sig: A1 | |
¶Here-after foloweth the batayll of Egyngecourte and the great sege of Rone by kynge Henry of Monmouthe the fyfthe of the name that wan Gascoyne and Gyenne and Normandye. |
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GOd that all this worlde dyde make | |
And dyed for vs vpon a tree | |
Saue england for mary thy mothers sake | |
As thou art stedfast god in trynyte | |
5 | And saue kynge Henry soule I beseche the |
That was full gracyouse and good with-all | |
A courtyouse knyght and kynge ryall | |
Of Henry the fyfthe noble man of warre | |
Thy dedes may neuer forgoten be | |
10 | Of knyghthod thou were the very lodestarre |
In thy tyme Englande floured in prosperyte | |
Thou mortall myrrour of all cheualry | |
Though thou be not set amonge the worthyes nyne. | |
Yet wast thou a conqueroure in thy tyme | |
15 | Our kynge se[n]de in-to Fraunce full rathe sende] seade 1536 |
His harraude that was good and sure | |
He desyred his hertyage for to haue | |
That is Gascoyne and Gyen and Normandye | |
He bad the Dolphyne delyuer / it shulde be his | |
20 | All that belongyd to the fyrst Edwarde |
And yf he sayd me nay I_wys | |
I wyll get it with dent of swerde | |
But than answered the Dolphyne bolde | |
By our inbassatours sendynge agayne | |
25 | Me-thynke that your kynge is not so olde |
Warres great for to mayntayne | |
Grete well he sayd your comely kynge | |
sig: [A1v] | |
That is bothe gentyll and small | |
A tun full of tenysballes I wyll hym send | |
30 | For to play hym therwithall |
Than bethought our lordes all | |
In Fraunce they wolde no lenger abyde | |
They toke theyr leue bothe greate and small | |
[A]nd home to Englande gan they ryde And] Tnd 1536 | |
35 | To our kynge they tolde theyr tale to the ende |
What that the Dolphyne dyde to them saye | |
I wyll hym thanke than sayd the kynge | |
By the grace of god yf I may | |
Yet by his owne mynde this Dolphyne bolde | |
40 | To our kynge he sent agaynne hastely |
And prayed hym trewes for to holde | |
For Iesus loue that dyed on a tree | |
Nay than sayd our comely kynge | |
For in-to Fraunce wyll I wynde | |
45 | The Dolphyne angre I trust I shall |
And suche a tenys-ball I shall hym sende | |
That shall bere downe the hye rofe of his hall | |
The kynge at Westmynster lay that tyme | |
And all his lordes euerychone | |
50 | As they dyde set them downe to dyne |
Lordynges he sayd by saynt Iohnn | |
To Fraunce I thynke to take my waye | |
Of good councell I you praye | |
What is your wyll that I shall done | |
55 | Shewe me shortly without delay |
The duke of Clarence answered sone | |
And sayd my lege I councell you soo | |
And other lordes sayd we thynke it for the best | |
With you to be redy for to goo | |
60 | Whyle that our lyues may endure and lest |
sig: A2 | |
Gramercy syrs the kynge gan say | |
Our ryght I trust than shal be wonne | |
And I wyll quyte you yf I may | |
Therfore I warne you bothe olde and yonge | |
65 | To make you redy without delay |
To Southampton to take your waye | |
At saynt Peters tyde at Lammas | |
For by the grace of god and yf I maye | |
Ouer the salte see I thynke to passe | |
70 | Great ordynaunce of gunnes the kynge let make |
And shypte them at London all at ones | |
Bowes and arowes in chestes were take | |
Speres and bylles / with yren gunstones | |
And armynge-dagars made for the nones | |
75 | With swerdes and bucklers that were full sure |
And harneys bryght that strokes wolde endure | |
The kynge to Southampton than dyde ryde | |
With his lordes for no lenger wolde he dwell | |
Fyftene .C. fayre shyppes ther dyde hym abyde | |
80 | With goodly sayles and topcastell |
Lordes of Fraunce our kynge they solde | |
For a myllyant of golde as I harde say | |
By Englande lytell pryse they tolde | |
Therfore theyr songe was welawaye | |
85 | Bytwene hampton and the yle_of_wyght |
These goodly shyppes lay there at rode | |
With mastyardes a_crosse full semely of syght | |
Ouer all the hauen sprede a_brode | |
On euery paues a crosse rede | |
90 | The wastes decked with serpentynes stronge |
Saynt Georges stremers spred ouer-hede | |
With the armes of Englande hangynge all alonge | |
Our kynge full hastely to his shyppe yede | |
sig: [A2v] | |
And all other lordes of euery degree | |
95 | Euery shyp wayed his anker in-dede |
With the tyde to hast them to the see | |
They hoysed theyr sayles a_lofte sayles] sayles sayled 1536 | |
A goodly syght it was to see | |
The wynde was good and blew but softe | |
100 | And fourth they wente in the name of the trynyte |
Theyr course they toke towarde Normandy | |
And passed ouer in a daye and a nyght | |
So in the seconde morn[i]nge yerly morninge] mornonge 1536 | |
Of that contrye they had a syght | |
105 | And euer they drew nere the coste |
Of the day glad were they all | |
And whan they were at the shore almost | |
Euery shyp his anker let fall | |
With theyr takyls they launched many a longe-bote | |
110 | And ouer hache threw them in-to the streame |
A thousande shortly they sawe a_flote | |
With men-of-armes that lyth dyde seme | |
Our kynge landed at Cottaunses without delay | |
On our lady euen th'assumpcyon | |
115 | And to Hartflete they toke the way |
And mustered fayre before the towne | |
Our kynge his banner there dyde splay | |
With standerdes bryght and many penowne | |
And there he pyght his tent adowne | |
120 | Full well broydered with armory gaye |
Fyrst our comely kynges tente with the crowne | |
And all other lordes in good aray | |
My brother Clarence the kynge dyde say | |
The toures of the towne wyll I kepe | |
125 | With her doughters and her maydens gay |
To wake the frenchemen of theyr slepe | |
sig: A3 | |
London he sayd shall with hym mete | |
And my gunnes that lyeth fayre vpon the grene | |
For they shall playe with Harfflete | |
130 | A game at tennys as I wene |
Goo we to game for goddes grace | |
My chyldren be redy euerychone | |
For euery great gunne that there was | |
In his mouthe he had a stone | |
135 | The Capytayne of Herfflet soone anone |
U[n]to our kynge he sent hastely | |
To knowe what his wyll was to done | |
For to cume thyther with suche a meny | |
Delyuer me the towne the kynge sayd | |
140 | Nay sayd the Capytayne by god and by saynt Denys |
Than shall I wynne it sayd our kynge | |
By the grace of god and of his goodnes | |
Some hard tennys-balles I haue hyther brought | |
Of marble and yren made full rounde | |
145 | I swere by Iesu that me dere bought |
They shall bete the walles to the grounde | |
Than sayd the greate gunne | |
Holde felowes we go to game | |
Thanked be Mary and Iesu her sone | |
150 | They dyde the frenchemen moche shame |
Fyftene afore sayd London tho | |
Her balles full fayre she gan out throwe | |
Thyrty sayd the seconde gun I wyll wyn and I may | |
There as the wall was moost sure | |
155 | They bare it downe without nay |
The kynges doughter sayd herken this playe | |
Harken maydens nowe this tyde | |
Fyue and forty we haue / it is no nay | |
They bete downe the walles on euery syde | |
sig: [A3v] | |
160 | The Normandes sayde let vs not abyde |
But go we in haste by one assent | |
Where-so-euer the gunstones do glyde | |
Our houses in Herfflete is all to_rent | |
The englysshemen our balwarkes haue brent | |
165 | And women cryed alas that euer they were borne |
The frenchemen sayd now be we shent | |
By vs now the towne is forlorne | |
It is best now theyrfore | |
That we beseche this englysshe kynge of grace | |
170 | For to assayle vs no more |
Leste he dystroye vs in this place | |
Than wyll we byd the Dolphyne make hym redy | |
Or elles this towne delyuered must be | |
Messengers went fourth by and by | |
175 | And to our kynge come they |
The lorde Corgraunte certaynly | |
For he was Capytayne of the place | |
And Gelam_Bowser with hym dyde hye | |
With other lordes more and lasse | |
180 | And whan they to our kynge come were |
Full lowly set them on theyr kne | |
Hayle comely kynge gan they saye | |
Cryste saue the from aduersyte | |
Of truse we wyll beseche the | |
185 | Untyll that it be sunday noone |
And yf we may not recouered be | |
We wyll delyuer the towne | |
Than sayd our kynge full soone | |
I graunte you grace in this tyde | |
190 | One of you shall fourthe anone |
And the remnaunt shall with me abyde | |
Theyr Capytayne toke his nexte waye | |
sig: [A4] | |
And to Rone faste gan he ryde | |
The Dolphyne he had thought there to founde | |
195 | But he was gone he durste not abyde |
For helpe the Capytayne besought that t[i]de tide] tede 1536 | |
Herfflete is lost for euer and aye | |
The walles ben beten downe on euery syde | |
That we no lenger kepe it may | |
200 | Of counseyll all he dyde them pray |
What is your wyll that I may done | |
We must ordeyne the kynge batayll by sonday | |
Or elles delyuer hym the towne | |
The lordes of Rone to_gyther dyde rowne | |
205 | And bad the towne shulde openly yelde |
The kyng of englande fareth as a lyon | |
We wyll not mete with hym in the felde | |
The Capytayne wolde than no lenger abyde | |
And towarde Harfflete came he ryght | |
210 | For so faste he dyde ryde |
That he was there the same nyght | |
And whan he to oure kynge dyde come | |
Lowly he set hym on his kne | |
Hayle comely prynce than dyde he say | |
215 | The grace of god is with the |
Here haue I brought the keys all | |
Of Harfflete that is so royall a cytye | |
All is yours bothe chambre and hall | |
And at your wyll for to be | |
220 | Thanked be Iesu sayd our kynge |
And Mary his mother truely | |
Myne vncle Dorset without lettynge | |
Capytayne of Herfflete shall he be | |
And all that is within the cytye | |
225 | A whyle yet they shall abyde |
sig: [A4v] | |
To amende the Walles in euery degre | |
That is beten downe on euery syde | |
And after that they shall out_ryde | |
To other townes ouer-all | |
230 | Wyfe nor chylde shall not there abyde |
But haue them forthe bothe great and small | |
One and twenty .M. men myght se | |
Whan they went out full sore dyde wepe | |
The great gunnes and ordynaunce truely | |
235 | Was brought in-to Herfflete |
Great sykenes amonge our hoste was in good fay | |
Whiche kylled many of our englysshemen | |
There dyed by_yonde .vii. score vpon a day | |
Alyue there was lefte but thousandes .x. | |
240 | Our kynge hym-selfe into the castell yede |
And rested hym there as longe as his wyll was | |
At the laste he sayd lordes so god me spede | |
Towarde Calayes I thynke to passe | |
After that Herfflete was gotten that royall cytye | |
245 | Through the grace of god omnypotente |
Our comely kynge made hym redy soone | |
And towarde Calayes fourthe he wente | |
My brother Glocestre veramente | |
Here wyll we no lenger abyde | |
250 | And Cosyn of yorke this is oure entent |
With vs fourth ye shall this tyde | |
My Cosyn Huntyngdon with vs shall ryde | |
And the Erle of Oxenforde with you thre | |
The duke of Southfolke by our syde | |
255 | He shall come fourthe with his meny |
And the Erle of Deuounshyre sykerly | |
Syr thomas_harpynge that neuer dyde fayle | |
The lorde Broke that come hartely | |
sig: [A5] | |
And syr Iohnn of cornewall | |
260 | Syr Gylberde_Umfrey that wolde vs auayle |
And the lorde clyfforde so god me spede | |
Syr wyllyam_Bouser that wyll not fayle | |
For all thy wyll helpe yf it be nede | |
Our kynge rode fourth blessyd mought he be | |
265 | He spared neyther dale ne downe |
By waters greate fast rode he | |
Tyll he cam to the water of sene | |
The frenchemen threwe the brydge adowne | |
That ouer the water they myght not passe | |
270 | O[u]r kynge made hym redy than |
And to the towre of Turreyn wente more and lasse | |
The frenchemen our kynge abought becast | |
With batayles stronge on euery syde | |
The duke of Orlyaunce sayd in haste | |
275 | The kynge of Englande shall abyde |
Who gaue hym leue this waye to passe | |
I trust that I shall hym begyle | |
Full longe or he come to Calays | |
The duke of Burbone answeryd sone | |
280 | And swere by god and by saynt Denys |
We wyll play them euerychone | |
These lordes of Englande at the tenys | |
Theyr Gentylmen I swere by saynt Ihonn | |
And archers we wyll sell them greate plentye | |
285 | And so wyll we ryd them sone |
Six for a peny of our monye | |
Than answered the duke of Bare | |
Wordes that were of greate pryde | |
By god he sayd I wyll not spare | |
290 | Ouer all the englysshemen for to ryde |
If that they dare vs abyde | |
sig: [A5v] | |
We wyll ouerthrowe them in fere | |
And take them prysoners in this tyde | |
Than come home agayne to our dynere | |
295 | Henry our kynge that was so good |
He prepared there full ryally | |
Stakes he let hewe in a wood | |
And set them before his archers verely | |
The frenchemen our ordynaunce gan espye | |
300 | They that we ordeyned for to ryde |
Lyghted adowne with sorowe truely | |
So on theyr fote fast gan abyde | |
Our kynge wente vp vpon an hyll hye | |
And loked downe to the valyes lowe | |
305 | He sawe where the frenchemen came hastely |
As thycke as euer dyde hayle or snowe | |
Than kneled our kynge downe in that stounde | |
And all his men on euery syde | |
Euery man made a crosse and kyssed the grounde | |
310 | And on theyr fete fast ganne abyde |
Our kynge sayd syrs what tyme of the day | |
My lege they sayd it is nye pryme | |
Than go we to our iourney | |
By the grace of Iesu it is good tyme | |
315 | For sayntes that lye in theyr shryne |
To god for vs they be prayenge | |
All the relygyouse of Englande in this tyme | |
Ora pro nobis for vs they synge | |
Saynt George was sene ouer our hoste | |
320 | Of very trouthe this syght men dyde se |
Downe was he sente by the holygoste | |
To gyue our kynge the vyctory | |
Than blewe the trompetes merely | |
These two batayles to_gyther yede | |
sig: [A6] | |
325 | Our archers stode vp full hartely |
And made the frenchemen fast to blede | |
Theyr arowes went fast without ony let | |
And many shot they through-out | |
Thorugh habergyne brestplate and bassenet | |
330 | A .xi.M. were slayne in that route |
Our gracyouse kynge as I well knowe | |
That day he fough[t] with his owne hande fought] fough 1536 | |
He spared neyther hye ne lowe | |
There was neuer kynge in no lande | |
335 | That euer dyd better on a daye |
Wherfore Englande may synge a songe | |
Laus deo may we say | |
And other prayers euer amonge | |
The duke of Orlyaunce without nay | |
340 | That day was taken prysonere |
The duke of Burbone also in fere | |
And also the duke of Bare truely | |
Syr Bergygaunte he gan hym yelde | |
And other lordes of Fraunce many | |
345 | Lo thus our comely kynge conquered the fyld |
Be the grace of god omnypotent | |
He toke his presoners bothe olde and yonge | |
And towarde Calayes fourth he went | |
He shypped there with good entent | |
350 | To Cauntorbury full fayre he passed |
And offered to saynt Thomas shryne | |
And through Kent he rode in haste | |
To Eltam he cam all in good tyme | |
And ouer blackeheth as he was rydynge | |
355 | Of the Cytye of London he was ware |
Hayle ryall Cytye sayd our kynge | |
Cryste kepe the euer from sorowe and care | |
sig: [A6v] | |
And than he gaue the noble Cyte his blessyng | |
He prayed Iesu it myght well fare | |
360 | To westmynster dyde he ryde |
And the frenche prysoners with hym also | |
He raunsommed them in that tyde | |
And agayne to theyr contrye he let them goo | |
Thus of this matter I make an ende | |
365 | To th'effecte of the batayll haue I gone |
For in this boke I cannot comprehende | |
The greatest batayll of all called the sege of Ro[n]e Rone] Rome 1536 | |
For that sege lasted .iii. yere and more | |
And there a rat was at .xl. pens. | |
370 | For in the Cytye the people hongered sore |
Women and chyldren for faute of mete were lore | |
And some for payne bare bones were gnawynge | |
That at her brestes had .ii. chyldren soukynge | |
Of the sege of Rone it to wryte were pytye | |
375 | It is a thynge so lamentable |
Yet euery hye feest / our kynge of his charytye | |
Gaue them meate to theyr bodyes comfortable | |
And at the laste / the towne wanne without fable | |
Thus of all as now I make an ende | |
380 | To the blysse of heuen god our soules sende. |
¶Thus endeth the batayll of Egyngcourt |
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Inpryntyd at London in Foster_lane insaynt_Leonardes parysshe by me Iohnn_Skot. | |
FINIS |