The head-dresses of females in the reign of Henry the Sixth closely resembled the cauchoises still worn by those of Normandy; and which excited the displeasure of Dan John in so great a degree as to have induced him to invoke the aid of his Muse in effecting their abolition. It seems no subject escaped that eternal scribbler’s attention; and if his abilities had equalled his disposition, he would probably have become the Juvenal of his age. Upon this occasion, however, he appears to have soared on rather a higher wing than usual; and the moral of his lay is the truism which has since been so beautifully expressed, that loveliness
“Is when unadorn’d, adorn’d the most.”
5. On Fraudulent Millers and Bakers.
This short Ballad would appear, from the following passage in Fabian’s Chronicle, to have been written in the 15th of Edw. IV. Ao 1475, if it were not, that though the date of Lydgate’s death has never been precisely ascertained, yet it is scarcely possible he could have lived to that year.
“This yere this mayer [Robert Bassett] dyd sharpe correccion upon bakers, for makynge of lyght brede; in so moche thatt he sett dyverse upon the pillory,” &c.
A similar circumstance might however have occurred some years before, notwithstanding that it is not noticed by the writers of the period.
A BALADE MADE BY LYDEGATE, SENT BY A POURSYANT TO THE SHIRREVES OF LONDON, ACOMPANYED WITH THEIRE BRETHERNE UPON MAYES DAYE, AT BUSSHOPES WOD, AT AN HONURABLE DYNER, ECHE OF THEM BRINGGINGE HIS DYSSHE.
[Ashmole’s MSS. No. 6943. Vol. 59. 2.]
Mighty Flourra, goddes of freshe floures,
Whiche clothed hast the soyle in lousty grene;
Made buddes springe with his swete showres,
By influence of the sonnes so sheene,
To do plesaunce of entent ful clene,
Unto the states whiche that now sitte here;
Hath veere doune sent hir owen doughter dere,
Making the vertue that dured in the roote,
Called of clerkes, the vertue vegytable,
For to trascend moste holsome and moste sweete,
Into the crope this saysoun so greable.
The bawmy lykour is so comendable,
That it rejoythe with the fresshe moysture,
Man, beeste, and foole, and every creature,
Whiche hathe repressed, swaged, and bore doune,
The grevous constreinte of the frostes heere;
And caused foolis for joye of this saysonne,
To cheese their mates, thane by natures loore,
With al gladnesse theire courage to restore,
Sitting on bowes fresshly nowe to synge,
Veere for to save at his home comynge;
Ful pleinly meninge in theire ermonye,
Wynter is goone, whiche did hem gret peyne;
And with theire sweete sugre melodye,
Thanking Nature theire goddesse sovereyne,
That they nowe have no mater to compleyne,
Hem for to proygne every morowneynge,
With lousty gladnesse at Phebus uprysinge;
And to declare ye hys magnifysence,
Howe vere inbringethe al felicytee,
After wynter’s mighty prevolence
Avoydinge stormys of al adversytee.
For shee hathe brought al prosperitee
To alle the states of this regyoun,
At his comynge to fore youre hye renoun,
To the mighty prynces, the palme of theire victorie;
And til knighthode nowe, she dothe presente
Noblesse in armes, laude, honnour, and glorie;
Pees to the people, in al hir best entente,
With grace and mercy fully to consente,
That provydence of hys discressioun,
Avoyde discorde and al derysyoun.
Wynter shal passe of hevynesse and trouble;
Flowres shal springe of perfite charite;
In hertes there shal be no meninge double;
Buddes shal of trouthe and unytee;
Plenty for to exyle duplicytee;
Lordes to regne in theire noble puissance;
The people obeye with feythful obeyssaunce;
Of alle estates there shal bee oone ymage;
And princes first shal ocupye the hede;
And prudent juges to correcte outrages,
Shal trespassours consteynen under drede,
That innosentes in theire lowlyhede,
As truwe comunes may bee theire socour,
Truwly contune in theire faithful labour;
And by the grace of oure lorde Jhesu,
That holly chirche may have parseveraunce,
Bee faythfull founde in al pertinaunce,
Mayre, provost, shirreff, eche in his substaunce,
And aldremen, whiche have the governaunce
Over the people, by vertue may abyde,
That noone oppression bee done to the pourayle.
Thus as the people of prudent pollycye,
Prynces of the right shal governe;
The chirche preye; the juges justefye;
And knighthode, manly, and prudently discerne,
Til light of trouthe so clerely the lanterne,
That rightewysnesse throughe this regyoune,
Represse the darknesse of al extorcyoune.
Thes be the tythinges wheeche that wee have brought:
Troubles exylinge of wynters rude derknesse;
Wherfore rejoye yowe in hert, wille, and thought;
Somer shal folowe to yowe, of al gladnesse;
And sithen she is mynistre of lustynesse,
Let her be welcome to yowe at hir comyng;
Sith she to yowe hathe brought so glad tythinge,
The noble princesse of moste magnifisence,
Qweene of al joye, of gladde suffisaunce,
May I be nowe comen to youre hye excellence,
Presenting yowe prosperous plesaunce,
Of al welfare moste foulsome haboundaunce;
As shee that hathe under hir demayne,
Of floures fresshe, moste holsome, and sovereraine.