“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.”
UPON THE RECONCILIATION OF THE LORDS OF THE YORKIST FACTION WITH THE KYNG AND HIS ADHERENTS.
[Cottonian MS. Nero A. vi.]
Whan Charyte ys chosen with stats to stonde,
Stedfast and styll, with oute distaunce,
Then wreth may be exilid out of thys londe,
And God oure gide to have governaunce;
Wysdom and welthe with all plesaunce,
May ryghtfulle reigne, and prosperite,
For love hath underleyde wrethfull vengeaunce;
Reioyse Enlond the lords acordid bee.
Reioyse, and thonke God, and sorw no more,
For now shal encrese thi consolacone;
Oure enemes quake for drede ful sore,
That pees ys made that was divisione,
Whiche ys to them grete confusione,
And to us joy and felicite;
God hold them longe in every seasone,
That Englond may reioyce, the concord and unite.
Now ys sorw with shame fled yn to Fraunce,
As a felon that hath forsworne thys lond;
Love hath put owte malicius governaunce,
In every place both fee and bonde;
In Yorke, in Somersett, as y undyrstonde,
In Warwikke also ys love and charite,
In Salisbury eke, and yn Northumberlond,
That every man may reioyce the concord and unite.
Egremond,[257] and Clyfford,[258] and other forseyd,
Ben sett yn the same opynyone;
In every quartre love is thus leide,
Grace and wisdome hath the dominacione;
Awoke welth, and welk in thys regione,
Rewnde abowte in towne and cite,
And thonke them that brought it to thys conclusion;
Reioyse Englond the concord and unite.
At Poules in London, with grete renowne,
On oure Lady day the pes was wrought;
The kyng, the quene, with lords many one,
To worshyppe that virgine as they oght,
Went a prosession, and sparyd right noght,
In sight of alle the comonialte,
In tokyn that love was in hert and thoght;
Reioice Englond the concord and unite.
There was by twene them lovely countenaunce,
Whyche was grete yoy to alle that there were,
That long tyme hadd ben in variaunce,
As frynds for ever they went yn fere,
They went togedre, and made good chere;
O Fraunce and Bretayne, repent shall ye,
For the bergeyne shalle ye bye fulle dere;
Reioice Englond the concord and unite.
Our sovereyn lord the kyng, God kepe alway,
The quene and the bisshope of Canterbury,[259]
And other that have labored to thys love day,
God preserve them we pray hertly;
And Londone for they fulle diligently,
Kept the pees in trobull and in adversite;
To brynge yn rest they labored ful treuly;
Reioice Englond the peas and unite.
Off thre things, y preys thys worshypfull Citee:
The ferst, of trewe feythe that they owe to the kyng;
The secounde, of love of eache comonialte;
The thyrde, of good rule evermore kepyng;
The whyche God mayntene ever long durynge,
And save the Maire and all the hole Citee,
And that ys amys brynge to amendyng,
That Englond may reioice the pees and unite.
IBID.
[From the Cottonian MS. Vespasianus B. xvi.]
Whan Charite is chosen with states to stonde,
Stedfas and stille without distaunce,
Than wrathe may be exiled out of this londe,
And God oure gide to have the governaunce.
Wisdom and wellthe with alle plesaunce,
May rightful regne and prosperite,
For love hath underlaide wrathful veniaunce;
Reioise Anglond oure lordes acorded to be.
Reiose and thanke God, for evermore;
For now shal encrese thi consolacion,
Oure enemyes quaken and dreden fulsore,
That peas is made ther was division,
Whiche to them is a gret confusion,
And to us ioy and felicite;
God hold them longe in every season:
That Anglond may reioise concord and unite.
Now is sorowe with shame fled in to Fraunce,
As a felon that hath forsworn this londe;
Love hath put out malicious governaunce,
In every place bothe fre and bonde;
In Yorke, in Somerset as I understonde,
In Warrewik also is love and charite,
In Sarisbury eke, and in Northumbrelande;
That every man may reioise concord and unite.
Egremown, and Clifford, with other forsaide,
Ben set in the same opynyon;
In every quarter love is thus laide,
Grace and wisdom hath thus the dominacion:
Awake Welthe, and walke in this region,
Rounde aboute in toun and cite,
And thanke them that brought hit to this concluson;
Reioise Anglond to concorde and unite.
At Poules in Londone, with gret renoun,
On oure Ladi day in Lente this peas was wrought;
The kinge, the quene, with lordes many oone,
To worship that virgine as thei ought,
Wenten a procession, and spariden right nought,
In sighte of alle the comynalte,
In token that love was in herte and thought;
Reiose Anglond in concorde and unite.
Ther was bytwyn them lovely contynaunce,
Whiche was gret ioy to alle that ther were,
That long tyme hadden be in variaunce;
As frendes for ever that had be in fere,
Thei wenten togeder, and made goud chere;
France and Britayn repente shul thei,
For the bargayn shul thei abye ful dere;
Reiose Anglond in concorde and unite.
Oure soveraigne lord kyng God kepe alwey,
The quene, and the archbisshope of Canterbury,
And the bisshop of Wynchestre chanceller of Anglond,
And other that han labured to this love day.
God preserve them we pray hertly,
And London for thei ful diligently,
Kepten the peas in trowbel and adversite,
To bryng in reste thei labured ful truly;
Reioise Anglond in concorde and unite.
Of thre thynges I praise the worshipful Cite;
The first, the true faithe that thei have to the kyng;
The seconde, of love to the comynalte;
The thrid, goud rule for evermore kepynge;
The whiche God maynteyn evermore durynge,
And save the Maier and alle the worthi Cite;
And that is amys God brynge to amendynge,
That Anglond may reioise to concord and unite.