That drownythe the dowghty, and bryngethe hem abeere. And alle is for the lordane lovithe no pere. Practyse his preff of alle that I sey, God kepe oure kyng, and hym to convey. Bridelle yow, bysshoppe, and be not to bolde, This is alle ernest that ye calle game. The beelesire ye be, the more is youre blame. A WARNING TO KING HENRY.1 Ye that have the kyng to demene, Ffor ye have made the kyng so pore, Tome of Say2 and Danielle bothe, Then shalle ye have no shame. No resoun wille us blame. 'From the Cotton. Charters, ii. 23. 2 James Fienes, lord Saye and Sele, lord treasurer, was one of the unpopular statesmen of the day, and having been, as a matter of policy, committed to the Tower, he was dragged thence by the mob in Jack Cade's rebellion, and was beheaded by them on the 4th of July 1451. This song was written apparently before this nobleman was thrown into the Tower. Trowthe and pore men ben appressede, On tho that holdene the fals bonde The traytours wene they bene so sly, We cane do theme no griffe. We swere by hym that hairwede helle So pore a kyng was never seene, The communes may no more. Suffolk Normandy hath swolde, And he wenythe, withouten drede, We trow the kyng be to leere, To selle bothe menne and lond in feere; But yef the commyns of Englonde Suffolk wolle bere the crowne. Be ware, kynge Henré, how thou doos; The traytours are sworne alle togedere Let hem drynk as they hanne brewe. The chaunselere that last was hath staffes take, No nombre of them, hit is ferde. This bille is trewe; who wille say nay, And the helpe of the rode; That traitours shalle provide; O rex, si rex es, rege te, vel eris sine re rex VERSES AGAINST THE DUKE OF SUFFOLK.' Ffor feer or for favour of ony fals mane, ; Duke, jwge, baroun, archebisshope and he be, He wolle repent it within this monthes thre. Let ffolke accused excuse theym selff, and they cane; Reseyve no goode, let soche bribry be; Support not theyme this wo bygane, And let theym suche clothis as they spane, And take from theym ther wages and ther fee, or, by God and seint Anne! Som must go hens, hit may none othere weys be, And els is lost alle this lond and we; Hong up suche menne to oure soverayne lorde, L. simplex pleno caveat omnis homo. ' From the Cottonian Rolls, ii. 23. ON THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF SUFFOLK.1 May 3, 1450. In the monethe of May, when gresse groweth grene, Flagrant in her floures, with swete savour, Jac Napes wolde one the see a maryner to ben, With his cloge and his cheyn, to seke more tresour. Suyche a payn prikkede hym, he asked a confessour. Nicolas said, "I am redi thi confessour to be;" 2 He was holden so that he ne passede that hour. Who shalle execute his exequies with a solempnité? Pray for this dukes soule that it might come to blis ; His interfectours blessed might thei be, And graunte them for ther dede to regne with angelis; And for Jac Nape soule Placebo and Dirige. "Placebo," begynnethe the bisshop of Herforde. Dilexi, for myn avauncement," saithe the bisshop of Chestre.1 Heu mei," saith Salisbury,5 "this gothe to ferre forthe." "Ad Dominum cum tribularer," ssaith the abbot of Gloucestre." 1 From MS. Cotton. Vespas. B. xvi. fol. 1, vo. 2 Nicholas was the name of the ship which arrested the vessel on which the duke of Suffolk was embarked. 3 Reginald Baker, who had been promoted to this see from the abbacy of Gloucester in 1450. Boothe, bishop of Coventry and Litchfield. See the note, p. 225. * Richard Beauchamp was elected bishop of Salisbury in 1450. * Reginald, abbot of St. Peter's in Gloucester; he was one of the unpopular courtiers indicted at Rochester in 1451, according to the Cottonian Roll. "Dominus custodit," saith the abbot of Rouchestre. "Levavi oculos," saith frere Stanbury, "volavi.” "Si iniquitates," saith the bisshop of Worcetre; For Jac Nape soule de profundis clamavi.” 1 Opera manuum tuarum,” seith the cardynal wisely," reson. “Audivi vocem," songe Allemightty God on hye; And therfore syng we "Magnificat anima mea "Dominum.” Unto this dirige most we gon and come This pascalle tyme, to say veryli Thre psalmes and thre lessouns, that alle is and somme, For Jac Nape soule, Placebo and Dirige. Executors of this office Dirige for to synge, 3 Shalle begyn the bisshop of synt Asse; "Verba mea auribus," saith abbot of Redynge; "Alle your joye and hope is come to alasse." Committere, Domine, yet graunte us grace,' Saith abbot of synt Albans ful sorily. The abbot of the Toure hille, with his fat face, Quaketh and tremuleth for "Domine, ne in furore.” Maister Water Liard shal synge "Ne quando." The abbot of Westmynstre, "Domine Deus meus, in "te speravi; 1 John Carpenter, bishop of Worcester, who was also a great supporter of the high church party, and therefore of the court. 2 John Kemp, archbishop of York, had been made a cardinal at the close of the year 1439. 3 Thomas, bishop of St. Asaph, a prelate who appears to have gained no degree of celebrity. 4 Walter Liard (in the ordinary lists of bishops he is called Hart and Lyhart) was bishop of Norwich from 1445 to 1472. This name also occurs in the list of unpopular courtiers indicted at Rochester. |