¶Howe the frenche ambassadours came to the duke of Bretayne / vpon the takyng of the cōstable of Fraūce / and of the aunswere that was made to them. Cap. xci. (Book 91)
IF I had ben as longe in cōpany with this knight sir Guyllyam of Aunsens / as I was with sir Espayn de Leon / whā I rode with hym fro the cyte of Pauy∣ers to Ortayes in Byerne / Or elles as long as I had ben with sir Iohn̄ Ferant Pertelette of Portyngale. He wolde haue shewed me many thyng{is} / but it was nat so / for after dyner whan we had rydden a .ii. leages we came to a forked waye / the one way was right to Towres in Towrayne / whether as. I supposed to ryde / & the other waye was to Maylle / whether the knyght was determy¦ned to ryde. So at this waye we brake com∣pany takyng leaue eche at other / but bytwene Prinulley and our departynge he shewed me many thynges / and specially of the busynesse in Bretayne / and howe the bysshoppe of Lan¦gers was sent in the stede of the bysshoppe of Beawuoys / who dyed by the waye. and how the bysshoppe of Langers with sir Iohan de Bowyll and other / came to the duke of Bre∣tayne / and of the answere that they had. and on the informacyon of this knyght I toke my foundacion / and haue written as foloweth.
yE haue herde here be fore / howe these ambassadours departed fro Parys / fro the kyng and his counsaye / well in structed what they shulde saye and do: and so long they rode by their iourneys / that they a∣ryued at Nauntes. Than they demaunded where the duke was / it was shewed thē howe he was about the marchesse of wānes / whe•• as most accustomably he lay. They rode thy∣der / and so came to the cytie of Wannes / it is but .xx. myles bytwene. The duke was in the castell called le Mote: than they came before the duke / who by semblant made to thē good and swete recule. The bysshoppe of Langers bycause he was a prelate / began to speke and to make his preposicyon well and sagely / and sayde. Sir duke / we are here sente to you fro the kynge our maister and fro his vncles / the duke of Berrey and of Burgoyne / to shewe vnto you / howe they haue great marueyle / in that the voiage that they wolde haue made in to Englande is by your meanes broken / and haue taken and raunsomed the Constable of Fraunce / at so highe a raūsome / that they are ryght sorie therof. And moreouer ye wyll ha∣ue thre of his castelles in Bretaygne / the whi∣che shalbe a great anoyaūce to all the resydue of the coūtre / if they shuloe be holde agaynst them / with the ayde of the towne of Iugone / the whiche is pertaynynge to the Constables herytage. Therfore we are charged to shewe you / and we saye vnto you as messangers fro the kynge our mayster / and from his vncles / that ye rendre agayne to the cōstable of Fraū∣ce his herytage / that ye with holde from hym / and sette hym agayne in peasable possessyon / accordyng vnto ryght / in lyke maner as they were before / whan they were delyuered you perforce / and by none other ryght nor tytell / that ye haue to them. And also / that ye restore agayne entierlye / all the money that ye haue hadde of hym. And this is the commaunde∣ment of the kynge and his counsayle / that ye come {per}sonally to Parys / or where as it shall please the kyng to assygne you / there to make your excuse. And we repute hym so benygne and pacyent / with that ye be of the blode roy∣all / that he wyll here your excuse: And if he be nat reasonable / the duke of Berrey and the duke of Burgoyne wyll so temper hym / that ye shalbe frendes and cosyn to the kynge / as by reason ye ought to be. Than the bysshopp̄