Classic Poem

[Part V.]

S i r William stanley, att the holt hee lyes,
 & looked ouer his head soe hye;
“w hi ch way standeth the wind?” he sayes;
 “if there be any man can tell mee”

  “The wind itt standeth south west,”
   soe sayd a K nigh t tha t stood him by.
  “this night, yonder royall prince,
   into England entreth hee.”

  he called tha t gentleman tha t stood him by,
   his name was Rowland Warburton,
he bade him goe to Shrewsburye tha t night,
 & bade them lett tha t prince in come.

by tha t Row land came to Shrewsburye
 the portcullis was letten downe;
thé called the Prince in ffull great scorne,
 & said “in England he shold weare no crowne.”

Row land bethought him of a wile,
 & tyed the writtings to a stone;
he threw the writtings ouer the wall,
 & bade the baliffes looke them vpon.

then they opened the gates wyde,
 & mett the Prince w i th p ro cessyon;
he wold not abyde in shrewsburye tha t night,
 for K ing Rich ard heard of his cominge,

& called his Lo rd s of great renowne.
 Lo rd Pearcye came to him then,
& on his knees he kneeled him downe
 & sayd, “my leege, I haue 30000 ffighting men.”

the Duke of Norffolke came to the K ing ,
 & downe he kneeleth on his knee;
the Erle of Surrey came w i th him,
 they were both in companye.

the Bishopp of Durham was not away,
 S i r william Bawmer stood him by,
the Lo rd scroope & the Erle of Kent
 they were both in companye:

“& wee haue either 20000 men
 ffor to keepe the crowne w i th thee.”
the good S i r william Harrington
 said they wold ffight & neuer fflee

K ing Richard made a messenger,
 & send into the west countrye,
“bidd the Erle of Derbye make him readye
 & bring 20000 men vnto mee,

“or the Lo rd stranges head I shall him send;
 for doubtlesse hee shall dye.
w i thout hee come to me soone,
 his owne sonne hee shall neu er see”

then another Herald can appeare:
 “to S i r william stanley tha t noble K nigh t,
bidd him bring 10000 men,
 or to death he shalbe dight.”

then answered tha t doughtye K nigh t,
 & answered the herald w i thout lettinge:
[“Say, on Bosworthe feilde I wyll hym meete]
 On munday earlye in the morninge.

“such a breakeffast I him hett
 as neuer subiect did to Kinge!”
the messenger is home gone
 to tell K ing Rich ar d this tydand.

the K ing together his hands can ding,
 & say[d], “the Lo rd Strange shall dye!”
hee bade, “put him into the tower,
 ffor I will him neu er see.”

now leaue wee Rich ard & his Lo rd s
  tha t were prest all w i th pryde,
& talke wee of the stanleys bold
  tha t brought in the Prince of the other side.

Now is Richmond to stafford come,
 & S i r william Stanley to litle stone.
the Prince had leu er then any gold
 S i r william Stanley to looke vppon.

a messenger was readye made,
  tha t night to stone rydeth hee;
S i r william rydeth to stafford towne,
 w i th him a small companye.

when the K nigh t to stafford came,
  tha t Richmond might him see,
he tooke him in his armes then,
 & kissed him times three:

“the welfare of thy body comforteth me more
 then all the gold in christentye!”
then answered tha t royall K nigh t;
 to the Prince thus speaketh hee:

“in England thou shalt weare the crowne,
 or else doubtlesse I will dye.
a ffaire Lady thou shalt ffind to thy ffere,
 as any is in christentye,
a K ing s daughter, a countesse clere;
 yea, shee is both wise & wittye.

“I must goe to stone, my sou er aigine,
 ffor to comfort my men this night”
the Prince tooke him by the hand,
 & sayd, “ffarwell, gentle K nigh t!”

now is word comen to Sir w illia m stanley
 Early on the sunday morninge,
tha t the Erle of Darby, his brother deere,
 had giuen battell to Rich ard the Kinge.

“that wold I not,” said S i r william,
 “for all the gold in christentye,
except I were w i th him there,
 att the Battell ffor to bee.”

then straight to Lichefeild can he ryde
 in all the hast tha t might bee.
& when they came to the towne,
 they all cryed “K ing H ENERY !”

then straight to Bosworth wold he ryde
 in all the hast tha t might bee.
when they came to Bosworth ffeild,
 there they mett w i th a royall companye.