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
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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