“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.
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.
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.
And lyk for David after his victorie,
Rejoysyd was al Jerusalem,
So this Cite with laude, pris, and glorie,
For joye mustred lik the sonne bem,
To geve ensample thorugh out this Reem;
Al of assent who so can conceyve,
There noble kyng were glad to resceyve.
There clothyng was of colour ful covenable;
The noble Mair clad in red velwet,
The Shireves, the Aldermen, ful notable,
In furryd clokes, the colour of scarlet;
In statly wyse whanne they were met,
Ich on were wel horsyd, and mad no delay,[153]
But with there Maire rood forth in there way.
The Citezeyns ich on of the Citee,
In there entent that they were pure and clene;
Ches them of whit a ful faire lyvere,
In evry craft as it was wel sene;
To shewe the trowthe that they dede mene,
Toward the kyng hadde mad them feithfully,
In sundry devyses embrowdyd richely.
And for to remembre of other alyens,
First Geneweys, thorugh thei were strangers,
Florantynys, and Venyciens,
And Esterlyngs, clad [154] in there manere,
Conveyd with seriaunts and othere officers,
Statly horsyd, after the Mair ridyng,
Passyd the subbarbes to mete with the kyng.
To the Blake heth whanne they dyd atteyne,
The Mair of prudence in especialle,
Made them hove in renges tweyne,
A strete betwen ech party lik a walle,
Alle clad in whit, and the most principalle,
A fore in red, with the [155] Mair rydyng,
Til tyme that he saw the kyng comyng;
Thanne with his sporys, he tok his hors anone,
That to beholde it was a noble sight,
How lyk a man he to the kyng is gone,
Right well cheryd of herte, glad, and light;
Obeienge to hym, as hym ought of right:
And after that he cunningly abraid,
And to the kyng even thus he sayd;

“Sovereigne lord and noble kyng, ye be wolcome out of youre rem of Fraunce, into this youre blessyd rem of Ingelond, and in especial unto youre most notable Citee of London, otherwise callyd youre chambre, we thankynge Almyghty [156] God of the good and gracious athenyng of youre crowne of Fraunce, besechynge of his mercyful grace to sende yow prosperite and many yeris, to the comfort of alle your lovyng pepill.”

But for to tellen alle the circumstauncys,
Of every thyng shewed in centencs,
Noble devyses, diverse ordinauncys,
Conveid be scripture with ful gret excellence;
Al to declare, y have non eloquence,
Therfore y pray to alle tho that it schal rede,[157]
For to correcte where as they se nede.
First, whan they [158] passyd was the fabour,
Entring the brigge of this noble town,[159]
There was a peler reysyd lik a tour,
And theron stod a sturdy champyone,
Of look and chere, stern as a lyone;
His swerd uprered, prowdly gan manace,
Alle foreyn enemyes from the kyng to enchace;
And in defens of his estat riall,
The geaunt wolde abyde ech aventure,
And alle assautes that were marcyall,
For his sake he proudly wolde endure;
In tokenynge wher of, he hadde a long [160] scripture,
On either syde declaryng his entent,
Whiche sayde thus, be good avisement.

Inimicos ejus induam confusione.

“Alle tho that ben enemys to the kyng,
I schal them clothe with confucione;
Make hym myghti be vertuos levyng,
His mortall fou to oppressen and bere a downe,
And hym to encresene as Cristes champione;
Alle myschevys from hym to abrigge,
With the grace of God, at the entryng of this [161] brigge.”
Too antilopis stondyng on either syde,
With the armes of Ingelond and of Fraunce,
In token that God schall for hym provide,
As he hath title be juste eneritaunce,
To regne in pees, plente, and alle plesaunce;
Cesyng of werre, that men myghte ryden and [162] gone,
As trewe liegis, there hertys mad bothe oone.
Forthermore, so as the kyng gan ryde,
Middes of the brigge there was a toure on lofte;
The lord of lordes beynge ay his gyde,
As he hath be and yit wil be ful ofte.
The tour araied with velwetty softe,
Clothys of gold, silk, and tapicerie,
As apperteynyth to his regalye.
And at his comyng, of excellent beaute,
Benygne [163] of port, most womanly of chere,
There issued out, empresses thre;
There here displaied, as Phebus in his [164] spere,
With crownettys of gold and stones clere;
At whos out comyng thei gaf swyche a light,
That the beholders were stonyed in there sight.

Nature.

The first of them was callyd [165] Nature,
As sche that hath undyr here demayne,
Man, beest, and foul, and every creature,
Withinne the bondys of here goldyn cheyne;[166]
Eke hevene, and erthe, and every creature,[167]
Grace.This empresse of custum doth enbrace:
And next here com here suster callyd Grace.
Passyng famous, and of gret reverence,
Most desyryd in alle regions;
For where that evere shewith here presence,
She bryngeth gladnes to citees and to townys.
Of alle welle fare she halt [168] the possessionys,
For y dar sey, prosperite in no place,
No while abidith, but if there be grace.
In tokene that Grace shal [169] longe continue,
Fortune.Unto the kyng, she shewyd here ful benygne;
And next here com the empresse Fortune,
To hym aperyng with many a noble signe,
And riall tokenys, to shew that he was digne,
Of God disposyd as lust [170] ordeygne,
Upon his hed to were crownes tweyne.

Natura Gracia et Fortuna.

These thre ladies, al of on entent,
Thre goostly gyftes, hevynly, and devyne,
Unto the kyng anon they dyd present;
And to his hignesse they dyd anon enclyne,
And what they weren pleynly to determyne;
Grace gaf hym first at his comynge,
Two riche gyftes, sciens and cunnynge.
Nature gaf hym eke strengthe, and fayrnesse,
For to be lovyd and dred of every wight;
Fortune gaf hym eke prosperite, and richesse;
With this scripture aperyng in ther sight,
To hym applied of verey due right,
Intende prospere procede et regna.“First undirstonde and wilfully procede,
And longe to regne,” the scripture seide in dede.
This is to mene, who so undirstondith aright,
Thow shalt be fortune have long prosperite;
And be nature thow shalt have strengthe, and myght,
Forth to procede in long felicite;
And grace also hath grauntyd unto the,
Vertuously longe in thi roiall citee,
With septre and crowne to regne in equyte.
On the right hand of these Empresses,
Stode thir [171] maydenys verey celestialle;
Like Phebus bemys shone there golden tresses,
Upon there hedes ech havyng a crownalle,
Of port and chere semyng immortalle:
In sight transsendyng alle erthely creatures,
So angelik they weren of there figures.
Al clad in white, in tokene of clennesse,
Liche pure virgynes as in there ententys,
Schewynge outward an hevenly fresshe brightnesse;
Stremyd with sonnys weren alle there garmentys,
Aforne provyded for pure innocentys:
Most colombyne of chere and of lokyng,
Meekly roos up at the comyng of the kyng.
They had on bawdrikes al on saphire hewe,
Goynge outward gan the kyng salue,
Hym presentyng with ther gyftes newe,
Lik as thei [172] thought it was to them due;
Whiche gostly giftes, here in ordre suwe,
Down descendyng as silver dewe from hevene,
Al grace includyd [173] withinne the giftes sewene.
These riall giftes ben of vertu most
Goostly corages, most soveraygnely delite,
The [174] giftes callyd of the Holy Goost,
Outward figuryd be seven dowys white;
Seyenge [175] to hym, lik as clerkes write,
“God the fulfille with intelligence
And with a spirit of goostly sapience

Impleat te Deus sp’u sapiciencie et intellectus sp’u consilii et fortitudinis sciencie et pietatis et sp’u timoris Domin’.

God sende also to thi moost availe,
The to preserve from alle hevynesse;
A spirit of strenghthe, and of good counsaile,
Of cunnyng, drede, pite, and of lownesse:”
Thus thise ladies gan there gyftes dresse,
Graciously at there out comyng,
Be influence light upon the kyng.
These Empresses hadde on there left syde,
Othere vij virgines, pure and clene,
Be attendaunce continually to abyde,
Al clad in whit, smete ful of sterrers shene;
And to declare what they wolde mene,
Unto the kyng with fulle gret reverence,
These weren there gyftes shortly in sentence;

Induat te Dominus corona glorie sceptro clemencie,[176] gladio iusticie,[177] pallio prudencie, scuto fidei, galea salutis, et vinculo pacis.

God the endue with a crowne of glorie;
And with a [178] septre of clennesse and pite;
And with a sheld of right,[179] and victorie;
And with a mantel of prudence clad thow be;
A sheld of feith for to defende the;
An helm of helthe wrought to thin encres;
Girt with a girdell of love and perfight pees.
These vij virgynes of sight most hevenly,
With herte, body, and handys reioysyng,
And of there [180] cheres aperid murely,
For the kynges gracious hom comyng;
And for gladnesse they began to synge,
Most angelik with hevenly armonye,
This same roundelle which y shal now specifie.
Soverayne lord, Wolcome to youre Citee;
Wolcome oure joye, and oure hertys plesaunce;
Wolcome oure gladnes, Wolcome oure suffisaunce;
Wolcome, Wolcome, right Wolcome, mote ye be;
Syngyng to fore thi riall mageste,
We seye of herte, withoughten variaunce,
Soverayn lord, Wolcome, Wolcome, oure [181] joye;
Meir, Citezeins, and al the Comonte,
At youre hom comyng newe out of Fraunce,
Be grace relevyd of al ther olde grevaunce,
Syng this day with gret solempnyte.
Thus resceyvyd, an esy paas rydyng,
The kyng is entred into this Citee;
And in Cornhull anon at his comynge,
To do plesaunce to his mageste,
A tabernacle surmontyng of beaute,
There was ordeyned, be full fresshe entaille,
Richely arraied with rialle apparaille;
This tabernacle of moost magnyfycence,
Was of this byldyng verrey imperiall,
Mad for the lady callyd dame Sapience.

To for whos face moost statly and rialle,
Were the vij sciences callyd liberalle;
Rounde aboughte as makyd is memorie,
Which never departyd from his [182] consistorie,
Septem sciencie liberales.Frist ther was Gramer, as y reherce can,
Chef founder [183] and rote of al connyng,
Whiche hadde afore here old Precian;
And Logyk hadde afore here ek [184] stondyng,
Aristotill so clerkly disputyng;
And Retoryk hadde eke in her presence,
Tullius, callyd myrrour of eloquence;
And Musyk hadde royde of all discorde,
Boice, here clerk, with hevenly armonye,
And instrumentis al of on acorde;
For to practyse with sugryd melodye,
He and his clerkes [185] there wittes dyd applye,
With touche of strengys, on orgons we [186] playeng,
There craft to shewe at the [187] comynge of oure kyng;
And Arsmetrik, be castynge of nombrarie,
Ches Pictogoras for here partye,
Callyd chief clerk to governe here liberarie.
Euclude tok mesures be craft of gemetrie,
And al ther heighest [188] stod Astronomye;
Albunisar last with here of vije,
With instrumentis that raught up into hevene;
The chief princesse callyd dame Sapience,
Hadde to fore here wrete [189] this scripture,
Kynges, quod she, moost of excellence,

Per me Reges regnant et gloriam sapiencie possidebunt.
Et nunc Reges intelligite et erudimini qui iudicatis terram.

Be me thei regne, and moost in joye endure,
For thorugh myn helpe, and my besy cure,
To encrese ther glorie and high renone,
They shull of wisdome have ful possession.
And in the front of this tabernacle,
Sapiens, a scripture gan devyse,
Able to be reed withoughten a spectacle,
To yonge kynges seying in this wyse,
Undirstondith and lernyth of the wyse,
On right remembryng the highe lord to queme,
Sith ye be juges other folk to deme;
Forthermore the matir doth devyse.
The kyng procedyng forth upon his way,
Com to the Condyte mad in sercle wyse;
Whom to resceyve, ther was mad no delay,
And myddys above in ful riche aray,
There sat a child of beute procellyng,
Middys of a [190] trone raid like a kyng,
Domina misericord’ a dextris et domina veritat’ a sinistris et cum clemencia roborabit’ thronus eius.
Misericordia et Veritas custodiunt Regem.Whom to governe, there were assygned tweyne,
A lady, Mercy, sat on his right syde;
On his lefte honde yf y shall nought feyne,
The lady Trouthe, his domys to provyde;
The lady Clemence on loft dyd a byde,
Of God ordeyned in the same place,
The kynges throne strongly to enbrace;
For be the sentence of prudent Salamon,
Mercy and Right kepen every kyng,
And Clemence kepit be reson,
His myghti throne from myschief and fallyng,
And makith it strong with longe abydyng;
For y dar say these ladies thre,
A kyng preserve in long felicite.[191]
Iudiciu’ et Iusticiam.Thanne stod afore [192] also [193] the sayd kyng,
Two juges, with ful highe noblesse;
Viijte seriauntes ich on representyng;
For comon profith doom and right wisnesse:
Honor Regis iudiciu’ diligt. Deus iudiciu’ tuum Regi da, et justiciam tuam filio Regis.Withe this scripture, whiche shalle expresse,[194]
Honour of kyng is in every mannys sight,[195]
Of comone custom lovyth equyte and right,
Kyng Davyd wrot, the sawter berith witnes,
Lord God, quod he, thi dome yif us [196] to the kyng,
And yif thi trouthe, and thi right wysnes,
To the kynges sone here in his levynge,
To us declaryng, as be ther wrightyng,
That kynges, prynces, sholde aboughte hym drawe,
Folk that ben trewe, and wel expert in lawe.
The kyng forthe rydyng entred Chepe anone,
A lusty place, a place of alle delitis,
Com to the Condyte, wher as cristalle ston,
The water ran, like welles of Paradys:
The holsome licour, ful riche and of gret pris,
Lik to the water of Archedeclyne,
Thetis est dea aquar’.Whiche be meracle were turnyd to [197] wyn:
Thetes, which that is of waters chief goddesse,
Bachus est deus vini.Hadde of the wellys power non nor myght,
For Bachus shewyd ther his fulsomnesse,
Of holsome wynes, to every maner wight:
For wyn of nature makith hertys light,
Wherfore Bachus, atte reverence of the kyng,
Shedde out his plente at his hom comyng.
Wyn is a lycour of [198] recreacione,
That day presentyd in tokne of [199] gladnes,
Into the kyngges famous highe renone,
From [200] to exile al maner hevynes,
For with his comyng, the dede berith witnes,
Out of this [201] lond he put away al trowble,
And made of newe oure joyes to be dowble.
Eke at thise welles, there were virgines thre,
Whiche drew [202] up [203] wynes of joye and of plesance;
Mercy, and Grace, there ther sustre eke Pite,
Mercy mynystred wynes of attemperaunce;
Grace shed here licour of good governaunce;
And Pite preferryd with ful good foysone,
Wynes of comfort and consolacione;
The wyn of Mercy stanchith of [204] nature,
The gredy thristes of cruelle hastynes;
Grace with here licour cristallyn and pure,
Differith vengeaunce of furious wodnes,
And Pite blemsyght the swerd of rightwysnes,
Covenable welles, most holsome of savour,
For to be tasted of every governour.
O how thise wellys who so tok good hede,
With there licours moost homsome to ataine,
Afore devysyd notably in dede,
For to accorde with the Mairis name,[205]
Whiche be report of his worthy fame,
That day was besy in all his governaunce,
Unto the kyng for to done plesaunce.
There were ek trees, with levys fresshe of hewe,
Al tyme of the yer ful of frutes lade,
Of colour hevenly and evere eliche newe.
Orenges, almondys, and the pomegarnade,
Lymons, dates, there colours fresh and glade,
Pypyns, quynces, blaundrellys to disport,
And the pom cedre, corageus to recomfort:
Eke othere frutes, whiche that more comown be,
Quenyngges, peches, costardes, and wardons,
And othere manye ful faire and freshe to se.
The pome water, and the gentil ricardouns,
And agaynes hertes for mutegacions,[206]
Damasyns, whiche with there tast delite,
Ful gret plente bothe of blak and white.
And besydes this gracious paradis,
Al ioghe [207] and gladnesse for to multiplie,
Two olde men, ful circumspect and wys,
Ther did apere, like folkys faire:[208]
The ton was Ennok, that [209] other Elye,
The kyng presentyng ther gyftes ful notable;
Nichil proficiat inimicus in eo Et filius iniquitatis non apponat nocere ei.That God conferme his state ay to be stable,
The firste seide, withe benynge chere,
Gretly desyryng his prosperite,
That non enemy have on hym powere,
Nor no [210] child be fals inequyte,
Perturble nevere his felicite;
Thus old Ennok, the processe gan welle telle,
And preid for the kyng as he rood be the welle.
After Elias with his lokkes hore,
Dominus conservet eum vivificet eum et beatum faciet eum &c.Wel devoutly seyde,[211] lokyng on the kyng,
God conserve the and kepe the evermore,
And make hym blessyd in erthe here levyng,
And preserve hym in al manere thyng,
And special among kynges alle,
In enemyes handes that he nevere falle.
Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus salvatoris.And at the [212] frontour of these welles clere,
Ther was a scripture comendyng ther [213] licour;
Ye shall drawe waters with good chere,
Out of wellys of oure savyour,
Whiche han vertu to curyne al langour,
Be influence of ther grete swetnesse,
Hertys avoidyng of al ther hevynesse.
Than from thise welles of fulsome abundaunce;
With ther licours as any cristalle clere,
The kyng rood forthe with sobre continaunce,
Toward a castell, beldyd [214] of jasper grene,
Upon whos toures the sonne shone ful [215] shene;
Ther clerly shewyd be notable remembraunce,
The [216] kynges title of Ingelond and of Fraunce.
To grene trees ther grew upright,
From seynt Edward and from seynt Lowys,
The roote etake,[217] palpable to the sight,
Conveyd be [218] kynges of gret prys,
Some bare lebardes, some bar flour de lys;
In nowthir armes founde was ther no lak,
Whiche the sixte Henry may now bere on his bak;
The pedegre be iuste successione,
As trewe cronycles trewly determyne,
Unto the kyng is now descendyd down,
From eyther party, right as any lyne:
Upon whos hed now freshly done shyne,
Two riche crownes, moost soverayne of plesaunce,
To brynge in pees betwen Ingelond and Fraunce.
Upon this castelle, on the tother syde,
Ther was a tree, whiche sprang out of Jesse,
Ordeyned of God ful longe to abyde,
Davyd first [219] crownyd [220] for his humylyte,
The braunches conveide, as men myghte se,
Lynyally, and [221] the genelogye,
To Crist J’hu, that was borne of Marie;
And whi the Jesse was sett on that partye,
This was the cause in especialle;
For next to Powlys y dar well specyfie,
Is the party moost chief and principalle,
Callyd of Londone, the chirche cathedralle,
Whiche oughte of resone the devys for [222] to excuse,
To alle tho that wolde agen it frowne or muse.
And fro that castelle the kyng forth gan hym dresse,
Toward Poules chief chirche of this citee;
And at the [223] Conduyt he [224] light and a liknesse,
Indyvysyble mad of the Trinite,
A throne compassyd of his riall se;
Aboughte whiche shortly to conclude,
Of hevenly angelles was [225] a gret multitude,
To whom was gevyn a precept in scripture,
Wreten in the front of the highe stage,
That thei shuld do there besy cure,
To kepe the kyng sure [226] from al damage,
In his lyf here, duryng alle his age,
His highe renone to shyne,[227] and sprede [228] ferre,
Longitudinem dierum replebo eum et ostendam illi salutare meum.Of hise too remes to sese the mortall werre.
And last was wreten in the frontours,
I shall fulfille hym with yoye and abundaunce
And with lengthe of many [229] holsom yers;
And y shalle shewe hym my helthe [230] with al plesaunce,
And of his lieges feithfull obeisaunce,
Multiplie and encrese his lyne,
And make his noblesse thorugh out [231] the world to shyne;
Love of his peple, favour of alle strangers,
In both hise remes, pees, reste, and unyte,
Be influence of the nyne spers;
Longe to contynue in his riall se,
Grace to cherisshe the Mair and the Citee,
Longe in his mynde to be conceyved,
With how good will [232] that day he was resceyvyd.
Comynge to Poules, there he light a down,
Entred the chirche ful demure of chere,
And there to mete hym with processione,
Was the archebisshope and the chaunceler,
Lincolne, and Bathe, of hol hert and entier,
Salesbury, Norwych and Ely,
In pontificall arayed richely;
There was the bysshope of Rouchestre also,
The deen of Poules, the chanons everyich on,
Of dute as they oughte to do,
On processione with the kyng to gone,
And though y can nought reherce them on be one,
Yit dar y seye in [233] there entent,
To done ther dever ful trewly they ment;
Lyk ther estates forthe thei gan precede,
With observaunces longyng for a kyng,
Solempnely gan hym conreye in dede,
Up in to the chirche, with ful devout syngyng;
And whanne he had mad his offryng,
The Mair, the Citezeins, abood, and lefte hym nought,
Unto Westmynster til thei hadde hym brought;
Where, all the covent in copis richely,
Mette with hym of custome as they ought;
The abbot after moost solempnely,

Among the relikes, the scripture [234] out he [235] sought,
Of seynt Edward, and to the kyng he brought;
Though it were longe, large, and of gret weighte,
Yit on his shuldres the kyng bar it on heighte,
In the mynstre, whiles alle the bellys ronge,
Til that [236] he come to the heighe auter;
And ful devoutly Te Deum there was songe.
And all [237] the peple, glad of look and cher,
Thankynge [238] God with alle there hertys entier,
To se there kyng with too crownes shyne,
Ex duabus arboribus viz s’c’i Edwardi et s’c’i Lodewyci.From too trees treuly fet the lyne:
And aftyr this,[239] it ys verrey sothe,
Unto his palys of kyngly apparaile,
With his lordes the kyng anon forth goth,
To take his reste after his travaile;
And thanne of wysdom, whiche [240] may so moche availe,
The Meir, the Citezeins, which al this [241] thing ded se,
Be hom repaired in to there Citee.
The Shirreves, the Aldermen in fere,
The Satyrday alther next suyng,
There Mair presentyd with all there hertes entere,
Goodly to be resceyved of the kyng;
And at Westmenster confermed there [242] a thyng,
The Mair and they with ful hol entent,
Unto the kyng a gyfte gan [243] present;
The whiche gifte, thei goodly han disposyd,
Tok an hamper of gold that shene shone;
A thousand pound of gold ther inne closyd:[244]
And there with alle to the kyng they gone,
And fill on knees to fore hym everych on,
Ful humbly the trouthe to devyse,
And to the Kyng the Mair seide in this wyse;

Moost cristen prince and noble kyng, the goode folke of youre moost notable Citee of London, other wyse callid [245] youre Chambre, besechyn in there moost lowly wyse they mow be recomaundyd to youre highnesse, and that it can like unto youre noble grace to resceyve this litel gyfte gevyne with as good a wille, trouthe,[246] and lounesse, as ever any gift was gevyn to any erthely prynce.

V’ba t’nslat’.

Be glad, O Londone, be glad ant make gret joye,
Citee of Citees, of noblesse procellyng;
In thi begynnyng called Newe Troye,
For worthynesse thank God of all thing,
Whiche hast this day resceyved so the [247] kyng,
With many a signe and many an observaunce,
To encrese thi name be newe remembraunce.
Swyche joye was [248] in the consistorie,
Mad for the tryumple with al the surpluage,
Whan Cesar Julius com hom with his victorie,
Ne for the conquest of Stepyon [249] in Cartage,
As Londone made in every maner age,
Out of Fraunce at his [250] hom comyng,
In to this Citee of there noble kyng.
Of vij thinges y preyse this Citee;
Of trewe menyng, and feithfull obeisaunce,[251]
Of rightwysnesse, trouthe, and equyte,
Of stabilnesse, ay kept in alegiaunce,
And for of vertu, thou hast suche suffisaunce
In this land here, and othere londes alle,
The kynges Chaumbre, of custom men the calle.

L’ENVOYE.

O noble Meir, be it into [252] youre plesaunce,
And unto [253] alle that duellithe in this Citee,
On my rudenes and on myn ignoraunce,
Of grace and mercy for to have pite,
My symple makyng for to take at gre;
Considere this that in the [254] moost lowly wyse,
My wille were good for to do [255] servyse.

Here endith the makyng of the Comynge of the Kyng out of Fraunce to Londone, Be the monk of Bery.—Deo gracias.[256]

[P. 139]. Ao 36 Hen. VI. “In this yere was a grete watch in London, and al the gates kepte every nyght, and ij aldermen watchyng: and withynne a while after the kyng and lordes were accorded, and went a procession in Paulis.”

The temporary reconciliation between the adherents of the King and of the Duke of York, so briefly alluded to in the text, and which is best illustrated by the following extract from a contemporary letter, served, like every other event of his times, for the exercise of Lydgate’s pen; but his description of it in the following ballad is infinitely more valuable from its historical accuracy, than its poetical merit. Of this article there are two copies extant; one in the Cottonian MS. Nero A. vi. and the other in the Cottonian MS. Vespasianus B. xvi.: the latter copy has been printed, though very erroneously, and with the orthography modernized, by Mr. Sharon Turner; but the former has not been before noticed. As they differ in some places from each other, and are very short, it has been thought advisable that both transcripts should be inserted.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM JOHN BOKKING TO SIR JOHN FASTOLF: DATED ON THE WEDNESDAY AFTER MID LENT SUNDAY, i.e. 15 MARCH, 1457.

[Paston Letters, vol. i. p. 154.]

“Lyke it your maistership to wyte, that as for tidings, the Counsell is, the fornone, at the blake Frires, for the ease of resortyng of the Lordes that ar withinne the toun; and at afternon at the white Frirers in Fletstrete, for the Lordis with owte the town; and all things shall come to a good conclusion with God is grace; for the Kyng shall come hidre this weke, and the Quene also, as some men sayn, and my Lord Buk and Stafford with hire, and muche puple. My Lord of Caunterbury takith grete peyne up on hym daily, and will write unto yow the certeynte of suche tidings as falle; and shuld have doon or this tyme, saf for that he wolde knowe an ende of the mattre.”