PREMIER CHANT
God that all this world gan make And üyed for us on a tre,
Save Ingelond for Mary sake, Sothfast God in Trinyte.;
And kepe our kyng that is so free, That is gracious and good with all, And graunt hym evermore the gree, Curteys Crist oure kynge ryall.
Oure kynge sente in to France ful rathe Hys lassatours bothe faire and free, His owne right for to bave,
That is, Gyan and Normande ;
He bad delyvre that his schulde be AÏl that oughte kyng Edward,
Or elys tell hym certeynie,
He itt gette with dynt of swerd.
Wo ge right well that thus ü was, Gloria tilt trinitas.
And than answerde the dolfyn bold To oure bassalors sone ageyn :
« Me thinke youre kyng he is nought [old »] « No werrys for to maynteyn ; »
« Grete well yourekyng, — je seyüe, [-— 50 yonge »] « That is-bothe gentill and small.
« À tonne of temys ballys:il shall'hym [sende »] « For to pleye him «rith all. »
Wot ye right well, -etc., etc.
« À dieu sire n-seide oure lordis alle, For there they wolde no longer lende; They token there leve, bothe grete and [smalle,] And hom to Ingelond they gum wende ; And thanne they selte the tale on ende, AIL that the dolfyn to them gon say; « Ischal hym thanke thanne — seyde [our kynge] « Be the grace of God if that y may. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
The kyng of Fraunce that is so old,
Onto oure kyng he sente on hy,
On prayde trews that he wolde hold
For the love of seynt Mary.
« Our Cherlys of Fraunce gret well,
[or ye wende, »|
« The dolfyn prowed withinne his [wall, »]
“« Swyche tenys ballys Ischall hym [sende »]
« As schall tere the roof all of his all. »
Wot ge right well, etc.
Ourkyng ordeyned with all his myght, For to amende that is amys,
And that is all for Engelond right, To geten agen that scholde ben bis; That is, al Normandie fersothe y wys, Be right of eritage he scolde it have, Thersf he seith he wyll nought mys.
Crist kepe his body sounde and save !. Wot ge right well, etc.
Oure kyng at Westmenster he lay, And bis bretheren everych one, And other many lordes that is no nay ; The kyng tothem seyde anon :
a To Fraunce y thenke to take the [way, »] « Sires, — he seyde, — be swete seynt [John ?, »] « Of good counseill y will yow pray, »
« Wbat is youre will what y shall [don ? »] Wot ge right well, etc.
The duk of Clarence, thanne seyd he, € My lord it is right full will, »
« And other lordys right manye à, »
1 R. H. Evans a reproduit, dans ses « Old ballads, historicel and narrative, » t. II, p. 834 et suivantes, ce poëme sur la bataille d'Arincourt; mais avec quelques “variantes que nous signalerons au fur et.à mesure qu'elles se présenteront. C'est ainsi que, par exemple, il omet les six strophes qui précédent, et fait commencer le
poëme par la septième strophe, 3 Variante :
« To France i think to take the way »
« To wresk me there upon my fone »
3 Variante de l'édition de Evans:
e And other lordes answered therelo » And said : We hold it for the best
« And get my land, if that y may »
» With you we be ready for to go, » While the bronst will we lest. »
«a We hold it right reson and skyll, »
a To Fraunce we wolde yow redy [bryng »|
« With gladder will than we kon say. »
« Gramercy Sires, — seide our kyng,
« [schall yow qwyte if that y may. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
« Ï warne yow be seyde bothe olde [and yonge, »]
« Make yow redy withoughte delay; »
« At Southampton to mete youre
[kynge :, »]
a Àt Lammas on seynt Petrys day, »
« Bethe grace of God andswete Mary, »
« Over the see y thenke to passe ; »
The kyng let ordeyn sone in hy,
What y mepe ye knowe the casse.
Wof'ye right well, etc.
After anon, with right good chere, Hyse gretgonnysand engynes stronge, At London he schipped them alle in [fere,] And sone fro Westmenster then spron- | (ge, With alle hyse lordys, sothe to saye, The mair was redy and mette hym [there, With all the craftes in good araye, It is ful soth what nede to swere.
Wot ge right well, etc.
« Heyl, comely kyng, — the mair [gen say,]
1 « Ath Southampton to take your day. »
« The grace of God naw be with the, »
« And speed the well in thy jornay, »
« Almyghti God in Trinite, »
« Andgraunt theevermore the degre, »
« To felle thin enemys bothe nyght [and day ; »])
« Amen, — seyde all the comunalte,
« Graunt mercy sires » oure kyÿng
(gan say.] Wot ye right well, etc.
To seynt Poulys he held the way,
He offred there full worthyly;
Fro thens to the queen that same day,
And tok his leve ful hendely ;
And thorugh out London thanne gan [he ryde,]
To seynt George he com in hye,
And there he offred that iche tyde,
And other lordys that weren hym bye.
Wot ge right sell, etc.
. And fro thens to Suthampton, unto
{that strond,]
For sothe he wold no longer there [dwell ;]
XV bundryd shippys redy there he [fond,]
With riche sayles and heye topces- [tell.}
Lordys of this lend, oure kyng gen.
[there sell] For a mïlien of gold as y herd say;
Therfore theretruayle was quyte them (full weli,]
Kor (hey woidea nrad a queynte aray!.
Wot ye right well, exc.
Therfore song tt was wailaway, There lyvys they lost anon right in [hast,] And oure kyng with riall aray, To the se he past. And landyd in Normandye, at the [water of Sayn,) At the pyle of Ketecaus, the sothe y [yow say, On oure Lady even, the assumpcion, [the thirdde yer of hys rayn,] And boldely hys baner there he gan fdisplay.] Wot ge right well, etc.
And to the town of Harflew there he [tok the way,] And mustred his meyne faire before [the town, And many other Lordys [dar well say, With banetsbrighteand many penoun; And there they pyght there tentys a [down,] That were embroudyd with armys gay; First tbe kynges tente with the crown, Athd all othere lordes ingood aray.
Wot ye right well, etc.
« My brother Glarence, — eur kyng [gen saÿ,) » The tother syde shull ye kepe, » With my doughlier and hire may- [dyns gay.) » To wake the Frennshmen of there (slape.] » London, he seyde, shall with here (mete,] » My gonnys shall lyn upen this grene, » For they shall play with Harfiote » À game at {ynes, as y Wene. »
Wot ge right sell, etc.
« Mine engynies that bothe so kene,
» They shull be sett be syde this bull, » Over all Harflewe that the may sente, » For to leke tf they play well.
» Go we to game he Godys grace,
» Myne children ben redy everich. »
Every greet gone that there was,
In his mouth he hadde a stone.
Wot ge right wi, etc.
The capteyn of Harfléwe sone anen To oure kyng he sente on by,
To wyte what was his wille to don That he was come with his navy;
« Delivere me this toune, » — oure
[kyng gan say,)
t L'édition de M.‘Evans ajoute après ce vers.
« The eari of Marcb, the s00th to say That is gracious il ali degree,
He warned the king, that is no nay, How he wastoid certsiniy.
Sir, be said, there is such a man
This dayth think you to betrar.
Gramercy, cousin, said our king s0 free, Mine own true knigbt by God veryz. »
« Nay, sire » — he seyde, — « be {soynt Denys »]
« Thaane shall y it gete, if y may,
» Bethe grace ofGodand myn devys. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
« Myne pleyers that y have hedyr [brought, | » Thgr ballys beth of stonys round, » Be the helpe of hym that me dere [bought,] » The shall youre wall have to [ground. »]| The Frensshmen cried « Amougd!
[Amound ! »] a This toun,-— they seyde,— ut moste [kepe ; »] The kyng, seitb he, will naught fro [this ground] Or he haye yolde this toun Harflete!.
Wot ye right well, etc.
Tenys seyde the grete gonne,
How felawes go we {o game,
Among the houses of Harflewe roune,
It dide the Frensshmen right grete [game ;]
Fyftene before, seyd London, tho
His bell woll faire he gan it throwe,
That the stepyll of Harflete and beUys
[als.] With his breth he dide down blowe.
Wot ye right well, etc.
XXXti is myn, seyd Messagere,
And smartly went his way ;
Ther wallys that were mad right sure,
He brast them down the sothe to say.
The kynges doughter, seyde here, [how thei play,]
Herkenyth myne maygdenys in this
[tyde,]
Fyve and forty that is no nay,
The wallys wente doun on every syde.
Wot ye right well, etc.
The engynes seide, to longe we abyde, Let us gon to ben on assent ; Wbherevere that the ball gan glyde, The houses of Harflew they all to rent, An Englyssh man tbe bulwerk brent.
Women cryed alas ! that they were [bore,] The Frensshmenseide now he weshent, From us this toun now it is lore.
Wot ye right sell, etc.
It is best now that we therfore,
1 Entre-cette strophe et celle qui suit, on trouve dans Evans :
Trial many our king did make,
Aud thorow the dyke they gan pass.
The Frenchmen spied their walls gan shske, And countermined again in that place.
Together therein the they gan race.
1tis great frad to see them fight.
Prisoners our men they did take,
And out of the mind they had them dight.
The Frenchmes then flew at a styght,
‘To see our men so stronz and stout.
They feareû te many withunain and might With smolder and sisneb tbey drave themogt.
That we beseche the kyng of grace, That he asayle us now no more,
For to dystroye us in this place ;
For but the Dolfyn us reskewe,
This toun to delivere wyl we sikerly, Messagers thei let make newe,
And to the kyng they come in hy.
Wot ye right well, etc.
The lord Gaucourt certeynly,
For he was capteyn in that place,
And Gilliam Bocher com hym by !,
And othere also bothe more and lasse,
To fore the kyng whan they com was;
Twot they sette them on there kne,
« Heil comely kyng, thei seyde, in [this plas 3, »]
« The grace of God now is with the. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
a Of trews we wolde beseche the »
a Unto it be Sounday atte non, »
« And but it thanne reskewyd be »
« We shall Lo yow delyvere thistoun. »
The kyng thanne se yde to then ful son :
« Ï graunte you grace al this tyde, »
« Somme of yow go forth anon, »
« Theremenaunt with me shall abyde. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
The capteyn hied hym with al his [myght,]
Unto Roon : for to ryde, He wende the Dolfyn have founde there (right, But he was goon, durst he nought [abyde,] Of helpe the capteyn besowte that tyde, « Harflew from us is lost for ay, »
« The wallys ben doun onevery syde, »
« We may no longere it kepe, be God [verray. »] Wot ye right well, etc.
« Of good counsaill [ wolde yow pray,»
« What is youre will wbat shall y don, »
« Bataill us moste thene be Soneday, »
« Or ellys delivere hym the toun. »
The lordys of Roon togydere gon rown, And bad he sholde the town up yelde, «a Thekyng of Ingelond is fersas lyon, »
« We will noughte mete hym in the
[felde. »] Wot ye right well, etc.
The capteyn went agen withoute flettyng,] Before the kyng on kneys gan fall, a Heyl, he seyde, comely kyng, »
«a Most worthy prynce in this world [riall, »] « Here y have brought yow the keyes [alle, »]
! La version de M. Evans remplace ce vers par le suivant : And the Lord Vike come they, 2 Hail, comely Prince, said that maym-bras,
8 Rouen.
« Of Harflew that faire toun, »
a All is youre owne both towr and [halle, »]
« Atyour will Lordand at your croun. »
Wot ye right sell, etc.
a Ï thanke God, — thanne seyde oure [kyng,]
« And Mary his modir that is so free ; »
a Myn uncle Dorset withoutelettyng, »
« Capteyn of Harflewe schall ye be. »
« And al that is in that toun, »
« Wot stille shall abyde, »
« To maken up that is adoun,
« That hath ben fellyd on every syde. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
« Meyne I now shall with yow ride, »
« To se the toun there overall, »
« Wyff no child lett non abyde, »
« But have them ought bone grete [and small ; »]
And let stuffe the toun overall,
With Englysshmen thereinne to be;
They left no Frenssh blod withinne [the wall.]
But hadde all oute the comunalte.
Wot ye right well, etc.
Four bundred women and children [men myght 5e,] Whanne they wenten out sore yon [they wepe ;] The grete gonnes, engynes, to the [trewle,] They were brought in to Harflete, Oure kyng unto the castell yede, And restyd bym there as his will was.
« Sirs, — be seyde, — so God me fpode»] « To Caleys warde [ thenke to pass. »
Wot ye right sell that thus 16 was Gloria tibi trinitas.
