And, lyk for Dauid after his victorie,
Reioysyd was al Jerusalem;—
So this Cité with laude, pris, and glorie,
For ioye mustred like the sonné beme,
To geue ensample thorughe out this reem.
Al of assent who can so conceyue,
There noble Kyng were glad to resceyue.
There clothyng was of colour ful couenable,
The noble Mair was clad in red velvet;
The Shireves, the Aldermen ful notable
In furryd clokes, the colour of Scarlet;
In stately wyse whanné they were met
Ech one were wel horsyd and mad no delay,
But with there Maire rood forthe in there way.
The Citezeyns, ech one of the Citté,
(In there entent that they were pure and clene)
Chose them of white a ful faire lyuerye,
In euery crafté as it was wel sene:
To showe the trowthe that they dede mene
Toward the kyng, hadde made them feithfully
Jn sundry deuyses embrowdyd richely.
And for to remembre of other alyens,
First Geneweys,—though thei were strangéres
Florantynys and Venyciéns,
And Esterlyngés clad in there manéres;
Conveyd with serjaunts and othere officéres,
Statly horsyd after the Mair ridyng
Passyd the subbarbes to mete with the Kyng.
To the Blake heth whauné they dyd atteyne
The Mair,—of prudence in especiall,—
Made them hove in renges tweyne
A strete be twen ech party lik a wall;
All clad in whit, and the most principall
A fore in red, with the Mair rydyng
Tyl tymé that he saw the Kyng comyng.
Thanne with his sporys he tok his hors a non—
That to be holde it was a noble sight
How lyk a man he to the Kyng is gon,
Right well cheryd of herté glad and light;
Obeinge to hym as hym ought of right,
And after that be kunnyngly a braid,
And unto the King even thus he sayd.
‘Souereigne Lord and noble Kyng ze be wolcome out of youre Rem of Fraunce in to this zoure blessyd Rem of Jngelond, and in especial vn to zoure most notable Citee of London, other wise called youre chambre; we thankynge Almyghty God of the good and gracious acheuyng of zoure crowne of Fraunce: Besechynge of his mercyful grace to sende zow prosperite and many yeris to the comfort of alle zoure lovyng pepille.’
‘But for to tellen alle the circumstauncys
Of euery thyng, shewyd in centents,—(sentence)
Noble deuyses, diuerse ordinauncys
Conveid by Scripture with ful gret excellence,—
Al to declare y have none eloquence;
Wherfore y pray to alle tho that it schalle rede
For to correcte, where as they se nede,’”
“So came the procession to London Bridge; and I very much suspect that the Corporation of our good City was so economical, as to entertain King Henry with some of the very same pageants which it had displayed to his father seventeen years before: for we find Fabyan stating, that ‘when the Kyng was comen to ye Bridge, there was deuised a mightie Gyaunt, standyng with a sweard drawen.’ However, Lydgate will tell the story in the more interesting terms, and he continues thus:—
‘First, when they passyd, was ye Fabour
Entring ye Briggé of this noble Towne,
There was a peler reysyd lik a Tour,
And theron stod a sturdy champyoun;
Of look and cheré stern as a lyoun,
His swerd, vp rered prowdly, ’gan manace
Alle foreyn enemyes from the Kyng to enchace.