Classic Poem

[Part IV.]

 To B IGERAM abbey, where the English P rince was.
  the porter was an Englishman,
 well he knew Hum phrey Breitton,
  & ffast to him can he gone.

Humphrey knocked att the gate priuilye,
 & these words he spake surelye,
“I pray thee, Porter, open the gate
 & receiue me & my mules three,
I shall thee giue w i thouten lett
 ready gold to thy meede”

“I will none of thy gold,” the Porter said,
 “nor yett, Hum phrey , none of thy ffee;
but I will open the gates wyde,
 & receiue thy mules and thee,

“ffor a Cheshire man borne am I,
 ffrom the Malpas but miles three.”
the porter opened the gates soone,
 & receiued him & the Mules three;

the best wine readilye then
 to Hum phrey Bretton giueth hee.
“alas!” sayd Humphrey, “how shall I doe?
 for I am stead in a strange countrye;

“the Prince of England I do not know;
 before I did him neuer see”
“I shall thee teach,” said the Porter then,
 “the Prince of England to know trulye

“loe, where he shooteth att the butts,
 & w i th him are Lo rd s three;
he weareth a gowne of veluett o blacke,
 & itt is coted aboue his knee;
w i th long visage & pale;
 therby the Prince know may yee;

“a priuye wart, w i thouten lett,
 a litle aboue the chin;
his face h[i]s white, the wart is red,
 therby you may him ken.”

now ffrom the Porter is he gone;
 w i th him hee tooke the Mules 3:
to Erle Richmand he went anon
 where the other Lo rd s bee.

when he came before the Prince,
 lowlye hee kneeled vpon his knee;
he deliu er ed the l ett re tha t Bessye sent,
 & soe he did the mules three,

[&] a rich ring w i th a stone
 there the prince glad was hee;
he tooke the ring att Hum phrey then,
 & kissed itt times 3.

Hum phrey kneeled still as any stone,
 assuredlye as I tell to thee;
Hum phrey of the Prince word gatt none,
 therfore in his hart hee was not merrye.

Hum phrey standeth vpp then anon;
 to the prince these words said hee,
“why standeth thou soe still in this stead,
 & no answer does giue mee?

“I am come ffrom the stanleys bold,
 K ing of England to make thee,
& a ffaire Lady to thy ffere,
 there is none such in Christentye;

“shee is Countesse, a K ing s daughter,
 the name of her is B ESSYE ,
a louelye Lady to looke vpon,
 & well shee can worke by p ro fecye.

“I may be called a lewd messenger,
 for answer of thee I can gett none;
I may sayle hence w i th a heauy heart;
 what shall I say when I come home?”

the prince tooke the Lo rd Lisle,
 & the Erle of Oxford was him by;
they Lo rd fferres wold him not beguile;
 to councell thé goeth all 3.

when they had their councell tane,
 to Hum phrey Bretton turneth hee,
“answer, Hum phrey , I can giue none
 for the space of weekes 3.

“when 3 weekes are come & gone,
 Then an answer I will giue thee.”
the mules into a stable are tane;
 the saddle skirtts then rippeth hee;

therin he ffindeth gold great plentye
 for to wage a companye.
he caused the houshold to make him cheare;
 “in my stead lett him bee.”

Erly in the morning, as soone as itt was day,
 w i th him he tooke the Lords three,
& straight to paris he tooke the way,
 there armes to make readye.

to the K ing of ffrance wendeth hee,
 of men and mony he doth him pray,
tha t he wold please to Lend him shipps,
 & ffor to bring him ouer the sea:

“the Stanleys stout ffor me haue sent,
 K ing of England ffor to make mee,
& if eu er I weare the crowne,
 well quitt the K ing of ffrance shalbe.”

then answereth the K ing of ffrance,
 & shortlye answereth, “by St. Iohn,
no shipps to bring him ou er the seas,
 men nor money bringeth he none!”

thus the Prince his answer hath tane
 both the Prince & Lords gay
to B IGGERAM abbey rydeth hee,
 wheras Hum phrey Bretton Lay.

“haue heere Hum phrey a 100 markes;
 better rewarded shalt thou bee;
comend me to Bessye, tha t Countesse cleere,—
 & yett I did neu er her see,—

“I trust in god shee shall be my Queene,
 for her I will trauell the sea.
comend me to my ffather stanley,—
 my owne mother marryed hath hee,—

“bring him here a loue l ett re,
 & another to litle Bessye;
tell her I trust in the Lo rd of might
  tha t my Queene shee shalbee.

“Comend me to S i r w illia m stanley,
  tha t noble K nigh t in the west countrye;
tell him, about Micchallmasse
 I trust in god in England to bee.

“att Mylford hauen I will come in,
 w i th all the power tha t I can bringe;
the ffirst towne tha t I may win
 shalbe the towne of shrewsburye.

“pray S i r william, tha t noble K nigh t,
  tha t night tha t hee wold looke on mee
comend me to S i r Gilbert Talbott tha t is soe wight;
 he lyeth still in the north cuntrye.”

“I will none of thy gold, S i r Prince,
 nor yett none of thy ffee;
if euery haire of my head were a man,
 w i th you, S i r Prince, tha t they shold bee.”

thus Hum phrey his leaue hath tane,
 & fforth hee sayleth vpon the seas;
straight to London can he ryde,
 there as the Erle and Bessye Lyes

he tooke them either a l ett re in hand,
 & bade them reade and see.
the Erle tooke leaue of Rich ard the K ing ,
 & into the west rydeth hee.

& leaueth Bessye att Leicecster,
 & bade her lye there in priuitye:
“ffor if K ing Rich ard knew thee there,
 in a ffyer brent must thou bee.”

straight to Latham is he gone,
 Where the Lord strange he did Lye,
& sent the Lo rd strange to London
 to keepe K ing Rich ard companye.

then to S i r william stanley, w i th 10000 cotes
 in an howers warning readye to bee:
they were all as red as blood,
 there they harts head is sett full hye.

S i r Gilbert Talbott, 10000 doggs
 in an howers warning readye to be.
S i r Iohn Sauage, 1500 white hoods,
 ffor they will ffight & neuer fflee.

S i r Edward Stanley, 300 men;
 there were no better in Christentye.
Rice apthomas, a K nigh t of wales,
 800 spere-men brought hee.