There is a flower sprung of a tree,
The root of it is called Jesse,
A flower of price,--
There is none such in Paradise.
Of Lily white and Rose of Ryse,
Of Primrose and of Flower-de-Lyse,
Of all flowers in my devyce,
The flower of Jesse beareth the prize,
For most of all
To help our souls both great and small.
I praise the flower of good Jesse,
Of all the flowers that ever shall be,
Uphold the flower of good Jesse,
And worship it for aye beautee;
For best of all
That ever was or ever be shall.
Mr. Hilles was a good Catholic. Amidst a multitude
of religious poems of a Catholic kind, there is not one
which could be construed as implying a leaning towards
the Reformers; while under a certain legend of St.
Gregory some indignant Protestant of the next generation
has written a passionate anathema calling it lies of
the devil and other similar hard names. A private diary
of such a person therefore, of the years in which England
was separated from the Papacy, is of especial interest:--
"1533. Stephen Peacock, haberdasher, mayor.
"This year, the 29th day of May, the Mayor of
London, with the aldermen in scarlet gowns, went in
barges to Greenwich, with their banners, as they were
wont to bring the Mayor to Westminister; and the
bachelor's barge hanged with cloth of gold on the
outside with banners and bells upon them in their
manner, with a galley to wait upon her, and a foyst
with a beast therein which shot many guns. And then
they fetched Queen Anne up to the Tower of London;
and in the way on land about Limehouse there shot
many great chambers of guns, and two of the King's
ships which lay by Limehouse shot many great guns,
and at the Tower or she came on land was shot
innumerable many guns.
"And the 31st day of May, which was Whitsun even,
she was conveyed in a chariot from the Tower of
London to York-place, called Whitehall at Westminster;
and at her departing from the Tower there
was shot off guns which was innumerable to men's
thinking; and in London divers pageants, that is to
say,
"One at Gracechurch;
"One at Leadenhall;
"One at the great Conduit;
"One at the Standard;
"The Crosse in Chepe new trimmed;
"At the conduit at Paul's Gate;
"At Paul's gate a branch of Roses;
"Without at the east end of Paul's;
"At the conduit in Fleet Street;
"And she was accompanied, first Frenchmen in--
coloured velvet and one white sleeve, and the horses
trapped, and white crosses thereon; then rode gentlemen,
then knights and lords in their degree, and there was two
hats of maintenance, and many chariots, with lords and
many gentlewomen on horseback following the chariots;
and all the constables in London were in their best array,
with white staves in their hands, to make room and to
wait upon the Queen as far as -------; and there
rode with her sixteen knights of the Bath; and on
Whit-Sunday she was crowned at Westminster with
great solemnity; and jousts at Westminster all the
Whitsun holidays, and the feast was kept in Westminster
Hall, and jousts afore York Place called Whitehall.
"This year, in the beginning of September, Queen
Anne was delivered of a woman child at Greenwich,
which child was named Elizabeth.
"Item, this year foreign butchers sold flesh at
Leadenhall, for the butchers of the city of London
denied to sell beef for a halfpenny the pound according
to the Act of Parliament.
"1534. Christopher Ascue, draper, mayor.
"This year, the 23rd day of November, preached at
Paul's Cross the Abbot of Hyde, and there stood on a
scaffold all the sermon time the Holy Maid of Kent,
called [Elizabeth] Barton, and two monks of Canterbury,
and two Friars observant, and two priests and two laymen,
and after the sermon went to the Tower. Also
this year, on Palm Sunday even, which was the 28th
day of March, was a great sudden tempest of wind, and
broke open two windows at Whitehall at Westminster,
and turned up the lead of the King's new Tennis Play
at York Place, and broke off the tyles of three goldsmiths'
houses in Lombard Street, and folded up the
lead at Pewterers' Hall and cast it down into the yard,
and blew down many tyles of houses in London, and
trees about Shoreditch.
"Item, the first day of April, which was tenebre
Wednesday, Wolf and his wife, that killed the two
Lombards in a boat upon Thames, were hanged upon
two gibbets by the water-side between London Bridge
and Westminster; and on the Monday in Easter
week the woman was buried at the Crossed Friars in
London.
"Item, the 20th day of April, the parson of Aidmary
(sic, but the real person was the priest of Aidington in
Kent) Church, in London, was drawn on a hurdle from
the Tower of London to the Tyburn and there hanged
and headed. Item, two observant Freers drawn on a
hurdle and both hanged and headed. Item, two monks
of Canterbury, one was called Dr. Bocking, drawn on a
hurdle and hanged and headed. Item, the Holy Maid
of Kent was drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn and hanged
and headed; and all the heads set upon London Brigge
and on the gates of London. Item, the 11th day
of July, the Lord Dacres of the north was conveyed
from the Tower of London to Westminster to receive
judgement for treason, but there he was quit by a quest
of Lords. Item, all men, English and others being in
England, were sworn to be true to the King and his
heirs between Queen Anne and him begotten and for to
be begotten. Item, the Lord Thomas Garrard, of
Ireland, beheaded the Bishop of Dublin, called Doctor
Alien, as he would come into England. Item, a general
peace cried between the King of England and the
Scottish King for their lifetime. Item, there was a
great sudden storm in the Narrow Sea, and two ships
of the Zealand fleet were lost, with cloth and men and
all, for they sank in the sea.
--
"Sir John Champneys, mayor.
"This year, in November, came over the high Admiral
of France as ambassador from the French King, and he
had great gifts and his costs provided for as long as he
was m the Realm.
"1535. Item, the fourth day of May, the Prior of the
Charterhouse in London, and two other monks of the
Charterhouse in other places, and the father of the Place
at Sion, being in a grey habit, and a priest which was,
as men said, the vicar of Thystillworth, were drawn
all from the Tower of London to Tyburn and hanged
and their bowels burnt, the heads cut off, and quartered,
and the heads and quarters some set on London Brigge,
and the rest upon all the gates of London and on the
Charterhouse gate.
"Also shortly after the King caused his own head
to be knotted and cut short, and his hair was not
half an inch long, and so were all the lords, and all
knights, gentlemen, and serving men that came to the
court.
"Item, on Whitsun even was a great thunder in
London. Item, the fourth day of June, a man and
woman, born in Flanders, were burnt in Smithfield for
heresy. Item, the 19th day of June, three monks of
the order of the Charterhouse were drawn from the
Tower to Tyburn, and there hanged and headed.
Item, the 22nd day of June, the Bishop Rochester was
beheaded at the Tower Hill, the head set on London
Brigg and the body buried at Barking Churchyard.
Item, the 6th day of July, Sir Thomas More, that
sometime was Chancellor of England, was beheaded
at Tower Hill, and his head set on the Brigg and the
body buried in the Tower. Also this year the power
and authority of the Pope was utterly made frustrate and
of none effect within the Realm, and the King called
Supreme Head under God of the Church of England;
and that was read in the Church every Festival day;
and the Pope's name was scraped out of every mass
book and other books, and was called Bishop of Rome.
"1535-6. Sir John Allen, mercer, mayor.
"At the beginning of the time the sheriffs put away
each of them six servants and six yeomen till they were
compelled by the common counsel to take them again.
"Item, the Kennell Rakers of London had horns to
blow to give folks warning' to cast out their dust. Item,
every man that had a well within his house to draw
it three times in the week to wash the streets."
--
The murder committed by Wolf and his wife, which
is mentioned in the Diary, created so much sensation
that it was discussed in Parliament, and was made the
subject of a statute. The extraordinary beauty of the
woman was used as a decoy to entice the merchants into
a boat where the husband was concealed. They were
killed and thrown overboard, and the wife, acting much
like Mrs. Manning, took the keys from the body of one
of them, went to his house and rifled his strong box.
The burial of her body, while her husband was left upon
the gibbet, was occasioned by a circumstance too
horrible to be mentioned.
Next "follow parts of the statutes of England
every craftsman victualler shall be ruled":--
"MILLERS.
"First, the assise of the miller is that he have no
measure at his mill but it be assised and sealed according
to the King's standard, and he to have of every
bushel of wheat a quart for the grinding: also, if he
fetch it, another quart for the fetching; and of every
bushel of malt a pint for the grinding, and if he fetch it
another pint for the fetching. Also, that he change nor
water no man's corn to give him the worse for the
better, nor that he have no hogs, geese, nor ducks, nor
no manner poultry but three hens and a duck; and if
he do the contrary to any of these points his fine is at
every time three shillings and four pence, and if he will
not beware by two warnings the third time to be judged
to the pillory.
"BAKERS.
"Also, the assise of bakers is sixpence highing and
sixpence lowing in the price of a quarter of wheat; for
if he lack an ounce in the weight of a farthing loaf he to
be amerced at 20d.; and if he lack an ounce and a
half he to be amerced at 2s. 6d., in all bread so baken;
and if he bake not after the assise of the statute he
to be adjudged to the pillory.
"BREWERS.
"Also, the assise of brewers is 12 pence highing and
12 pence lowing in the price of a quarter of malt, and
evermore shilling to farthing; for when he buyeth a
quarter malt for two shillings, then he shall sell a gallon
of the best ale for two farthings, and so to make 48
gallons of a quarter malt. When he buyeth a quarter
malt for three shillings, the gallon three fathings; for
four shillings, the gallon four farthings; and so forth to
8 shillings, and no further. And that he set none ale
a sale till he have sent for the ale taster, and as oft as
he doth the contrary he to be merced at six pence; and
that he sell none but by measure assised and sealed, and
that he sell a quart ale upon his table for a farthing.
And as oft as he doth the contrary to sell not after the
price of malt, he to be amerced the first time: 2 pence,
the second time 20 pence, the third time three and four
pence; and if he will not beware by these warnings, the
next time to be judged to the cucking stole, and the
next time to the pillory.
"AN ORDINANCE FOR BAKERS.
"By the discretion and ordinance of our lord the
King, weights and measures were made. It is to know
that an English penny, which is called a round sterling
and without clipping shall weigh 32 corns of wheat taken
out of the middle of the ear, and twenty pence make an
ounce, and twelve ounces make a pound, which is
twenty shillings sterling; and eight pounds of wheat
maketh a gallon of corn, and eight gallons make a
London bushel, which is the eighth part of a quarter.
"When the quarter of wheat is sold for a shilling,
then the wastell, well boulted and clean, shall weigh six
pounds sixteen shillings. The loaf of a quarter of the
same corn and the same bultell shall weigh more than
the said wastell two shillings. The symnell of a quarter
shall weigh less than the said wastell two shillings,
because that it is boyled and clean. The loaf of clean
wheat of a quartern shall weigh a coket and a half, and
the loaf of all corns of a quartern shall weigh two cokets;
and it is understood that the baker so may get of every
quarter of wheat as it is proved by the King's bakers
four pence and the bran, and two loaves to furnage of
the price of two pence; and three servants a penny
farthing, and two grooms a farthing; in salt a farthing;
in yeast a farthing, in candell and in wood three pence,
in bultell allowed a farthing.
"Two or four loaves are made to be sold for a penny:
none other kind of bread to be made of great price, but
only two or four loaves to a penny. There is no bread
made to be sold of three quarterns nor of five quarterns;
also, there shall be no bread made of corn the which
shall be worse in breaking than it is without. It is to
know that of old custom of the city of London, by
authority of divers Parliaments affirmed for divers
weights which the citizens of London suffer in the
bakers which they have had and have been wont to
have in every assise of bread, the setting of two pence
in a quarter of wheat above all foreign bakers in the
realm of England; so that in assise of wheat when a
quarter wheat is sold for five shillings, then it shall be
set to the bakers of London seven shillings for assise;
and so of every other assise two shillings to the increase.
"The assise of bread after that above contained truly
may be holden after the selling of wheat; that is to say,
of the best price, of the second price, and of the third,
and as well wastell bread as other bread shall be weighed
after, of what kind so ever it be, as it is above, by a
mean price of wheat; and then the assise or the weight
of bread, shall not be changed but by six pence increasing
or distressing in the selling of a quarter of wheat.
Also, the baker shall be amerced 2s. 6d., and his quartern
bread may be proved faulty in weight; and if he
pass the number he shall go to the pillory, and the
judgment of the trespass shall not be forgiven for gold
nor silver; and every baker must have his own mark on
every manner bread; and after eight days bread should
not be weighed: and if it be found that the quartern
bread of the baker be faulty he shall be amerced 15d.,
and unto the number of 2s. 6d. And it is to know that
the baker ought not to go to the pillory, but if he pass
the number of 2s. 6d. default quartern bread, and he
shall not be merced, but if the default of bread
pass 15d.
"The rule set upon White Bakers and Brown Bakers,
--The rule is that white bakers should inowe make and
bake all manner of bread, and that they can make of
wheat: that is for to say, white loaf bread, wastell buns,
and all manner white bread that hath been used of old
time; and they inowe make wheat bread sometimes
called Crybill bread, and basket bread such as is sold in
Cheep to poor people. But the white bread baker shall
bake no horse bread of any assise, neither of his own
neither of none other men's, to sell. The brown baker
shall inowe make and bake wheat bread as it cometh
ground from the mill, without any boulting of the same;
also horse bread of clean beans and peason; and also
bread called household bread, for the which they shall
take for every bushel kneading bringing home 1 penny;
but they shall bake no white bread of any assise, neither
of their own, neither of none other men's, to sell. And
what person of the said bakers offend in any of the
articles above writ, shall as oft as he may be proved
guilty pay 6s. 8d., half to the use of the Chamber of
London, and the other half to the use of the master of
the bakers.
"THE ASSISE OF BREAD WITHIN LONDON.
"Mem.--That the farthing loaf of all grains, and the
farthing horse loaf, is of like weight.
"Mem.--That the halfpenny white loaf of Stratford
must weigh two ounces more than the halfpenny white
loaf of London.
"That the penny wheat loaf of Stratford must weigh
six oz. more than the penny wheat loaf of London.
"The halfpenny wheat loaf of Stratford must weigh
three ounces more than the halfpenny wheat loaf of
London.
"Three halfpenny white loaves of Stratford must
weigh as much as the penny wheat loaf.
"The loaf of all grains: that is, the wheat loaf, must
weigh as much as the penny wheat loaf and the half-penny
white loaf.
"The chete white loaf must weigh 12 oz.
"The chete white brown loaf must weigh 18 oz."
After so much solid matter, our repast shall be completed
with something of a lighter kind. A list of
"Divers good proverbs" is curious, as showing the long
growth and long endurance of established maxims of
practical wisdom. They are written in a distinct and
singular hand, not to be traced elsewhere in prose or
poetry:--
When ye proffer the pigge open the poke.
Whyle the grasse growyth the hors stervyth.
Sone it sherpyth that thorne wyll be.
It ys a sotyll mouse that slepyth in the cattys ear.
Nede makyth the old wyffe to trotte.
A byrde yn honde ys better than three yn the wode
And hevyn fell we shall have meny larkys.
A short hors ys sone curryed.
Though peper be blek yt hath a gode smek.
Of a rugged colte cumyth a gode hors.
Fayre behestys makyth ffolys fayn.
All thyngs hath a begynyng.
Wepyn makyth pese dyvers tymes.
Wynter etyth that somer getyth.
He that ys warnyd beffore ys not begylyd.
He that wyll not be warnyd by hys owne fader
He shell be wamyd by hys step fader.
Pryde goeth beffore and shame comyth after.
Oftyn tymys provyth the fruyght aftore,
The stok that hyt comyth off.
Hyt ys a febyll tre thet fallyth at the fyrst strok.
Hyt fallyth yn a day that fallyth not all the yere afore.
Whyle the fote warmyth the shoe harmyth.
A softe flyre makyth swete malte.
When the stede ys stolen shyt the stabyll dore.
Merry hondys makyth lyght werke.
When thou hast well done hange up thy hachet.
Yt ys not all gold that glowyth.
Often tymys the arrow hyttyth the shoter.
Yt ys comonly sayd that all men be not trew.
That nature gevyth no man can tak away.
Thys arrow comyth never owt of thyn ownne bow.
Sone crokyth the tre that wyll be.
When the hors walowyth some herys be loste.
Thys day a man, to-morrow non.
Seld sene sone forgotyn.
When the bely ys ffull the bonys would have craft.
Better yt ys to be unborn than untawght.
He that no good can nor non wyll lern,
Yf he never thryve, who shall hym werne?
He that all covetyth often all lesyth.
Never hope, herte wold breste.
Hasty man lakkyth never woo.
A gode begynnyng makyth a gode endyng.
Better yt ys late than never.
Poverte partyth felyshype.
Brente honde flyre dredyth.
Non sygheth so sore as the gloton that may no more.
He may lyghtly swym that ys held up by the chyn.
Clyme not to hye lest chypys fall yn thyn eie.
An skabbyd shepe ynfectyth all the ffolde.
All the keys hange not by one manys gyrdyll.
Better yt ys to lese cloth than brede.
He that hath nede must blowe at the cole.
--
Of all the treasures of the volume, the richest are
perhaps the hymns and metrical prayers to the Virgin,
of which there are great numbers and every variety.
Some are in English, some in English and Latin. Here
are three in different styles:--
Mary mother, thee I pray.
To be our help at Domys day;
At Domys day when we shall rise,
And come before the high Justice,
And give account for our service,
What helpeth then our clothing gay?
When we shall come before his doom,
What will us help there all and some?
We shall stand as sorry grooms,
Ycald in a full poor array.
That ylke day without lesing,
Many a man his hands shall wring.
And repent him sore for his living,
Then it is too late as I you say.
Therefore I rede ye both day and night,
Make ye ready to God Almight;
For in this land is king nor knight,
That wot when he shall wend away.
That child that was born on Mary,
He glads all this company,
And for his love make we merry,
That for us died on Good Friday.
Mater ora filium,
Ut post hoc exilium,
Nobis donet gaudium
Beatorum omnium.
Faire maiden, who is this bairn
That thou bearest in thine arm?
Sir, it is a Kingis son,
That in Heaven above doth wonne.
Mater ora filium, etc.
Man to Father he hath none,
But himself God alone;
Of a maiden he would be borne,
To save mankind that was forlorn.
Mater ora filium, etc.
Three Kings brought him presents,
Gold, myrrh, and frankinsense,
To my Son full of might,
King of Kings and lord of right,
Mater ora filium, etc.
Faire maiden, pray for us
Unto thy Son, sweet Jesus,
That he will send us of his grace
In Heaven on high to have a place.
Mater ora filium, etc.
--
Ave Maria, now say we so,
Maid and mother were never no mo.
Gaude Maria, Christis moder,
Mary mild, of thee I mean,
Thou bare my lord, thou bare my brother,
Thou bare a lovely child and clean,
Thou stoodest full styll withouten blyn
When in thine ear that errand was done.
The gracious Lord thee light within,
Gabrielis nuntio.
Gaude Maria, yglent with grace,
When Jesus, thy Son, on thee was bore,
Full nigh thy breast thou gave him brace,
He sucked, he sighed, he wept full sore;
Thou feedest the flower that never shall fade,
With maiden's milk, and song thereto;
Lulley, my sweet, I bare thee, babe,
Cum pudoris lillio.
Oh, Gaude Maria, thy mirth was away
When Christ on cross thy Son did die
Full dolefully on Good Friday,
That many a mother's son it sye.
His blood us brought from care and strife,
His watery wounds us wisshe from woe.
The third day from death to life
Fulget resurrectio.
Gaude Maria, thou birde so bright,
Brighter than blossom that bloweth on hill,
Joyful thou wert to see that sight,
When the Apostles so smet (sic) of will,
All and some did cry full shrill
When the fairest of shape went you fro,
From earth to Heaven he stayed full still,
Motuque fertur proprio.
Gaude Maria, thou rose of ryse,
Maiden and mother, both gentle and free;
Precious princess, peerless of price,
Thy bower is next the Trinity;
Thy Son as lawe asketh a fight,
In body and soul thee took him to;
Thou reigned in Heaven like as we find
In coeli palacio.
Now blessed birde, we pray thee abone,
Before thy Son for us thou fall,
And pray him as he was on the rood done,
And for us drank aysell and gall,
That we may wonne within that wall,
Wherever is well withouten woe,
And grant that grace unto us all
In perenni gaudio.