O great mishap, the noble duke of _Bedford_ once being dead, Our welth went backe, by discords foule dispite wee loste Not only townes in Fraunce, and captaines armyes led, But many soldiers eke with labour, spence, and cost: And though full oft wee made the Frenche men smell of the rost, Yet in the end wee gayne of fyght the fame, And they by crafte and treason gate the game. 56. What resteth more, it were, perdie, to long to tell, Of batayles great and broiles which happened dayly still, The stories eke declare aduentures which befell: Although, God wot, the writers wanted poyntes of scill, Of whom to speake a while, degresse agayne I will, And partely shewe what one hee oughte to bee, Which takes on him to write an historie. 57. A chronicler should well in diuers tongues bee seene, And eke in all the artes hee oughte to haue a sighte, Whereby hee myght the truth of diuers actions deeme, And both supply the wantes, correct that is not righte: Hee should haue eloquence, and full and fitly write, Not mangle stories, snatching here and there: Nor gloaze to make a volume greate appeare. 58. Hee should bee of such countenaunce and wit, As should giue witnes to the histories hee writes, Hee should bee able well his reasons so to knit, As should continue well the matter hee resytes: Hee should not prayse, disprayse, for fauour or dispytes, But should so place each thing in order due, As myght approue the stories to bee true. 59. But this may haps the time may seeke at length redresse, And then such stories nowe and noble acts as dye, May come agayne to lighte (at least defaced lesse) Yf from the _Britaynes_ first antiquities they try: In greate defects yf they the trueth supply: Then shall the readers fuller stories finde, And haue wherby to recreate the minde. 60. But now retourne I must, and breifly heare declare Before my death, what sundry happes wee had: In warres right variousely the states of captaynes fare, Now weale, now woe, now ioyfull, now right sad: But who well ends, though all his haps were bad, Let him earst sinke or swim, lose, wyn, bee slayne, die, fall, Yf hee dye well, h’is thrise and fower tymes blest of all. 61. In Fraunce eyght leagues from _Paris_, _Pontoise_ stands, (Tweene that and _Roane_) which wee had wonne before: And so wee held it English safely in our handes: For to our prince the men allegeaunce swore, And they remaynd obedient euermore, Tyll from their necks to reaue the English yoke, They might finde meanes by whom to stricke the stroke. 62.