DEUXIÈME CHANT
Whanne Harflete was getyn, that [ryall toun,
Through-the grace of God omnipotent, Ovre kyng he made hym redy bown, And to Caleys ward full faire he went; My brother Clarence verament ;
Ye shall ryde al be my syde,
My cosyn Yorck ye take entent,
For ye shall also this tyde.
Wot ye right well, etc.
«a My cosyn Huntyngdon shall with [me ryde,]
» The erl of Suffolk that is so fre,
» The erl of Oxenford shall not abyde,
» He shall comen forth with his meyne,
» Sire Thomas Erpyñgham that névore fdide faille :,] » Ant Yÿ Ît ariothèr 80 mole y theë, » Sire John, the knyght of Cor- [newaille ?,] » He dar abyde and thuüt khow y. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
« Sire Gilbert Umfrewille wil us favayle,]
» The lord Clytfford so God me spede,
» Sire William Boucer that will not [faille,]
» They will us helpe when we hay [nede.]
» Toward Caleys full faire they yede,
» In the cuntrey of Picardie,
» And outof Normandie they gan ryde :
» Now Christ save ali the cumpanye. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
Our kyng rood forth, blessed he be, He spared neïther dale ne doun,
t Variante de M. Evans:
« The young earl of Devonshire certainiy,
« The lord of Clifford that never would fail, » The lord Cawse that is doughty,
» Aod aiso sir John Cornwail,
Be townes grete, and cartel kyghe, Til he come to the water ef Som ; The brigge the Frensshemen adde [drawe a doun,] That over the water he myght nought [ryde ;] Oure kyng mede hym rédy bown, And to the water of Turwyn he com
[that tyde.] Wot ye right well, etc.
Oure kyng rood forth thanne fail good [spod.]
Into the countrey of Turvyle,
To Agyncourt now as he is ride,
There as oure kyng dyd his bataile ;
Be the water of Swerdys withoute [faile, ]
The Frensshemen oure kyng thei did
[aspye,]
And there they thought kim to assile
AI in that feld certeynlye 2.
Wot ye right well, etc.
» Sir Gilbert Umfervii will ons avail.
» The iord Whslie, 50 God me speed, » Sir Thomas Erpingham will not fail.
» Ne sir William Boncer, when we have need. »
3 On pourrait croire qu'il est question d'un chevalier de la Cornouaille : il s'agit
tout simplement de sir John Cornwall, chevalier.
3 On trouve ici dans la version de M. Evaus les vers suivant qui manquent dans la nôtre: Ils sont relatifs à l'épisode du sire de Heilly: (voir le présent volume,
page 98):
The lord Haly, a true knight, Ünto our king he come in hie Attd said : « Sire, vield yon withought ht »
« And save your self and your meyny «
And our king bad him go his way in bie Aod büle no longer in my sig.
The Frensshemen hadde oure kyoge [umbast,] With bataill strang on every syde ; The duke of Orlions seyde. « in bast, »
« The kyng of Ingelgnd with us shall [hyde, »] « He gaf hym leve this way to ryde, »
« BeGod, me thenke, he was not wys, »
« Therefore shall y now be hys gyd, »
« Or that he come Lo strong Caleys. »
Wot ye right well, pic...
Tèg duke of Brahan answerd then, And sayde : « be God in Trinite, »
« Therbesofeweofthise Inglysshmen,» « [bave no deynte them (lo se ; »
« Alas! heseyde, wbat nedith us alle, »
« To day 50 many for to comen bere, »
a XX of us it will befaile, »
« Of them on prisonere. »
Wat ye right well, etc.
« The duk of Burbon sware: « he [seynt Denys, »| « And other lordes many on, »
«a We will go pleye them at dys, »
« The lordys of Ingelond everych on, »
« Ther gentilmen seide, be swete seynt [John ; »]
«a Therarchersbesold full fayr plente,»
« And alle the beste bowemen ich on, »
« All for a blank of oure mone t. »
Wot ye right well, ete.
And thanne tbe duk of Barrye, With wordes that were full mochell of [pryde,
« Be God, he seyde, y will not sparye,»
« Over the Englysshmen y thenke to [ryde ;] »
« And if that they dar us abyde, »
« We shall overthrowe them aile in [fere ; »]
« Goo we and slee them in this tyde, »
« And come hom agen to oure dynere. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
Oure gracious kyng, that is s0 good, He batailyd bym fui rially ; Stakes he hewe doun in a wood, Befoin our archers pyght them on hy, Oure ordynaunce the Frensshmen gan {aspy,] They that were ordey nyd for to ryde, They lighted doun with sorwe and cry, And on their feet their gon abyde.
Wot ye right well, etc.
The duke of York thanne full son
1 Notre version oublie de faire parler à son tour le duc d'Alençon : Voici le langage que lui prête le manuscrit reproduit par M. Evans :
The duke of Alenson said, with astrene chee « À vow to God shall I make, »
« To take the king of England 1o me prisoner, »
« Oretse be siain forhis saks. »
« His banner, — he said, — 1 shall down shake » « In field this day, 1f 1 may stand. »
« This other many I shall gar make »
« And strike of every archer bis right band. »
Before oure kyng he fell on kne,
« My liege lord, graunt me a bon, »
« For his love that on croys gan die, »
« The fore ward thisday that ye graunt [me, »]
« To be before yow in this feld ; »
« Be myn baner slayn wil y be, »
« Or y will turne my backe or me
[yelde. »] Wot ye right well. etc.
« Gramercy cosyn, — seyde oure [kyng, »]
« Thenk on the right of mery In- [gelond. »]
And thanne he gaff bym his hlessyng,
And bad tbe duke he sholde up stond :
« Crist, — he seyde, — that shop [bothe sone and sonde, »]
« And art lord and kyng of myght, »
« This day hold over me thin holy [hond,]
« And spede me well in al my right. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
Help seynt George oure lady knyght,
Seynt Edward that is so fre,
Oure lady that art Godys modyr bright,
And seynt Thomas of Caunterbure :
He bad alle men blithe to be,
And seyde : « Felows well shall we [spede, »]
« Every man in his degre, »
« Ï shall yow quyte full well youre [mede. »]
Wot ye right well, etc.
Oure kyng seyde : « Felas, what tyme [of day? »]
« Sire, thei seyde, it is ner pryme ; »
« Go we anon to this jornay, »
« Be the grace of Godit is good tyme, »
« For alle the seyntes that lyn in [shryne, »]
« To God for us they be praïeng, »
The religious of Ingelond all benynge ;
« “Ora pro nobis’ » for us they syng.
Wot ye right well, etc.
The kyng knelyd doun in that stounde,
And Englysshmen on every syde,
And thries there kyssyd the grounde,
And on there feet gon glyde ;
« Crist, — soyde the kyng, — as y [am thi knyght, »]
« This day me save for Ingelond sake, »
« And lat nevere that good Reme for
[me be fright, »] « Ne me on iyve this day be take. »
Wot ye right well, etc.
Avaunt baner, withoute lettyng, Seynt George before avowe we hyme, The baner of the Trynyte forth ye [bryng,] And seynte Edward baner at this tyme; « Over — he seyde — Lady Hevene [Quene, »] « Myn own baner with bire shall be. »
The Frensshman seyde al be dene, Seynt George all over oure kyng [they se.] Wot ye right well, etc.
They triumpyd up full meryly, The grete bataille togyder yede :
Oure archiers shotte full hertyly, And made Frensshmen faste to blede :
There arwes wente full good sped, Oure enemyes therwith doun gonfalle, Thorugh bresplate, habirion, and [bassonet yede,] Slayn there were xj thousand on a [rowe alle !.] Wot ye right well, etc.
Oure gracious kyng men myghte
[knowe,] That day he faught withe bis owne [hond,] He sparyd nother heigh no lowe, There was no man his dynt myght [stond ;]
1 Denters of death men migh£ well deem So flercely in fleld they gan fight.
They heve up on their helmets scheen, With axes and swords bright,
There was nevere no kyng yit in this [lond,]
That evere dyd better in a day,
Therfore all Ingelond may synge oo [song,]
‘Laus Deo’ we may well say.
Wot ye right well, etc.
The duk of Gloucestre, that is no nay, Tbat day full worthyly be wroughte, On every syde he mad good way, The Frensshemen faste to grounde he [brought.] The erl of Huntyngdon sparyd nought; The erl of Oxenford layd on all s0o ; The yonge erl of Devenshire he ne [rought ;] The Frensshmen faste to grounde gan Wot ye right well, etc. [goo *.]
When our arrows were at a flight,
A mougthe Frenchmen was a well sorry cheer, There wasto bring of gold buckled s0 bright That a man might hoïd a strong armour.
% La fin de ce chant diffère totalement dans les deux versions de MM. Harris- Nicholas et Evans ; celle de M. Evans est beaucoup plus complète et plus étendue :
Our Englishmen they were full sekerdo
And fierce to fight as any lion.
Basnels bright they crazed in two
And beat the French banners adoun,
As thunder strokes there was a sound
Of axes and spears they gan glyde.
The lords of France lost their renown,
With grisly wounds they gan sbide.
The Frenchmen for all their pride,
They fell down all at a flight :
< Je me rends ! » they cried on every side ; Our Englishmen they anderstood nough aright, Their poll — axes out of their hands they wyght, Aud laid them along straight upon the grass,
They spared neither duke, eari, nor knight, Therefore say we, deo gratias.
And when that battle scomft was
On the friday af after-noon,
Our king to his longing his way he took, There as he lay the night before,
Till it was saturday by the morn, Throught the fleld he rode again.
Now shall ye hear of the Lords that were forlorn: The eari of Mercke that there was slain, The eari of Rossey, the sonth to say, And also the earl of Bourbon,
The eari of Drewis went never away, The eari of Danmartyne died that gay,
The duk of OGrlions thanne was won,
That day was taken prisonere ;
The erl of Ewe he was ah :
The dure of Braband slayn was there;
The duke of Barre fast hym by ;
The duke of Launson wente nevore [away ;]
Ne the erle Neverse certeynly,
Ne many other lordes that y cannot
The erl of Rychemond eerteynly, That day was taken in the feld ; The erl ef Vendue was right sory ; Ané Sir Bursegaut he gan hym yeld ; And thasourekyng conqueryé the feld, Througb the grace of God omnipotent ; He toke his prisoners yonge and olde, And faire to Caleys ward thanne he [went ;]
[say.) The yere of his regne the thridde this Wot ye righe well, etc… Gloria tibi Trinias. {was.) a
