Percy Manuscript, p. 281 ; Hales and Furnivall, II, 290.
| 1 |
The court is kept att leeue London,
And euermore shall be itt;
The King sent for a bold embassador,
And Sir Hugh Spencer that he hight. |
| 2 |
'Come hither, Spencer,' saith our kinge,
'And come thou hither vnto mee;
I must make thee an embassadour
Betweene the king of Ffrance and mee. |
| 3 |
'Thou must comend me to the king of Ffrance,
And tell him thus and now from mee,
I wold know whether there shold be peace in his land,
Or open warr kept still must bee. |
| 4 |
'Thou'st haue thy shipp at thy comande,
Thou'st neither want for gold nor fee;
Thou'st haue a hundred armed men,
All att thy bidding for to bee.' |
| 5 |
The wind itt serued, and they sayled,
And towards Ffrance thus they be gone;
The wind did bring them safe to shore,
And safelye landed euerye one. |
| 6 |
The Ffrenchmen lay on the castle-wall,
The English souldiers to behold:
'You are welcome, traitors, out of England;
The heads of you are bought and sold.' |
| 7 |
With that spake proud Spencer:
My leege, soe itt may not bee;
I am sent an embassador
Ffrom our English king to yee. |
| 8 |
The king of England greetes you well,
And hath sent this word by mee;
He wold know whether there shold be peace in your land,
Or open warres kept still must bee. |
| 9 |
'Comend me to the English kinge,
And tell this now from mee;
There shall neuer peace be kept in my land
While open warres kept there may bee.' |
| 10 |
With that came downe the queene of Ffrance,
And an angry woman then was shee;
Saies, Itt had beene as fitt now for a king
To be in his chamber with his ladye,
Then to be pleading with traitors out of England,
Kneeling low vppon their knee. |
| 11 |
But then bespake him proud Spencer,
For noe man else durst speake but hee:
You haue not wiped your mouth, madam,
Since I heard you tell a lye. |
| 12 |
'O hold thy tounge, Spencer!' shee said,
'I doe not come to plead with thee;
Darest thou ryde a course of warr
With a knight that I shall put to thee?' |
| 13 |
'But euer alacke!' then Spencer sayd,
'I thinke I haue deserued Gods cursse;
Ffor I haue not any armour heere,
Nor yett I haue noe iusting-horsse.' |
| 14 |
'Thy shankes,' quoth shee, 'Beneath the knee
Are verry small aboue the shinne
Ffor to doe any such honourablle deeds
As the Englishmen say thou has done. |
| 15 |
'Thy shankes beene small aboue thy shoone,
And soe the beene aboue thy knee;
Thou art to slender euery way
Any good iuster for to bee.' |
| 16 |
'But euer alacke,' said Spencer then,
'For one steed of the English countrye!'
With that bespake and one Ffrench knight,
This day thou'st haue the choyce of three. |
| 17 |
The first steed he feiched out,
I-wis he was milke-white;
The first foot Spencer in stirropp sett,
His backe did from his belly tyte. |
| 18 |
The second steed that he feitcht out,
I-wis that hee was verry browne;
The second foot Spencer in stirropp settt,
That horsse and man and all fell downe. |
| 19 |
The third steed that he feitched out,
I-wis that he was verry blacke;
The third foote Spencer into the stirropp sett,
He leaped on to the geldings backe. |
| 20 |
'But euer alacke,' said Spencer then,
'For one good steed of the English countrye!
Goe feitch me hither my old hacneye,
That I brought with me hither beyond the sea.' |
| 21 |
But when his hackney there was brought,
Spencer a merry man there was hee;
Saies, With the grace of God and St George of England,
The feild this day shall goe with mee. |
| 22 |
'I haue noe forgotten,' Spencer sayd,
'Since there was feild foughten att Walsingam,
When the horsse did heare the trumpetts sound,
He did beare ore both horsse and man.' |
| 23 |
The day was sett, and togetther they mett,
With great mirth and melodye,
With minstrells playing, and trumpetts soundinge,
With drumes striking loud and hye. |
| 24 |
The first race that Spencer run,
I-wis hee run itt wonderous sore;
He [hitt] the knight vpon his brest,
But his speare itt burst, and wold touch noe more. |
| 25 |
'But euer alacke,' said Spencer then,
'For one staffe of the English countrye!
Without you'le bind me three together,'
Quoth hee, 'They'le be to weake for mee.' |
| 26 |
With that bespake him the Ffrench knight,
Sayes, Bind him together the whole thirtye,
For I haue more strenght in my to hands
Then is in all Spencers bodye. |
| 27 |
'But proue att parting,' Spencer sayes,
'Ffrench knight, here I tell itt thee;
For I will lay thee five to four
The bigger man I proue to bee.' |
| 28 |
But the day was sett, and together they mett,
With great mirth and melodye,
With minstrells playing, and trumpetts soundinge,
With drummes strikeing loud and hye. |
| 29 |
The second race that Spencer run,
I-wis hee ridd itt in much pride,
And he hitt the knight vpon the brest,
And draue him ore his horsse beside. |
| 30 |
But he run thorrow the Ffrench campe;
Such a race was neuer run beffore;
He killed of King Charles his men
Att hand of thirteen or fourteen score. |
| 31 |
But he came backe againe to the K[ing],
And kneeled him downe vpon his knee;
Saies, A knight I haue slaine, and a steed I haue woone,
The best that is in this countrye. |
| 32 |
'But nay, by my faith,' then said the King,
'Spencer, soe itt shall not bee;
I'le haue that traitors head of thine,
To enter plea at my iollye.' |
| 33 |
But Spencer looket him once about,
He had true bretheren left but four;
He killed ther of the Kings gard
About twelve or thirteen score. |
| 34 |
'But hold thy hands,' the King doth say,
'Spencer, now I doe pray thee;
And I will goe into litle England,
Vnto that cruell kinge with thee.' |
| 35 |
'Nay, by my faith,' Spencer sayd,
'My leege, for soe itt shall not bee;
For an you sett foot on English ground,
You shall be hanged vpon a tree.' |
| 36 |
'Why then, comend [me] to that Englishe kinge,
And tell him thus now from mee,
That there shall neuer be open warres kept in my land
Whilest peace kept that there may bee.' |
