Few poems can equal this piece in its spirited portrayal of military operations in the fifteenth century, the two sides to the picture, the pageantry of the army and the sufferings of the non-combatants, being contrasted with remarkable dramatic power in the passage which tells how two pavilions were pitched between the English camp and the walls of the city for the delegates appointed by the rival nations to discuss terms of peace. 'That was a syght of solempnyte, To beholde eyther other parte, To se hir pavylyons in hir araye The pepylle that on the wallys laye, And oure pepylle that was with owte, Howe thycke they stode and walkyd abowte. Also hyt was solas to sene The herrowdys of armys that went by twyne; Kyngys, herrowdys and pursefauntys In cotys of armys suauntys, The Englysche beeste, the Fraynysche floure, Of Portynggale castelle and toure; Othyr in cotys of dyversyte, As lordys berys in hys degre. Gayly with golde they were begon, Ryght as the son for sothe hyt schone. Thys syght was bothe joye and chere; Of sorowe and payne the othyr were. Of pore pepylle there were put owte And nought as moche as a clowte But the clothes on there backe To kepe them from rayne I wotte. The weder was unto them a payne, For alle that tyme stode most by rayne. There men myght se grete pytte, A chylde of ij yere or iij Go aboute to begge hyt brede. Fadyr and modyr bothe were dede. Undyr sum the watyr stode; Yet lay they cryyng aftyr foode. And sum storvyn unto the dethe, And sum stoppyde of ther brethe, Sum crokyd in the kneys, And sum alle so lene as any treys, And wemmen holden in thir armys Dede chyldryn in hyr barmys. * * * * * Thes were the syghtys of dyfferauns, That one of joye and that other of penaunce, As helle and hevyn ben partyd a to, That one of welle and that othyr of wo.'