A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483 Part 42

The following poem by Lydgate presents a very minute account of the manner in which the young monarch was received into London after his coronation as king of France, and of the pageant upon the occasion.

Two copies exist in MS. in the British Museum; one in the Harleian MS.

565, which has been literally transcribed; the other in the Cottonian MS. Julius B. II; and the variations between them will be found in the notes. About one third of this article, taken from the former of those MSS., is printed in Malcolm's London, vol. ii. p. 89, but it conveys a very imperfect idea of the whole composition; for not only has the orthography of the extract been modernized, but the most interesting descriptions do not occur. The annexed is therefore, it is presumed, the only correct copy which has ever been published, and it cannot fail to be deemed an exceedingly curious ill.u.s.tration of the pa.s.sage in "The Chronicle," as well as of the manners of the period. Lydgate does not mention upon what day of the month the circ.u.mstance took place, but says that it was "upon a Thorsday" "toward the ende of wyndy Februarie:" and as the 21st of February in 1431 fell on a Thursday, there is little doubt that it was on that day that Henry entered London.

"THE COMYNGE OF THE KYNG OUT OF FRAUNCE TO LONDON." BY JOHN LYDGATE "THE MONK OF BURY."

[_Harleian MS._ 565, _and Cottonian MS. Julius_ B. II.]

Toward the ende of wyndy Februarie, Whanne Phebus was in the fysshe roune,[146]

Out of the signe which callyd is Aquarie, Newe kalendas were entred and begonne, Of Marches comyng, and the mery sonne, Upon a Thorsday shed[147] hys bemys bright Upon London, to make them glad and light.

[Footnote 146: croune _in Cotton MS. Julius_ B. II.]

[Footnote 147: shewed.]

The stormy reynes[148] of alle there hevynesse, Were pa.s.syd away, and alle there[149] grevaunce, For the sixte Henry, rote of there gladnesse, Ther hertys joye, ther worldis suffissaunce, Be trewe a.s.sent[150] crownyd kyng of Fraunce; The even[151] rejoysyng the day of his repaire, Made at his comynge the wedir to be so faire.

[Footnote 148: reyne.]

[Footnote 149: there old.]

[Footnote 150: dissent.]

[Footnote 151: hevene.]

A tyme, y trowe of G.o.d, for hym provydyd, In alle the hevenes there was no clowde sayne; From other daies that day was so devydyd, And fraunchisyd from mystys and from rayn; The erthe[152] attempred, the wyndes smothe and playne, The Citezeines thorugh out the Citee, Halwyd that day with gret solempnyte.

[Footnote 152: eyre.]

And lyk for David after his victorie, Rejoysyd was al Jerusalem, So this Cite with laude, pris, and glorie, For joye mustred lik the sonne bem, To geve ensample thorugh out this Reem; Al of a.s.sent who so can conceyve, There n.o.ble kyng were glad to resceyve.

There clothyng was of colour ful covenable; The n.o.ble Mair clad in red velwet, The Shireves, the Aldermen, ful notable, In furryd clokes, the colour of scarlet; In statly wyse whanne they were met, Ich on were wel horsyd, and mad no delay,[153]

But with there Maire rood forth in there way.

[Footnote 153: Eche oon well horsed made no delay.]

The Citezeyns ich on of the Citee, In there entent that they were pure and clene; Ches them of whit a ful faire lyvere, In evry craft as it was wel sene; To shewe the trowthe that they dede mene, Toward the kyng hadde mad them feithfully, In sundry devyses embrowdyd richely.

And for to remembre of other alyens, First Geneweys, thorugh thei were strangers, Florantynys, and Venyciens, And Esterlyngs, clad[154] in there manere, Conveyd with seriaunts and othere officers, Statly horsyd, after the Mair ridyng, Pa.s.syd the subbarbes to mete with the kyng.

[Footnote 154: gladde.]

To the Blake heth whanne they dyd atteyne, The Mair of prudence in especialle, Made them hove in renges tweyne, A strete betwen ech party lik a walle, Alle clad in whit, and the most princ.i.p.alle, A fore in red, with the[155] Mair rydyng, Til tyme that he saw the kyng comyng;

[Footnote 155: theire.]

Thanne with his sporys, he tok his hors anone, That to beholde it was a n.o.ble sight, How lyk a man he to the kyng is gone, Right well cheryd of herte, glad, and light; Obeienge to hym, as hym ought of right: And after that he cunningly abraid, And to the kyng even thus he sayd;

"Sovereigne lord and n.o.ble kyng, ye be wolcome out of youre rem of Fraunce, into this youre blessyd rem of Ingelond, and in especial unto youre most notable Citee of London, otherwise callyd youre chambre, we thankynge Almyghty[156] G.o.d of the good and gracious athenyng of youre crowne of Fraunce, besechynge of his mercyful grace to sende yow prosperite and many yeris, to the comfort of alle your lovyng pepill."

[Footnote 156: _Omitted._]

But for to tellen alle the circ.u.mstauncys, Of every thyng shewed in centencs, n.o.ble devyses, diverse ordinauncys, Conveid be scripture with ful gret excellence; Al to declare, y have non eloquence, Therfore y pray to alle tho that it schal rede,[157]

For to correcte where as they se nede.

[Footnote 157: that shall yt rede.]

First, whan they[158] pa.s.syd was the fabour, Entring the brigge of this n.o.ble town,[159]

There was a peler reysyd lik a tour, And theron stod a st.u.r.dy champyone, Of look and chere, stern as a lyone; His swerd uprered, prowdly gan manace, Alle foreyn enemyes from the kyng to enchace;

[Footnote 158: he.]

[Footnote 159: citee.]

And in defens of his estat riall, The geaunt wolde abyde ech aventure, And alle a.s.sautes that were marcyall, For his sake he proudly wolde endure; In tokenynge wher of, he hadde a long[160] scripture, On either syde declaryng his entent, Whiche sayde thus, be good avis.e.m.e.nt.

[Footnote 160: _Omitted._]

[Sidenote: Inimicos ejus induam confusione.]

"Alle tho that ben enemys to the kyng, I schal them clothe with confucione; Make hym myghti be vertuos levyng, His mortall fou to oppressen and bere a downe, And hym to encresene as Cristes champione; Alle myschevys from hym to abrigge, With the grace of G.o.d, at the entryng of this[161] brigge."

[Footnote 161: the.]

Too antilopis stondyng on either syde, With the armes of Ingelond and of Fraunce, In token that G.o.d schall for hym provide, As he hath t.i.tle be juste eneritaunce, To regne in pees, plente, and alle plesaunce; Cesyng of werre, that men myghte ryden and[162] gone, As trewe liegis, there hertys mad bothe oone.

[Footnote 162: or.]

Forthermore, so as the kyng gan ryde, Middes of the brigge there was a toure on lofte; The lord of lordes beynge ay his gyde, As he hath be and yit wil be ful ofte.

The tour araied with velwetty softe, Clothys of gold, silk, and tapicerie, As apperteynyth to his regalye.

And at his comyng, of excellent beaute, Benygne[163] of port, most womanly of chere, There issued out, empresses thre; There here displaied, as Phebus in his[164] spere, With crownettys of gold and stones clere; At whos out comyng thei gaf swyche a light, That the beholders were stonyed in there sight.

[Footnote 163: beyng.]

[Footnote 164: her.]

[Sidenote: Nature.]

[Sidenote: Grace.]

The first of them was callyd[165] NATURE, As sche that hath undyr here demayne, Man, beest, and foul, and every creature, Withinne the bondys of here goldyn cheyne;[166]

Eke hevene, and erthe, and every creature,[167]

This empresse of custum doth enbrace: And next here com here suster callyd GRACE.

[Footnote 165: called was.]

[Footnote 166: _These lines are transposed._]