Classic Poem

When william duke of normandye
w i th glitering speare & sheild
had entered into ffaire England,
& told his ffoes in ffield,

vpon christmas day, in soleme sort,
then was hee crowned heere
by Albert, Archbishopp of yorke,
& many a noble peere.

w hi ch being done, he changed quite
the customes of England,
& punished such as daylye sought
his statutes to w i thstand.

& many cytyes hee subdued,
ffaire London w i th the rest,
but then Kent did still w i thstand his power,
& did his lawes detest.

to douer then he tooke the way,
the castle downe for to flinge
w hi ch Aueragus had builded there,
the noble Brittaine Kinge.

but when the braue Archbishopp bold
of Canterbury knew,
the Abbott of S t Austines eke,
w i th all their gallant crew,

the sett themselues in order bright,
these mischeefes to p re uent,
w i th all the yeomen braue & bold
tha t were in ffruitfull Kent

att Canterbury they did meete
vpon one certaine day,
w i th sword, w i th sheild, w i th bill, w i th bow,
to stopp the conquerours way.

" let vs not liue like bondmen pore
to ffrenchmen in their pryde,
but lett vs keepe our ancyent lybertyes,
what chance soeuer tyde!

" & rather lett vs dye in bloody ffeild,
w i th manly courage prest,
then to endure the seruile yoke
w hi ch wee thus much detest! "

thus did the Kentish Com m ons crye
vnto their leaders still,
& then they marched in warlike sort,
& stood att swansco hill.

& vnder a wood they hidd themselues,
vnder they shadow greene,
wherby to gett them vantage good
of all their ffoes vnseene.

& when the spyed his approche
in place where they did stand,
they marched fforth to hemm him in;
eche man tooke a bow in his hande.

before, behind, & on eche syde
as hee did cast his eyes,
he espyed these woods in sober pace
approach to him ffull nye.

The shape of men he cold not see,
the bowes did hyde them soe;
& how his hart did quake for feare
to see a fforrest goe!

but when the Kentish men had thus
enclosed the Conquerour round,
then suddenly they drew their swords,
& threw their bouges to ground;

their banners they displayed in sight,
their trumpetts sounded a charge,
the rattling drummes strike vp alarme,
their troopes streitch fforth to the Large,

wheratt this dreadfull Conquerour
theratt was sore agazed,
& most in p er ill when he thought
all p er ills had beene past

therfore vnto the Kentishmen
an Embassadoure he sent,
to know they cause they tooke in hand
these warres, to what entent.

to whom they made this short reply,
" ffor liberty weele ffight,
And to enioy K ing Edwards the Confessors Lawes
w hi ch wee doe hold arright. "

" why then, " said the dreadfull Conquerour,
" you shall haue what you will;
yo u r libertyes, yo u r ancyent customes,
soe tha t you wilbe still;

" & eche thing else w hi ch you will craue
w i th reason att my hands,
soe tha t you will acknowledge me
cheefe K ing of ffaire England. "

the Kentishmen therevpon agreed,
& layd all their armes asyde;
& by this meanes K ing Edwards lawes
doe still in kent abyde.

& in no place in England else
such customes doe remaine,
as they by their manlike policye
did of duke william gaine.