'The Rose of Englande,' Percy Manuscript, p. 423;
Hales and Furnivall, III, 187.
| 1 |
Throughout a garden greene and gay,
A seemlye sight itt was to see
How flowers did flourish fresh and gay,
And birds doe sing melodiouslye. |
| 2 |
In the midst of a garden there sprange a tree,
Which tree was of a mickle price,
And there vppon sprang the rose soe redd,
The goodlyest that euer sprange on rise. |
| 3 |
This rose was faire, fresh to behold,
Springing with many a royall lance;
A crowned king, with a crowne of gold,
Ouer England, Ireland, and of Ffrance. |
| 4 |
Then in came a beast men call a bore,
And he rooted this garden vpp and downe;
By the seede of the rose he sett noe store,
But afterwards itt wore the crowne. |
| 5 |
Hee tooke the branches of this rose away,
And all in sunder did them teare,
And he buryed them vnder a clodd of clay,
Swore they shold neuer bloome nor beare. |
| 6 |
Then came in an egle gleaming gay,
Of all faire birds well worth the best;
He took the branche of the rose away,
And bore itt to Latham to his nest. |
| 7 |
But now is this rose out of England exiled,
This certaine truth I will not laine;
But if itt please you to sitt a while,
I'le tell you how the rose came in againe. |
| 8 |
Att Milford Hauen he entered in;
To claime his right, was his delight;
He brought the blew bore in with him,
To encounter with the bore soe white. |
| 9 |
The[n] a messenger the rose did send
To the egles nest, and bidd him hye:
'To my father, the old egle, I doe [me] comend,
His aide and helpe I craue speedylye.' |
| 10 |
Saies, I desire my father att my cominge
Of men and mony att my need,
And alsoe my mother of her deer blessing;
The better then I hope to speede. |
| 11 |
And when the messenger came before thold egle,
He kneeled him downe vpon his knee;
Saith, Well greeteth you my lord the rose,
He hath sent you greetings here by me. |
| 12 |
Safe from the seas Christ hath him sent,
Now he is entered England within:
'Let vs thanke God,' the old egle did say,
'He shall be the flower of all his kine. |
| 13 |
'Wend away, messenger, with might and maine;
Itt's hard to know who a man may trust;
I hope the rose shall flourish againe,
And haue all things att his owne lust.' |
| 14 |
Then Sir Rice ap Thomas drawes Wales with him;
A worthy sight itt was to see,
How the Welchmen rose wholy with him,
And shogged them to Shrewsburye. |
| 15 |
Att that time was baylye in Shrewsburye
One Master Mitton, in the towne;
The gates were strong, and he mad them fast,
And the portcullis he lett downe. |
| 16 |
And throug a garrett of the walls,
Ouer Severne these words said hee;
'Att these gates no man enter shall;'
But he kept him out a night and a day. |
| 17 |
These words Mitton did Erle Richmond tell
(I am sure the chronicles of this will not lye);
But when lettres came from Sir William Stanley of the Holt castle,
Then the gates were opened presentlye. |
| 18 |
Then entred this towne the noble lord,
The Erle Richmond, the rose soe redd;
The Erle of Oxford, with a sword,
Wold haue smitt of the bailiffes head. |
| 19 |
'But hold your hand,' saies Erle Richmond,
'Ffor his loue that dyed vpon a tree!
Ffor if wee begin to head so soone,
In England wee shall beare no degree.' |
| 20 |
'What offence haue I made thee,' sayd Erle Richmonde,
'That thou kept me out of my towne?'
'I know no king,' sayd Mitton then,
'But Richard now, that weares the crowne.' |
| 21 |
'Why, what wilt thou say,' said Erle Richmonde,
'When I haue put King Richard downe?'
'Why, then Ile be as true to you, my lord,
After the time that I am sworne.' |
| 22 |
'Were itt not great pitty,' sayd Erle Richmond,
'That such a man as this shold dye,
Such loyall service by him done?
(The cronickles of this will not lye.) |
| 23 |
'Thou shalt not be harmed in any case;'
He pardone[d] him presentlye;
They stayd not past a night and a day,
But towards Newport did they hye. |
| 24 |
But [at] Attherston these lords did meete;
A worthy sight itt was to see,
How Erle Richmond tooke his hatt in his hand,
And said, Cheshire and Lancashire, welcome to me! |
| 25 |
But now is a bird of the egle taken;
Ffrom the white bore he cannot flee;
Therfore the old egle makes great moane,
And prayes to God most certainly. |
| 26 |
'O stedfast God, verament,' he did say,
'Thre persons in one god in Trinytye,
Saue my sonne, the young egle, this day
Ffrom all false craft and trecherye!' |
| 27 |
Then the blew bore the vanward had;
He was both warry and wise of witt;
The right hand of them he tooke,
The sunn and wind of them to gett. |
| 28 |
Then the egle followed fast vpon his pray,
With sore dints he did them smyte;
The talbott he bitt wonderous sore,
Soe well the vnicorne did him quite. |
| 29 |
And then came in the harts head;
A worthy sight itt was to see,
The iacketts that were of white and redd,
How they laid about them lustilye. |
| 30 |
But now is the feirce feeld foughten and ended,
And the white bore there lyeth slaine,
And the young egle is preserued,
And come to his nest againe. |
| 31 |
But now this garden flourishes freshly and gay,
With fragrant flowers comely of hew,
And gardners itt doth maintaine;
I hope they will proue iust and true. |
| 32 |
Our king, he is the rose soe redd,
That now does flourish fresh and gay:
Confound his foes, Lord, wee beseeche,
And loue His Grace both night and day! |
