South London

by Walter Besant

'All those that be enemies to the King,
I shall them clothe with confusion,
Make him mighty by virtuous living,
His mortal foes to oppress and bear them down:
And him to increase as Christ's champion.
All mischiefs from him to abridge,
With grace of God, at the entry of this Bridge.

'When the King had passed the first gate, and was arrived at the drawbridge, he found a goodly tower hung with silk and cloth of arras, out of which suddenly appeared three ladies, clad in gold and silk, with coronets upon their heads; of which the first was dame Nature, the second dame Grace, and the third dame Fortune. They each addressed the King in verses similar to those already quoted, and which, together with those which followed, the curious will find in their place. On each side of them were ranged seven virgins, all clothed in white; those on the right hand had baudricks of sapphire colour or blue, and the others had their garments powdered with golden stars. The first seven presented the King with the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost—sapience, intelligence, good counsel, strength, cunning, pity, and dread of God: and the others with the seven gifts of grace, in these verses:

'God thee endow with a crown of glory,
And with the sceptre of clemency and pity,
And with a sword of might and victory,
And with a mantle of prudence clad thou be,
A shield of faith for to defend thee,
A helm of health wrought to thine increase,
Girt with a girdle of love and perfect peace.

'After which they sang a roundel, the burthen of which was "Welcome out of France."'

The Pageant which welcomed Queen Margaret of Anjou on her Coronation presented, first, at the Bridge Foot at Southwark, 'Peace and plenty,' with the motto 'Ingredimini et replete terram,'—Enter ye and replenish the earth—and the following verses were recited:

Most Christian Princesse, by influence of grace,
Doughter of Jherusalem, owr pleasaunce
And joie, welcome as ever Princess was,
With hert entier, and hoole affiaunce:
Cawser of welthe, ioye, and abundaunce,
Youre Citee, yowr people, your subgets all,
With hert, with worde, with dede, your highnesse to avaunce,
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! vnto you call.
. . . . . . .

Upon the Bridge itself appeared Noah's Ark, with the words, 'Jam non ultra irascar super terram' (Genesis viii. 21), and the following verses were addressed to the Queen:

So trustethe your people, with assurance
Throwghe yowr grace, and highe benignitie.
'Twixt the Realms two, England and Fraunce,
Pees shall approche, rest and vnite:
Mars set asyde with all his crueltye,
Whiche too longe hathe trowbled the Realmes twayne;
Byndynge yowr comfortem in this adversite,
Most Christian Princesse owr Lady Soverayne.
Right as whilom, by God's myght and grace,
Noe this arke dyd forge and ordayne;
Wherein he and his might escape and passe
The flood of vengeance caused by trespasse:
Conveyed aboute as God list him to gye,
By meane of mercy found a restinge place
After the flud, vpon this Armonie.
Vnto the Dove that browght the braunche of peas,
Resemblinge yowr symplenesse columbyne,
Token and signe that the flood shuld cesse,
Conducte by grace and power devyne;
Sonne of comfort 'gynneth faire to shine
By yowr presence whereto we synge and seyne.
Welcome of ioye right extendet lyne
Moste Christian Princesse, owr Lady Sovereyne.

On the marriage of Katharine of Aragon with Prince Arthur there was a great Pageant. The part at the south entrance of the Bridge is thus described:

'It consisted of a tabernacle of two floors, resembling two roodlofts; in the lower of which sat a fair young lady with a wheel in her hand, in likeness of Saint Katherine, with many virgins on every side of her; and in the higher story was another lady, in likeness of Saint Ursula, also with a great multitude of virgins right goodly dressed and arrayed. Above all was a representation of the Trinity. On each side of both stories was one small square tabernacle, with proper vanes, and in every square was a garter with this poesy in French, Onye soit que male pens, inclosing a red rose. On the tops of these tabernacles were six angels, casting incense on the Trinity, and the two Saints. The outer walls were painted with hanging curtains of cloth of tissue, blue and red; and at some distance before the pageant were set two great posts, painted with the three ostrich feathers, red roses, and portcullisses, and surmounted by a lion rampant, holding a vane painted with the arms of England. The whole work was carved with timber, and was gilt and painted with biss and azure.'