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 lorde of saynt Albyne & Enouerant zendequyn saued Arden¦bourke fro takyng / & how the quene of Hungry sente ambassadours in to Fraunce / to mary therle of Voloyes to her eldest doughter. Capi. iiii. (Book 4)

WHan sir Gousseaux of saynt Martyne and Engue¦rant zendequen: sawe howe the gauntoyse mounted vp the walles by ladders / and they saw wher ther was one puttynge his legge ouer the wall to haue entred in to the towne▪ they were thā sore abasshed / but yet nat so moche but that they toke conforte to them selfe: For they sawe well if they fledde / the towne were lost without recouery▪ for they parceyued well that theyr en∣tryng was bytwene the departyng of the wat∣che / and the comynge of the reliefe. Than En∣guerant sayd to the mores pyke: Seppe on for¦warde: Beholde yonder the gauntoyse are en∣trynge / helpe to defende vs / or elles the towne is loste. And so they thre went to the same pla∣ce where as they sawe the gauntoyse entrynge / and the Pycarde with the mores pyke / strake hym that was entrynge ouer the wall suche a stroke / that he hare hym clene fro the wall and ladder / and so fell downe in to the dyke. & ther∣with the watche arose / & sawe howe there were in the dykes and there aboute / a great batayle of the gauntoyse. Than̄e he sowned his trum∣pette: Treason treason. Therwith the towne styrred euery man oute of their beddes / & har∣kened to the crye / and sawe howe the gaunte is wolde haue stollen their towne. Than they ar∣med them as fast as they might: howe be it for all this the gauntoyse dyde all their best to ha∣ue entred in to their towne. And the sayde thre persones valyantly defended the walles / more than the space of halfe an hour / agaynst all the comers the whiche turned to their great pray∣se. Than̄e the other lordes and knightes came thyder in good array / as the Vycount of Me∣aulx with his bauer before hym / sir Iohan of Ieumont his penon before hym / and sir Ry∣flarte of Flaunders / and other: and they foun∣de the knight / the squyer / and the mores pyke / fightynge and defendynge the walles. Than̄e they cryed their cryes to the rescue. And whan Fraunces Atreman and the gauntoyse parcey¦ued the matter / and howe they hadde fayled of their ententes / they withdrewe themselfe fayre and casely / and reculed their people / and so de¦parted and retourned in to the rule of the four craftes. And so than they of the garyson of Ar¦denbourke toke more hede to the kepyng of the towne than they dyde before / and they honou∣red greatly among them / the foresaid thre per∣sones / for and they had nat been / the towne had ben loste and all their throtes cutte.

yE haue herde here before / howe the du¦ke of Aniou / who called hym selfe kyn¦ge of Naples / of Cecyle / and of Hie∣rusalem / made warre thre yeres / In Pule / Ca¦labre / and in Naples / agaynst sir Charles de¦la Paix: and in the makynge of that warre he dyed / and in lykewise so dyde sir Charles dela Paix. Some sayd he was slayne in the realme of Hungry by the consentment of the quene / for after the dethe of the kyng of Hungry / bycause this sir Charles was sonne to the kynges bro∣ther / therfore he maynteyned that the Realme shulde fall to hym: For his vncle the kynge of Hungry after his dethe / lefte behynde hym but doughters. So therfore the quene feared leest he wolde disheryte her doughters: And ther∣fore (as it was sayd) she caused this sir Char∣les dela Paix to be slayne / of whose dethe ther was had great marueyle / & so therby the quene was sore enforsed / and of her yonge sonne the kyng beyng at Auignon / & so they made wary in Prouence / the kynge of Hungry lyuenge. The barons and prelates of Hungry coūsay∣led hym to gyue Margarete his eldest dough∣ter / whiche was likely to be a great enheritour to Loyes of Fraunce erle of Valoyes sonne / & brother to the frenche kynge / bycause they tho∣ught he shulde than abyde among them in Hū∣gry. And whan the kynge was deed / they sent ambassadours in to Fraunce to the kynge and to his vncles / shewyng howe the quene of Hun¦gry wolde haue for her eldest doughter the erle of Valoyes. This request semed to the kynge and to his vncles and to the barons of Fraun∣ce / to be right noble and profitable / excepte one thynge. They thought therby / that the erle of Valoyes shulde be very farre of fro his owne nacion / Howe be it all thynges consydred / they thought it a noble and a right profitable thyng for the erle of Valoyes to be kyng of Hungry / the whiche is one of the grettest realmes in cry¦stendome. So these ambassadours were gret∣ly feested and nobly receyued / and to thē gyuen many great gyftes: And so agayne with them there went to Hūgry other ambass. out of Fraū¦ce: As the bysshop of Maylleret{is} and sir Iohn̄ la Parson / who by {pro}curacyon generall / whan they were come in to Hūgry / he wedded in the name of the erle of Valoyes the lady Marga∣rete / and thanne the bysshoppe retourned in to

Fraūce. And also sir Iohan Parson / who had wedded the lady and lyen by her a bedde / cur∣tesly / accordynge to the custome in suche mat∣ters requyred. And of this whan he came in to Fraunce / he shewed letters patentes & publyke instrumentes / so that they of Fraūce were well content. And so longe after / the erle of Valoys wrote hymselfe kyng of Hungry.

ALso ye haue herde / how the duke of bur¦goyne and the duke Aubert of Bauier / lorde of Heynalte / Hollande zelande / & Frise / had maryed their chyldren at Cambray toguy¦der / At which maryage the frenche kyng was with great tryumphe. Some sayde / howe the same tyme that the frenche kynge and his vn∣cles: the duke of Burgoyne / the duke of Bur∣bone / and the duke Aubert were there at Cam¦bray / & the lady of Burgoyne / the lady of Bra∣bant / and the lady of Heynalte. Howe that by the procurement of the duchesse of Brabante / there was secretely a treatie of maryage mo∣ued bytwene the yonge kyng Charles of Fraū¦ce and the lady Isabell / doughter to duke Ste¦phyn of Bauyer. For kyng Charles of Fraun¦ce that laste dyed before in his dethe bedde / he ordayned / that Charles his sonne shulde be ma¦ryed in to Almaygne / if they sawe any place cō∣uenyent / wherby the almayns shulde be alyed to Fraūce: For he sawe well / howe the kyng of Englande was maryed to the kyng of Almay∣nes suster / wherby he spedde moche the better. This duchesse of Brabant / who was a ryght sore ymaginatyue lady / shewed many reasons to the kynges vncles / and to his counsayle: say¦enge / howe this lady was doughter to a great lorde in Almaygne / and the greattest of all the Bauyers. And howe that thereby / they shulde haue great alyaunce in Almaygne / For duke Stephyn (she sayde) was so great a manne / that he myght well breke the purposes of the great lordes of thempyre / For he was as great or greatter / than the kynge of almaygne / the whiche enclyned sonest the counsayle of Fraū∣ce / to parceyuer in that mater / Howe be it the matter was handeled right secretely / For there were but fewe that knewe therof tyll it were doone: And the cause why this was. It is the vsage in Fraunce / that any lady doughter to a¦ny great lorde / yf the Kynge shulde mary her / firste she shulde be sene and viewed all naked / by certayne ladyes therto admytted / to knowe if she were proper and mete to brynge forthe chyldren: and also bycause this lady was of a farre countre / so that if she shulde be pleasaunt to the kyng or nat / or elles all were broken. for these causes the matter was kepte secrete / but the lady about the feest of Penthecost after / she was brought to Brabant to the duchesse there / who ioyfully receyued her and ordered her / ac∣cordynge to the vsage of Fraunce. And with her in company was duke Frederyke of Ba∣uyer her vncle / by whom to saye trouthe the ma¦ryage was firste procured / by suche wayes as I shall shewe you. ∴ ∴