyred the aduauncement of his doughter as to be maried so highly as to Iohn̄ of Bretayne was not neglygent in his busynes & studyed for a meane in Englande to brynge aboute his purpose / & without he had founde out a meanes as he dyd he sholde neuer haue come to his purpose / whiche was to gete ye erle of Oxenforde on his parte who was most pry∣uy with ye kynge of Englande as then / but this matter was not shortly brought to passe / for as longe as ye duke of Lancastre was in englande and before his iourney in to spayne / there was no dyscouerynge to the kynge of the tretye for delyueraunce of Iohn̄ of Bretayne / for when ye erle of Buckyngham retourned out of Bretay¦ne the renome ran thrughe al the royalme how ye duke of Bretayne had falsely acquyted hym selfe to the Englysshmen wherfore was spoken all ye euyll that coulde be deuysed / & then Iohn̄ of Bretayne was brought in to the kynges pre¦sence and to his vncles / & then it was sayd to hym / Iohn̄ of Bretayne yf ye wyll releue & hol¦de the duchy of Bretayne of the kynge of En∣glande ye shall be delyuered out of pryson and set in possessyon of the sygnory of Bretayne / & shall be ryght hyghly maryed in this countrey as ye ought to be / for ye duke of Lancastre wo••∣de haue gyuen hym to his doughter Phylyp in maryage who was after quene of Portyn∣gale / Iohn̄ of Bretayne answered yt he wolde neuer agree to that tretye nor neuer wolde be enemye nor contrary to the crowne of Fraunce he sayd he was contente to take the duke of Lā¦castres doughter in maryage soo he myght be delyuered out of pryson & out of englande / whē they sawe he wolde do none otherwyse he was set agayne in pryson / and after the erle or Oxen¦forde whom we called duke of Irelande sawe that the duke of Lancastre was gone out of en∣glande in to Castell / and that the tretye of the maryage of his doughter with Iohn of Bre∣tayne was passed / for ye duke of Lancastre had his doughter with hym in to Castell / then he thought to ratrete ye kyng of englande to gyue hym in rewarde for suche seruyce as he had do∣ne and entended to do Iohn̄ of Brtayne / for yf he coulde gete hym of the kyng he was agreed with the constable of Fraunce to haue for his raunsome at two paymentes .vi. score .M. frā∣kes / ye fyrst .lx.M. to be payde as sone as Iohn̄ of Bretayne were sent & delyuered in to ye tow¦ne of Boloyne / and ye other .lx. M. to be payde at Parys whersoeuer he wolde haue it delyue¦red / ye duke of Irelande coueted these floreyns and dyd so moche with the kynge of englande yt the kynge gaue hym Iohn̄ of Bretayne clere¦ly / wherof many in Englande had grete mer∣uayle / but they that lyst to speke wolde speke / there was none other thynge / the duke of Ire∣lande caused hym to be delyuered in to Bo∣loyne / and there the constable had made redy euery thynge for hym / dnd so he rode to Parys and there founde the kynge and other lordes of his lygnage who made hym good chere and the constable also who brought hym in to Bre¦tayne /
and there Iohan of Bretayne wedded his doughter as he had promysed / and when ye duke of Bretayne knewe that Iohn̄ of Bretay¦ne was retourned in to Fraunce and clene de∣lyuered out of Englande by the ayde and pur∣chase to the constable of Fraunce / then he had ye cōstable in double hatred & sayd / what / weneth syr Olyuer of Clesson to put me out of myne he¦rytage / he sheweth wel the tokens therof / he ha¦th delyuered out pryson Iohn̄ of Bretayne and hath gyuen hym his doughter in marriage whiche thynges are to me ryght dyspleasaunt & surely that shall I well shewe ones on a daye howe he hath not wel done peraduenture whē he taketh leest hede therof / he sayd truely for he shewed it quyckely or ye yere passed / as ye shall here after in the story. But fyrst we wyll speke of the busynes of Castell and Portyngale and of an armye on the see yt the englysshmen made to come to Sluse.
HEre before ye haue herde how ye frensshe kynges armye by the see to haue gone in to englande was broken vp in the same season not by ye frensshe kynges good wyll / for alway he shewed good courage to haue passed in to Englande / and when he sawe howe ye iourney brake he was more dyspleased then ony other / and all the fawte was layde vpon the duke of Berre / howbeit it was to be thought yt he saw more depelyer in the matter then ony other / & in his counsayllynge to leue the iourney was for the honoure and profyte of the royalme of fraunce▪ for who soo euer enterprysed to doo a thynge ought to regarde what ende may come therof and the duke of Berre had ben before so longe in englande in hostage for ye kyng his fa¦der & had ben so cōuersaunt among ye englyssh men / & had sene so moche of ye countrey that he knewe by reason what effecte the goynge in to englande sholde haue come to / & ye cause moost exscusable not to go was bycause wynter was so farre ronne. But then it was sayd yt the con∣stable of fraunce the nexte somer sholde goo in to englande with a .vi. M. men of armes and as many crosse bowes / for it was thought by hymselfe & sayd howe that nombre was sufficy to fyght with the englysshe men / by reason the constable ought to haue knowen it / for he had ben nourysshed there in his yonge dayes / whē these lordes were retourned in to Fraunce / thē it was determyned to sende socours in to Ca∣stell to ayde the kynge there agaynst the kynge of Portyngale and the duke of Lancastre / for it was thought that shortely there sholde be so¦me dedes of armes / for the englysshmen kepte the felde. And it was consydered yt they coulde sende noo men of warre thyder without grete cost and charge / for the iourney was ferre of / & there was but lytell money in the kynges trea¦soury nor in treasourers handes / for the some of money that had ben gadered of the people be¦fore in the royalme was spente & wasted wher∣fore they studyed howe to gete more / and soo a newe tayle and taxe was deuysed to ryn thru∣ghout all the royalme of Fraunce / to be payde incontynent without delay / noysynge howe it was for the comfortynge of ye kynge of Spay∣ne and to dryue the englysshmen out of his roy¦alme. This tayle was publysshed in euery pla¦ce / and the kynges commyssyoners sente in to euery good towne and Cyte / who sayd to the gouernours of the townes. Syrs thus moche your towne is taxed at / the whiche ye must pay incontynent / then the rulers sayd / syrs we shall gather this some and then sende it to Parys / nay syrs not so sayd the commyssaryes / we wyl not abyde so longe / we wyll do otherwyse then so / and commaunded in the kynges name a .x. or xii. of the best of the towne to goo to pryson without they payde the some without ony lon∣ger delay / the honest men fered the pryson and the kynges dyspleasure / wherfore they drewe them togyder and payde the money inconty∣nente / and recouered it agayne of the poore mē thus they dyd in euery good towne / so that the¦re were so many tayles and taxes one after and ther / for the fyrst was scante payde when ano∣ther began / thus in that season the noble royal me of fraunce was gouerned and ye poore peo∣ple ouer ledde. So that many auoyded out of theyr townes and forsoke theyr herytages and houses / for they were fayne to sell all that they had / and some wente to dwell in Haynalte and in to the bysshopryche of Lyege / where as the∣re ranne no taxe nor tayllage.