When they had their oatles made, forth can they 'he' 130 They were dight in aray, as themfelves would be: Of an old rotten fell, The cheefe was a plovmell, 135 And the fhadow of a bell, quartered with the moone-light. I wot it was no childrens game, when they togither mette, There were flailes all to flatterd, There were shields all to clatterd, 140 Bowles and dishes all to batterd, and many heads broken. There was clenking of cart faddles, and clattering of cannes, 146 Of fell frekes in the field, broken were their fannes; Offome were the heads broken, of fome the brzine-pannes, And evill were they befene, ere they went thance, But With fwipping of swipples: The ladds were fo weary for fought, That they might fight no more on-loft, 150 creeped about in the croft, as they were crooked cripples. C 3 Perkin Ver, 130, te. P.C. V. 141, there, P. C. V. 145. heads there were Perlin was fo weary, that he beganne to lowte, That I may lightly come of mine owne owţe; For no coft will I fpare. He ftarte up as a fnaile, And hent a capull by the taile, 155 160 And raught of Daukin his flayle, and wanne him a mare. Perkin wan five, and Hudde wan twa: 6 Glad and blithe they were, that they had done fa: They would have them to Tibbe, and present her with tha; The capuls were fo weary, that they might not ga, 165 But ftill can they stonde.' Alas! quoth Hudde, my joy I leese Mee had lever then a ftone of cheese, That deare Tibbe had all these, and wift it were my fonde, Perkin turned him about in the ilk throng, And off his capull he him drowe, And gave him of his flayle inowe; 170. 175 Then te, he! quoth Tibbe, and lowe, ye are a doughty man. Thus Ver, 164, would not have. P. C. Ver. 156. fland. P. C. Thus they tugged, and they rugged, till it was nigh night: All the wives of Tottenham come to fee that fight; To fetch hom their husbands, that were them trough plight, With wifpes and kixes, that was a rich fight; And fome they had in armes, That were feeble wretches, 180 And fome on wheel-barrowes, and fome on critches. 185 They gatherd Perkin about on every side, And So well his needs he has fped, That deare Tibbe he fhall wed'; 190 The cheefemen that her hither lead, were of the turnament. To the rich feaft come many for the nonce : Some come hop-halte, and fome tripping thither on the ftones; Some with a staffe in his hand, and fome two at once; 195 Offome were the heads broken; of fome the shoulderbones; With forrow come they thither: Wo was Hawkin; wo was Harry: 200 Wo was Tymkin; wo was Tirry; And fo was all the company, but yet they come togither, At that feaft were they ferved in rich aray; And fo they fat in jollity all the long day: In every corner of the house For to hear precious of fix mens fong. 205 V.. FOR THE VICTORY AT AGINCOURT. That our plain and martial ancestors could wield their fwords much better than their pens will appear from the following homely Rhymes, which were drawn up by some poet laureat of thofe days to celebrate the immortal victory gained at Agincourt, Oct. 25, 1415. This Jong or hymn is given meerly as a curiofity, and is printed from a MS copy in the Pepys collection, vol. I. folio. It is there accompanied with the mufical notes, which are copied in a fmall plate at the end of this volume. Deo gratias Anglia redde pro victoria! Deo gratias Anglia redde pro victoria. 5 He He fette a fege, the fothe for to fay, Deo gratias, &c. Then went owre kynge, with alle his ofte, Deo gratias, &c. Than for fothe that knyzt comely Ther dukys, and erlys, lorde and barone, Now gracious God he fave owre kynge, Deo gratias: Deo gratias Anglia redde pro qitoria. |