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 tydynges came to the frensshe kynge from the par∣tyes of Almayne the whiche were to hym ryght dysplea¦saunt and vnto his vncles. Ca. lxxxvii. (Book 87)

THe same weke that ty∣dynges came to Parys of the takynge of the constable there came also tydynges frome the partyes of Almay¦ne / whiche were ryght dys∣pleasaunt to the kynge and to his vncles / I shall shewe you how and wher¦fore / the duke of Guerles sone to the duke of Iu¦lyers was alyed with the kynge of Englande to make warre agaynst Fraunce / and hadde ta¦ken a pencyon of foure thousande frankes by the yere / whiche pencyon the duke of Iulyers his fader hadde in tyme past out of the kynge of Englandes cofers / but or he dyed he renoun∣ced it / and then his sone who was but yonge to¦ke it agayne at the kynge of Englandes desyre so that he wolde defye the frensshe kynge and to make warre agaynst hym / and he was encly∣ned to take the englysshe parte bycause he had warre with the lady of Brabant / for he sawe well that the duchy of Brabant was fauoura∣ble to the royalme of fraunce / for it sholde after retourne to the duke of Borgoyne and to his chyldren. Therfore the duke of Guerles wolde shewe that the matter touched hym so nere that he wolde doo the domage that he myght to the royalme of Fraunce and to all theyr alyes. So he sente letters of defyaunce to y^e frensshe kynge whiche were no thynge pleasaunt / accepted of the kynge nor of his counsayle as I shall shewe you hereafter in the hystory when it shall be con¦uenyent to speke therof in the shewynge of the warre of Bretayne and of Guerles / the frensshe kynge made noo semblaunt therof / but made

good chere to the squyer of Guerles who hadde brought the defpaunce howbeit he was afray∣de for when he came to the cyte of Tourney he wolde haue gone no f••rther / but he had shewed the defyaunce to the pro••ost of the towne / and so wolde haue 〈…〉〈…〉 agayne sayenge that it was suffycyent to declare his message in soo noble a towne as Tourney but they of the tow¦ne were not so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / but arested the squyer and put hym in sure pryson / and then they sente worde therof to the duke of Borgoyne to know his pleasure. Then the duke wrote to the pro∣u••st of Tourney that he sholde sende to hym y^e squyer with his defyauces / and so he was brou∣ght to Parys / and he fered lest he sholde dye / but when he came to Parys the kynge and his vncles and the other lordes dyd noo thynge to hym but all courtoysye. And the frensshe kynge gaue hym a goblet of syluer weynge .iiii. mar∣ke and .l. frankes within it / and they gaue hym a sa••f••onduyte to retourne in to his countrey / so by reason of these tydynges y^e courte of fraun¦ce was sore troubled / and the frensshe counsayle was sore troubled when the constable of fraun∣ce came and made his complaynte of the duke of Bretayne / for they sawe well that trouble & expence began to ryse on euery syde / and they sawe well howe they must enploy all theyr wyt¦tes to exchewe suche inconuenyentes / they thou¦ght that the constable who had serued the kyng soo longe in ••launders and other places sholde haue some helpe in that the duke of Bretayne hadde raunsomed hym and taken his castelles without tytle or good reason / and specyally the lorde of Coucy and the admyrall was sore dys∣pleased with it. ¶Nowe let vs retourne to the duke of Lancastre and to the kynge of Portyn∣gale who were in Galyce and made sore warre agaynst the kynge of Castell.