|
Satis novit seculum Qualiter fit speculum Quia p’ p’fidiam Jam p’dit Vasconiam Rex fidem adhibuit Egit quod non debuit Seriem composuit Que Regi transposuit Per verba credencie Q’d magnates Francie Qdq; Regi Anglie Natam Regis Gallie Ad hec dux Burgundie Ait q’d in flumine Perierunt pridie Additis hastucie Ut ergo concordia Et omnis discordia Celsitudo regia Q’d sibi vasconia Proponit brevissime De terra vasconie Ius v’r’m certissime Si q’d petit p’pere Si seisinam habeat Tunc mandare placeat Gens anglor’ faciat Pars utraq; deleat Ait vir considera Nova sunt non vetera Pulcram inter cetera Prout dicit littera Hoc audito Langetum Ad regem consilium Et Lacy p’ sompnium Quin eiusdem devium Puellam rex diligens Penitus consensiens Fieri precipiens Pro dolor nam nesciens Demum in Vasconia Litteras ab Anglia Ac sub manu Gallia Anglis inutilia Gallici Vasconiam Et in manum Anglicam Neq; regis filiam Regi dare quoniam Exp’tem Vasconie Magni pares Francie Regem n’r’m Anglie Nam causam malicie Audiens p’fidiam Quam habet p’ F’nciam Jurat p’ ecc’iam Quousq; Vasconiam Rex vocat Pontifices Et Anglorum Comites Quinq; Portus fomites Volant ut irundines Clerus et milicia Vovent cum leticia Parantur ad omnia Francie sunt noxia Rex Anglor’ nobilis Ferox est et stabilis Fortis et non debilis Senciet id flebilis |
De lingua Gallorum Patens traditorum Pessimam ip’orum Princeps Anglicorum Dictus Gallicorum Nam fraus miserorum Quorumdam verborum Cetus nunciorum Nuncii dixerunt Simul tractaverunt Dare voluerunt Heu q’d hic venerunt Quidam nunciorum Multi Northmannorum Per nautas Anglorum Causis Bayonorum Pacis jam addatur Prorsus repallatur Francie precatur Totalis reddatur Vos tunc reseisire Nec quid deperire Potestis hoc scire Placet exaudire Per sex septimanas Q’d transire lanas Et sic causas vanas Res collando sanas Rex que petierunt Hec que tibi ferunt Tibi promiserunt Quam Galli miserunt Statim prosilivit Dedit sicut scivit Certe non dormivit Seisine nutrivit Vinculis amorum Dictis consultorum Litteras servorum Erat futurorum J. Lacy p’rexit Secumq; devexit Vascones contexit Heu’ q’d tot aspexit Sibi subjugarunt Dare recusarunt In spousam pararunt Ip’m subsannarunt Foris judicarunt Et exheredarunt Parum hunc amarunt Sibi demonstrarunt Rex exheredatus Satis est iratus Non erit letatus Fuerit lucratus Ad parliamentum Flores sapientum Barones p’ centum In mari p’ ventum Gentis Anglicane Q’d seroq; mane Que genti p’phane Nam sup’bit vane Vocatus Edwardus Tanq’m leopardus Velox et non tardus[135] Pomposus Picardus. |
[P. 37]. Anno 24 Edward I, 1296. “Also in this yere Sr. Thomas Turbevyle for treson was drawen and hanged.”
Of the conduct which caused Sir Thomas Turbeville’s execution, the following fragment of a curious contemporary poem in the Cottonian MS. Caligula A. xviij, presents perhaps the most accurate information which is extant. It immediately precedes, and is written in the same hand as, the only contemporary copy of the Roll of Carlaverock which is known to exist, and hence it is highly probable that it was composed by the same person. Under any circumstances, however, it cannot fail to be deemed to possess sufficient interest to render it a valuable illustration to the passage in the text.
[P. 57]. “This same yere [anno 14th Edw. III. 1340] the kyng faught with the Frensshmen at Scluse, where there were sclayn of Frensshmen xxx ml; and the kyng toke and scomfyted at the sayd bataill of Scluse cccx schippes.” Of this passage, the following letter from king Edward the Third to Edward the Black Prince, giving an account of his victory over the French fleet at Sclyse, on Saturday the 24th of June 1340,—which, with the permission of Henry Woodthorpe, Esq., the Town Clerk, has also been extracted from the City Archives, letter F. fol. 39,—is an interesting illustration. This document, which has escaped the attention of Historians, presents an authentic detail of that memorable event; and it is evident from it that Robert de Avesbury, the contemporary writer upon whom the greatest reliance has hitherto been placed, has fallen into some errors in his narrative of the transaction. He informs us that on the day after the battle a rumour of it reached London, but that it was discredited until the ensuing Wednesday, namely the 28th of June, when the Prince of Wales received a letter from the king informing him of his success, of which letter that writer asserts that the annexed was a copy:
“Edwardus Dei Gracia Rex Angliæ et Franciæ et Dominus Hiberniæ, &c. Effusam circa nos hiis diebus propiciacionis divinæ clemenciam, ad vestri contemplacionem et læticiam, vobis ducimus intimandam. Scitis autem, immo vos et alios[136] fideles nostri quadam participacione sensitis, quantis fuimus et sumus guerrarum lacessiti turbinibus, et velut in mari magno procellosis fluctibus agitati. Sed licet sint mirabiles elaciones maris, mirabilior tamen in altis Dominus, qui procellam convertens in auram, jam inter tot adversa clementissime nos respexit. Nam cum pridem ordinassemus passagium nostrum necessarium versus partes Flandriæ, Dominus Philippus de Valesio, persecutor noster infestissimus, hoc prævidens, classem maximam navium armatarum quam in expugnacionem nostram nostrorumque fidelium misit, ut vel sic nos caperet, vel nostrum transitum impediret. qui transitus si, quod absit, fuisset impeditus, ardua negocia, quæ prosequimur, fuissent penitus in ruina: quinimmo nos et nostri fuissemus verisimiliter confusionis[137] magnæ subjecti. Sed Deus misericordiarum, videns nos in tantis periculis constitutos, graciosius et cicius, quam humana racio judicare poterat, misit nobis magnum navale subsidium, et insperatum numerum armatorum, ac semper ventum prosperum juxta votum, et sic, sub spe cœlestis auxilii, et justiciæ nostræ fiducia, dictum portum navigio venientes, invenimus dictam classem et hostes nostros ibidem paratissimos ad prælium in multitudine copiosa; quibus, in festo Nativitatis Sancti Johannis Baptistæ proximo præterito, ipse spes nostra Christus deus per conflictum fortem et validum nos prævalere concessit, facta strage non modica dictorum hostium, capta eciam quodammodo tota dicta classe, cum læsione gentis nostræ modica respective, sicque tucior de cetero patebit transitus nostris fidelibus supra mare, et alia bona plurima sunt ex hoc nobis et nostris fidelibus verisimiliter proventura, de quo spes pulcherima jam arridet. Nos autem, tantam cœlestem graciam devotissime contemplantes, ipsi Salvatori nostro laudes et gracias humiliter exsolvimus, deprecantes, ut, qui jam et semper in oportunitatibus copiosis graciis[138] nos prævenit continuatis, nos auxiliis prosequatur, et nobis regere temporaliter sic concedat in terris, ut in eo lætemur æternaliter in excelsis. Dileccionem vestram attente rogamus et per Dei misericordiam obsecramus, quatinus soli Deo vivo, qui tantum signum nobiscum fecit in bonum, in devotæ laudis præconium assurgentes, nos, jam in remotis agentes, et nedum jura nostra recuperare, sed sanctam ecclesiam catholicam attollere, et in justicia populum regere cupientes, sibi devotis oracionum instanciis recomendare curetis, facientes pro nobis missas, et alia piæ placacionis officia misericorditer exerceri, et ad hoc clerum et populum vestræ diocesis salutaribus monitis inducatis, ut Deus ipse, miseratus nobis, progressum felicem et exitum annuat graciosum, detque servo suo cor docile, ut recte judicare possimus et regere et sic facere quod præcipit, ut mereamur assequi quod promittit. Teste Edwardo duce Cornubiæ et Comite Cestriæ filio nostro carissimo Custode Angliæ apud Waltham Sanctæ Crucis xxviiivo. die Junii, anno Regni nostri Angliæ xiiiito. Regni vero Franciæ primo.”