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 they of Besances that had ben sente to the kynge of Ca∣stell came home to theyr towne af∣ter it was rendred vp to the duke of Lancastre. Ca. lxxvii. (Book 77)

AFoure dayes after that Besances was gyuen vp the vi. men that were sent to Va∣leolyue to y^e kynge of Castell retourned home to theyr tow¦ne / then it was demaūded of them why they had taryed so longe / they answered howe they myght not do therwith nor amende it / saynge howe they had spoken with the kynge who had promysed thē to take counsayle & then to gyue answere / whi∣che answere we taryed on .viii. dayes / and as yet they sayd they were retourned without an∣swere / then they were asked no moo questyons but they sayd howe the kynge of Castell loked for moche people to come out of fraunce and dy¦uers were come and lodged abrode in the coun¦trey / but the capytaynes as syr Wyllyā of Lyg∣nac & syr Gaultyer of Passac were not as then come / but all suche knyghtes and squyers in Spayne that sholde be vnder the guydynge of those .ii. capytaynes were redy apparelled / but all suche as were reteyned and apoynted to be vnder the duke of Borbon were styll in theyr owne houses vpon a redynes. Thus as ye ha∣ue herde here before syr Wyllyam of Lygnac & syr Gaultyer of Passac passed thrughe the roy∣alme of Fraunce and came in to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / they were mo then a. M. speres knyghtes and squyers of al countreys / they assembled in Car¦cassone / in Narbonoys and in Thoulousayne and as they came soo they lodged in this good countrey / many there were that payde lytell or nothynge for that they toke. Tyoynges came to the erle of Foyze beynge at Ortays that men of warre of Fraunce approched nere to his coū¦trey & wolde passe thrughe to go in to Spayne & it was sayd to hym / syr they pay for nothynge that they take / Wherfore all the comon people flyeth before thē as though they were englyssh∣men / and the capytaynes be at Carcassone / and theyr men theraboute and so passeth the ryuer of Garon to Thoulouse / and then they wyl en∣tre in to Bygore / and so incontynent in to your countrey / and if they do then as they haue done all the way they shall do grete euyl in your coū¦trey of Byerne. Therfore syr take good hede what ye wyll do in this hehalfe / y^e erle of Foyze who was soone counsayled in hymselfe sayd / I wyll that all my townes and castelles as well in Foyze as in Byerne be prouyded for with men of warre / and all the countrey to be in a re∣dynes to entre in to batayle yf nede be / I wyll not bye derely the warre of Castell / my lanoes be free / yf frensshe men wyll passe thrughe they shall pay truely for euery thynge that they take or elles all the passages in my countrey shal be kepte close agaynst them / & syrs ye syr Arnalte Wyllyam and syr Peter of Byerne I charge you to defende and kepe the countrey / these .ii. knyghtes were bastarde bretherne and ryght valyaunt men in armes / they toke on them this charge. Then in all the erle of Foyze countrey it was ordeyned that euery man sholde haue armure redy as they were wonte to haue or bet¦ter / and to be redy dayly whensoeuer they were commaunded / then in Byerne and in Foyze & in Thoulouse euery man was redy to entre in to batayle / and there was sente to y^e cyte of Pal¦mes a. C. speres of good men of armes / Syr Espayne du Lyon was sent to Sanredun / syr Cycart of saynt Lygyer / to Maryzes / and syr Peter of Byerne was with a. C. speres at Bell¦pount / and at the entre of the erldome of Foyze at saynt Thybaulte on y^e ryuer of Garon was syr Peter of Calestan / and syr Peter Meaus of Noyalles with .l. speres at Polamnuche / & syr Peter of Toce at the castell of Mesun / the bastarde of Esperung at e Morleus / syr Arnol¦de Wyllyam with a. C. speres at Pan / syr Guy¦de

de la mote at mounte Marsen / syr Raymon of newe castel at Sauuetere / syryuayne of Foyze The erles bastardes sone at Mountesquyn / syr Ve••doll of Neuosan / & syr Iohn̄ of saynt Mar¦cell at Oron / syr Hector de la garde at mounte Garbell / Iohn̄ of Nowe castell at Ertyell / and the erle sente to syr Iohn̄ lane beynge at the ca∣stell of Beawuoyson to take good hede to all his fronters / and he sent to saynt Gaudes a co∣syn of his syr Ernalton of Spayne / Breuely there was nother towne nor castel in Foyze nor in Byerne but were refresshed w^t newe men of war & they sayd they were men ynowe to resyst double y^e nombre of other mē of armes / for they were in all to y^e nombre of a .xx.M. men of war of chosen men.

TIdynges came to syr Wyllyam of Lyg∣nac beynge at Thoulouse & to syr Gaul¦tyer of Passa•• beynge at Carcassone / howe y^e erle of Foyze prouyded men of armes and fur∣nysshed euery garyson / and the renome ranne that he wolde suffre none to passe thrughe his countrey / wherof these .ii. capytaynes were so∣re abasshed / & then they apoynted to mete in the myd way to speke togyder at the castell of Dau¦rey howe they sholde do with the erle of Foyze then syr Wyllyam sayd / syr Gaultyer to say tru¦ly it is grete meruayle that the frensshe kynge & his coūsayle haue not wryten to hym to open peasybly his countrey. Well syr sayd syr Gaul∣tyer it is necessary that ye go and speke with y^e erle and shewe hym in curtoys maner that we be sente by the frensshe kynge this way to passe peasybly and to pay for all that we take / surely the erle of Foyze is so grete and myghty that yf he lyst we gete noo passage thrughe his coun∣trey / then we must passe thrughe Aragon / whi∣che is farre of I can not tell why the erle make¦th suche doubtes nor why he soo fortefyeth his garysons / nor whether he haue made ony aly∣aunce with y^e duke of Lancastre or no. I desyre you go to hym & knowe the trouthe / ye se howe our men dayly passe in to Bygore / I am con∣tente sayd syr Gaultyer and so toke these .ii. ca∣pytaynes leue eche of other / syr Wyllyā of Lyg¦nac retourned to Thoulouse / and syr Gaultyer with .xl. horse wente and passed y^e ryuer of Ga∣ron at saynt Thybaulte / and there he founde syr Menalte of Nouayles who made hym gre¦te chere / syr Gaultyer demaūded of hym where he sholde fynde the erle of Foyze / he answered hym at Ortays. These .ii. knyghtes were a sea¦son togyder and comoned of dyuers matters / then syr Gaultyer departed and came to saynt Gaudes and there he had good chere / the nexte day he rode to saynt Iohn̄ de Ryuyer and rode all the lawne of Bonc and costed Mauuoysyn and lay at Tournay a close towne / and y^e nexte daye he rode to dyner to Tarbe & there taryed all day / and there founde the lorde Dauchyn & syr Menalte of Barbason two grete lordes of Bierne / they spake with hym of many thynges and bycause that the lorde of Barbason was of the partye of the erle of Armynacke he coulde speke no good worde of the erle of Foyze. The nexte daye he departed & wente to Morlaus in Byerne & there he founde syr Raynolde wyllyā bastarde broder to the erle of Foyze who recey∣ned hym with good chere / & he shewed syr Gaul¦tyer howe he sholde fynde the erle of Ortays & howe he wolde be ryght glad of his comynge / God graunte it sayd syr Gaultyer for to speke with hym I am come in to this countrey. Soo they dyned togyder / and after dyner syr Gaul∣tyer wente to his lodgynge to mounte Gabryel and the nexte daye by .iii. of the clocke he came to Ortays and coulde not speke with the erle y^t day tyll the nexte daye at after noone when the erle accustomed to come abrode.

THe nexte daye when the erle of Foyze knewe that syr Gaultyer of Passac was come to speke with hym somwhat he made the more hast to yssue out of his chambre / then syr Gaultyer dyd salute hym / & the erle who knew as moche of honour as ony knyght dyd saluted hym agayne / and toke syr Gaultyer by y^e hande and sayd / syr ye be right hartely welcome what busynes hath brought you in to this countrey of Byerne / syr sayd the knyght syr Wyllyam Lygnac and I are commytted by the frensshe kynge to conduyte in to Castell certayne men of armes as ye haue herde or this / and howe y^t ye wyl let our iourney and close your countrey of Byerne agaynst vs and our company / then the erle of Foyze sayd / syr Gaultyer that is not soo / for I wyll not close nor kepe my countrey agaynst you nor agaynst ony man y^t wyl peasy¦bly passe and pay to my people for that they ta∣ke / whiche fredome I haue sworne to kepe / & to maynteyne and mynystre to them Iustyce as euery lorde is bounde to do to his subiectes / for that entente lordes haue theyr sygnoryes / but it hath ben shewed me that ye brynge with you a maner of Bretons / Barroys / Loraynes and Borgonyons who knowe not what payne mea¦neth / and agaynst suche people I wyll close my

countrey / for I wyll kepe my people in theyr fraunches and ryghtes / syr sayd the knyght the entente of me and my companyon is that none shall passe thrughe your lande without they pay peaseably to the agrement of the poore mē or elles to be taken and corrected accordynge to the vsage of your countrey / and they to make restytucyon for euery domage by them done or elles we to satysfye for theyr trespasses / so theyr bodyes may be delyuered to vs / & without he be a gentyll man we shal make Iustyce to be done of his body before your men / that all other shall take therby ensample / and yf he be a gentyl mā we shal cause hym to rendre and restore ony do¦mage by hym done / or elles we shall doo it for hym / this crye we shall make with a trompet in euery mannes lodgynge / and also declare it agayne to them or they entre in to ony parte of your lande / so that none shall exscuse them of ne¦glygence / syr may this suffyse and content you Then y^e erle sayd / syr Gaultyer yf this be done I am well contente / and ye shall be welcome in to this countrey / I wyll be glad to see you / let vs go•• to dyner and then we shall talke more togyder.

Syr sayd the erle cursed be y^e warre bytwe¦ne Portyngale & Castel / I ought gretly to complayne of it / for I neuer lost so moche as I dyd at one season in y^e warre bytwene those two royalmes / for all my chefe men of warre of Byerne were there slayne / and yet I shewed them or they wente that they sholde make theyr warre wysely / for I sayd the Portyngales we∣re harde men to mete withall and cruell of de∣des / yf they haue the ouer hande of theyr enemy¦es / they haue no mercy / syr Gaultyer I speke it that when ye and your companyon come in to Castell syth ye two be the chefe capytaynes of them that are passed and shall passe / and perad¦uenture ye shall be requyred by the kynge of Castell to gyue your counsayle and aduyse / be wel aduysed that ye gyue not to hasty coūsayle to aduaunce to fyght with your aduersaryes / y^e duke of Lancastre / the kynge of Portyngale the Englysshe men or the Portyngales / for all these be famylyer togyder and be all as one / & the englysshe men desyre to haue batayle by .ii. reasons / one is of a grete season they haue had noo profyte / they be poore and haue wonne no∣thynge of a longe tyme but rather spende and haue lost. Wherfore they wyll be redy to auaun¦ce themselfe in hope to gete some newe profyte / and suche people as be aduenturers desyrynge other mennes goodes wyll fyght with a hardy courage and often tymes fortune serueth them well / the other reason is / the duke of Lancastre knoweth surely that he can not come parfytely nor peasybly to the herytage of Castell whiche he demaundeth to haue by the ryght of his wy∣fe whom he calleth ryghtfull enherytoure / but all onely by batayle / for he knoweth well yf he myght haue and obteyne one iourney agaynst the kynge of Castell that all the countrey then wolde yelde to hym and trymble before hym / & for this entente he is come in to Galyce and ha∣th gyuen one of his doughters in maryage to the kynge of Portyngale to the entente that he sholde ayde his quarell / and syrs I saye this to you / for if the matter sholde fall otherwyse then well ye and your felowe shall bere more blame then ony other. Syr sayd syr Gaultyer I than∣ke you of your good aduertysement and syr my seruyce shall be redy to doo you pleasure / for at this day ye be amonge other crysten prynces re¦puted for one of the moost sagest and happest in all your aduentures / but syr my companyon and I haue one aboue vs who is chefe soueray¦ne of all our company that is the duke of Bor∣bon / and tyll he be come in to Castell we shall make no hast to fyght with our enemyes what soeuer ony man saye / so they entred in to other talkynge tyll the erle of Foyze demaunded for wyne. Then they dranke and soo toke leue / the erle entred in to his chambre and syr Gaultyer retourned to his lodgynge well accompanyed with the erles knyghtes & so supped togyder.

THe nexte day after dyner yr Gaultyer toke his leue of the erle of Foyze / and be syde other thynges the erle gaue hyym a fayre courser and a mule / syr Gaultyer thanked the erle & so departed out of Ortays & lay / the same nyght at Ercyell and the nexte nyght at Tarbe he rode that daye a grete iourney / and then he determyned to sende fro thens to syr Wyllyam of Lygnac / and soo he dyd aduertysynge hym howe he had spedde with the erle of Foyze / and desyrynge hym to come on forwarde with all theyr companyes and shewynge hym howe the countrey of Byerne and all the good townes sholde be open / payenge trewely for that they take or elles not. ¶This messagere dydde soo moche that he came to Thoulouse and dydde his message and delyuered his letters. ¶And when syr wyllyam hadde redde the contynewe hereof he made it to be knowen to all his com∣pany

that they sholde set on forwarde / soo that as soone as they entred ony parte of the erle of Foyze lande to pay for euery thynge that they sholde take / elles theyr capytaynes to answere for euery thynge / this was cryed by the sounde of a trompet fro lodgynge to lodgynge / to the entente that euery man sholde knowe it / then euery man dyslodged out of y^e marches of Tho¦louse / Carcassone / Lymous / and of Marbon / and so entred in to Bygore / and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac toke his hors and rode to Tarbe to syr Gaultyer his companyon / and there made good chere togyder / and theyr bandes and row¦••es passed by and assembled togyder in Bygo∣re to ryde in company thrughe the countrey of Byerne / & to passe at Ortays y^e ryuer of Gaure whiche renneth to Bayon.

AT the yssuynge out of the countrey of Byerne is the entre of the countrey of B••squey in y^e whiche countrey as then y^e kyng of englande helde grete landes in y^e bysshopry∣ches of Burdeaus & Bayon / there were a .lxxx. townes with steples that helde of the kynge of englande / & when they vnderstode of y^e passage of these frensshmen thrugh theyr countrey they were in doubte of ouer rynnynge / brennynge & exylynge / for as then there were no men of war of theyr partye in all that countrey to defende theyr fronters / the sage men drewe togyder & sente to trete with the frensshe capytaynes and to bye theyr peas / then they sent to Ortays .iiii. men hauynge auctoryte to make theyr peas. These .iiii. men met by the way with a squyer of the erle of Foyze called Ernalton du Pyn / & shewed hym all theyr matter desyrynge hym to helpe thē to speke with syr Gaultyer of Passac and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac / when they came to Ortays whiche sholde be within .iii. or .iiii. dayes after / and to helpe to ayde to make theyr peas / & he answered that he wolde do so with a good wyll. The nyght that the capytaynes ca∣me to Ortays they were lodged at y^e same squy¦ers house / and there he ayded them of Bysquey to make theyr apoyntment / and they to pay .ii.M. frankes and theyr countrey saued fro bren∣nynge and robbynge / the erle of Foyze gaue a dyuer to these capytaynes / and to syr Wyllyam of Lygnac a fayre courser / the nexte daye they passed to Sameterre and entred in to the coun¦trey of Bysquey whiche was redemed / they to∣ke vytayles where as they myght gete it / and so passed thrughe the countrey without doyng of ony other domage / & so came to saynt Iohn̄s de Pye of Porte at the entre of Nauare.