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 Lancastres men assayled the towne of Au¦rene and toke it / for it gaue vp as other dyd. Ca. lxxxviii. (Book 88)

HEre before ye haue herde how dedes of armes were done bytwene syr Io∣han Holande and syr Ray∣nolde of Roy in the presen∣ce of the kynge of Portyn∣gale and his wyfe / and at the kynges departynge he promysed to the duke that as soone as he was retourned to the cyte of Porte / that he wolde not tary past .vi. dayes / but that his army shol∣de sette forthe. Thenne the duke sente Con∣staunce his wyfe to the towne of saynt Iames vnder the guydynge of the lorde Fythwater / a grete baron of Englande with a hundred spe∣res and two hundred archers and y^e duke sayd to her. Madame ye shall kepe you in the cyte of Compostella and the kynge of Portyngale my sone / and our people shall goo in to Castell to seke for our enemyes to fyght with thē wher∣so euer we fynde them / and nowe it shall be sene yf euer we shall haue ony thynge in the royal∣me of Castell or not. Syr sayd the lady as god wyll so be it / thus they departed for that present tyme / and syr Thomas Percy / and the lorde Fythwaren conueyed the duches with two hun¦dred speres out of all daungers / and thenne re∣tourned to the duke who was as then departed fro Besances towardes a towne in Galyce na∣med Aurene whiche rebelled agaynst hym and wolde not obey bycause it was stronge & therin a garyson of Bretons who hadde on theyr pa∣relles vndertaken to kepe it / and they had well fortefyed it bycause they hadde knowledge that the duke wolde come thyder / the marshall of the dukes oost hadde well herde howe they of Au∣rene in Galyce wolde not obey / but dayly forte∣fyed them / he counsayled the constable to goo thyder / and soo euery man drewe to that parte / and soo came and lodged nere to it / the season was fayre aboute the Ascencyon tyme / then ten∣tes and pauylyons were pyght vp in the fayre playnes vnder the Olyues / and soo laye al that fyrst nyght / and the nexte day without gyuyng of ony assaulte / thynkynge that the towne wol∣de haue gyuen vp / and in dede the men of the towne wolde gladly haue yelded them. But the lordes and capytaynes wolde not suffre thē who were Bretons and companyons aduentu∣rers two Bretons were capytaynes called the basto•• of Alroy / and the other the bastarde of Peneforte / they were good men of warre and that well appered in that they toke on them to kepe y^t towne so farre out of all socour agaynst the duke of Lancastre.

ON the .iii. daye that the Englysshe¦men were thus lodged aboute the towne and had well regarded howe they myght at theyr aduauntage / assayle the towne. Thenne the constable / the

marshall and the admyrall caused theyr trom¦pettes to sounde to the assaulte / and then eue∣ry man drewe forth in to the felde / and there deuyded them in to .iiii. bandes to assayle the towne iii .iiii. partes / & so in goodly ordre ap∣proched the towne and taryed on the dykes / wherin there was no water. But it was well fortefyed with pales and hedges / then the as∣saulte began iii .iiii. partes. Then men of ar∣mes and other wente downe in to the dykes with axes in theyr handes and therwith cutte downe the hedges / & they within cast downe dartes and other thynges that yf they hadde not ben well pauessed / there hadde ben many sore hurte and slayne. And also on the edge of the dyke the archers shotte so fyersly that they within durste not appere / the duke of Lanca∣stre came to beholde the assaulte whiche ma∣de it y^e more fyerser / he sate there on horsbacke the space of thre houres / he had suche pleasure to regarde thē / at this fyrst assaulte the dykes were clensed of all the thycke hedges soo that men myght goo to the pales / then the retrayte was sowned for that day / thē the duke sayd to the marshal / syr Thomas our men haue done theyr deuoyre for this daye / let them withdra∣we and case themselfe / syr it shal be done sayd the marshall / so y^e assaulte was seased & euery man wente to his lodgynge / and the hurte to be dressed / and so passed that nyght / they had wynes to drynke plentye / but they were soo hoote and myghty that it was moche payne to drynke them / and suche as dranke of them without water were in that case y^t they coul∣de not helpe themselfe the nexte day.

THe nexte day it was aduysed that they sholde make none assaulte bycause the daye was soo hoote / and theyr men soo wery and ouercome with stronge wynes / but deter¦myned that the nexte daye after they sholde begyn theyr assaulte at the sone rysynge / and to endure tyll .iii. of the clocke at after noone / & so euery man was cōmaunded to take theyr ease tyll they herde the sowne of the marshal∣les trompet / and the same daye y^e duke of Lan¦castre herde tydynges of the kynge of Por∣tyngale howe he was departed fro the cyte of Porte / and drewe towardes the porte saynt yrayne / that waye he was purposed to entre in to Castell and bothe oostes to mete on the ryuer of Derne besyde y^e towne of perpygnen or elles before the towne of Arpent / thus the Portyngales had deuysed / if the kynge of Ca¦stell and the frensshe men dyd not encountre them before / and yf they were lykely so to doo then to drawe togyder soner / of these tydyn∣ges the duke was ryght ioyous and gaue the messagere for his tydynges .x. nobles.

ANd in the mornynge whenne it was daye the marshalles trompet began to sowne before y^e lodgynges to reyse vp euery man / then knyghtes and squyers be¦gan to make them redy euery man vnder his owne standerde. Then the marshall drewe in to the felde / and all suche as were ordeyned to goo to y^e assaulte / they of the towne had know¦ledge howe the Englysshemen wolde assayle them by theyr watche men who had herde the mershalles trompet / then the Bretons reysed vp euery man and woman in the towne and sayd to them / syrs shewe yourselfe lyke good men and be not abasshed for nothynge that ye se / we are stronge ynoughe / we haue dartes and speres and stones and other artyllery suf¦fycyent to withstande our enemyes / and if the worste fall at all tymes they wyll take vs to mercy / worse they can not doo to vs / we haue ben or this in dyuers places farre febler then this is / and yet we haue kepte it without daū¦ger or domage / soo by reason of theyr wordes the Galycyens were incouraged / for of them∣selfe they hadde rather haue yelded them vp / for accordynge to trouthe the comons in Ca∣stell and Galyce are lytell worth in batayle / they are but euyll armed and small of coura∣ge. The gentyll men are ryght good on horse backe.

THus the Englysshemen redy ap¦parelled to the assaulte aboute the sone rysynge came in to the dykes iuste vnto the pales / and with ares and other wepons bet downe the pales to theyr feete / but yet for all that they were not on the walle / for thenne they hadde another dyke to passe as large as the other was / thenne with moche payne they passed that dyke and came to the walles. And when they within sawe them come soo nere they de¦fended themselfe valyauntly. ¶Thenne the

Galycyens cast out dartes in suche wyse that whome soo euer they strake were soore hurte without he were well pauessed / Thenne they reysed vp ladders for to mounte vp too the walles. There knyghtes and squyers auaun¦ced themselfe to mounte with targyes ouer theyr heedes / and swordes in theyr handes / and so came and fought hande to hande with the Bretous who defended themselfe ryght nobly / for I repute it for a grete valyauntues that they wol••e abyde the assaulte / for they knewe well they sholde haue as thenne no so∣coure. For it was determyned bytwene the kynge of Castell and the Frensshe men to suf∣fre the Englysshmen at that tyme to do what they lyft in Galyce or elles where and to passe without batayle. Then some of the englysshe men sayd yf other townes in Castell gyue vs as moche to doo as this doth it shall be longe or we wynne the royalme / and thenne other sayd / there is moche pyllage within the tow∣ne brought thyder out of all the countrey a∣boute. And therfore they are lothe to yelde vp the towne. Thenne some demaunded who were capytaynes within y^e towne / and suche as knewe them sayd / two basterdes Bretons borne good men of armes and experte in all syeges / and the one is called the bastarde of Pennefort / and the other the basterde of Aul∣roy / but what soeuer they be they be valyaunt men of armes / for they se none apparence of socoure / and yet they wyll not yelde vp. And suche as were mounted vp were beten downe agayne perforce. And when the duke of Lan∣castre was vp and redy and herde the bruyre of the assaulte sayd he wolde goo and beholde them / and soo lepte on a courser and vnarmed rode to the assaulte and his standerde before hym with the hele armes of Englande and of Fraunce / and at his comynge the assaulte en∣creased. Thenne euery man auaunced hym∣selfe to gete lawde and prayse / and in lyke wy¦se they within. Whenne they sawe that the du¦ke was there / they enforced themselfe to she∣we theyr valyauntnes. Thus in assaylynge and defendynge they contynued tyll it was thre of the clocke. And it was not apparent that they sholde haue wonne y^e towne at that assaulte. Thenne the duke demaunded who were capytaynes within the towne / and it was shewed hym. Thenne he sayd I wolde the marshall sholde speke with them to know yf they wyll yelde them or not / I thynke they haue not as yet ben demaūded / wherfore byd the marshall come & speke with me / A knyght wente to hym and sayd. Syr my lorde y^e duke wolde ye sholde come & speke with hym / then he came to y^e duke / & the duke sayd. Marshall knowe ye yf these Bretons wyl put themselfe vnder myne obeysaunce or not / we trauayle sore our men / and there be dyuers of them so∣re hurte / and we waste our artyllery / and we can not tell when we shall haue nede therof. Wherfore I praye you goo to them and take some treatye with them. Syr sayd he it shall be done / syth ye wyll take them to mercy it is reason they be herde speke.

THen the marshall wente from the duke to y^e assaulte and sayd to an Heraulte / go thy way & fynde the meanes to speke with y^e capytay∣nes within the towne & shewe thē how I wolde speke with them. The heraulte departed and wente in to the dykes with his cote armure on his backe with the armes of the duke of Lancastre / and soo his comoany made hym waye by the commaundement of the marshall. The bastarde of Alroy sawe wel the heraulte and so came to the wall and sayd Heraulte what wolde you / I am one of the ca¦pytaynes / I thynke ye be sente to me / that is trewe syr sayd the heraulte / who was called Percy. And syr the marshall desyreth you to come to the barryers and speke with hym / I am contente sayd the bastarde / soo that ye cau¦se your men to leue the assaulte / otherwyse I wyll not come / I thynke that shall be soone done sayd the heraulte / and soo he retourned to the marshall and shewed hym as ye haue herde. ¶Then the marshall called his trom∣pet and caused hym to blowe the retrayte and soo he dydde / thenne the assaulte seased on all partyes. Thenne the capytaynes came to the barryers / and there was redy the marshal syr Iohn̄ Holande / and syr Thomas Moreaus / and dyuers other Englysshemen. Syrs sayd the Englysshemen wyll ye be taken perforce and be vtterly lost and slayne poore and ry∣che / We knowe well that the comonte of the towne wolde gladly yelde them to my lorde y^e duke and to my lady the duches / for they had gyuen vp this towne or this and ye had not ben / wherfore yf ye be taken it is euyll for you

and one thynge ye maye be sure of / We wyll not departe hence tyll we haue it / outher by fayre meanes or otherwyse / therfore speke ye togyder and aduyse you and gyue me an an∣swere / for I knowe my charge. Syr sayd the basterde we are agreed all redy togyder / and that is yf ye wyll cause vs surely to be conduy¦ted to the towne of Arpent without daunger or peryll / we shall yelde vp the towne to you Soo that the men and wom••n within maye lyue in peas and surety vnder the obeysaun∣ce of the duke in lyke maner as other townes do in Galyce / and none otherwyse / we knowe well ye be the marshall of the oost and that all treatyes perteyneth to you / and what soeuer ye do the duke wyll agree to the same / that is trewe sayd syr Thomas / it shall be as ye de∣syre / soo that ye bere with you nothynge but that is your owne and not to robbe nor pyll the towne / nor that ye haue wonne in y^e coun∣trey for that may cause ryot to be made bytwe¦ne you and our men / syr sayd the bastarde we shall cary nothynge with vs but that is our owne / and yf ony of our company haue bou∣ght ony thynge of ony of the towne & are but euyll payde / yet we shall make noo ryot ther∣fore / I thynke as for mete and drynke syth we came hyder in garyson our men haue payde no thynge as for that sayd the marshall is ex∣cepte / take all vytayle in aduauntage for soo wyl our men do / but I say ye shall cary away no mouables. Syr sayd the barstarde we be not soo wyse men but that some of our compa¦ny wyll take somwhat / Well sayd syr Iohan Holande let them passe that is theyr owne is theyr owne / we wyl not go so nere them as to serche theyr males / soo be it sayd the marshall then there was an abstynence made for that daye / and the nexte daye they sholde departe. Then y^e englyssh men went to theyr lodgyng and vnarmed them / and toke theyr ease and y^e Bretons all that daye trussed and gad••red to¦gyder grete pyllage that they had wonne be∣fore in y^e countrey of Castell for all was aban¦dened to them / soo that therby suche as came fyrste in to that countrey wanne grete good / and so in the trussynge of theyr baggage they toke many thynges from the men of the tow∣ne as clothe and fethers and other stuffe suche as they founde. And when ony of y^e poore men spake to them sayenge / syrs that good ye take is none of yours it is our good ye brought it not hyder / then y^e Bretons wolde say agayne holde your peas ye vyllaynes we haue a com¦myssyon of the kynge of Castell to paye our∣selfe of our wages / ye wyll not paye vs / and thoughe ye hadde payde vs well and truely yet we must haue newe wages agayne / ther∣fore this that we take is our owne.

THen the nexte daye the marshall lepte on his horse and a .lx. speres in his company and soo came to the barryers of the towne & there taryed a space. Thenne the capytaynes of the Bretons came thyder and the marshall sayd. Syrs be ye redy to depart / ye syr sayd they so we may haue conduyte to guyde vs / whether wyll you go sayd the marshall / to the towne of Arpent sayd they / well sayd quod the mar∣shall / beholde here them that shall conduyte you / thenne he called forthe a knyght of En∣glande called syr Steuen Stebery and sayd to hym / take .x. speres with you and brynge these Bretons to Arpent and retourne you to morowe / he dyd as he was commaunded and soo guyded forthe these Bretons with moche baggage. And whenne they were al departed thenne the marshall and his company entred in to the towne / and the people of the towne made hym grete reuerence / for many of them thought it had ben y^e duke hymselfe / when the marshall sawe these Bretons departe with so grete caryage he demaunded of them of / the towne yf they hadde taken away ony of theyr goodes or not / ye syr truely sayd they and y^t to a grete substaunce / Why dyd you not sayd the marshall shewe me y^t betymes / for I shol∣de haue caused them to haue rendred it agay∣ne / syr sayd they we durst not for they threte∣ned to slee vs yf we spake therof / syr they be cursed people / there is none of them but he is a stronge thefe / it is noo meruayle thoughe they robbe vs / for eche of thē wyll robbe other The marshall smyled and then he sente for the chefe men of the towne / and they came before hym / then he made them to swere to holde the towne of Aurene of the duke of Lancastre for euer in lyke maner and fourme as the other townes in Galyce hadde doone before.

¶Then he ordeyned newe offycers / and toke of euery man theyr faythes and othes / and so dranke and retourned to the duke in to the fel¦de vnder the shadowe of the Olyue trees / for

the hete of the sone whiche was soo excessyue hoote that man nor horse coulde abyde it / nor noo man durst ryde a foragynge tyll after the houre of .iii. for the hete.

THe gretest ymagynacyon that the duke hadde / was for that it was shewed hym howe the kyn∣ge of Castell was abrode & with a grete armye comynge agaynst hym to fyght / for he sawe well that he coulde not perfytely come to the chalenge of Castell but by force of batayle / and soo he sente oute spyes in to euery coost / but thenne it was sure¦ly enfourmed hym by his spyes / and by pyl¦grymes that the kynge of Castell made none assembly for to come in to the felde / but kepte hymselfe and his men in garysons. And also that the duke of Borbon was not as then co∣me in to Castell nor no tydynges there of his comynge. Soo when the duke hadde taryed fyue dayes in the marches of Auranches / he determyned to goo to Noye / and there to as∣saye by assaulte to passe the brydge ouer the ryuer of Erne. ¶Then the knyght that had conduyted the Bretons to the towne of Ar∣pent retourned agayne. And it was demaun¦ded of hym what company of men of warre were there in garyson / he sayd howe syr Oly∣uer of Clesquy was there with a thousande speres Bretons and Frensshemen. Then the constable and marshall sayd to the duke / syr it were well done we wente and scrymysshed with them peraduenture they wyll yssue out to demaunde dedes of armes. For there be some of them hath grete desyre therto / I am con••ente sayd the duke / let vs dyslodge / here we take noo profyte / then it was ordeyned to dyslodge the nexte mornynge / and to goo to Noye / and thenne after to Arpent.

¶Nowe 〈…〉〈…〉 speke of the kyng of Portyngale and of the waye that he toke for to entre in to the royalme of Castell / and thenne we shall retourne agayne to the duke of Lancastre.