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 syr Wyllyam of Lygnac / & syr Gaultyer of Passac came to the ayde of kynge Iohn̄ of Castell. Ca. lxxx.

HEre before ye haue herde howe syr Wyllyam of Lygnac & syr Gaultyer of Passac dyd so moche by theyr wyse entreatynge of the erle of Foyze y^t he suf∣fred them peasybly to passe thrughe his countrey of Byerne to go in to Ca¦stel and besyde that the erle gaue them grete re¦wardes / for there were noo knyghtes nor squy∣ers straungers that came to se hym / but that he wolde largely rewarde them accordynge to theyr degrees / to some a .C. floreynes / to some CC. floreynes and .xxx. or .xl. so that this sayd fyrst passage of the Frensshe men cost the erle of Foyze as his owne treasourer shewed me the some of a .M. frankes besyde horses and other thynges that he gaue / to say trouth surely it is grete domage y^t suche a persone sholde be olde or dye / he had no mermosettes aboute hym / to say syr take here / and gyue this / and pynche & pyl the people / surely he had none suche aboute hym •• he dyd euery thynge on his owne mynde / for naturally he had grete wysdome and coul∣de gyue where nede was and take as it became hym best and by reasan of his larges and grete expences somtyme he trauayled his subiectes / for his reuenewes were not suffycyent to bere out his gyftes whiche were yerely .lx.M. fran¦kes / y^e whiche lyke haue not ben sene nor herde of ony other / yet he assembled his treasoure for doubte of all aduentures in .xxx. yere .xxx. ty∣mes a .C.M. frankes / and yet for all that his people alwayes prayde to god for his longe ly¦fe / and I herde it reported howe when he dyed there were in Foyze and in Byerne .x.M. per∣sones that sayd y^t they wolde gladly haue dyed with hym wherby it is to be thought that they sayd not so without it had ben for grete loue y^t they had to theyr lorde / and surely if they loued hym they dyd but ryght and accordynge to rea¦son / for he alwayes maynteyned them in theyr ryght and kepte euer true iustyce / for all his la••∣des and the people therin had as grete lyberte and fraunchesse and lyued in as good peas as thoughe they had ben in paradyse terrestre / I say not this for flattery nor for fauour nor loue that I bere hym nor for the gyftes that he hath gyuen me / but I can well proue all that I haue sayd / for I am sure there be a .M. knyghtes & squyers wyll saye the same.

NOwe let vs retourne to syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and to syr Gaultyer of Passac who were capytaynes and souerayne leders of all the frensshe armye / when they were passed the countrey of Bysquey and the pase of Roun¦ceuall / whiche cost them .iii. dayes a passynge. The mountaynes were so full of snowe for all that it was in the moneth of Aprell / yet they and theyr horses hadde moche payne to passe thrughe. Then they came towardes Panpy∣lona / and there they founde the royalme of Na¦uare redy open for to suffre them to passe thru∣ghe. For the kynge of Nauare wolde not doo

no dyspleasure to the kynge of Castell bycause his sone syr Charles of Nauare had to his wy¦fe as then the kynge of Castelles syster / & when the peas was made bytwene kynge Henry and the fader of kynge Iohn̄ of Nauare they made and promysed grete alyaunce togyder whiche they longe kepte / for the kynge of Nauare was not able to resyst the kynge of Castell without he had grete alyaunce and comforte of y^e kynge so Aragon / or elles of y^e kynge of englande.

THese capytaynes of Fraunce came to Pampylona where the kynge of Na∣uare was who receyued them ioyfully & made them to dyne with hym in his palays after dy∣ner he led them in to his chambre and there co∣moned w^t them of dyuers thynges / for y^e kynge there was a wyse man and a subtell & well lan∣gaged / and amonge other thynges he shewed them howe y^e frensshe kynge and his counsayle had ben dyspleased with hym without a cause / and wrongfully had taken fro hym his heryta¦ge and landes in Normandy whiche he ought to haue by successyon of his predecessours kyn¦ges of fraunce and of Nauare whiche he sayd he coulde not forgete seynge he had taken fro hym in Normandy / Languedoc / and in the ba¦rony of Mountpellyer the some of .lx.M. fran¦kes of yerely reuenues and he sayd he wyst not to whome to complayne to haue ryght / but all onely to god / syrs sayd the kyng I say not this to you bycause ye sholde addresse my wronges for I knowe well it lyeth not in your power / for I thynke the frensshe kynge wyll do but ly∣tell for you in that behalfe / for ye be none of his counsayle / ye be but knyghtes aduentures and sowdyours to go where soeuer he sende you.

But I speke this in maner of complaynte to al knyghtes in Fraunce that passe by me / then syr Gaultyer of Passac sayd / syr your wordes be true yf that you saye that our kynge for all vs wyll nother gyue nor take / for surely syr we be not of his counsayle but redy to go where as he wyll sende vs / but syr the duke of Borbon who is our souerayne capytayne and vncle to our kynge cometh after vs this same waye / outher goynge or retournynge ye maye shewe hym your busynes / by hym ye maye be addressed of all your complayntes / and syr we praye to god that he may rewarde you of the honour that ye haue done to vs / & syr we shall shewe your cur∣toysye to our kyng & to his counsayle when we retourne in to fraunce / and also to the duke of Borbone who is our chefe capytayne whome we trust to se or we se the kyng / and then wyne was brought and they dranke & toke theyr leue of the kynge / and y^e kynge rewarded them lar∣gely and sente to eche of them to theyr lodgyng goodly horses wherof they had grete ioye.

THus these men of warre passed thrugh the royalme of Nauare & came to Groy¦ne / & there demaunded where they sholde fynde the kynge of Castell / and it was shewed them howe he had lyen at Valeolyue a grete season / but as then they sayd they thought he was at Burgus in Spayne there makynge his pro∣uysyon / then they toke the way to Burgus and lefte the way to Galyce / for that waye was not sure for them / for the Englysshe men were sore abrode in the countrey. Tydynges came to the kynge of Castell howe socoures came to hym out of fraunce to the nombre of .ii.M. speres / wherof he was ryght glad and so departed fro Valeolyue and rode to Burgus with a .vi.M hors. Thus these frensshmen of armes came to Burgus and lodged theraboute abrode in the countrey / and dayly thyder came men of warre And syr wyllyam of Lygnac / and syr Gaultyer of Passac came to the kynge in to his palays / who receyued them swetely and thanked them of the payne and grete trauayle that they had taken for his sake as to come thyder to serue hym. The knyghtes made theyr reuerence and sayd / syr yf we maye do you ony seruyce to plea¦se you / our paynes shall soone be forgoten / but syr & it please you to take aduyse howe we shal do / outher to ryde agaynst our enemyes or el∣les to make them warre by garysons tyll suche season as the duke of Borbon be come / and syr yf it please you ye maye sende for syr Olyuer of Clysquy we knowe well he is in his countrey and for syr Peter of Vyllaynes / the Barroys of Barres / Chatell Morant and the other com¦panyons who haue haunted this countrey mo¦re then we haue done / for they were here longe before vs / and then let vs al counsayle togyder and with goddes grace you and your royalme shal haue honoure and profyte. Syrs sayd the kynge ye speke wysely and thus shal it be done Then clerkes were set a worke and letters ma¦de and messagers sent forthe in to dyuers pla∣ces to the knyghtes and men of warre there as they were spred abrode in the countrey / & when they knewe that syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac were at Burgus with

the kynge they were gretely reioyced therof / then these knyghtes and other companyons de¦parted fro theyr garysons and lefte them in su∣re kepynge / and so rode to Burgus in spayne / soo that there was a grete nombre of Frensshe men of warre.

THen the kynge of Castel and his lordes & knyghtes of fraunce went to coūsayle togyder to se how they sholde maynteyne theyr warre / for they knewe well theyr enemyes rode abrode and kepte y^e feldes / wherfore they thou∣ght to prouyde some remedy to the honoure of the kynge and profyte of the royalme of Castell So there were many matters debated in this counsayle / and then all theyr people were nom∣bred / and it was sayd that of the royalme selfe they myght well brynge togyder a .xxx.M. hor¦ses and the men well armed after the vsage of Castell with dartes and Iauelyns / and foote men castynge stones out of slynges other .xxx.M. The frensshe knyghtes amonge themselfe consydered al this and sayd one to another this is a grete nombre of people and they were good men of warre / but they be lytel worth / for we ha¦ue sene suche slowfulnes in them that we haue no grete trust to them / as it appered as well in the batayle of Marres where the prynce of Wa¦les had the vyctory as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 y^e batayle of Iuberoth where as the Portyngales and Gascoynes we¦re / and alwaye the Spanyardes were dyscom¦fyted. Then the erle of Lune in susteynynge y^e Castellyans & in exscusynge of them sayd / syrs as to the batayle of Marres I shall answere you / it is of trouthe y^t syr Bertram of Clysquy & a grete nombre of knyghtes of Fraunce were there and fought valyauntly / for they were all taken or slayne / but ye haue herde and ye know well that agaynst them was the floure of all the chyualry of the worlde bothe in wysdome va∣lyauntnes and prowes the whiche is not nowe with the duke of La••castre / the prynce at teh ba¦tayle of Marres had .x.M. speres and .vi.M. archers / they were suche men that there were a iii.M. of them euery man worth a Rowlande or an Olyuere / but the duke of Lancastre hathe none suche / he passeth not a .xii. or a .xv.C. spe∣res / and a .iiii.M. archers / and we be a. vi .M. speres / nor we shall not fyght agaynst Rowlan¦de nor Olyuer. Syr Iohn̄ Chandos / syr Tho∣mas Felton / syr Olyuer Clysson / syr Hughe Caurel / syr Rycharde Pountchardon / syr Gar¦sis / the lorde of Ryeux / and syr Rycharde Dan∣gle I coulde name .v.C. suche that were there / they be deed / we shall fynde none suche nowe / Wherfore the matter is not soo peryllous as it was in tyme past / for yf ye wyll byleue me / we shall go fyght with them and passe the ryuer of Derne / it shall tourne vs to grete valyauntnes The counsayle that the erle of Lune dyd gyue was wel herde / and there were many that helde y^e same oppynyon / then syr Olyuer of Clysquy sayd syr erle of Lune we knowe well all that ye haue sayd procedeth of your grete wysdome & valyauntnes / but syr take it so that we goo and fyght with the duke of Lancastre / yf that were all we sholde do well ynoughe / but syr ye leue y^e grettest matter behynde / as the kynge of Por∣tyngale and his puyssaūce / for as we be enfour¦med they be a .xxv.C. speres / & .xxx.M. of other men of war / for on the trust of the kynge of Por¦tyngale y^e duke of Lancastre is entred in to Ga¦lyce and they haue made a grete alyaunce togy¦der / for the kynge hath maryed the dukes dou∣ghter / nowe syr what saye you to this / in the na¦me of god sayd the erle of Lune ye knyghtes of Fraunce are suffycyent to fyght with the duke of Lancastre / and the kynge of Castell and the Castellyans who be as they say .xx.M. horse / & xxx .M. a foote / they may fyght with the kynge of Portyngale I dare well abyde y^e aduenture amonge them / When the frensshmen sawe how the erle of Lune layde it so sore to theyr charge sayd syr ye be in y^e ryght and we be in y^e wronge for syr we sholde haue sayd as ye do / and syr let it soo be and you wyll / there is none of vs shall saye agaynst your wyll / syrs sayd the kynge I requyre you all counsayle me truely and not in hast nor by pryde / but by sad aduyse and humy∣lyte / and then let vs take the best waye / I wyll not conclude to accepte this iourney / I wyl we mete agayne togyder to morowe in this same chambre / and ye syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac who are sente hyder in to this countrey by the frensshe kynge and by the duke of Borbon / I requyre you go togyder and take aduyse and counsayle me to that shall be thought moost best and honourable to me and to my royalme / for it shall lye in you whe∣ther we shall fyght with our enemyes or not / They made theyr reuerence and sayd they wol¦de obey his commaundement and so departed.

THus euery man that daye departed to theyr lodgynges and the frensshmen as they were togyder had grete communycacyon some sayd we can not honourably fyght with

our enemyes tyll the duke of Borbon our soue∣rayne capytayne be come / We can not tell yf he wolde fyght with them or not / be it soo that we fyght with them and haue the vyctory / the duke of Borbou wyll be sore dyspleased with vs and specyally with vs that be the frensshe capytay∣nes / and yf the fortune sholde fall agaynst vs / we sholde then bothe lose our bodyes and the royalme / for yf we were ouerthrowen there we¦re no recouery in the Castellyans but that the kynge of Castell were lyke to lese all his royal∣me for this tyme / and we sholde bere more faw∣te then ony other for it sholde be layde howe we had caused the batayle and gaue no good coun¦sayle / nor also we be in noo suretye yf the royal∣me be all sure on the kynges partye or not / or whether they haue couertly sente for the duke of Lancastre and his wyfe or not who is repu∣ted for heyre of Castell / for she was doughter to kynge Don Peter all the worlde knoweth that so that when the people se the duke & his wyfe with y^e englysshmen in the felde demaundynge the crowne of Castell affyrmynge how they ha¦ue ryght therto / for kynge Iohn̄ who was kyn¦ge as then was sone to a bastarde / then perad∣uenture they may tourne to theyr parte as they dyd in y^e grete batayle of Maures / & soo sholde we abyde deed in the felde / so we thinke there is double peryll bothe to the kynge and to vs / but suche folysshe people gyue the kynge counsayle to batayle and are herde before them that shol∣de speke / well syrs sayd syr wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac to morowe shall be knowen euery mannes opynyon. So that day and nyght the frensshmen were at dyuers com∣munycacyons / and in lyke wyse soo were the spanyardes / Suche as loued the kynge wolde not counsayle hym to fyght for dyuers reasons one was if he fought and lost the batayle he lost his royalme without recouery / the kynge hym∣selfe thought it not good to fyght / he fered sore the fortune of the warre / nor also he knewe not euery mannes mynde who loued hym and who dyd not. Thus the matter rested tyll the nexte daye then euery man retourned to the palays / and the kynge entred in to counsayle.

IN this counsayle were many opynyons for euery man to his power wolde truely counsayle the kynge / dyuers counsayled hym that he sholde not enclyne hastely to batayle / puttynge hym in remembraunce of the harde iourney that he had at Iuberoth where as the kynge of Portyngale dyscomfyted hym / wher∣by he had suche domage that yf suche another chaunce sholde fall he sholde lese his royalme for euer / when the kynge had demaunded eue∣ry man and herde all theyr oppynyons. Then he sayd to syr wyllyam of Lygnacke and to syr Gaultyer of Passac / syrs let me here your op∣pynyons for by you all shal be ordeyned seynge ye be the chefe capytaynes of the frensshe men sente hyder by the frensshe kynge and his coun∣sayle. These .ii. knyghtes regarded eche other and syr Wyllyam sayd to syr Galtyer / syr speke you / and he answered and sayd / nay I wyll not / speke you / ye haue vsed armes more then I ha∣ue done. Then syr Wyllyam aduysed hymselfe and sayd / syr and it lyke your grace me thynke ye ought gretely to thanke the noble chyualry of Fraunce / who are come hyder to serue you soo farre of / and syr it hathe shewed well howe they haue none affeccyon nor wyll to be closed in ony cyte or towne castell / or garyson / that ye haue. But they are and haue ben desyrous to kepe the feldes / and to fynde out / and to fyght with your enemyes / the whiche thynge nowe sauynge your grace can not be suffred for dy∣uers reasons / the pryncypall reason is / syr we tary for the duke of Borbon who is onr soue∣rayne capytayne who wyll be here shortely and he shall gretely enforce vs with newe fresshe men / there be many nowe here with vs that we¦re neuer in this countrey before / it were necessa¦ry that they lerned the maner of this countrey a two or a thre monethes / for it proueth but sel∣dome well to hastely to fyght with oure ene∣myes / But lette vs make wyse warre by gary¦sons a two or a thre monethes / and let the En∣glysshemen and Portyngales ryde abrode in Galyce where they lyst / yf they conquere certay¦ne townes it is but a small matter / as soone as they be departed out of the countrey they wyll be soone wonne agayne. Also syr there is one poynte / in armes lyeth many aduentures / syr let them ryde abrode in the countrey whiche is hoote and of a stronge ayre / they maye take su∣che trauayle and sykenes that they maye hap∣pen repente them that they haue come soo for∣warde / for they shall not fynde the ayre soo at∣temperate there as it is in Englande or in fraū¦ce / nor the wynes so pleasaunt / for in Galyce the ryuers be troublous and coolde bycause of the snowes that dyscende downe frome the moun∣taynes wherby they & theyr horses after theyr trauayle all the daye in the hoote sone shall be morfoundred or they be ware / they be not made

of stele nor yet of yron / but at lengthe they shall not endure the hote countrey of Castell / they be men as we be. Thus I thynke we can not bet∣ter bete them / but to let them go where they lyst they shall fynde nothynge in the playne coun∣treys nor no delectable places to refresshe them for as I vnderstande all the open countrey is all redy dystroyed with our owne men / and I alowe well that aduyse / for yf it were to doo I wolde counsayle the same / syrs yf there be ony here can speke better let hym speke / we shall be glad to here hym / and this syr Gaultyer and I desyre you all thus to doo / then they all answe∣red with one voyce / lette this aduyse be admyt∣ted / we can consyder no better nor more profyta¦ble way / for the kynge of Castel & his royalme.

SO it was there they concluded that they sholde make no countenaunce of warre tyll the duke of Borbon and all theyr prouysy∣ons were come / but that theyr men of warre to be put in to dyuers garysons on the fronters of theyr countrey and suffre the englysshmen and Portyngales to go in and out in to the royal∣me of Castell at theyr pleasure / sayenge howe they coulde not bere awaye the countrey with them when so euer they retourned / thus ended the counsayle / the kynge of Castel had the same daye all them at dyner with hym in his palays at Burgus in Spayne / ryght plentyfull after the vsage of Spayne / by the nexte daye at no∣ne al the men of armes departed thyder as they were appoynted by theyr capytaynes / syr Oly∣uer Clysquy and the erle of Longueuyle with a thousande speres wente to a stronge towne on the fronter of Galyce called Vyllesaunte / and syr Raynolde and syr Trystram of Roye was sente to another garyson a .x. legges fro he fronter of Galyce called Agyllar in the fel∣de with thre hundred speres / Syr Peter of Bel¦lysme with two hundred speres wente to Po∣uelles / the vycount•• of Lune wente to the tow∣ne of Marolle / syr Iohn̄ of Barres with thre hundred speres was sente to the castell of Noye within Galyce. Syr Iohn̄ of castell Morant and syr Trystram of Iayell and dyuers other were sente to the cyte of Palance. And the vy∣count of Belyer wente to the towne of Rybede and with hym syr Iohn̄ of Braquen / and syr Robert of Braquen▪ ¶Thus these men of ar∣mes were deuyded / and syr Olyuer of Clysquy was made theyr constable / and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac abode styl with the kynge at Burgus / In this case stan∣dynge was the busynes of Castell abydynge the comynge of the duke of Borbon who was styll in Fraunce makynge prouysyon for his iourney. ¶Nowe we wyll suffre in rest a sea∣son the armye of Castell and of the duke of Lan¦castre and also of the kynge of Portyngale / and when the tyme requyreth we shal retourne ther to agayne. And nowe lette vs speke of the ad∣uentures that fell in the same season in Fraun∣ce and in englande the whiche were troublous and peryllous for bothe royalmes and sore dys¦pleasaunt vnto the kynges and to bothe theyr counsayles.