Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

Great Britain -- History -- Poetry; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Sources

Of stately captaynes, French, was _Iohn de Villers_ one
        Within the taken towne, and _Narrabon_, a knight
        _Burgunion_: yet they fled, away they gate them gone:
        They durst not bide againste the blanched boyes to fight:
        Wee paide the periurde knaues the burgesses that night,
          And gate as much of honour and renowne
          As they gate shame and losse, which bought and solde the towne.

    69.

        Marke well the Frenchmen’s foyles in all our worthy war,
        In these two regall _Henrye’s_ times, and you shall see
        How wee surpast the French in valure farre:
        And bend for prince and realme so valiaunt for to bee:
        Which if yee shall, and deale in seruice as did wee,
          I nothing doubt renowne and fame shall say,
          That noble England beares for warres the palme away.

    70.

        But when king _Charles_ had heard how _Pontoise_ men had sped,
        His army strayght assembled hee therefore agayne,
        Wherewith to win this towne afresh th’assaute hee led,
        Hee pyners set to trenche and vnder mine amayne,
        Made bastiles for defence, yet all this toyle was vayne,
          For battery of our walles hee spent his pouder still,
          Made freshly Frenche assaults, but did no ill.

    71.

        The noble duke of _Yorke_ discharged late before,
        When now the earle of _Warwicke_ chaunst at _Roane_ to dye,
        Being regent chosen once agayne of Fraunce, as yore,
        (Th’earle of _Warwicke_ regent was two yeares, perdy)
        Arryude in Fraunce, to rowse the Frenche king he did hye,
          Which lay beseiging _Pontoise_, as I sayde,
          With him to fight, and eke to bring vs ayde.

    72.

        The Frenche king fled, for haste he left his store behinde:
        When hee was once assurde the duke of _Yorke_ drue nere,
        Hee durst not stay to bide the time or place assinde
        To fight our regent with, but fled away for feare:
        By these assayes you see what men in Fraunce they were,
          Discouragde oft, slayne, put to flight, and fall:
          By sight, force, fight, and names, of nombers small.

    73.

        There when the duke had fortefyde our _Pontoise_ towne,
        Then he pursude the Frenche king erst that fled,
        To _Poyssy_, where hee laye with lords of Frenche renowne:
        Before which towne, the duke his noble army led:
        The Frenche king durste not out of _Poyssy_ put his head:
          And yet there came to skirmish out Frenche gentilmen,
          Of which some slayne, fowre tane, the reste retyrde agen.

    74.

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

Opening the text

History

Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

Great Britain -- History -- Poetry; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Sources

Of stately captaynes, French, was _Iohn de Villers_ one
        Within the taken towne, and _Narrabon_, a knight
        _Burgunion_: yet they fled, away they gate them gone:
        They durst not bide againste the blanched boyes to fight:
        Wee paide the periurde knaues the burgesses that night,
          And gate as much of honour and renowne
          As they gate shame and losse, which bought and solde the towne.

    69.

        Marke well the Frenchmen’s foyles in all our worthy war,
        In these two regall _Henrye’s_ times, and you shall see
        How wee surpast the French in valure farre:
        And bend for prince and realme so valiaunt for to bee:
        Which if yee shall, and deale in seruice as did wee,
          I nothing doubt renowne and fame shall say,
          That noble England beares for warres the palme away.

    70.

        But when king _Charles_ had heard how _Pontoise_ men had sped,
        His army strayght assembled hee therefore agayne,
        Wherewith to win this towne afresh th’assaute hee led,
        Hee pyners set to trenche and vnder mine amayne,
        Made bastiles for defence, yet all this toyle was vayne,
          For battery of our walles hee spent his pouder still,
          Made freshly Frenche assaults, but did no ill.

    71.

        The noble duke of _Yorke_ discharged late before,
        When now the earle of _Warwicke_ chaunst at _Roane_ to dye,
        Being regent chosen once agayne of Fraunce, as yore,
        (Th’earle of _Warwicke_ regent was two yeares, perdy)
        Arryude in Fraunce, to rowse the Frenche king he did hye,
          Which lay beseiging _Pontoise_, as I sayde,
          With him to fight, and eke to bring vs ayde.

    72.

        The Frenche king fled, for haste he left his store behinde:
        When hee was once assurde the duke of _Yorke_ drue nere,
        Hee durst not stay to bide the time or place assinde
        To fight our regent with, but fled away for feare:
        By these assayes you see what men in Fraunce they were,
          Discouragde oft, slayne, put to flight, and fall:
          By sight, force, fight, and names, of nombers small.

    73.

        There when the duke had fortefyde our _Pontoise_ towne,
        Then he pursude the Frenche king erst that fled,
        To _Poyssy_, where hee laye with lords of Frenche renowne:
        Before which towne, the duke his noble army led:
        The Frenche king durste not out of _Poyssy_ put his head:
          And yet there came to skirmish out Frenche gentilmen,
          Of which some slayne, fowre tane, the reste retyrde agen.

    74.

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

Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

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