<h4><SPAN name="IV" id="IV">IV</SPAN></h4>
<h3>FROM THE DIARY OF FROISSART, WAR CORRESPONDENT</h3>
<p><br/><i>Parys, The Feast of the Epiphanie</i>.—The astrologers say
there will be plenty-full trouble in Normandy, in the
spring.</p>
<p><i>June</i> 10.—To dyner with the Cardinall of Piergourt to meet
the gentyll King of Behayne and the Lorde Charles, his son.
The Cardinall sayd neither the Kynge of Englande nor the
Frenche Kynge desire warre, but the honour of them and of
their people saved, they wolde gladly fall to any reasonable
way. But the King of Behayne shook his heade and sayd: "I am
feare I am a pesymyste," which is Almayne for a man who
beholds the future with no gladde chere.</p>
<p><i>June</i> 20.—The great merchaunt of Araby, Montefior, says
there will be no warre. He has received worde from the cytie
of London, and his friends, great merchaunts all, and
notably, Salmone and Glukstyn, sayd likewise that there will
be no warre.</p>
<p><i>June</i> 30.—The currours have brought worde home, the Kynge
of Englande was on the see with a great army, and is now a
lande in Normandy. Have received faire offers for chronycles
of the warre from London, Parys, and Rome; they offer three
thousand crounes monthly, payeing curtesly for all my
expenses. Have sayd I will gladly fall to their wish.</p>
<p><i>July</i> 1.—Trussed bagge and baggage in great hast and
departed towarde Normandy, the seat of warre.</p>
<p><i>July</i> 2.—Ryde but small journeys, and do purpose, being no
great horseman, every time I have to ryde a horse, to add
three crounes to the expenses which my patrons curtesly pay.</p>
<p>Take lodgynges every day bytwene noone and thre of the
clocke. Finde the contrey frutefull and reasonably suffycent
of wyne.</p>
<p><i>July</i> 3, <i>Cane</i>.—A great and ryche town with many
burgesses, crafty men. They solde wyne so deare that there
were no byers save myself who bought suffycent and added to
the lyste which my patrons curtesly pay.</p>
<p><i>July</i> 4, <i>Amyense</i>.—Left Cane and the englysshmen have
taken the toune and clene robbed it. Right pensyve as to
putting my lyfe in adventure.</p>
<p>Sir Godmar de Fay is to kepe note of the chronyclers and he
has ordayned them to bring him their chronycles. He has
curtesly made these rules for the chronyclers. Chronyclers
may only chronycle the truth. Chronyclers may not chronycle
the names of places, bridges, rivers, castels where batayles
happen—nor the names of any lordes, knyghtes, marshals,
erles, or others who take part in the batayle: nor the names
of any weapons or artillery used, nor the names or numbers
of any prisoners taken in batayle.</p>
<p>Thanks to Sir Godmar de Fay the chronycler's task has been
made lyghter.</p>
<p><i>July</i> 6, <i>Calys</i>.—The chronyclers have been ordayned by
Sir Godmar de Fay to go to Calys. There are nine
chronyclers. One is an Alleymayne, who is learned in the art
of warre, one is a Genowayes, and one an Englysshman, the
rest are Frenche. The cytie of Calys is full of drapery and
other merchauntdyse, noble ladyes and damosels. The
chronyclers have good wyl to stay in the cytie.</p>
<p><i>July</i> 7.—Sir Godmar de Fay has ordayned all the
chronyclers to leave the cytie of Calys and to ride to a
lytell town called Nully, where there are no merchauntdyse,
and no damosels, nor suffycent of wyne. The chronyclers are
not so merrie as in the cytie of Calys.</p>
<p><i>July</i> 9.—Played chesse with the Genowayse and was
checkmate with a bishop.</p>
<p><i>August</i> 6.—The chronyclers are all pensyve. They are
lodged in the feldes. There has fallen a great rayne that
pours downe on our tents. There is no wyne nor pasties, nor
suffycent of flesshe, no bookes for to rede, nor any
company.</p>
<p>Last nyghte I wrote a ballade on Warre, which ends, "But
Johnnie Froissart wisheth he were dead." It is too
indiscrete to publysh. I wysh I were at Calys. I wysh I
were at Parys. I wysh I were anywhere but at Nully.</p>
<p><i>August</i> 23.—At the Kynge's commandment the chronyclers are
to go to the fronte.</p>
<p><i>August</i> 25, <i>Friday</i>.—The Kynge of Englande and the French
Kynge have ordayned all the business of a batayle. I shall
watch it and chronycle it from a hill, which shall not be
too farre away to see and not too neare to adventure my
lyfe.</p>
<p><i>August</i> 26.—I rode to a windmill but mistooke the way, as
a great rayne fell, then the eyre waxed clere and I saw a
great many Englyssh erls and Frenche knyghtes, riding in
contrarie directions, in hast. Then many Genowayse went by,
and the Englysshmen began to shote feersly with their
crossbowes and their arowes fell so hotly that I rode to a
lytell hut, and finding shelter there I wayted till the
snowe of arowes should have passed. Then I clymbed to the
top of the hill but I could see lytell but dyverse men
riding here and there. When I went out again, aboute
evensong, I could see no one aboute, dyverse knyghtes and
squyers rode by looking for their maisters, and then it was
sayd the Kynge had fought a batayle, and had rode to the
castell of Broye, and thence to Amyense.</p>
<p><i>August</i> 30.—The chronyclers have been ordayned to go to
Calys, whereat they are well pleased save for a feare of a
siege. The chronyclers have writ the chronycle of the Day of
Saturday, August 26. It was a great batayle, ryght cruell,
and it is named the batayle of Cressey.</p>
<p>Some of the chronyclers say the Englysshmen discomfyted the
French; others that the King discomfyted the Englysshe; but
the Englysshmen repute themselves to have the victorie; but
all this shall be told in my chronycle, which I shall write
when I am once more in the fayre cytie of Parys. It was a
great batayle and the Frenche and the Englysshe Lordes are
both well pleased at the feats of arms, and the Frenche
Kynge, though the day was not as he wolde have had it, has
wonne hygh renowne and is ryght pleased—likewise the
Englysshe Kynge, and his son; but both Kynges have ordayned
the chronyclers to make no boast of their good adventure.</p>
<p><i>August</i> 30.—The Kynge of Englande has layd siege to Calys
and has sayd he will take the towne by famysshing. When
worde of this was brought to the chronyclers they were
displeased. It is well that I have hyd in a safe place some
wyne and other thynges necessarie.</p>
<p><i>Later</i>.—All thynges to eat are solde at a great pryce. A
mouse costs a croune.</p>
<p><i>August</i> 31.—All the poore and mean people were constrained
by the capture of Calys to yssue out of the town, men,
women, and children, and to pass through the Englysshe host,
and with them the poore chronyclers. And the Kynge of
Englande gave them and the chronyclers mete and drinke to
dyner, and every person ii d. sterlying in alms.</p>
<p>And the chronyclers have added to the lyst of their costs
which their patrons curtesly pay: To loss of honour at
receiving alms from an Englysshe Kynge, a thousand crounes.</p>
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