And there he restyd verrament,
At his owne will whilys that it was,
And shipped thanne in good entent,
And at Dovorr landyd y ges;
To Caunterbury full fair he past,
And offered at Seynt Thomas shryne;
Fro thens sone he rod in hast,
To Eltham he cam in good tyme.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
The Mayr of London was redy bown,
With alle the craftes of that cite,
Alle clothyd in red thorugh out the town,
A semely sight it was to se:
To the Blak heth thanne rod he,
And spredde the way on every syde;
XX^{ti} M^{l} men myght well se,
Our comely kyng for to abyde.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
The kyng from Eltham sone he cam,
Hyse presenors with hym dede brynge,
And to the Blak heth ful sone he cam,
He saw London withoughte lesynge;
Heil, ryall London, seyde oure kyng,
Crist the kepe evere from care;
And thanne gaf it his blessyng,
And praied to Crist that it well fare.
The Mair hym mette with moche honour,
With all the aldermen without lesyng;
Heil, seyde the mair, the conquerour,
The grace of God with the doth spryng;
Heil duk, heil prynce, heil comely kyng,
Most worthiest Lord undir Crist ryall,
Heil rulere of Remes withoute lettyng,
Heil flour of knyghts now over all.
Here is come youre citee all,
Yow to worchepe and to magnyfye,
To welcome yow, bothe gret and small,
With yow everemore to lyve and dye.
Grauntmercy, Sires, oure kyng gan say;
And toward London he gan ride;
This was upon seynt Clementys day,
They wolcomed hym on every syde.
The lordes of Fraunce, thei gan say then,
Ingelond is nought as we wen,
It farith be these Englisshmen,
As it doth be a swarm of ben;
Ingland is like an hive withinne,
There fleeres makith us full evell to wryng,
Tho ben there arrowes sharpe and kene,
Thorugh oure harneys they do us styng.
To London brigge thanne rood oure kyng,
The processions there they mette hym ryght,
'Ave Rex Anglor,' their gan syng,
'Flos mundi,' thei seyde, Goddys knyght.
To London brigge whan he com ryght,
Upon the gate ther stode on hy,
A gyaunt that was full grym of syght,
To teche the Frensshmen curtesye.
And at the drawe brigge, that is faste by,
To toures there were upright;
An antelope and a lyon stondyng hym by,
Above them seynt George oure lady knyght,
Besyde hym many an angell bright,
'Benedictus' thei gan synge,
'Qui venit in nomine domin.' goddes knyght,
'Gracia Dei' with yow doth sprynge.
Into London thanne rood oure kyng,
Full goodly there thei gonnen hym grete;
Thorugh out the town thanne gonne they syng,
For joy and merthe y yow behete;
Men and women for joye they alle,
Of his comyn thei weren so fayn,
That the Condyd bothe grete and smalle,
Ran wyn ich on as y herde sayn.
The tour of Cornhill that is so shene,
I may well say now as y knowe,
It was full of Patriarkes alle be dene,
'Cantate' thei songe upon a rowe;
There bryddes thei gon down throwe,
An hundred there flewe aboughte oure kyng,
'Laus ejus' bothe hyghe and lowe
'In ecclesia sanctorum' thei dyd syng.
Unto the Chepe thanne rood oure kyng;
To the Condyt whanne he com tho,
The XII apostelys thei gon syng,
'Benedict. anima domino'
XII kynges there were on a rowe,
They knelyd doun be on asent,
And obles aboughte oure kyng gan throwe,
And wolcomyd hym with good entent.
The Cros in Chepe verrament,
It was gret joy it for to beholde;
It was araied full reverent,
With a castell right as God wolde,
With baners brighte beten with gold.
And angelys senssyd hym that tyde;
With besaunts riche many a fold,
They strowed oure kyng on every syde.
Virgynes out of the castell gon glyde,
For joye of hym they were daunsyng,
They knelyd a doun alle in that tyde,
'Nowell,' 'Nowell,' alle thei gon syng.
Unto Poules thanne rood oure kyng,
XIIII bysshopes hym mette there right,
The grete bellys thanne did they ryng,
Upon his feet full faire he light.
And to the heighe auter he went right,
'Te Deum' for joye thanne thei gon syng;
And there he offred to God almyght:
And thanne to Westminster he wente withoute dwellyng.
In xv wokes forsothe, he wroughte al this,
Conquered Harfleu and Agincourt;
Crist brynge there soules all to blys,
That in that day were mort.
Crist that is oure hevene kyng,
His body and soule save and se;
Now all Ingelond may say and syng,
'Blyssyd mote be the Trinite,'
This jornay have ye herd now alle be dene,
The date of Crist I wot is was,
A thousand foure hundred and fyftene.
_Gloria tibi Trinitas._
Harflu fert Mauric Augincourt p'lia Crispin.
* * * * *
P. 119. [A^{o} 10 Hen. VI.]--"John Welles, grocer, maior. This same
yere, the xvj day of Decembre, G beynge the dominical lettre, kyng
Herry the vj^{te} was crowned kyng of Fraunce at Parys, in the chirche
of Notre Dame, with gret solempnite and rialte; and anoon after he
turned ayen into Engelond, and landed at Dovorr the ix day of
Feverer', and come to London the xxj day of the same month, where he
was ryally resceyved, alle the craftes rydynge ayens hym, all in
white."
The following poem by Lydgate presents a very minute account of the
manner in which the young monarch was received into London after his
coronation as king of France, and of the pageant upon the occasion.
Two copies exist in MS. in the British Museum; one in the Harleian MS.
565, which has been literally transcribed; the other in the Cottonian
MS. Julius B. II; and the variations between them will be found in the
notes. About one third of this article, taken from the former of those
MSS., is printed in Malcolm's London, vol. ii. p. 89, but it conveys a
very imperfect idea of the whole composition; for not only has the
orthography of the extract been modernized, but the most interesting
descriptions do not occur. The annexed is therefore, it is presumed,
the only correct copy which has ever been published, and it cannot
fail to be deemed an exceedingly curious illustration of the passage
in "The Chronicle," as well as of the manners of the period. Lydgate
does not mention upon what day of the month the circumstance took
place, but says that it was "upon a Thorsday" "toward the ende of
wyndy Februarie:" and as the 21st of February in 1431 fell on a
Thursday, there is little doubt that it was on that day that Henry
entered London.
"THE COMYNGE OF THE KYNG OUT OF FRAUNCE TO LONDON." BY JOHN LYDGATE
"THE MONK OF BURY."
[_Harleian MS._ 565, _and Cottonian MS. Julius_ B. II.]
Toward the ende of wyndy Februarie,
Whanne Phebus was in the fysshe roune,[146]
Out of the signe which callyd is Aquarie,
Newe kalendas were entred and begonne,
Of Marches comyng, and the mery sonne,
Upon a Thorsday shed[147] hys bemys bright
Upon London, to make them glad and light.
[Footnote 146: croune _in Cotton MS. Julius_ B. II.]
[Footnote 147: shewed.]
The stormy reynes[148] of alle there hevynesse,
Were passyd away, and alle there[149] grevaunce,
For the sixte Henry, rote of there gladnesse,
Ther hertys joye, ther worldis suffissaunce,
Be trewe assent[150] crownyd kyng of Fraunce;
The even[151] rejoysyng the day of his repaire,
Made at his comynge the wedir to be so faire.
[Footnote 148: reyne.]
[Footnote 149: there old.]
[Footnote 150: dissent.]
[Footnote 151: hevene.]
A tyme, y trowe of God, for hym provydyd,
In alle the hevenes there was no clowde sayne;
From other daies that day was so devydyd,
And fraunchisyd from mystys and from rayn;
The erthe[152] attempred, the wyndes smothe and playne,
The Citezeines thorugh out the Citee,
Halwyd that day with gret solempnyte.
[Footnote 152: eyre.]
And lyk for David after his victorie,
Rejoysyd was al Jerusalem,
So this Cite with laude, pris, and glorie,
For joye mustred lik the sonne bem,
To geve ensample thorugh out this Reem;
Al of assent who so can conceyve,
There noble kyng were glad to resceyve.
There clothyng was of colour ful covenable;
The noble Mair clad in red velwet,
The Shireves, the Aldermen, ful notable,
In furryd clokes, the colour of scarlet;
In statly wyse whanne they were met,
Ich on were wel horsyd, and mad no delay,[153]
But with there Maire rood forth in there way.
[Footnote 153: Eche oon well horsed made no delay.]
The Citezeyns ich on of the Citee,
In there entent that they were pure and clene;
Ches them of whit a ful faire lyvere,
In evry craft as it was wel sene;
To shewe the trowthe that they dede mene,
Toward the kyng hadde mad them feithfully,
In sundry devyses embrowdyd richely.
And for to remembre of other alyens,
First Geneweys, thorugh thei were strangers,
Florantynys, and Venyciens,
And Esterlyngs, clad[154] in there manere,
Conveyd with seriaunts and othere officers,
Statly horsyd, after the Mair ridyng,
Passyd the subbarbes to mete with the kyng.
[Footnote 154: gladde.]
To the Blake heth whanne they dyd atteyne,
The Mair of prudence in especialle,
Made them hove in renges tweyne,
A strete betwen ech party lik a walle,
Alle clad in whit, and the most principalle,
A fore in red, with the[155] Mair rydyng,
Til tyme that he saw the kyng comyng;
[Footnote 155: theire.]
Thanne with his sporys, he tok his hors anone,
That to beholde it was a noble sight,
How lyk a man he to the kyng is gone,
Right well cheryd of herte, glad, and light;
Obeienge to hym, as hym ought of right:
And after that he cunningly abraid,
And to the kyng even thus he sayd;
"Sovereigne lord and noble kyng, ye be wolcome out of youre rem of
Fraunce, into this youre blessyd rem of Ingelond, and in especial unto
youre most notable Citee of London, otherwise callyd youre chambre, we
thankynge Almyghty[156] God of the good and gracious athenyng of youre
crowne of Fraunce, besechynge of his mercyful grace to sende yow
prosperite and many yeris, to the comfort of alle your lovyng pepill."
[Footnote 156: _Omitted._]
But for to tellen alle the circumstauncys,
Of every thyng shewed in centencs,
Noble devyses, diverse ordinauncys,
Conveid be scripture with ful gret excellence;
Al to declare, y have non eloquence,
Therfore y pray to alle tho that it schal rede,[157]
For to correcte where as they se nede.
[Footnote 157: that shall yt rede.]
First, whan they[158] passyd was the fabour,
Entring the brigge of this noble town,[159]
There was a peler reysyd lik a tour,
And theron stod a sturdy champyone,
Of look and chere, stern as a lyone;
His swerd uprered, prowdly gan manace,
Alle foreyn enemyes from the kyng to enchace;
[Footnote 158: he.]
[Footnote 159: citee.]
And in defens of his estat riall,
The geaunt wolde abyde ech aventure,
And alle assautes that were marcyall,
For his sake he proudly wolde endure;
In tokenynge wher of, he hadde a long[160] scripture,
On either syde declaryng his entent,
Whiche sayde thus, be good avisement.
[Footnote 160: _Omitted._]
[Sidenote: Inimicos ejus induam confusione.]
"Alle tho that ben enemys to the kyng,
I schal them clothe with confucione;
Make hym myghti be vertuos levyng,
His mortall fou to oppressen and bere a downe,
And hym to encresene as Cristes champione;
Alle myschevys from hym to abrigge,
With the grace of God, at the entryng of this[161] brigge."
[Footnote 161: the.]
Too antilopis stondyng on either syde,
With the armes of Ingelond and of Fraunce,
In token that God schall for hym provide,
As he hath title be juste eneritaunce,
To regne in pees, plente, and alle plesaunce;
Cesyng of werre, that men myghte ryden and[162] gone,
As trewe liegis, there hertys mad bothe oone.
[Footnote 162: or.]
Forthermore, so as the kyng gan ryde,
Middes of the brigge there was a toure on lofte;
The lord of lordes beynge ay his gyde,
As he hath be and yit wil be ful ofte.
The tour araied with velwetty softe,
Clothys of gold, silk, and tapicerie,
As apperteynyth to his regalye.
And at his comyng, of excellent beaute,
Benygne[163] of port, most womanly of chere,
There issued out, empresses thre;
There here displaied, as Phebus in his[164] spere,
With crownettys of gold and stones clere;
At whos out comyng thei gaf swyche a light,
That the beholders were stonyed in there sight.
[Footnote 163: beyng.]
[Footnote 164: her.]
[Sidenote: Nature.]
[Sidenote: Grace.]
The first of them was callyd[165] NATURE,
As sche that hath undyr here demayne,
Man, beest, and foul, and every creature,
Withinne the bondys of here goldyn cheyne;[166]
Eke hevene, and erthe, and every creature,[167]
This empresse of custum doth enbrace:
And next here com here suster callyd GRACE.
[Footnote 165: called was.]
[Footnote 166: _These lines are transposed._]
[Footnote 167: _These lines are transposed._]
Passyng famous, and of gret reverence,
Most desyryd in alle regions;
For where that evere shewith here presence,
She bryngeth gladnes to citees and to townys.
Of alle welle fare she halt[168] the possessionys,
For y dar sey, prosperite in no place,
No while abidith, but if there be grace.
[Footnote 168: holdeth.]
[Sidenote: Fortune.]
In tokene that Grace shal[169] longe continue,
Unto the kyng, she shewyd here ful benygne;
And next here com the empresse FORTUNE,
To hym aperyng with many a noble signe,
And riall tokenys, to shew that he was digne,
Of God disposyd as lust[170] ordeygne,
Upon his hed to were crownes tweyne.
[Footnote 169: shuld.]
[Footnote 170: lyst.]
[Sidenote: Natura Gracia et Fortuna.]
These thre ladies, al of on entent,
Thre goostly gyftes, hevynly, and devyne,
Unto the kyng anon they dyd present;
And to his hignesse they dyd anon enclyne,
And what they weren pleynly to determyne;
Grace gaf hym first at his comynge,
Two riche gyftes, sciens and cunnynge.
[Sidenote: Intende prospere procede et regna.]
Nature gaf hym eke strengthe, and fayrnesse,
For to be lovyd and dred of every wight;
Fortune gaf hym eke prosperite, and richesse;
With this scripture aperyng in ther sight,
To hym applied of verey due right,
"First undirstonde and wilfully procede,
And longe to regne," the scripture seide in dede.
This is to mene, who so undirstondith aright,
Thow shalt be fortune have long prosperite;
And be nature thow shalt have strengthe, and myght,
Forth to procede in long felicite;
And grace also hath grauntyd unto the,
Vertuously longe in thi roiall citee,
With septre and crowne to regne in equyte.
On the right hand of these Empresses,
Stode thir[171] maydenys verey celestialle;
Like Phebus bemys shone there golden tresses,
Upon there hedes ech havyng a crownalle,
Of port and chere semyng immortalle:
In sight transsendyng alle erthely creatures,
So angelik they weren of there figures.
[Footnote 171: sevyn.]
Al clad in white, in tokene of clennesse,
Liche pure virgynes as in there ententys,
Schewynge outward an hevenly fresshe brightnesse;
Stremyd with sonnys weren alle there garmentys,
Aforne provyded for pure innocentys:
Most colombyne of chere and of lokyng,
Meekly roos up at the comyng of the kyng.
They had on bawdrikes al on saphire hewe,
Goynge outward gan the kyng salue,
Hym presentyng with ther gyftes newe,
Lik as thei[172] thought it was to them due;
Whiche gostly giftes, here in ordre suwe,
Down descendyng as silver dewe from hevene,
Al grace includyd[173] withinne the giftes sewene.
[Footnote 172: them.]
[Footnote 173: include.]
These riall giftes ben of vertu most
Goostly corages, most soveraygnely delite,
The[174] giftes callyd of the Holy Goost,
Outward figuryd be seven dowys white;
Seyenge[175] to hym, lik as clerkes write,
"God the fulfille with intelligence
And with a spirit of goostly sapience
[Footnote 174: these.]
[Footnote 175: And seyyng.]
[Sidenote: Impleat te Deus sp'u sapiciencie et intellectus sp'u
consilii et fortitudinis sciencie et pietatis et sp'u timoris Domin'.]
God sende also to thi moost availe,
The to preserve from alle hevynesse;
A spirit of strenghthe, and of good counsaile,
Of cunnyng, drede, pite, and of lownesse:"
Thus thise ladies gan there gyftes dresse,
Graciously at there out comyng,
Be influence light upon the kyng.
These Empresses hadde on there left syde,
Othere vij virgines, pure and clene,
Be attendaunce continually to abyde,
Al clad in whit, smete ful of sterrers shene;
And to declare what they wolde mene,
Unto the kyng with fulle gret reverence,
These weren there gyftes shortly in sentence;
[Sidenote: Induat te Dominus corona glorie sceptro clemencie,[176]
gladio iusticie,[177] pallio prudencie, scuto fidei, galea salutis, et
vinculo pacis.]
[Footnote 176: _Transposed._]
[Footnote 177: _Transposed._]
God the endue with a crowne of glorie;
And with a[178] septre of clennesse and pite;
And with a sheld of right,[179] and victorie;
And with a mantel of prudence clad thow be;
A sheld of feith for to defende the;
An helm of helthe wrought to thin encres;
Girt with a girdell of love and perfight pees.
[Footnote 178: _Omitted._]
[Footnote 179: swerde of might.]
These vij virgynes of sight most hevenly,
With herte, body, and handys reioysyng,
And of there[180] cheres aperid murely,
For the kynges gracious hom comyng;
And for gladnesse they began to synge,
Most angelik with hevenly armonye,
This same roundelle which y shal now specifie.
[Footnote 180: othir.]
Soverayne lord, Wolcome to youre Citee;
Wolcome oure joye, and oure hertys plesaunce;
Wolcome oure gladnes, Wolcome oure suffisaunce;
Wolcome, Wolcome, right Wolcome, mote ye be;
Syngyng to fore thi riall mageste,
We seye of herte, withoughten variaunce,
Soverayn lord, Wolcome, Wolcome, oure[181] joye;
[Footnote 181: ye be.]
Meir, Citezeins, and al the Comonte,
At youre hom comyng newe out of Fraunce,
Be grace relevyd of al ther olde grevaunce,
Syng this day with gret solempnyte.
Thus resceyvyd, an esy paas rydyng,
The kyng is entred into this Citee;
And in Cornhull anon at his comynge,
To do plesaunce to his mageste,
A tabernacle surmontyng of beaute,
There was ordeyned, be full fresshe entaille,
Richely arraied with rialle apparaille;
This tabernacle of moost magnyfycence,
Was of this byldyng verrey imperiall,
Mad for the lady callyd dame Sapience.
[Sidenote: Septem sciencie liberales.]
To for whos face moost statly and rialle,
Were the vij sciences callyd liberalle;
Rounde aboughte as makyd is memorie,
Which never departyd from his[182] consistorie,
Frist ther was Gramer, as y reherce can,
Chef founder[183] and rote of al connyng,
Whiche hadde afore here old Precian;
[Footnote 182: hire.]
[Footnote 183: founderesse.]
And Logyk hadde afore here ek[184] stondyng,
Aristotill so clerkly disputyng;
And Retoryk hadde eke in her presence,
Tullius, callyd myrrour of eloquence;
And Musyk hadde royde of all discorde,
Boice, here clerk, with hevenly armonye,
And instrumentis al of on acorde;
[Footnote 184: _Omitted._]
For to practyse with sugryd melodye,
He and his clerkes[185] there wittes dyd applye,
With touche of strengys, on orgons we[186] playeng,
There craft to shewe at the[187] comynge of oure kyng;
And Arsmetrik, be castynge of nombrarie,
Ches Pictogoras for here partye,
Callyd chief clerk to governe here liberarie.
[Footnote 185: scolars.]
[Footnote 186: eke.]
[Footnote 187: _Omitted._]
Euclude tok mesures be craft of gemetrie,
And al ther heighest[188] stod Astronomye;
Albunisar last with here of vij^{e},
With instrumentis that raught up into hevene;
The chief princesse callyd dame Sapience,
Hadde to fore here wrete[189] this scripture,
Kynges, quod she, moost of excellence,
[Footnote 188: alderhyhest.]
[Footnote 189: writen.]
[Sidenote: Per me Reges regnant et gloriam sapiencie possidebunt.]
[Sidenote: Et nunc Reges intelligite et erudimini qui iudicatis
terram.]
Be me thei regne, and moost in joye endure,
For thorugh myn helpe, and my besy cure,
To encrese ther glorie and high renone,
They shull of wisdome have ful possession.
And in the front of this tabernacle,
Sapiens, a scripture gan devyse,
Able to be reed withoughten a spectacle,
To yonge kynges seying in this wyse,
Undirstondith and lernyth of the wyse,
On right remembryng the highe lord to queme,
Sith ye be juges other folk to deme;
Forthermore the matir doth devyse.
The kyng procedyng forth upon his way,
Com to the Condyte mad in sercle wyse;
[Sidenote: Domina misericord' a dextris et domina veritat' a sinistris
et cum clemencia roborabit' thronus eius.]
Whom to resceyve, ther was mad no delay,
And myddys above in ful riche aray,
There sat a child of beute procellyng,
Middys of a[190] trone raid like a kyng,
Whom to governe, there were assygned tweyne,
A lady, Mercy, sat on his right syde;
On his lefte honde yf y shall nought feyne,
[Footnote 190: the.]
[Sidenote: Misericordia et Veritas custodiunt Regem.]
The lady Trouthe, his domys to provyde;
The lady Clemence on loft dyd a byde,
Of God ordeyned in the same place,
The kynges throne strongly to enbrace;
For be the sentence of prudent Salamon,
Mercy and Right kepen every kyng,
And Clemence kepit be reson,
[Sidenote: Iudiciu' et Iusticiam.]
His myghti throne from myschief and fallyng,
And makith it strong with longe abydyng;
For y dar say these ladies thre,
A kyng preserve in long felicite.[191]
Thanne stod afore[192] also[193] the sayd kyng,
Two juges, with ful highe noblesse;
Viij^{te} seriauntes ich on representyng;
[Footnote 191: prosperytee.]
[Footnote 192: _Transposed._]
[Footnote 193: _Transposed._]
[Sidenote: Honor Regis iudiciu' dilig^{t}. Deus iudiciu' tuum Regi da,
et justiciam tuam filio Regis.]
For comon profith doom and right wisnesse:
Withe this scripture, whiche shalle expresse,[194]
Honour of kyng is in every mannys sight,[195]
Of comone custom lovyth equyte and right,
Kyng Davyd wrot, the sawter berith witnes,
Lord God, quod he, thi dome yif us[196] to the kyng,
And yif thi trouthe, and thi right wysnes,
[Footnote 194:
Honour of kyng which I shall expresse,
With this scripture in every manys sight.]
[Footnote 195:
Honour of kyng which I shall expresse,
With this scripture in every manys sight.]
[Footnote 196: _Omitted._]
To the kynges sone here in his levynge,
To us declaryng, as be ther wrightyng,
That kynges, prynces, sholde aboughte hym drawe,
Folk that ben trewe, and wel expert in lawe.
The kyng forthe rydyng entred Chepe anone,
A lusty place, a place of alle delitis,
Com to the Condyte, wher as cristalle ston,
[Sidenote: Thetis est dea aquar'.]
[Sidenote: Bachus est deus vini.]
The water ran, like welles of Paradys:
The holsome licour, ful riche and of gret pris,
Lik to the water of Archedeclyne,
Whiche be meracle were turnyd to[197] wyn:
Thetes, which that is of waters chief goddesse,
Hadde of the wellys power non nor myght,
For Bachus shewyd ther his fulsomnesse,
[Footnote 197: into.]
Of holsome wynes, to every maner wight:
For wyn of nature makith hertys light,
Wherfore Bachus, atte reverence of the kyng,
Shedde out his plente at his hom comyng.
Wyn is a lycour of[198] recreacione,
That day presentyd in tokne of[199] gladnes,
Into the kyngges famous highe renone,
[Footnote 198: of grete.]
[Footnote 199: of alle.]
From[200] to exile al maner hevynes,
For with his comyng, the dede berith witnes,
Out of this[201] lond he put away al trowble,
And made of newe oure joyes to be dowble.
Eke at thise welles, there were virgines thre,
Whiche drew[202] up[203] wynes of joye and of plesance;
Mercy, and Grace, there ther sustre eke Pite,
[Footnote 200: From us.]
[Footnote 201: the.]
[Footnote 202: _transposed._]
[Footnote 203: _transposed._]
Mercy mynystred wynes of attemperaunce;
Grace shed here licour of good governaunce;
And Pite preferryd with ful good foysone,
Wynes of comfort and consolacione;
The wyn of Mercy stanchith of[204] nature,
The gredy thristes of cruelle hastynes;
Grace with here licour cristallyn and pure,
[Footnote 204: by.]
Differith vengeaunce of furious wodnes,
And Pite blemsyght the swerd of rightwysnes,
Covenable welles, most holsome of savour,
For to be tasted of every governour.
O how thise wellys who so tok good hede,
With there licours moost homsome to ataine,
Afore devysyd notably in dede,
For to accorde with the Mairis name,[205]
Whiche be report of his worthy fame,
That day was besy in all his governaunce,
Unto the kyng for to done plesaunce.
There were ek trees, with levys fresshe of hewe,
Al tyme of the yer ful of frutes lade,
Of colour hevenly and evere eliche newe.
[Footnote 205: Nomen maioris Johannes Welles.]
Orenges, almondys, and the pomegarnade,
Lymons, dates, there colours fresh and glade,
Pypyns, quynces, blaundrellys to disport,
And the pom cedre, corageus to recomfort:
Eke othere frutes, whiche that more comown be,
Quenyngges, peches, costardes, and wardons,
And othere manye ful faire and freshe to se.
The pome water, and the gentil ricardouns,
And agaynes hertes for mutegacions,[206]
Damasyns, whiche with there tast delite,
Ful gret plente bothe of blak and white.
And besydes this gracious paradis,
Al ioghe[207] and gladnesse for to multiplie,
Two olde men, ful circumspect and wys,
[Footnote 206: murtygacions.]
[Footnote 207: joye.]
[Sidenote: Nichil proficiat inimicus in eo Et filius iniquitatis non
apponat nocere ei.]
Ther did apere, like folkys faire:[208]
The ton was Ennok, that[209] other Elye,
The kyng presentyng ther gyftes ful notable;
That God conferme his state ay to be stable,
The firste seide, withe benynge chere,
Gretly desyryng his prosperite,
That non enemy have on hym powere,
[Footnote 208: off feyre.]
[Footnote 209: the.]
[Sidenote: Dominus conservet eum vivificet eum et beatum faciet eum
&c.]
Nor no[210] child be fals inequyte,
Perturble nevere his felicite;
Thus old Ennok, the processe gan welle telle,
And preid for the kyng as he rood be the welle.
After Elias with his lokkes hore,
Wel devoutly seyde,[211] lokyng on the kyng,
God conserve the and kepe the evermore,
[Footnote 210: Nor that no.]
[Footnote 211: Seyd well devoutly.]
[Sidenote: Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus salvatoris.]
And make hym blessyd in erthe here levyng,
And preserve hym in al manere thyng,
And special among kynges alle,
In enemyes handes that he nevere falle.
And at the[212] frontour of these welles clere,
Ther was a scripture comendyng ther[213] licour;
Ye shall drawe waters with good chere,
[Footnote 212: _Omitted._]
[Footnote 213: the.]
Out of wellys of oure savyour,
Whiche han vertu to curyne al langour,
Be influence of ther grete swetnesse,
Hertys avoidyng of al ther hevynesse.
Than from thise welles of fulsome abundaunce;
With ther licours as any cristalle clere,
The kyng rood forthe with sobre continaunce,
Toward a castell, beldyd[214] of jasper grene,
Upon whos toures the sonne shone ful[215] shene;
Ther clerly shewyd be notable remembraunce,
The[216] kynges title of Ingelond and of Fraunce.
To grene trees ther grew upright,
From seynt Edward and from seynt Lowys,
The roote etake,[217] palpable to the sight,
[Footnote 214: bilt.]
[Footnote 215: _Omitted._]
[Footnote 216: This.]
[Footnote 217: ytake.]
Conveyd be[218] kynges of gret prys,
Some bare lebardes, some bar flour de lys;
In nowthir armes founde was ther no lak,
Whiche the sixte Henry may now bere on his bak;
The pedegre be iuste successione,
As trewe cronycles trewly determyne,
Unto the kyng is now descendyd down,
[Footnote 218: Conveyd by lynes be &c.]
From eyther party, right as any lyne:
Upon whos hed now freshly done shyne,
Two riche crownes, moost soverayne of plesaunce,
To brynge in pees betwen Ingelond and Fraunce.
Upon this castelle, on the tother syde,
Ther was a tree, whiche sprang out of Jesse,
Ordeyned of God ful longe to abyde,
Davyd first[219] crownyd[220] for his humylyte,
The braunches conveide, as men myghte se,
Lynyally, and[221] the genelogye,
To Crist J'hu, that was borne of Marie;
And whi the Jesse was sett on that partye,
This was the cause in especialle;
For next to Powlys y dar well specyfie,
[Footnote 219: _Transposed._]
[Footnote 220: _Transposed._]
[Footnote 221: Lynally and in, &c.]
Is the party moost chief and principalle,
Callyd of Londone, the chirche cathedralle,
Whiche oughte of resone the devys for[222] to excuse,
To alle tho that wolde agen it frowne or muse.
And fro that castelle the kyng forth gan hym dresse,
Toward Poules chief chirche of this citee;
And at the[223] Conduyt he[224] light and a liknesse,
[Footnote 222: _Omitted._]
[Footnote 223: _Omitted._]
[Footnote 224: _Omitted._]
Indyvysyble mad of the Trinite,
A throne compassyd of his riall se;
Aboughte whiche shortly to conclude,
Of hevenly angelles was[225] a gret multitude,
To whom was gevyn a precept in scripture,
Wreten in the front of the highe stage,
That thei shuld do there besy cure,
[Footnote 225: wern.]
[Sidenote: Longitudinem dierum replebo eum et ostendam illi salutare
meum.]
To kepe the kyng sure[226] from al damage,
In his lyf here, duryng alle his age,
His highe renone to shyne,[227] and sprede[228] ferre,
Of hise too remes to sese the mortall werre.
And last was wreten in the frontours,
I shall fulfille hym with yoye and abundaunce
And with lengthe of many[229] holsom yers;
[Footnote 226: _Omitted._]
[Footnote 227: _Transposed._]
[Footnote 228: _Transposed._]
[Footnote 229: _Omitted._]
And y shalle shewe hym my helthe[230] with al plesaunce,
And of his lieges feithfull obeisaunce,
Multiplie and encrese his lyne,
And make his noblesse thorugh out[231] the world to shyne;
Love of his peple, favour of alle strangers,
In both hise remes, pees, reste, and unyte,
Be influence of the nyne spers;
[Footnote 230: helpe.]
[Footnote 231: _Omitted._]
Longe to contynue in his riall se,
Grace to cherisshe the Mair and the Citee,
Longe in his mynde to be conceyved,
With how good will[232] that day he was resceyvyd.
Comynge to Poules, there he light a down,
Entred the chirche ful demure of chere,
And there to mete hym with processione,
[Footnote 232: Their good will &c.]
Was the archebisshope and the chaunceler,
Lincolne, and Bathe, of hol hert and entier,
Salesbury, Norwych and Ely,
In pontificall arayed richely;
There was the bysshope of Rouchestre also,
The deen of Poules, the chanons everyich on,
Of dute as they oughte to do,
On processione with the kyng to gone,
And though y can nought reherce them on be one,
Yit dar y seye in[233] there entent,
To done ther dever ful trewly they ment;
Lyk ther estates forthe thei gan precede,
With observaunces longyng for a kyng,
Solempnely gan hym conreye in dede,
[Footnote 233: as in.]
Up in to the chirche, with ful devout syngyng;
And whanne he had mad his offryng,
The Mair, the Citezeins, abood, and lefte hym nought,
Unto Westmynster til thei hadde hym brought;
Where, all the covent in copis richely,
Mette with hym of custome as they ought;
The abbot after moost solempnely,
Among the relikes, the scripture[234] out he[235] sought,
Of seynt Edward, and to the kyng he brought;
Though it were longe, large, and of gret weighte,
Yit on his shuldres the kyng bar it on heighte,
In the mynstre, whiles alle the bellys ronge,
Til that[236] he come to the heighe auter;
And ful devoutly Te Deum there was songe.
[Footnote 234: sceptre.]
[Footnote 235: _Omitted._]
[Footnote 236: _Omitted._]
[Sidenote: Ex duabus arboribus viz s'c'i Edwardi et s'c'i Lodewyci.]
And all[237] the peple, glad of look and cher,
Thankynge[238] God with alle there hertys entier,
To se there kyng with too crownes shyne,
From too trees treuly fet the lyne:
And aftyr this,[239] it ys verrey sothe,
Unto his palys of kyngly apparaile,
With his lordes the kyng anon forth goth,
[Footnote 237: _Omitted._]
[Footnote 238: Thanked.]
[Footnote 239: That this is the, &c.]
To take his reste after his travaile;
And thanne of wysdom, whiche[240] may so moche availe,
The Meir, the Citezeins, which al this[241] thing ded se,
Be hom repaired in to there Citee.
The Shirreves, the Aldermen in fere,
The Satyrday alther next suyng,
There Mair presentyd with all there hertes entere,
[Footnote 240: that.]
[Footnote 241: this dyd se.]
Goodly to be resceyved of the kyng;
And at Westmenster confermed there[242] a thyng,
The Mair and they with ful hol entent,
Unto the kyng a gyfte gan[243] present;
The whiche gifte, thei goodly han disposyd,
Tok an hamper of gold that shene shone;
A thousand pound of gold ther inne closyd:[244]
[Footnote 242: there askyng.]
[Footnote 243: gan to.]
[Footnote 244: yclosyd.]
And there with alle to the kyng they gone,
And fill on knees to fore hym everych on,
Ful humbly the trouthe to devyse,
And to the Kyng the Mair seide in this wyse;
Moost cristen prince and noble kyng, the goode folke of youre moost
notable Citee of London, other wyse callid[245] youre Chambre,
besechyn in there moost lowly wyse they mow be recomaundyd to youre
highnesse, and that it can like unto youre noble grace to resceyve
this litel gyfte gevyne with as good a wille, trouthe,[246] and
lounesse, as ever any gift was gevyn to any erthely prynce.
[Footnote 245: cleped.]
[Footnote 246: of trouthe.]
[Sidenote: V'ba t'nslat'.]
Be glad, O Londone, be glad ant make gret joye,
Citee of Citees, of noblesse procellyng;
In thi begynnyng called Newe Troye,
For worthynesse thank God of all thing,
Whiche hast this day resceyved so the[247] kyng,
With many a signe and many an observaunce,
To encrese thi name be newe remembraunce.
[Footnote 247: thy.]
Swyche joye was[248] in the consistorie,
Mad for the tryumple with al the surpluage,
Whan Cesar Julius com hom with his victorie,
Ne for the conquest of Stepyon[249] in Cartage,
As Londone made in every maner age,
Out of Fraunce at his[250] hom comyng,
In to this Citee of there noble kyng.
[Footnote 248: was nevere.]
[Footnote 249: Syprion.]
[Footnote 250: the.]
Of vij thinges y preyse this Citee;
Of trewe menyng, and feithfull obeisaunce,[251]
Of rightwysnesse, trouthe, and equyte,
Of stabilnesse, ay kept in alegiaunce,
And for of vertu, thou hast suche suffisaunce
In this land here, and othere londes alle,
The kynges Chaumbre, of custom men the calle.
[Footnote 251: observaunce.]