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 wrytynges were made at the duke of Bretaynes deuyse / for the constable to rendre his tow¦ne and castelles to the duke / and to his heyres for euer / and howe they were delyuered to the duke. Ca. lxxxvi. (Book 86)

HOwe let vs speke a ly∣tell of the duke of Bretayne who when he hadde slepte rose and made hym redy / & then he sente for the lorde de la vale who came to hym / & there they were togyder a longe space. Fynally letters were wryten accor¦dynge to the dukes wyll / makynge mencyon y^t

the constable syr Olyuer of Clysson renounced clene his tytle for euer of the sayd towne and ca¦stell and yelded them purely to the duke of Bre¦tayne and to his heyres for euer / and that / these wrytynges sholde be permanent without ony repell / and then y^e lorde of Beawmanoyre was ordeyned by the constable to goo to these castel∣les and to cause them that had the rule of them to departe thens / and to put in possessyon y^e du∣kes men / and besyde that to leuy in redy money a .C.M. frankes to pay to the duke. When all this was concluded the gates of the castell was opened and the lorde of Beawmanoyre yssued our charged and ordeyned by y^e constable to ac∣complysshe all these ordeynaunces / and he was desyred to make al the dylygence that myght be And with hym wente seruauntes of the dukes / & noysed as they wente howe the constable was sure of his lyfe ••and was put to raunsome / all su¦che as loued hym knyghtes and squyers were glad therof and so therby sate styll / for they we∣re determyned to haue gone and layde syege to the castell of Ermyne and haue closed the duke therin / they neuer dyd thynge that they wolde haue ben gladder of. So these tydynges ranne abrode with the wynde / so that the lordes and knyghtes beyng at Harflewe herde therof and had certayne knowledge that the constable had ben deed and the lorde de la vale had not ben / & they sayd as for the delyueraunce of his towne and castelles he shall recouer them agayne / or elles other at tyme & leysure / the frensshe kynge hath ynowe for hym yf he nede. Nowe we maye departe fro hens / our voyage is broken let vs gyue our men leue to departe / and let vs goo to Parys and lerne tydynges there / for we here saye that all suche as were at Lentrygnyer are countermaunded / y^e whiche is a sygne that we shal go no where at this season / thus they gaue lycence to al theyr men of warre to departe and themselfe departed towarde Parys where the kynge was.

THe lorde of Beawmanoyre dyd so mo∣che that within .iiii. dayes he had set the duke of Bretaynes seruauntes in possessyon of the foresayd castelles and towne of Iugon / and after he payde the .C.M. frankes for the consta¦bles raunsome there as the duke commaunded when all was done the lorde de la vale sayd to y^e duke / syre haue nowe that you demaunded the .C.M. frankes the towne of Iugon / the ca¦stell of Boureke and the whyte castell of Iosse∣lyn / therfore syr nowe delyuer me the constable I am contente sayd the duke let hym goo when he wyll I gyue hym leue / thus y^e constable was delyuered and he and the lorde de la vale depar¦ted fro the castell of Ermyne / when they were abrode in the feldes / y^e constable made no longe taryenge in Bretayne / but mounted on a good horse and his page on another and so rode that within two dayes he came to Paris and alygh¦ted at his owne howse and then wente to the ca¦stel of Lowre to the kynge & his vncles the duke of Berrey and of Borgoyne / his men folowed after hym at theyr leysure / the kynge knewe of his delyueraunce / but he knewe not that he was so nere / and was glad when he herde therof and caused the chambre dores to be set open agaynst hym and so he came in to the kynges presence & kneled downe before hym and sayd. Ryght re∣doubted lorde / your fader whome god pardon made me constable of Fraunce / whiche offyce to my power I haue well and truely exercysed and yf there be ony excepte your grace and my lordes your vncles that wyll saye that I haue not acquyted myselfe truely or done ony thyng contrary to the crowne of fraunce I am here re¦dy to cast my gage in that quarell / the kynge nor none other made none answere to those wor¦des / then he sayd further / ryght dere syr and no∣ble kynge it fortuned in Bretayne in doynge of myne offyce / the duke of Bretayne toke me and helde me in his castell of Ermyne / and wolde haue put me to deth without reason by reason of his fyers courage / and god had not ben and the lorde de la vale / so that I was constrayned if I wolde be delyuered out of his handes / to de¦lyuer to hym a towne of myne in Bretayne and iii. castelles / and the some of a .C.M. frankes / Wherfore ryght dere syr and noble kynge the blame and domage that the duke of Bretayne hath done gretely regardeth your mageste roy¦all for y^• voyage that I and my company sholde haue made by the see is broken / Wherfore syr I yelde vp the offyce of the constableshyp / syr pro∣uyde for another suche as shall please you / for I wyll noo more bere the charge therof / I sholde haue none honoure to do it. Constable sayd the kynge we knowe well that ye haue hurte and domage and is a thynge gretely to the preiudy¦ce to our royalme. We wyll incontynente sende for the peres of Fraunce to se what shall be best to be done in this case / therfore take ye no thou∣ght for ye shal haue ryght and reason. ¶Then the kynge toke the constable by the hande and reysed hym vp and sayd. Constable we wyl not that ye departe from your offyce in this maner

But we wyll that ye vse it tyll we take other counsayle. Then the constable kneled downe agayne and sayd. Syr this matter toucheth me soo nere that I cannot vse it. The offyce is grete / for I must speke and answere euery man & I am so troubled that I can answere no man. Wherfore syr I requyre your grace to prouyde for another for a season / and I shall alwayes be redy at your commaundement / syr sayd the du∣ke of Borgoyne he offereth ynoughe ye shall ta¦ke aduyse / it is true sayd the kynge. Then the constable arose and wente to the duke of Ber∣re and to the duke of Borgoyne and aduysed to shewe them his busynes / and to enforme thē iustely all the matter / seynge the case touched them gretely in that they had the gouernynge of the royalme / but in spekynge with them and herynge the hole matter / they perceyued y^e mat∣ter touched not them soo sore as he made of / soo that fynally they blamed hym for goynge to Wannes / sayenge to hym / syth your nauy was redy and that knyghtes and squyers taryed for you at Lentrygnyer. ¶And also when ye we∣re at Wannes and hadde dyned with the duke and retourned agayne to your castell of Bour∣ke / what had you then ony thynge to do to tary there ony longer nor to goo agayne to the duke to the castell of Ermyne. Syr sayd the consta∣ble he shewed me soo fayre semblaunt that I durst not refuse it. Constable sayd the duke of Borgoyne / in fayre semblauntes are grete de∣cepcyons / I repute you more subtel then I take you nowe / go your way / y^• matter shall do well ynoughe / we shall regarde it at leysure. Then the constable perceyued well that these lordes were harder and ruder to hym then the kynge was. Soo he departed and wente to his owne lodgynge / and thyder came to hym certayne of the lordes of the parlyament to se hym and sayd to hym that the matter sholde doo ryght well / and also there came to hym to counsayle hym the erle of saynt Poule / the lorde of Coucy and the admyrall of Fraunce / and they sayd to hym Constable make noo doubte / for ye shall haue reason of the duke of Bretayne / for he hath done agaynst the crowne of Fraunce grete dysplea∣sure and worthy to be shamed and put out of his countrey / goo your wayes and passe the ty∣me at Mount le Herry / there ye shal be on your owne / and let vs alone with the matter / for the peres of Fraunce wyll not suffre the matter to rest thus. The constable byleued these lordes and so departed fro Parys and rode to Mount le Herry. Soo the offyce of constableshyp was voyde for a season as it was sayd that syr Guy of Tremoyle sholde be constable / but it was not soo / he was soo well aduysed that he wolde not take it out of the handes of syr Olyuer of Clysson.