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 constable of Fraunce was delyuered at the request of the lorde de la vale payenge certay¦ne raunsome / and howe the consta¦ble delyuered to the duke .iii. castel∣les and a towne and payde. C. M. frankes. Ca. lxxxv. (Book 85)

THus the lorde de la vale wente downe of the towre to y^e duke who was goynge to bed / for of all that nyght he had not slepte / then the lor¦de de la vale kneled downe and sayd / syr ye shall haue al your demaunde / but syr ye must delyuer the lor¦de of Beawmanoyre that he maye speke with y^e constable / for he must go and fetche this raun∣some and put your men in possessyon of the ca∣stelles that ye desyre to haue / wel sayd the duke delyuer them out of pryson and put them into a chambre / & be you the meane of theyr tretye / for I wyll not se them / and retourne agayne to me when I haue slepte and I wyll speke with you Then y^e lorde de la vale yssued out of the cham∣bre and went with two knyghtes thyder where

as the lorde of Beawmanoyre was in pryson / who was gretely abasshed and doubted sore the dethe / he fered when he herde the dore open that they were come to haue put hym to dethe / But when he sawe the lorde de la vale entre his harte reuyued / and more when he herde hym speke sayenge / syr of Beawmanoyre your dely∣ueraunce is made / wherfore ye maye be gladde then his fetters were taken of / and so he wente in to another chambre / and then the constable was also brought thyder / and mete and wyne was brought to them / for all the seruauntes of the howse were gladde of theyr delyueraunce / for they were sory of that case / howbeit they my¦ght fynde no remedy / it behoued them to obey theyr maysters commaundement in ryght or in wronge / and as soone as the castell gate was shote and the brydge drawen / there entred nor yssued nother man nor woman / for the keyes were in the dukes chambre / and he slepte tyll it was .iii. of the clocke / and the knyghtes & squy∣ers that were without abydynge for theyr may¦sters were sore abasshed and sayd. Nowe our season and voyage by the see is lost and broken A constable what myshap is fallen to you what counsayle hath dysceyued you / the counsayle y^e was made and assembled at Wannes was ma∣de for none other entente but to atrappe you / ye were wonte to be of the oppynyon that yf the du¦ke had sente for you and hadde made you a. M. assuraunces / yet ye wolde not haue gone nor co¦me at his commaundement / ye doubted hym so sore / and nowe ye wente symply at his desyre / euery man thrughe the duchy of Bretayne com¦playned for the constable and wyst not what to do nor say / and all knyghtes and squyers sayd / what do we here / why do we not go and enclose the duke in his castel of Ermyne / and yf he haue slayne the constable / serue hym in lyke maner / & yf he kepe hym in pryson let vs doo soo that we maye haue hym agayne / there fell neuer suche a myschefe in Bretayne / thus one & other sayd / But there were none that styred forwarde but taryed to here other newes. Thus tydynges spred abrode soo that within two dayes it was at Parys / wherwith the kynge and his vncles the duke of Berrey and the duke of Borgoyne had grete meruayle / as then y^e duke of Borbon was gone to Aupgnyon to go in to Castell and had sene the pope Clement on his way / these ty¦dynges came to hym as he was at Lyon sure le Rone / and with hym the erle of Sauoy.

ANd the erle of saynt Poule / the lorde of Coucy and admyrall of fraunce beynge at Harflewe redy to haue entred in to the see to∣warde theyr voyage when they herde howe the duke of Bretayne hadde taken the constable of fraunce prysoner in his castell of Ermyne / and the lorde de la vale and the lorde of Beawma∣noyre with hym. And they that brought those tydynges sayd howe the bruyte ranne in Bre∣tayne howe the duke of Bretayne hadde putte to dethe the constable of Fraunce / and the lorde of Beawmanoyre. These were harde tydyn∣ges to these lordes / and they sayd. Nowe our voyage is broken / lette vs gyue leue to all our men of warre to departe and let vs goo to Pa∣rys to the kynge and se what he wyll do / then y^e admyrall sayd / it is good we do soo / but let not our men departe / peraduenture the kynge wyll sende them to some other parte / may happen in to Castell for y^e duke of Borbon is goynge thy∣der / or elles peraduenture he wyl sende them in to Bretayne to make warre agaynst the duke. thynke you y^t y^e frensshe kynge wyl suffre y^e mat¦ter thus to ouerpas. Nay surely for y^e kyng shal receyue by this bergayne domage to the some of .ii. C. M. floreynes besyde y^e losse and hurte that is done to his constable / yf he scape the lyfe was there euer case lyke. Thus y^e kynge to bre∣ke his voyage who was in good mynde to ha∣ue done domage to his enemyes. Let vs tary here styll a .ii. or .iii. dayes / and peraduenture we shall here some other tydynges out of fraun¦ce or out of Bretayne.