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XXV. Old English Poem on the Siege of Rouen, A.D. 1418. Communicated by Frederic Madden, Esq. F.S.A. in a Letter to Henry Ellis, Esq. F.R.S. Secretary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2012

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Extract

In the twenty-first volume of the Archeeologia a Communication was inserted from my lamented friend the late Rev. J. J. Cony-beare, successively Professor of Saxon and of Poetry in the University of Oxford, containing an Abstract and Transcript of an extremely curious English Poem on the Siege of Rouen, by King Henry the Fifth, in 1418, written by a contemporary author, and giving a more detailed account of that occurrence than is to be met with in any of our historians. The Manuscript from which the transcript was made is preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and in some respects may be considered unique; but, as the Poem in this MS. is unfortunately imperfect, it was with no small degree of satisfaction I discovered the portion supposed to be lost, and under the impression that the Society of Antiquaries, as well as all those who are fond of our Old English historical poetry, may wish to see the Poem in a perfect state, I now have the pleasure to forward you a copy of the lines hitherto wanting to complete it.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1826

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References

page 350 note a By the same sort of fortune, Mr. Conybeare was himself led to the recovery of the lost stanzas of Sir Cleges. Vide British Bibliographer, vol. iv. p. 17.

page 351 note b See Introduction to the “Ancient English Romance of Havelok the Dane,” p. xxv. 4to. 1828.

page 351 note c MS. Harl. 2279, foi. ult.

page 351 note d The MS. copies of this Chronicle which do not contain the Poem, agree accurately with the old printed editions, and present only a very imperfect and abridged account of the Siege. The passage which comprehends the entire portion of the Poem from v. 630, is as follows, “Thanne anon they sent vnto the kyng, besechyng hym of grace and mercy, and broughte the keyes of the toune vnto the kyng, and deliuered the toune to hym, and alle the soudiours voided the toune wt hir hors and harnes, and the communes of the toune for to abide and dwelle stylle in the toune, yerely to pay to hym and to his successours for alle maner customes, and fee fertnes and kateremes. And thanne the kyng entred into the toune, and restid hym in the Castelle tylle the toune was sett in rewle and in gouernaunce.” MS. Cott. Claud. A. viii. f. 9.

page 352 note e MS. Harl. 2256, fol. 184, b.

page 361 note a Atte W. Harl. 753.

page 361 note b the.

page 361 note c cleped.

page 361 note d Atle erle M.

page 361 note e that deest.

page 361 note f no.

page 361 note g Maryes.

page 361 note h the be.

page 361 note i cheftens.

page 361 note k To pray for vs vnto the kyng, maté.

page 361 note l may go.

page 361 note m Heuen & ertbe.

page 361 note n also deest.

page 361 note o worthy—most desunt.

page 361 note p and none other.

page 361 note q by deest.

page 362 note r hys pees.

page 362 note s also.

page 362 note t and shelve fully.

page 362 note u S'Gilbert Vmfrevyle.

page 362 note x assent.

page 362 note y Of the frensheme[n] andforihe went.

page 362 note z came.

page 362 note a hys.

page 362 note b be.

page 362 note c in.

page 362 note d a, deest.

page 362 note e Wanted no thyng that a prince.

page 363 note d the deest.

page 363 note g of.

page 363 note h Alle in good hele and from alle sykenesse.

page 363 note i leve tales.

page 363 note k to deest.

page 363 note l chefteynes.

page 363 note m on.

page 363 note n of Rouen fayre and mekely.

page 363 note o by counselle and avyce.

page 363 note P xij. men of hem.

page 363 note q hym.

page 364 note r none.

page 364 note s highe.

page 364 note t principalle.

page 364 note u is.

page 364 note x hym so oft had meved.

page 364 note y A folio is here wanting in Harl. 2256.

page 364 note z The lines are here confused by the blunder of the scribe, but may be rectified from the Bodley MS.

“And than the kynge to grawnte hym grace,

A mercyfulle meknes methynketh hyt was.”

The numeration is according to the latter. Two additional lines are inserted just beneath (as also above, v. 696, and below, v. 804, and v. 824, and v. 840, and v. 926.) which are not in MS. Bodl.

page 365 note a his hue sone hente, MS. Bodl. which restores the rhythm.

page 366 note b The scribe here again most carelessly blunders, but the true reading is in MS. Bodl.

“And of the kynges squyers veramente

That tyme wyth hym were forthe ysente,

And ʒemen of the crowne also,

That were asyned wyth hym to go.

page 366 note c MS, Bodl.

page 368 note d was bytake.

page 368 note e fro.

page 368 note f liege.

page 368 note f also deest.

page 368 note h be sworen.

page 368 note i of deest.

page 368 note k of youre desunt.

page 368 note l bothe deest.

page 368 note m yelde.

page 368 note n go.

page 369 note o MS. Bodl.

page 369 note P I wol hold.

page 369 note q And they note wele.

page 369 note r the.

page 369 note s haue here.

page 369 note t lyked to nyghe me.

page 369 note u wyte.

page 369 note x wole.

page 369 note y byfore so longe it.

page 369 note z seyde.

page 369 note a wtout men.

page 369 note b my.

page 369 note c thof.

page 369 note d And the men ther yune so derf.

page 369 note e They shalle be reward as they deserfe.

page 369 note f were afflayde.

page 370 note g wole.

page 370 note h fynde & rede.

page 370 note i chefteyes.

page 370 note k were.

page 370 note l token.

page 370 note m myn.

page 370 note n it haue tuxout ffage. Without flattery. Fagyng, Adulacio. Prompt. Parv. MS. Had. 221.

page 370 note o atte reu.

page 370 note p marie deest.

page 370 note q trete.

page 370 note r he.

page 370 note s the.

page 370 note t the dyches suffre.

page 370 note u as.

page 370 note x MS. Bodl.

page 371 note y In mynde.

page 371 note z The.

page 371 note a the.

page 371 note b S'Gilbert Vmf.

page 371 note c spoke.

page 371 note d And seyde.

page 371 note e of.

page 371 note f profyte.

page 371 note g his deest.

page 371 note h be deest.

page 371 note i wyte.

page 371 note k our.

page 371 note l And into.

page 371 note m fast they gothe.

page 372 note n the tother.

page 372 note o strenghte.

page 372 note p that deest.

page 372 note q were pyghte.

page 372 note r the.

page 372 note s the.

page 372 note t fitz Hughe.

page 372 note u no more.

page 372 note x were.

page 372 note y theyr.

page 372 note z were.

page 372 note a that deest.

page 372 note b cote armes arryauntis.

page 372 note c here.

page 373 note d had on hem.

page 373 note e were.

page 373 note f from the rayne. & rack desunt.

page 373 note g For the wedir.

page 373 note g a deest.

page 373 note i begge.

page 373 note k zit deest.

page 373 note l were stopped the brethe.

page 373 note m they.

page 373 note n yolde.

page 373 note o they dyd.

page 374 note p had deest.

page 374 note q the deest.

page 374 note r not lyghte.

page 374 note s it deest.

page 374 note t that deest.

page 374 note u So.

page 374 note x a fourtennyghte.

page 374 note y broke.

page 374 note z had.

page 375 note a trete.

page 375 note b slepe.

page 375 note c wolle.

page 375 note d the.

page 375 note e that deest.

page 375 note f the.

page 375 note g Wole.

page 375 note h than telle we may.

page 375 note i & deest.

page 375 note k be.

page 375 note l the.

page 376 note m be.

page 376 note n yow.

page 376 note o vnto our liege.

page 376 note p or deest.

page 376 note q dectyne.

page 376 note r Man, person, meaning King Henry.

page 377 note s for.

page 377 note t zoure speche desunt.

page 377 note u myzt trete ayene.

page 377 note x the.

page 377 note y & deest.

page 377 note z in.

page 377 note a the he.

page 377 note b be.

page 377 note c gete.

page 377 note d The.

page 377 note e candelles.

page 377 note f and wt.

page 377 note g hys.

page 377 note h shulle.

page 377 note i Burgeys.

page 377 note k And to the kyng of money sounde, to pay to hym l. M1. li.

page 379 note l of.

page 379 note m in.

page 379 note n is.

page 379 note o This line is wanting.

page 379 note p dide deest.

page 379 note q done.

page 379 note r that day desunt.

page 379 note s that.

page 379 note t le.

page 379 note u burgeys.

page 379 note x & deest.

page 379 note y signed wt hym.

page 379 note z bewesyns.

page 379 note a come.

page 379 note b worthy deest.

page 379 note c A species of banner or streamer. See Note.

page 379 note d noble.

page 379 note e were.

page 379 note f Trumpeters.

page 379 note g Trumpets.

page 379 note h that.

page 381 note i cryed.

page 381 note k were.

page 381 note l wt nose.

page 381 note m were.

page 381 note n patrons.—Workmens' models or figures. Patrone, forme to werke by. Prompt. Parvul. MS. Harl. 221. There is probably here an allusion to the waxen or wooden effigies placed on the hearse of distinguished personages.

page 381 note o as dede thyng they were peynte.

page 381 note P in.

page 381 note q to fare.

page 381 note r as deest.

page 381 note s as cartes ledde awey.

page 381 note t Vnto.

page 382 note u In MS. Harl. 753, a break is here made, and a large capital letter introduced.

page 382 note x to deest.

page 382 note y sithe.

page 382 note z vp he.

page 382 note a atte porte kauxoz.

page 382 note b atte porte.

page 382 note c that stounde.

page 382 note d Crosses.

page 382 note e xliiij.

page 382 note f religiouns.

page 382 note g atte porte kauxoz.

page 382 note h The remainder of this, and the two following lines are omitted.

page 383 note i Thanked.

page 383 note k they seyde our lord so free.

page 383 note l vnto.

page 383 note m the deest.

page 383 note n to.

page 383 note o As.

page 383 note P Poitrell, breast plate.

page 383 note q hangyng.

page 383 note r dide deest.

page 383 note s the chere.

page 383 note t The chaplains of his household. Lat. capella.

page 383 note u atte dore, there deest.

page 383 note x afore.

page 383 note y respon.

page 383 note z logged hym.

page 384 note a his cite fast encrest.

page 384 note b beste.

page 384 note c that deest.

page 384 note d tydyng.

page 384 note e his deest.

page 384 note f on.

page 384 note g seyde alle for charitee.

page 385 note * It is a little extraordinary that Goodwin should repeat these blunders, p. 189, as they are so apparent.

page 398 note a It was unquestionably in commemoration of this incident, that on Sir Walter Hungerford's obtaining from the king for his service at Rouen, the grant of the Barony of Hornet, in Normandy, he was bound by his tenure to render yearly to the king and his heirs a lance with afox's tail hanging thereat. Dugdale, Baron, vol. ii. p. 204.