John, Lord Bernars, grandson and heir of a lord of the same name, who was descended from Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, and had been knight of the Garter and constable of Windsor-castle. Under Edward IV. this Lord John was created a knight of the Bath on the marriage of the Duke of York, second son of Edward IV., and was first known by quelling an insurrection in Cornwall and Devonshire, raised by Michael Joseph, a blacksmith, in 1495, which service recommended him to the favour of Henry VII. He was a captain of the pioneers at the siege of Theronne, under Henry VIII. by whom he was made chancellor of the exchequer for life, and lieutenant of Calais and the Marches; appointed to conduct the Lady Mary, the king's sister, into France on the marriage with Louis XII.; and had the extraordinary fortune of continuing in favour with Henry VIII. for the space of eighteen years. He died at Calais in 1532, aged sixty-three. By King Henry's command he translated Froissart's Chronicle, which was printed in 1532 by Richard Pinson, the scholar of Caxton, and the fifth on the list of English printers. His other works were a whimsical medley of translations from French, Spanish, and Italian novels, which seem to have been in vogue then, as they were afterwards in the reign of Charles II. These were, the Life of Sir Arthur, an Armorican Knight; the Famous Exploits of Sir Hugh Bourdeaux; Marcus Aurelius; and the Castle of Love. He composed also a book on the duties of the inhabitants of Calais; and a comedy entitled Ita in Vincem, which is mentioned in none of our catalogues of English plays. Anthony Wood says it was usually acted at Calais after vespers.