A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483: Written in the Fifteenth Century, and for the First Time Printed from MSS. in the British MuseumAnonymous
History
A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483: Written in the Fifteenth Century, and for the First Time Printed from MSS. in the British Museum
Anonymous
London (England) -- History -- To 1500; London (England) -- Social life and customs -- To 1500
The kyng of Fraunce that is so old,
Onto oure kyng he sente on hy,
And prayde trews that he wolde hold
For the love of seynt Mary.
Oure Cherlys of Fraunce gret well, or ye wende,
The Dolfyn prowed withinne his wall,
Swyche tenys ballys I schal hym sende
As schall tere the roof all of his all.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
Oure kyng ordeyned with all his myght,
For to amende that is amys,
And that is all for Engelond ryght,
To geten agen that scholde ben his;
That is, al Normandie forsothe y wys,
Be right of eritage he scholde it have,
Therof he seith he wyll nought mys,
Crist kepe his body sounde and save.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
Oure kyng at Westmenster he lay,
And his bretheren everych on;
And other many lordes that is no nay,
The kyng to them seyde anon,
To Fraunce y thenke to take the way,
Sires, he seyde, be swete seynt John;
Of good counsaill y will yow pray,
Wat is youre will what y shall don?
_Wot ye right well, &c._
The duk of Clarence, thanne seyd he,
My lord it is my right full will,
And other lordys right manye,
We hold it right reson and skyll,
To Fraunce we wolde yow redy bryng,
With gladder will than we kon say.
Gramercy, sires, seide our kyng,
I schall yow qwyte if that y may.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
I warne yow he seyde bothe olde and yonge,
Make yow redy withoughte delay;
At Southampton to mete youre kynge,
At Lammas on seynt Petrys day;
Be the grace of God ant swete Mary
Over the see y thenke to passe:
The kyng let ordeyn sone in hy,
What y mene ye knowe the casse.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
After anon, with right good chere,
Hyse gret gonnys and engynes stronge,
At London he schipped them alle in fere,
And sone fro Westmenster then sprongye,
With alle hyse lordys, sothe to saye:
The mair was redy and mette hym there,
With all the craftes in good araye,
It is ful soth what nede to swere.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
Heyl, comely kyng, the mair gan say,
The grace of God now be with the,
And speed the well in thy jornay,
Almyghti God in Trinite,
And graunt the evermore the degre,
To felle thin enemys bothe nyght and day;
Amen, seyde alle the comunalte,
Graunt mercy, sire, oure kyng gan say.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
To seynt Poulys he held the way;
He offred there full worthyly:
Fro thens to the quen that same day,
And tok his leve ful hendely;
And thorugh out London thanne gan he ryde;
To seynt George he com in hye,
And there he offred that iche tyde,
And other lordys that weren hym bye.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
And fro thens to Suhthampton, unto that strond,
For sothe he wold no longer there dwell:
XV hundryd shippys redy there he fond,
With riche sayles and heye topcastell.
Lordys of this lond, oure kyng gan there sell,
For a milion of gold as y herd say,
Therfore there truayle was quyte them full well,
For they wolde a mad a queynte aray.
_Wot ye right well, &c._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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