Nous, Jean Duc de Bourbonnois, Comte de Clermont, de Fois, et de l'Isle, seigneur de Beaujeu, per at chambrier de France, desirans eschiver oisivete et explecter nostre personne, en advancant nostre honneur par le mestier des armes, pensant y acquerir bonne renommee, et la grace de la tres-belle de qui nos sommes serviteurs, avon n'agueres voue et empris que nous, accompagne de seize autres chevaliers et escuyers de nome et d'armes, c'est asavoir l'admiral de France, messire Jean de Chalon, le seigneur de Barbasen, le seigneur du Chastel, le seigneur de Gaucourt, le seigneur de la Heuze, le seigneur de Gamaches, le seigneur de S. Remy, le seigneur de Monsures, messire Guillaume Bataille, messire Droûet d'Asnieres, le seigneur de la Fayette, et le seigneur de Poularques, chevaliers: Carmalet, Loys Cochet, et Jean du Pont, escuyer, porterons en la jambe senestre chascun un fer de prisonnier pendant a une chaisne, qui seront d'or pour les chevaliers, et d'argent pour les escuyers, par tous les dimanches de deux ans entiers, commencans le dimanche prochain après la date de ces presentes, ou cas que plutoit ne trouverons pareil nombre de chevaliers et escuyers de nom et d'armes, sans reproche, que tous ensemblement nous veuillent combattre à pied jusques à outrance, armez chacun de tels harnois quil luy plaira, portant lance, hasche, espee et dague ou moins de baston, de telle longuer que chascun voudra avoir, pour estre prisonniers les uns des autres, par telle condition que ceux de nostre part qui seront outrez seiont quittes en baillant chascun un fer et chaisne pareils à ceux que nous portons: et ceux de lautre part qui seront outrez seront quittes chascun pour un bracelet dor aux chevaliers et dargent aux escuyers, pour donner la ou bon leur semblera, etc....
Item, et serons tenu nous duc de Bourbonnois quand nous irons en Angleterre, ou devant le juge que sera accorde, de la faire saavoir a tous ceux de notre compaignie que ne seroient pardeca, et de bailler a nos dits compagnons telles lettres de monseigneur le Roy, qui leur seront necessaires pour leur license et conge, etc. Fait a Paris, le premier de janvier, l'an de grace 1414.
Cripps-Day, Appendix II. xiiii, giving Memoires de M. de Peiresc as source.
We Jean Duke of Bourbon, Count of Clermont, of Fois and of l'Isle, Lord of Beaujeu, per and chamberlain of France desiring to put aside idleness and display our person, in advancing our honor by mastery of arms, thinking to acquire good renown , and the grace of the great beauty to which we are servant, have just sworn and undertaken that we, accompanied by sixteen other knights and squires of names of arms that is to say the Admiral of France, Sir Jean de Chalon, the Lord of Barbasen, the Lord of Chastel, the Lord of Gaucourt, the Lord of Heuze, The Lord of Gamaches, the Lord of St. Remy, the Lord of Monsures, Sir Guillaume Bataille, Sir Droûet d'Asnieres, the Lord of Fayette, and the Lord of Poularques, knights: Carmalet, Loys Cochet, and Jean du Pont, squires, bearing on their left leg a prisoner's iron hanging from a chain which will be of gold for the knights and of silver for the squires, for every Sunday for the next two years, beginning with the next Sunday after the date of these presents until we are able to find an equal number of knights and squires of names and arms without reproach, who wish to fight with us all together on foot to the outrance, each one armed in such harness as pleases him, carrying lance, axe, sword and dagger or lesser weapons of such length as he wishes to have until each one is taken prisoner by the others, according to the condition that those of our side which are defeated will be released by each giving a prisoner's iron and chain equal to those which we carry. And those on the other side who are defeated will be released by a bracelet of gold for the knights and a bracelet of silver for the squires to give where it seems best.
Item: and we, the Duke of Bourbon will be bound, when we are in England or before a judge which we shall agree upon, to make this known to those of our company that are not there, and to give to our said companions such letters from my lord the King which shall be necessary for their license and passport, etc., Done at Paris the first of January the year of grace 1414.
Translation copyright Will McLean, 2003
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