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 duches and her dou∣ghter wente to se the kynge of Por¦tyngale and the quene. And howe the towne of Besances submytted them vnder the obeysaunce of the duke of Lancastre. Ca. lxxvi. (Book 76)

WHenne the kynge of Portyngale vnderstode that the duches of Lancastre and her doughter were comynge to hym warde / he was therof ryght ioyfull / and sente to re¦ceyue them of the grettest mē of his courte. The erle of Angoses / and the erle of Nouayre syr Iohn̄ Radyghos de Sar syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Perteke syr Vas Martyne of Marlo syr Egeas Colle and a .xx. other kny∣ghtes who mette with the duches a two grete legges of / and ioyfully receyued them / and the duches made frendly chere to al the lordes and knyghtes bothe with wordes & countenaunce. Thus they came to the cyte of Porte / and all y^e ladyes and damoyselles were lodged in the pa¦lays and the kynge came and met with the la∣dyes & kyssed them all / then after came y^e quene who receyued the duches her mooer and her sy∣ster ryght honourably as she that coulde ryght wel do it / all the kynges courte were ryght ioy¦full of the comynge of these ladyes and damoy∣selles / I wyll not speke of all theyr acquayntaū¦ces and good chere. for I was not there present I knowe nothynge but by the reporte of that gently knyght syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Perteke who was there present / and he enfourmed me of all that I know in that matter and of many other There the duches deuysed with the kynge of Portyngale when she sawe her tyme / & shewed hym all the wordes that the duke her husbande had gyuen her in charge to shewe. The kynge answered her ryght sagely and sayd. Fayre la∣dy and cosyn I am all redy yf the kynge of Ca∣stell come forth in to the feldes within .iii. day∣es I shal haue r••dy .iil.M. speres / they be redy in the felde on the fronters of Castell / and also I haue redy .xx. M. of the comons of my royal me who be not to be refused / for they dydde me good seruyce on a day at the batayle of Iube∣roth. Syr sayd the lady ye speke well & I than∣ke you therof. And syr yf ony thyngs happen to fall to my lorde and husbande he wyll inconty∣nente sygnyfye you therof / with these wordes & other the kynge & the duches deuysed togyder. ¶Nowe let vs tourne to them of Besances / & shewe howe they sped.

WHen these .vi. men of Besances were before the kynge of Castel they kneled downe and sayd. Ryght redoubted lorde may it please you to vnderstande that we be sent hyder fro your towne of Besances who are by force in composycyon with the duke of Lancastre and with y^e duches & hath obteyned a sufferaunce of warre for .ix. dayes / soo that yf ye come or sende suche a strength able to resyst the duches puyssaunce / then y^e towne to abyde styll vnder your obeysaunce elles they are boū¦de & haue layde hostage to delyuer vp the tow∣ne to the duke of Lancastre / wherfore maye it please your grace to gyue vs answere what we shall do in this case. The kynge answered and sayd / syrs we shall take aduyse and then gyue you answere therwith the kynge departed fro them and entred in to his secret chambre / I can¦not tell what counsayle he toke nor howe y^e mat¦ter wente / but these .vi. men were there .viii. dayes and had no maner of answere nor sawe no more the kynge. Soo the day came that the towne sholde be gyuen vp & as thē theyr messa¦gers were not retourned agayne. Then y^e du∣ke of Lancastre sent to Besances his marshall the .x. day to speke with them and to cōmaunde them to rendre vp theyr towne / or elles to stry∣ke of the heedes of the hostages / y^e marshall ca∣me to Besances to the barryers and there spa∣ke with them of the towne and sayd / ye syrs of Besances take hede what I saye. My lorde the duke of Lancastre hath sente me to you to de∣maunde why ye haue not brought to hym the keyes of your towne and submyt you to be vn∣der his obeysaunce as ye ought to be / the .ix. dayes be past as ye knowe well / and yf ye wyll not thus do / your hostages shall lese theyr hee∣des here before you / and after we shall assayle you and take you perforce / and then ye shall all dye without mercy lyke thē of Rybadane / whē y^e men of Besances herde those tydynges / they gretly doubted and also fered to lese theyr fren¦des that were in hostage with the duke / & sayd to the marshall / syr my lorde y^e duke hath good cause to say and do as ye haue reported / but syr as yet we here no tydynges fro our men whom we sente to the kynge of Castel for the same cau¦se / we wote not what is become of them. Syrs sayd the marshall peraduenture they are kepte there styll for the tydynges they haue brought to the kynge of Castell whiche are not very ple¦saunt to hym to here / but my lorde the duke wyl abyde no longer / wherfore aduyse you to make me shorte answere / elles shortely ye shall haue assaulte / then they spake agayne and sayd / syr we requyre you let vs assemble togyder in the towne to take aduyse and then we shal answere you / I am content sayd the marshall / then they retourned in to the towne and by the blastes of

trompettes in euery strete they assembled to ga¦ther in y^e market place / then they declared to all the comonte all the foresayd wordes / and so fy∣nally they accorded to rendre vp theyr towne / & to saue theyr estates y^t were in pryson / then they retourned to the marshall & sayd / syr in al your demaundes we can fynde nothynge but as rea¦son requyreth / we are content to receyue my lor¦de the duke and my lady the duches in to this towne & to put thē in possessyon therof / and syr here be the keyes / and we shall goo with you to thē to theyr lodgynge yf it please you to brynge vs thyder / with ryght a good wyl sayd the mar¦shal / then there yssued out of Besances a .lx. mē berynge the keyes of theyr towne with them / & the marshall brought them streyght to the duke & shewed hym all theyr ententes / the duke recey¦ued thē & delyuered thē theyr hostages & the sa∣me day entred in to the cyte of Besances & there lodged & all his company as many as myght.