Anonymous: Historical Poems (Harley 2253) (3) (997 words)

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1

3. THE FLEMISH INSURRECTION (1302)


2

3Lustneþ, lordinges, boþe ȝonge ant olde,
4of þe freynsshe-men þat were so proude ant bolde,
5hou þe flemmysshe men bohten hem ant solde
6vpon a wednesday.
7betere hem were at home in huere londe
8þen forte seche flemmysshe by þe see stronde,
9whareþourh moni frenshe wyf wryngeþ hire honde,
10ant singeþ "weylaway!"

11

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12þe kyng of fraunce made statuȝ newe
13in þe lond of flaundres, among false ant trewe,
14þat þe commun of bruges ful sore con arewe,
15ant seiden amonges hem:
16"gedere we vs to-gedere hardilyche at ene;
17take we þe bailifs bi tuenty ant by tene,
18clappe we of the heuedes an-ouen o þe grene,
19ant caste we y þe fen."

20

21þe webbes ant þe fullaris assembleden hem alle,
22ant makeden huere consail in huere commune halle;
23token Peter Conyng huere kyng to calle,
24ant beo huere cheueuteyn.
25hue nomen huere rouncyns out of þe stalle,
26ant closeden þe toun wiþ-inne þe walle;
27sixti baylies ant ten hue maden a-doun falle,
28ant moni an-oþer sweyn.

29

30þo wolde þe baylies, þat were come from fraunce,
31dryue þe flemisshe þat made þe destaunce;
32hue turnden hem aȝeynes wiþ suerd & wiþ launce,
33stronge men ant lyht.
34y telle ou for soþe, for al huere bobaunce,
35ne for þe auowerie of þe kyng of fraunce,
36tuenti score ant fyue haden þer meschaunce,
37by day ant eke by nyht.

38

39Sire Iakes de seint poul yherde hou hit was,
40sixtene hundred of horsmen asemblede o þe gras;
41he wende toward bruges pas pur paspas pur pas,
42wiþ swiþe gret mounde.
43þe flemmysshe yherden telle þe cas,
44a-gynneþ to clynken huere basyns of bras,
45ant al hem to-dryuen ase ston doþ þe glas,
46ant fellen hem to grounde.

47

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48sixtene hundred of horsmen hede þer here fyn;
49hue leyȝen y þe stretes y-styked ase swyn;
50þer hue loren huere stedes any mony rouncyn
51þourh huere oune prude.
52sire Iakes ascapede by a coynte gyn,
53out at one posterne þer me solde wyn,
54out of þe fyhte hom to ys yn,
55in wel muchele drede.

56

57þo þe kyng of fraunce y-herde þis, anon
58assemblede he is dousse pers eueruchon,
59þe proude eorl of artoys ant oþer mony on,
60to come to paris.
61þe barouns of fraunce þider conne gon,
62Into þe paleis þat paued is wiþ ston,
63to iugge þe flemmisshe to bernen ant to slon,
64þourh þe flour-de-lis.

65

66þenne seide þe kyng Phelip, "lustneþ nou to me,
67Myn eorles ant my barouns gentil ant fre,
68goþ, faccheþ me þe traytours y-bounde to my kne,
69hastifliche ant blyue."
70þo suor þe eorl of seint Poul, " par la goule de!
71we shule facche þe rybaus wher þi wille be,
72ant drawen hem wiþ wilde hors out of þe countre,
73by þousendes fyue!"

74

75" sire Rauf de nel ," sayþ þe eorl of boloyne,
76" nus ne lerrum en vie chanoun ne moyne ,
77wende we forþ anon riꝥ wiþoute eny assoygne,
78Ne no lyues man.
79we shule flo þe Conyng, & make roste is loyne;
80þe word shal springen of him in-to coloyne,
81so hit shal to Acres, & in-to sesoyne,
82ant maken him ful wan."

83

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84seuene eorles ant fourti barouns y-tolde,
85fyftene hundred knyhtes proude & swyþe bolde,
86sixti þousent swyers among ȝunge ant olde,
87flemmisshe to take.
88þe flemmisshe hardeliche hem com to-ȝeynes;
89þis proude freinsshe eorles, huere knyhtes, & huere sweynes
90aquelleden ant slowen by hulles & by pleynes,
91al for huere kynges sake.

92

93þis frenshe come to flaundres so liht so þe hare,
94er hit were mydnyht hit fel hem to care;
95hue were laht by þe net so bryd is in snare,
96wiþ rouncin & wiþ stede.
97þe flemmisshe hem dabbeþ o þe het bare;
98hue nolden take for huem raunsoun ne ware;
99hue doddeþ of huere heuedes, fare so hit fare,
100Ant þare-to haueþ hue nede.

101

102þenne seyþ þe eorl of Artois, "y ȝelde me to þe,
103Peter Conyng by þi nome, ȝef þou art hende ant fre,
104þat y ne haue no shame ne no vylte,
105þat y ne be noud ded."
106þenne swor a bocher, "by my leaute!
107shalt þou ner more þe kyng of fraunce se,
108ne in þe toun of bruges in prisone be,
109þou woldest spene bred."

110

111þer hy were knulled y þe put-falle,
112þis eorles ant barouns & huere knyhtes alle;
113huere ledies huem mowe abide in boure & in halle
114wel longe.
115for hem mot huere kyng oþer knyhtes calle,
116oþer stedes taken out of huere stalle;
117þer hi habbeþ dronke bittrere þen þe galle,
118vpon þe drue londe.

119

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120when þe kyng of fraunce y-herde þis tydynge,
121he smot doun is heued, is honden gon he wrynge;
122þourhout al fraunce þe word bygon to springe.
123wo wes huem þo!
124Muche wes þe sorewe ant þe wepinge
125þat wes in al fraunce among olde ant ȝynge;
126þe meste part of þe lond bygon forte synge,
127"alas, ant weylawo!"

128

129awey, þou ȝunge pope! whet shal þe to rede?
130þou hast lore þin cardinals at þi meste nede;
131ne keuerest þou hem neuere for nones kunnes mede,
132for soþe y þe telle.
133do þe forþ to rome to amende þi misdede;
134bide gode halewen hue lete þe betere spede;
135bote þou worche wysloker, þou losest lond & lede,
136þe coroune wel þe felle.

137

138Alas! þou seli fraunce, for þe may þunche shome,
139þat ane fewe fullaris makeþ ou so tome;
140sixti þousent on a day hue maden fot-lome,
141wiþ eorl & knyht.
142her-of habbeþ þe flemysshe suiþe god game,
143ant suereþ bi seint omer & eke bi seint Iame,
144ȝef hy þer more comeþ hit falleþ huem to shame,
145wiþ huem forte fyht.

146

147I telle ou for soþe, þe bataille þus bigon
148bituene fraunce ant flaundres, hou hue weren fon;
149vor vrenshe þe eorl of flaundres in prison heden y-don,
150wiþ tresoun vntrewe.
151ȝef þe prince of walis his lyf habbe mote,
152hit falleþ þe kyng of fraunce bittrore þen þe sote,
153bote he þe raþere þer-of welle do bote,
154wel sore hit shal hym rewe.