Adieu, ye shall no ransom for mee pay:
Yet I beseeche you of your charity,
To the high Lorde mercifull that yee pray:[1919]
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.”]
[“King Iames,” quoth one, “wil bee misliked for his Miserere.” “No,” quod another, “hee cryes Peccaui.” “It is to late,” quoth he, “there is no man that will like or beleeue him.” “Than,” quod M. H. “he is still one and the same man: for in life he was neither well liked, beleeued, nor trusted.” “Why than,” quoth one, “if hee speake as hee was, let him passe as hee is, and if not, let him bee mended.” “Mended,” quoth hee, “nay, hee is paste mending, hee is to olde: for it seemes by the copy, that it was pende aboue fifty yeares agone, or euen shortly after the death of the sayd king: for I found therewith, in an olde hand, the copyes of the sayd king Iames’ letters sent unto king Henry at Turwin, and the king’s aunsweres and letters sent to him againe, with this lamentation ensuing them: and lastly the sayd batayle of Floddon fielde, in such verse described, with the order of the same, and the names of the noble men, knights, and gentlemen, which serued at the same fielde.” “That would I faine heare,” quoth one, “it were pity that such particulers should bee lost.” “They would,” quoth another, “pleasure not only such as write our historyes, but also encourage our countreymen well, to the like loyall seruice of their prince, and especially those who should finde therein of their parents or auncestours to haue bene praysed for valure.” “I pray you,” quoth hee, “let us haue them.” “There they are,” quoth I, “but I haue altered the verse, which wee call Intercalaris, because the rest else would not haue beene well liked; but of the history I haue not chaunged one word.”]
[The Bataile of Brampton, or Floddon fielde, faught in the yeare of our Redeemer 1513, and in the fiuth yeare of the raygne of that victorious prince, King Henry the eyght.
1.
O Rex regum in thy realme celestiall,
Glorified with ioyes of Gabriell’s company,
King Iames is dead, haue mercy on vs all:[1920]