Chapter 3

Few publishers since Caxton's days have let us so far into their secrets, and we can but hope that his patron really took 'a reasonable quantity' of the edition (another was published in a few years, so he probably did), and that the bucks and the does furnished many jolly dinners. Elsewhere in these prefaces Caxton tells us how he was induced to take up the art of printing, narrates the trouble, in which he has had successors, in getting a good text of Chaucer's _Canterbury Tales_, pokes fun at English ladies and at another of his patrons, the Earl of Rivers, and sets down what is still one of the best criticisms ever penned of Malory's _King Arthur_. With the mention of that noble work it is well to finish this brief sketch of our fifteenth-century literature. It is too well known, too easily accessible, for any snippets to be quoted from it here. But with the English version of Mandeville at the beginning of our period, and Malory's _Arthur_ completed in 1469 and published in 1483, it is evident that we can lay claim to two masterpieces which have not yet lost their hold on modern readers. The simplicity and feeling of _Everyman_ has lately obtained recognition. I hope that, when boys and girls are taught a little more of their own language, the play of _Max the Sheepstealer_ may win even greater popularity, for it is an ideal play for children to act. If we throw in 'Chevy Chace' and the 'Nut Brown Maid' and the 'Robin Hood Ballads,' we shall not be lacking for poetry. For the interest which we now seek in a realistic novel we might well go to the Paston Letters. There are not a few nations of Europe which might be well pleased if they could show, century by century, as good a record as this. It is only in fact the ill-fortune which placed it midway between Chaucer and Shakespeare, and our own perversity which persists in associating it mainly with Lydgate and Hoccleve, that causes us to contemn this particular century as dull.

Footnotes:

[1] Spring.

[2] Whispering.

[3] Printed by him in 1894 in a 'Festschrift' in honour of Professor Hildebrand.

[4] To be carefully distinguished from the so-called Coventry Plays of Cotton MS., Vespasian, D. viii., whose highly doubtful connection with Coventry rests solely on a note of Cotton's librarian.

[5] It would be convenient if they could be called the Cotton Plays, as the Wakefield cycle has been called after the Towneley family.

[6] See p. 316. Stage-plays were acted in the summer, interludes in the winter, the cost of hiring dresses being apparently from three to five times as great for a stage-play as for an interlude. My own interpretation is that the distinction has nothing to do with the plays acted, but solely to the place of performance, interludes being acted indoors and stage-plays in the open air, where the dresses were exposed to greater damage.

[7] Prohemye to _Polychronicon_, _ad fin._

[8] The argument as I understand it runs as follows:--

(i) The author of the Prologue is the author of the Translation of the Bible (which may be granted, though not without the reservation that the helpers to whom allusion is made may have written sections of the Prologue, which would confuse any deductions).

(ii) The Prologue has verbal resemblances to the treatise designated _Ecclesiæ Regimen_ (the instances quoted seem to me resemblances merely of topics, and these not uncommon ones).

(iii) The _Ecclesiæ Regimen_ resembles Purvey's confession at his recantation in 1400 (the previous criticism applies here much more strongly).

Therefore the translation of the Bible is by the author of the _Ecclesiæ Regimen_, and the author of this is Purvey. I must repeat that the chain seems to me lamentably weak, and that the resemblances which may be found between Section xv. of the Prologue and Trevisa's Dialogue and Letter to Lord Berkeley are stronger, because not arising out of quite such common topics. That they are only to a slight extent verbal resemblances is no drawback. We do not expect a man to repeat his own words exactly. What is interesting is to find two translators both interested in their own methods, and these methods similar.

JOHN LYDGATE (?).

_The Siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt_

1415.

Hereafter followeth the Battle of Agincourt and the great Siege of Rouen, by King HENRY of Monmouth, the Fifth of the name; that won Gascony, and Guienne, and Normandy.

[See Sir HARRIS NICOLAS'S _History of the Battle of Agincourt_, p. 301, 2nd Ed. 1832, 8vo.]

=J. Lydgate. Printed c. 1530.=

=THE DAUPHIN'S OFFER OF TENNIS BALLS.=

God, that all this world did make And died for us upon a tree, Save England, for MARY thy Mother's sake! As Thou art steadfast GOD in Trinity. And save King HENRY'S soul, I beseech thee! That was full gracious and good withal; A courteous Knight and King royal. Of HENRY the Fifth, noble man of war, Thy deeds may never forgotten be! Of Knighthood thou wert the very Loadstar! In thy time England flowered in prosperity, Thou mortal Mirror of all Chivalry! Though thou be not set among the Worthies Nine; Yet wast thou a Conqueror in thy time!

Our King sent into France full rath, His Herald that was good and sure. He desired his heritage for to have: That is Gascony and Guienne and Normandy. He bade the Dolphin [_Dauphin_] deliver. It should be his: All that belonged to the first EDWARD "And if he say me, Nay!; iwis I will get it with dint of sword!" But then answered the Dolphin bold, By our ambassadors sending again, "Methinks that your King is not so old, Wars great for to maintain. Greet well," he said, "your comely King That is both gentle and small; A ton full of tennis balls I will him send, For to play him therewithal."

Then bethought our Lords all, In France they would no longer abide: They took their leave both great and small, And home to England gan they ride. To our King they told their tale to the end; What that the Dolphin did to them say. "I will him thank," then said the King, "By the grace of GOD, if I may!" Yet, by his own mind, this Dolphin bold, To our King he sent again hastily; And prayed him truce for to hold, For JESUS' love that died on a tree.

=KING HENRY WILL GO TO FRANCE.=

"Nay," then said our comely King, "For into France will I wind! The Dolphin anger I trust I shall: And such a tennis ball I shall him send, That shall bear down the high roof of his hall."

The King at Westminster lay that time, And all his Lords everych one; And they did set them down to dine: "Lordings," he saith, "by St. John! To France I think to take my way: Of good counsel I you pray, What is your will that I shall do? Shew me shortly without delay!" The Duke of CLARENCE answered soon, And said, "My Liege, I counsel you so!" And other Lords said, "We think it for the best With you to be ready for to go; Whiles that our lives may endure and last."

"Grammercy, Sirs!" the King gan say, "Our right, I trust, then shall be won, And I will 'quite you if I may: Therefore I warn you, both old and young, To make you ready without delay To Southampton to take your way At St. Peter's tide at Lammas;[9] For by the grace of GOD, and if I may, Over the salt sea I think to pass!"

Great ordnance of guns the King let make, And shipped them at London all at once; Bows and arrows in chests were take, Spears and bills with iron gunstones, And arming daggers made for the nonce: With swords and bucklers that were full sure. And harness bright that strokes would endure.

=THE ENGLISH ARRIVE IN NORMANDY.=

The King to Southampton then did ride With his Lords; for no longer would he dwell. Fifteen hundred fair ships there did him abide, With good sails and top-castle. Lords of France our King they sold For a million of gold as I heard say. By England little price they told, Therefore their song was "Well a way!"

Between Hampton and the Isle of Wight, These goodly ships lay there at road, With mastyards across, full seemly of sight, Over the haven spread abroad: On every pavis [_target_] a cross red; The waists decked with serpentines [_cannon_] strong. St George's streamers spread overhead, With the Arms of England hanging all along.

Our King fully hastily to his ship yede, And all other Lords of every degree: Every ship weighed his anchor in deed, With the tide to haste them to the sea. They hoisted their sails, sailed aloft: A goodly sight it was to see. The wind was good, and blew but soft: And forth they went in the name of the Trinity.[10]

Their course they took toward Normandy, And passed over in a day and a night. So in the second morning early, Of that country they had a sight: And ever [as] they drew near the coast, Of the day glad were they all; And when they were at the shore almost, Every ship his anchor let fall, With their tackles they launched many a long boat And over ha[t]ch threw them into the stream; A thousand shortly they saw afloat. With men of arms that light did leme.

=THE GUNS PLAY TENNIS WITH HARFLEUR.=

Our king landed at Cottaunses [_Coutances_] without delay,[11] On our Lady's Even [of] the Assumption;[12] And to Harflete [_Harfleur_] they took the way And mustered fair before the town. Our King his banner there did 'splay, With standards bright and many [a] pennon: And there he pitched his tent adown; Full well broidered with armory gay. First our comely King's tent with the crown, And all other Lords in good array.

"My brother CLARENCE," the King did say, "The towers of the town will I keep With her daughters and her maidens gay, To wake the Frenchmen of their sleep." "'London'," he said, "shall with him meet; And my guns that lieth fair upon the green; For they shall play with Harflete A game of tennis as I ween. Go we to game, for God's grace! My children be ready everych one."

For every great gun that there was, In his mouth he had a stone. The Captain of Harflete soon anon Unto our King he sent hastily To know what his will was to be done, For to come thither with such a meiny? "Deliver me the town!" the King said. "Nay!" said the Captain, "by God and St DENIS!" "Then shall I win it," said our King, "By the grace of GOD and his goodness, Some hard tennis balls I have hither brought Of marble and iron made full round. I swear, by JESU that me dear bought, They shall beat the walls to the ground."

=KING HENRY GRANTS A TRUCE.=

Then said the great gun, "Hold fellows, we go to game!" Thanked be MARY and JESU her son, They did the Frenchmen much shame. "Fifteen afore," said "London" then; Her balls full fair she gan outthrow. "Thirty" said the second gun, "I will win and I may." There as the wall was most sure, They bare it down without nay. The "King's Daughter" said "Hearken this play! Hearken Maidens now this tide! Five and forty we have, it is no nay." They beat down the walls on every side.

The Normands said, "Let us not abide! But go we in haste, by one assent! Wheresoever the gunstones do glide, Our houses in Harfleet are all to rent: The Englishmen our bulwarks have brent" And women cried, "Alas that ever they were born!" The Frenchmen said, "Now be we shent! By us now the town is forlorn: It is best now therefore That we beseech this English King of grace, For to assail us no more; Lest he destroy us in this place. Then will we bid the Dolphin make him ready, Or else this town delivered must be."

Messengers went forth by and bye,[13] And to our King came they: The Lord CORGRAUNT certainly,[14] For he was Captain of the place, And GELAM BOWSER with him did hie, With other Lords more and less. And when they to our King come where, Full lowly set them on their knee: "Hail, comely King!" gan they say "CHRIST save thee from adversity! Of truce we will beseech thee Until that it be Sunday noon:[15] And if we may not recovered be, We will deliver the town."

=THE FRENCH SURRENDER HARFLEUR.=

Then said our King full soon, "I grant you grace in this tide; One of you shall forth anon, And the remnant shall with me abide!" Their Captain took his next way, And to Rouen fast gan he ride. The Dolphin he had thought there to find But he was gone; he durst not abide.

For help the Captain besought that tide "Harflete is lost for ever and aye; The walls be beaten down on every side, That we no longer keep it may." Of counsel all he did them pray. "What is your will that I may do? We must ordain the King battle by Sunday, Or else deliver him the town!" The Lords of Rouen together did rown; And bade the town should openly yield. The King of England fareth as a lion: We will not meet with him in the field! The Captain would then no longer abide, And towards Harflete came he right; For so fast did he ride That he was there the same night.

And when he to our King did come,[16] Lowly he set him on his knee: "Hail, comely Prince!" then did he say, "The grace of GOD is with thee! Here have I brought the keys all Of Harflete that is so royal a city. All is yours, both chamber and hall; And at your will for to be."

=21,000 FRENCH SENT OUT OF HARFLEUR.=

"Thanked be JESU!" said our King, "And MARY his mother truly! My uncle DORSET, without letting, Captain of Harflete shall he be. And all that is within the city Awhile yet they shall abide, To amend the walls in every degree That are beaten down on every side: And after that, they shall out ride To other towns over all. Wife nor child shall not there abide: But have them forth, both great and small!" One and twenty thousand, men might see, When they went out, full sore did weep.

The great guns and ordnance truly Were brought into Harflete.

Great sickness among our host was, in good fay, Which killed many of our Englishmen: There died beyond seven score upon a day; Alive there was left but thousands ten.

Our King himself into the Castle yede, And rest him there as long as his will was: At the last he said, "Lords, so God me speed! Towards Calais I think to pass."

After that Harflete was gotten, that royal city, Through the grace of GOD omnipotent; Our comely King made him ready soon, And towards Calais forth he went. "My brother GLOUCESTER _veramente_ Here will we no longer abide! And Cousin of YORK, this is our intent: With us forth ye shall, this tide! My Cousin HUNTINGDON with us shall ride; And the Earl of OXENFORD with you three! The Duke of SOUTHFOLK [_SUFFOLK_] by our side He shall come forth with his meiny! And the Earl of DEVONSHIRE sikerly! Sir THOMAS HARPING[17] that never did fail; The Lord BROKE that came heartily And Sir JOHN of CORNWALL: Sir GILBERT UMFREY[18] that would us avail; And the Lord CLIFFORD, so GOD me speed! Sir WILLIAM BOWSER[19], that will not fail; For all they will help, if it be need."

=ENGLISHMEN TO BE SOLD SIX FOR A PENNY.=

Our King rode forth, blessed might he be![20] He spared neither dale nor down; By waters great fast rode he, Till he came to the water of Seine.[21]

The Frenchmen threw the bridge adown That over the water they might not pass. Our King made him ready then; And to the town of Turreyn went more and less. The Frenchmen, our King about becast With Battles strong on every side; The Duke of ORLEANS said in haste "The King of England shall abide. Who gave him leave this way to pass? I trust that I shall him beguile Full long ere he come to Calais." The Duke of BOURBON answered soon And swore by God and by St. DENIS "We will play them every each one, These Lords of England at the tennis; Their gentlemen, I swear by St. JOHN! And archers we will sell them great plenty: And so will we rid [of] them soon, Six for a penny of our money." Then answered the Duke of BAR, Words that were of great pride: "By God!" he said, "I will not spare Over all the Englishmen for to ride, If that they dare us abide: We will overthrow them in fere [_company_], And take them prisoners in this tide: Then come home again to our dinner!"

=THE FAMOUS BATTLE OF AGINCOURT.=

HENRY our King that was so good; He prepared there full royally: Stakes he let [_caused to_] hew in a wood, And then set them before his archers verily. The Frenchmen our ordnance gan espy. They that we ordained for to ride Lighted adown, with sorrow truly; So on their feet fast gan abide.

Our King went up upon a hill high And looked down to the valleys low: He saw where the Frenchmen came hastily As thick as ever did hail or snow. Then kneeled our King down, in that stound, And all his men on every side: Every man made a cross and kissed the ground, And on their feet fast gan abide. Our King said, "Sirs, what time of the day?" "My Liege," they said, "it is nigh Prime [9 _a.m._]" "Then go we to our journey, By the grace of JESU, it is good time: For saints that lie in their shrine, To GOD for us be praying. All the Religious of England, in this time, _Ora pro nobis_ for us they sing."

St. GEORGE was seen over the host: Of very truth this sight men did see. Down was he sent by the HOLY GHOST, To give our King the victory.

Then blew the trumpets merrily,[22] These two Battles [_Armies_] together yede. Our archers stood up full heartily, And made the Frenchmen fast to bleed. Their arrows went fast, without any let, And many shot they throughout; Through habergeon, breastplate, and bassinet. An eleven thousand were slain in that rout.

=KING HENRY'S TRIUMPH IN LONDON.=

Our gracious King, as I well know, That day he fought with his own hand. He spared neither high ne low. There was never King in no land, That ever did better on a day. Wherefore England may sing a song: _Laus DEO!_ may we say; And other prayers ever among. The Duke of ORLEANS, without nay, That day was taken prisoner. The Duke of BOURBON also in fere: And also the Duke of BAR truly. Sir BERGYGAUNTE he gan him yield; And other Lords of France many.

Lo, thus our comely King conquered the field, By the grace of God omnipotent, He took his prisoners, both old and young, And towards Calais forth he went.

He shipped there with good intent:[23] To Canterbury full fair he passed, And offered to St. THOMAS's shrine. And through Kent he rode in haste; To Eltham he came all in good time.[24] And over Blackheath, as he was riding,[25] Of the city of London he was ware. "Hail, royal city!" said our King, "CHRIST keep thee ever from sorrow and care!" And then he gave that noble city his blessing He prayed JESU it might well fare! To Westminster did he ride, And the French prisoners with him also: He ransomed them in that tide, And again to their country he let them go.

=THE LAMENTABLE SIEGE OF ROUEN.=

Thus of this matter I make an end, To th'effect of the Battle have I gone: For in this book I cannot comprehend The greatest battle of all, called the Siege of Rouen. For that Siege lasted three years and more, And there a rat was at forty pence For in the city the people hungered sore. Women and children, for fault of meat, were lore; And some for pain bare bones were gnawing, That at their breasts had two children sucking.

Of the Siege of Rouen it to write were pity, It is a thing so lamentable: Yet every High Feast, our King, of his charity, Gave them meat to their bodies comfortable; And at the last the town won, without fable.

Thus of all as now I make an end: To the bliss of heaven, GOD our souls send!

_Thus endeth the Battle of Agincourt._

Imprinted at London in Foster lane, in Saint Leonard's parish, by me JOHN SKOT.

FINIS.

Footnotes:

[9] 1st August 1415.

[10] 7th August 1415.

[11] _It should be_ Clef de caus.

[12] 14th August 1415.

[13] 10th September 1415.

[14] _It should be_ Sir LIONEL BRAQUEMONT.

[15] 22nd September 1415.

[16] 22nd September 1415.

[17] _It should be_ Sir THOMAS ERPINGHAM.

[18] _It should be_ Sir GILBERT UMFREVILLE.

[19] _It should be_ Sir WILLIAM BOURCHIER.

[20] ?8th October 1415.

[21] _It should be_ Somme.

[22] 25th October 1415.

[23] 16th November 1415.

[24] 22nd November 1415.

[25] 23rd November 1415.

THOMAS OCCLEVE,

Clerk in the Office of the Privy Seal.

_The Letter of CUPID._

[THOMAS OCCLEVE,

Clerk in the Office of the Privy Seal.]

_The Letter of CUPID._

[Old forms like _serven_, serve; _wollen_, will; _tellen_, tell; _doin_, done; and the Imperatives _bethe_, be; _telleth_, tell; occur in this Poem.]

=T. Occleve. 1402.=

CUPIDO, (unto whose commandèment The gentle kindred of goddis on high And people infernal be obedient; And mortal folk all serven busily), Of the goddess son CYTHERA only; Unto all those that to our deity Be subjects, heartly greeting, sendè we!

In general, we wollen that ye know That Ladies of honour and reverence, And other Gentlewomen havin sow Such seed of complaint in our audience, Of men that do them outrage and offence; That it our earis grieveth for to hear, So piteous is the effect of this matere.

Passing all landis, on the little isle That cleped is Albion, they most complain, They say that there is crop and root of guile: So can those men dissimulen and feign, With standing dropis in their eyen twain; When that their heartis feeleth no distress, To blinden women with their doubleness.

Their wordis, spoken be so sighingly, With so piteous a cheer and countenance That every wight that meaneth truèly Deemeth that they in heart have such grievance. They say, "So importable is their penance, That but their lady lust to shew them grace They, right anon, must starven in the place."

"Ah, Lady mine!" they say, "I you ensure As doth me grace! and I shall ever be, While that my life may laste and endure To you as humble and low in each degree As possible is, and keep all things secree Right as yourselven listé that I do! And elles must mine heartè burst in two."

Full hard it is, to know a manis heart For outward may no man the truthè deem, When word out of his mouth may none astert But it by reason seemed a wight to queme, So it is said of heart, as it would seem. O faithful woman! full of innocence! Thou art deceivèd by false appearance!

By process moveth oft woman's pity. Weening all things were as these men ysay, They grant them grace, of their benignity, For that men shoulden not, for their sake die, And with good hearte, set them in the way Of blissful lové: keep it, if they con! Thus, otherwhilé, women beth ywon.

And when this man the pan hath by the steel And fully is in his possession; With that woman keepeth he no more to deal After, if he may finden in the town Any woman, his blind affection On to bestow. But evil mote he preve! A man, for all his oaths, is hard to believe!

And for that every false Man hath a Make, (As unto every wight is light to know) When this traitor, this woman hath forsake, He fast him speedeth unto his fellow. Till he be there, his heart is on a low; His false deceit ne may him not suffice, But of his treason telleth all the wise.

Is this a fair avaunt? Is this honour? A man himself accuse thus and defame! Is it good to confess himself a traitor? And bring a woman into slanderous name And tell how he her body hath do shame? No worship may he thus, to him conquer, But great dislander unto him and her!