(Sur les Anglais)
"Franche dogue," dist un Anglois,
"Vous ne faites que boire vin."
"Si faisons bien," dist le François,
"Mais vous buvez le henequin;
Roux estes com pel de mastin,
Vuillequot, de moy aprenez,
Quant vous yrez par le chemin:
Levez vostre queue, levez!
Vous n'estes pas de membres fais
Si comme est Jaques Thommelin
Qui porte si merveilleus fais
Que vous n'y pourriez mettre fin:
Ce sont deux tonneaulx de sapin,
C'est voir, et la queue delez.
Advisez-vous, dit Franchequin;
Levez vostre queue, levez!
N'alez a piet, par le temps frais,
Porter vostre blé au moulin;
S'il pluet, troussez vo queue près,
Autel facent vostre voisin;
Et si vous pinciez le raisin,
Afin que vous ne vous crotez,
Soit en France ou en Limosin,
Levez vostre queue, levez!"[320]
Another ballade records an incident which is supposed to have happened
in Calais. In company with Granson, a mercenary captain in English pay,
but without the necessary safe-conduct, the poet entered the town,
which was then in possession of the English. He was at once pulled up by
two men-at-arms who addressed him in language of which he quotes such
scraps as "dogue" and "goday", "ride" and "commidre". He, on his side,
intimated his recognition of their nationality by exclaiming: "Oh yes! I
see your tail!" Whilst Granson, who had led him into the trap, made off
laughing and calling out that he had no wish to stand surety for him,
Deschamps was told that he would be kept in durance, an announcement
which again drew from him the taunt, "Oil, je voy vo queue!" Though
confessedly blue with fright, he nevertheless summoned up enough courage
to make a dash for liberty. Digging his heels vigorously into his cob,
he made it rear with a suddenness that sent his captors sprawling; and
whilst they lay helplessly on the ground, he hastily betook himself out
of their reach, uttering the inevitable refrain:--