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 duke of Bretayne sente for all his lordes and knyghtes to come to counsayle vnto wannes and after counsayle he desyred the constable to goo and se his castell of Ermyne / and howe he toke hym there prysoner / and the lorde of Beaumanoyre with hym. Ca. lxxxiii. (Book 84)

ON this foresayd yma∣gynacyon the duke of Bre∣tayne rested / and to come to his entente he somoned his counsayle to come to Wan∣nes / and desyred all the lor∣des and knyghtes of Bretay¦ne effectuously for to come thyder / and he dyd sende out his letters vnto them / and specyally he requyred syr Olyuere of Clysson Constable of Fraunce that he sholde not fayle but for to be there / sayenge howe he wolde gladlyer se hym then ony other. The constable wolde not exscuse hymselfe bycause the duke of Bretayne was his naturall lorde / and was gladde to ha∣ue his good wyll / and soo he came to Wannes / and soo dydde a grete nombre of other lordes of Bretayne. ¶This counsayle was longe and many matters debated therin touchynge the duke and his countrey without ony worde spekynge of the voyage that they were in pur∣pose to make in to Englande. The duke dyssy∣muled the matter. This counsayle was in the cyte of wannes in a castell called the Mote.

¶The duke made all the lordes a grete dyner / and fedde them with fayre louynge wordes tyll it was nere nyght / and then they retourned to theyr lodgynges in to the subbarbes withoute the cyte. And the constable of Fraunce to plea∣se the knyghtes and squyers of Bretayne he de¦syred them all the nexte daye to dyne with hym some dyd soo and some departed to theyr owne howses to take leue of theyr wyues & parentes / for the constable was purposed as soone as h•• departed thens strayght to goo vnto his nau••e at Lentrygnyer / the duke of Bretayne knewe it ryght well / but spake noo worde therof ma∣kynge semblaunte as thoughe he knewe noo thynge. Soo this dyner ended where as were the moost parte of the barons of Bretayne / and sodaynly vnto them came the duke of Bretay∣ne ryght amorously by semynge / but he thou∣ght otherwyse in his harte. None knewe ther∣of but suche as he hadde dyscouered his mynde vnto. As soone as he entred in to the constables lodgynge / some sayd / beholde here cometh the duke / then euery man rose as reason was and swetely receyued hym as they ought for to doo theyr lorde / and he delte ryght getylly and he sate downe amonge them and ete and dranke / and kepte good company and shewed them mo¦re tokens of loue then euer he dydde before / and he sayd vnto them / fayre lordes my louers and frendes / god sende you well to goo and well to come agayne / and sende you ioye / and that you maye doo suche dedes of armes as maye / please you / and that it maye be honourable vnto you all / and when they herde these swere wordes of the duke / they all answered and sayd. Syr we thanke you / and god rewarde you of your gre∣te kyndnesse that it pleaseth you to come and se vs at our departynge.

THis same season the duke of Bretayne was makynge of a Castell nere to Wan¦nes called the castell of Ermyne the whiche as then was nere furnysshed and to the entente to attrappe the constable / there he sayd vnto hym and vnto the lorde de la vale and to the lorde of Beawmanoyre and to other lordes that were there. Syrs I requyre you or ye departe to co∣me and se my newe castell of Armyne / ye shall se howe I haue deuysed it / and also howe I purpose for to doo. ¶They all agreed vnto hym / bycause they sawe hym come soo louyng¦ly amonge them / for they thought none euyll. And soo the moost parte of them mounted on theyr horses and rode forth with the duke to the castel of Armyne. Than the duke / the constable the lorde de la vale / and the lorde of Beawma∣noyre and dyuers other lordes and knyghtes alyghted of theyr horses and entred in to the ca¦stell / and the duke ledde the constable by y^e han∣de fro chambre to chambre and in to euery hou∣se of offyce and made them drynke in the seller. Then the duke brought them to the chefe tow∣re and at the dore therof he sayd to the consta∣ble. Syr Olyuere I knowe noo man on this syde the see that knoweth more in buyldynge then ye doo / wherfore I praye you mounte vp the stayres and beholde the buyldynge of the towre / yf it be well I am contente / and yf ony thynge be amysse / yt shall be refourmed after your deuyse / y^e constable thynkynge none euyll sayd. Syr with ryght a good wyl please it you to goo before and I shall folowe you / naye syr sayd the duke goo your waye vp alone and in the meane tyme I wyll talke with the lorde de la vale / the constable wente vp the stayres and when he was aboue and paste the fyrste stage / there were mē in a chābre layde in a busshment and they opened the dore / and some wents dow¦ne and dyd shote the dore bynethe and the other wente vp all armed to the constable / there they toke and ledde hym in to a chambre and fetered hym with .iii. boltes of yron / and sayd to hym / Syr pardon vs for we must nedes do that we do / we be thus commaunded by our lorde the duke of Bretayne / yf y^e constable were abasshed at that tyme it was no meruayle.

THe cōstable ought not to haue gre∣te meruayle of y^e chaunce for after that the dyspleasure fell bytwene the duke and hym / for ony letters that the duke coulde wryte to hym or for ony desyre or saufconduyte to come and goo saufely / yet for all that the constable wolde neuer come in the dukes presence / for he durste not trust hym / and nowe he is come to his mys∣fortune / for he founde the duke in grete dysplea¦sure with hym / and that was well shewed / and when the lorde de la vale beynge bynethe at the stayre foote sawe the dore closed / his blood be∣gan to trymble and had grete fere of his broder and behelde the duke who waxed pale and gre∣ne as a lefe / then he knewe that the matter wen∣te amysse and sayd. A syr for goddes sake haue mercy / what wyll you do / take none euyll wyll agaynst the constable / syr sayd the duke / take ye your horse and departe / ye maye goo when ye wyll / I knowe well ynoughe what I haue to do. Syr sayd the lorde de la vale I wyll not de parte hens without I haue my broder the con∣stable with me / with those wordes there came vnto them the lorde of Beawmanoyre whome the duke also hated / and he in lyke wyse demaū¦ded to haue the constable. Then the duke dre∣we his dagger and came vnto hym and sayd. Beawmanoyre wylte thou be in the same poyn¦te as thy mayster is in. Syr sayd he I trust my mayster is in good case / well sayd the duke / I demaunde of the yf thou wylte be in lyke case. ye syr sayd he. Thenne the duke toke his dag∣ger by the poynte and sayd / yf thou wylte be in lyke case it behoueth the to put out one of thyne eyen. The lorde of Beawmanoyre sawe well the matter wente not well and sawe the duke waxe pale for angre. Then he kneled downe on his knee and sayd. Syr I repute soo grete no∣blenes in you that I trust in god and you that ye wyll doo vs ryght / we be at your mercy / and we are come hyder at your request / we trust ye wyll not dyshonour yourself••e to accomplysshe ony euyll wyll that ye haue to vs / it sholde be a straunge nouelte. Well sayd the duke come on thy waye / for thou shalte haue noo more nor no lesse then he shall haue. Soo he was ledde in to another chambre and fetered also with thre payre of yrons / If he were abasshed he hadde a grete cause / for he perceyued well the duke lo∣ued hym but lytell / nor the constable also / but then he had no remedy.

AN one tydynges spredde ouer the castell and also the towne howe that the constable of Fraunce and the lorde of Beawmanoyre and also the lorde de la Vale were ta∣ken prysoners. And howe the lorde de la Vale

myght departe when he wolde / For the duke demaunded no thynge of hym / wherof the peo∣ple hadde grete meruayle and also grete cause why / for euery man sayd howe the duke wolde put them bothe to dethe / he hated them so mor∣tally. The duke was gretely blamed of all kny¦ghtes and squyers that herde therof / and they sayd there was neuer a gretter dyffamacyon on ony prynce then was on the duke of Bretayne seynge that he had desyred the constable to dy∣ne with hym and to se his house / and to make hym good chere and soo to take hym prysoner / they sayd they neuer herde of case lyke / wherfo∣re he was infamed and neuer man more dysho∣noured / nor therby noo man sholde trust in ony prynce syth the duke had dysceyued these noble men / what wyll the frensshe kynge say when he knoweth this / for by this his voyage in to En∣glande is broken / there was neuer soo grete a shame ymagyned / but nowe the duke sheweth what laye in his harte / we tro we there was ne∣uer sene in Bretayne case lyke nor in none other place / yf a poore knyght had done suche a dede he were dyshonoured for euer / in whom sholde a man trust but in his lorde / and y^e lorde sholde maynteyne hym in his ryght and doo hym Iu∣styce / who shall make correccyon of this dede / none but the frensshe kynge / nowe y^e duke shew¦eth playnly howe he is on the englysshe parte & wyll susteyne and holde with the oppynyon of the kynge of Englande / syth he hath thus bro∣ken the voyage by the see that sholde haue go¦ne in to Englande / What shall become nowe of the knyghtes and squyers of Bretayne when they shall here these tydynges nothynge but in contynent come fro theyr houses & lay syege to the castell of Armyne and close the duke within & there tary tyll they haue taken hym outher deed or quycke and lede hym lyke a false prynce to the frensshe kynge. Thus the knyghtes and squyers aboute the marches of Wannes spake and comoned togyder / and suche as were come thyder to that counsayle with the sayd lordes / & they were in grete doubte that the duke wolde put them to dethe / then some other sayd / as for the lorde de la Vale is in no ieopardy / he is soo wyse that he wyll tempre the duke in all his bu∣synes / and truely so he dyd / for and he had not ben the constable had ben deed the fyrst nyght if he had had a. M. lyues.

IT ought to be byleued that syr Olyuer of Clysson was not at his case when he saw hymselfe soo taken and attrapped / and fetered and kepte with .xxx. persones / and hadde noo comforte by them / for they knewe not the wyll of theyr lorde / soo that he rekened hymselfe but as a deed man / and also he hadde noo hope to lyue tyll the nexte daye / and surely he was in grete daungere / for .iii. tymes he was vnfete∣red and brought to haue ben beheded or elles drowned / and surely so he had ben yf the lorde de la vale had not ben / but when this lorde de la vale herde the dukes strayte cōmaundement to put hym to dethe / he kneled downe before hym lyftynge vp his handes sore wepynge and sayd syr for goddes sake take mercy / aduyse you she∣we not your cruelte agaynst the constable / he hath deserued no dethe / syr of your grace that it may please you to shewe me the cause of your dyspleasure agaynst hym / and syr I swere vnto you ony trespace that he hath done he shall ma∣ke you suche amendes with his body and goo∣des / or elles I for hym as ye yourselfe shall de∣maunde or Iudge / syr remembre you howe in your yongth ye .ii. were companyons togyder and brought vp bothe in one house with the du¦ke of Lancastre who was soo gentyll a prynce that there was none lyke hym. Also syr remem∣bre howe before his peas was made with the frensshe kynge alwayes he truely serued you / he ayded you to recouer your herytage / ye haue alwayes founde in hym good comforte and coū¦sayle / yf ye be now moued or enfourmed agayn¦ste hym otherwyse then reason sholde requyre / yet he hathe not deserued dethe / syr de la vale sayd the duke let me haue my wyll / for Olyuer of Clysson hath soo often tymes dyspleased me / and nowe is the houre come that I maye shewe hym my dyspleasure. Wherfore departe you hens and let me shewe my cruelte / for I wyll he shall dye. A syr sayd the lorde de la vale / refray∣ne your euyll wyll and moderate your courage and regarde to reason / for yf ye puth ym to deth there was neuer prynce soo dyshonoured as ye shall be / there shall not be in Bretayne knyght nor squyer cyte nor castell nor good towne / nor noo man but he shall hate you to the dethe / and doo that they can to dysenheryte you / Nor the kynge of Englande nor his counsayle shall gy∣ue you no thanke therfore / syr wyl you lese your selfe for the dethe of one man / syr tourne your ymagynacyon / for this thought is noo thynge worth but dyshonourable / that ye sholde cause suche an honourable knyght as syr Olyuere of Clysson is to dye comynge vnto you at your owne desyre. ¶Surely syr this dede sholde be

treason and grete reproche bothe before god & the worlde / to desyre hym thus to dyner and he comynge to you / and after that ye went to hym in to the towne desyrynge hym to se your newe buyldynges / and he obeyed in euery thynge to you & dranke of your wyne / and is this y^e grete loue that ye shewed hym / to put hym to dethe / there was neuer soo grete blame layde to ony lorde as shall be layde to you / all y^e worlde shal reproche you and hate you mortally & be glad to make you warre. But syr I shall shewe you what ye shall do syth ye soo sore hate hym / put hym to raunsome to a grete some of Floreynes this ye may well do / and if he holde outher tow¦ne or castell that sholde be yours demaunde thē agayne and ye shall haue them / and loke what couenaunt ye make with hym I shall become pledge therfore / and when the duke herde the lorde de la vale speke so reasonably and pressed so sore on hym / as in a maner all that nyght he wolde not departe from hym / then the duke stu∣dyed a lytell and somwhat refrayned his euyll wyll / and at last spake and sayd / syr de la vale ye be a good meane for hym / howbeit I wyl ye knowe syr Olyuer of Clysson is the man in the worlde that I moost hate / for and ye were not he sholde not skape without dethe this same ny¦ght / your wordes hath saued hym / go to hym & demaunde yf he wyll paye to me a. C. M. fran∣kes incontynente / for I wyll nother haue hym nor you to pledge nor nothynge elles but the re¦dy money / and besyde that to yelde to me .iii. ca¦stelles and a towne suche as I shall name / the castell of Breth / the castel of Iosselyn / the castel of blancke and the towne of Iugon and put me in possessyon of them or my deputyes / this do∣ne I shall delyuer hym to you / this shal be done sayd the lorde de la vale / and syr I thanke you that ye wyl thus do at my desyre / and syr be you sure all that ye haue demaunded shall be done / these castelles & towne delyuered & these. C. M frankes payde or he departe.

THen the lorde de la vale was gretely re∣ioyced when he sawe the constable out of peryll of deth. Then the towre dore was ope¦ned and y^e lorde de la vale mounted vp & came there as y^e constable was syttyng sore abasshed for he loked for nothynge but for dethe / & when he sawe the lorde de la vale his herte reuyued & thought there was some tretye in hande. Then the lorde de la vale sayd to them that were there by syrs take of his yrons y^t I maye speke with hym fro the duke and sayd to hym / syr howe say you wyll you do that I shall shewe you / ye true¦ly syr sayd the constable / then his yrons were taken of / and the lorde de la vale drewe hym a parte and sayd. Fayre broder with grete payne and moche busynes I haue saued your lyfe and made your ende / but ye must pay or ye departe hens in redy money a. C. M. frankes and more ouer to yelde vp to the duke .iii. castelles and y^e towne of Iugon / otherwyse ye can haue no de∣lyueraunce / then the constable sayd I wyll not refuse y^e bargayne / but who shall go to Clysson to fetche this money / fayre broder sayd the con∣stable I thynke ye must be fayne to go therfore Naye syr not so sayd the lorde de la vale / for I haue promysed neuer to departe out of this ca∣stell tyll I haue you with me / for I knowe wel the duke is ryght cruell / and peraduenture in myne absence wyll repente hym by some lyght informacyon and so then al were lost / why who shall go then sayd the constable / syr sayd he the lorde of Beawmanoyre shall goo / he is here in pryson as wel as ye be / he shal make al this pro¦uysyon / that is well sayd sayd the constable / go your waye downe / and ordeyne euery thynge as ye lyst.