BOOK VIII. THE FLEMISH INSURRECTION. |
The Flemings, having abandoned their legitimate sovereign and attached themselves to Philip the Fair, found at last cause to repent. In 1301, two citizens of Bruges, Peter de Koning, a draper, and John Breydel, a butcher, stirred up their townsmen to revolt, and drove out the French garrison. The next year, the Count d'Artois, with a superb army, was defeated by the insurgents at the battle of Courtrai. This ballad is found in MS. Harl. No. 2253, "of the reign of Edw. II." and has been printed in Ritson's Ancient Songs (i. 51), and in Wright's Political Songs, p. 187. We have adopted the text of the latter. Lustneth, lordinges, bothe yonge ant olde,
Of the Freynsshe men that were so proude ant bolde,
Hou the Flemmysshe men bohten hem ant solde,
Upon a Wednesday.
Betere hem were at home in huere londe,5
Then for te seche Flemmysshe by the see stronde,
Whare thourh moni Frenshe wyf wryngeth hire honde,
Ant singeth weylaway.
The Kyng of Fraunce made statuz newe,
In the lond of Flaundres among false ant trewe,10
That the commun of Bruges ful sore con arewe,
Ant seiden amonges hem,
"Gedere we us togedere hardilyche at ene,
Take we the bailifs bi tuenty ant by tene,
Clappe we of the hevedes anonen o the grene,15
Ant caste we y the fen."
The webbes ant the fullaris assembleden hem alle,
Ant makeden huere consail in huere commune halle;
Token Peter Conyng huere kyng to calle,
Ant beo huere cheventeyn.20
Hue nomen huere rouncyns out of the stalle,
Ant closeden the toun withinne the walle;
Sixti baylies ant ten hue maden adoun falle,
Ant moni an other sweyn.
Tho wolde the baylies that were come from Fraunce,25
Dryve the Flemisshe that made the destaunce;
Hue turnden hem ayeynes with suerd ant with launce,
Stronge men ant lyht.
Y telle ou for sothe, for al huere bobaunce,
Ne for the avowerie of the Kyng of Fraunce,30
Tuenti score ant fyve haden ther meschaunce,
By day ant eke by nyht.
Sire Jakes de Seint Poul, yherde hou hit was;
Sixtene hundred of horsemen asemblede o the gras;
He wende toward Bruges pas pur pas,35
With swithe gret mounde
The Flemmysshe yherden telle the cas,
Agynneth to clynken huere basyns of bras,
Ant al hem to-dryven ase ston doth the glas,
Ant fellen hem to grounde.40
Sixtene hundred of horsmen hede ther here fyn;
Hue leyyen y the stretes ystyked ase swyn,
Ther hue loren huere stedes ant mony rouncyn,
Thourh huere oune prude.
Sire Jakes ascapede, by a coynte gyn,45
Out at one posterne ther me solde wyn,
Out of the fyhte hom to ys yn,
In wel muchele drede.
Tho the Kyng of Fraunce yherde this, anon,
Assemblede he is doussÉ-pers everuchon,50
The proude eorl of Artoys ant other mony on,
To come to Paris.
The barouns of Fraunce thider conne gon,
Into the paleis that paved is with ston,
To jugge the Flemmisshe to bernen ant to slon,55
Thourh the flour de lis.
Thenne seide the Kyng Philip, "Lustneth nou to me;
Myn eorles ant my barouns, gentil ant fre:
Goth, faccheth me the traytours ybounde to my kne;
Hastifliche ant blyve."60
Tho suor the Eorl of Seint Poul, "Par la goule dÉ,
We shule facche the rybaus wher thi wille be,
Ant drawen hem [with] wilde hors out of the countrÈ,
By thousendes fyve."
"Sire Rauf Devel," sayth the Eorl of Boloyne,65
"Nus ne lerrum en vie chanoun ne moyne;
Wende we forth anon ritht withoute eny assoygne,
Ne no lyves man.
We shule flo the Conyng, ant make roste is loyne;
The word shal springen of him into Coloyne,70
So hit shal to Acres ant into Sesoyne,
Ant maken him ful wan."
Sevene eorls ant fourti barouns y-tolde,
Fiftene hundred knyhtes, proude ant swythe bolde,
Sixti thousent swyers amonge yunge ant olde,75
Flemmisshe to take.
The Flemmisshe hardeliche hem come to-yeynes;
This proude Freinsshe eorles, huere knyhtes ant huere sweynes,
Aquelleden ant slowen, by hulles ant by pleynes,
Al for huere kynges sake.80
This Frenshe come to Flaundres so liht so the hare;
Er hit were mydnyht hit fel hem to care;
Hue were laht by the net so bryd is in snare,
With rouncin ant with stede.
The Flemmisshe hem dabbeth o the het bare;85
Hue nolden take for huem raunsoun ne ware;
Hue doddeth of huere hevedes, fare so hit fare,
Ant thareto haveth hue nede.
Thenne seyth the Eorl of Artois, "Y yelde me to the,
Peter Conyng, by thi nome, yef thou art hende ant fre,90
That y ne have no shame ne no vyltÉ,
That y ne be noud ded."
Thenne swor a bocher, "By my leautÉ,
Shalt thou ner more the kyng of Fraunce se,
Ne in the toun of Bruges in prisone be;95
Thou woldest spene bred."
Ther hy were knulled y the putfalle,
This eorles ant barouns ant huere knyhtes alle;
Huere ledies huem mowe abide in boure ant in halle
Wel longe.100
For hem mot huere kyng other knyhtes calle,
Other stedes taken out of huere stalle:
Ther hi habbeth dronke bittrere then the galle,
Upon the drue londe.
When the Kyng of Fraunce yherde this tydynge,105
He smot doun is heved, is honden gon he wrynge:
Thourhout al Fraunce the word bygon to sprynge,
Wo wes huem tho!
Muche wes the sorewe ant the wepinge
That wes in al Fraunce among olde ant yynge;110
The mest part of the lond bygon for te synge
"Alas ant weylawo!"
Awey, thou yunge pope! whet shal the to rede?
Thou hast lore thin cardinals at thi meste nede;114
Ne keverest thou hem nevere for nones kunnes mede,
For sothe y the telle.
Do the forth to Rome, to amende thi misdede;
Bide gode halewen, hue lete the betere spede;
Bote thou worche wysloker, thou losest lont ant lede,
The coroune wel the felle.120
Alas, thou seli Fraunce! for the may thunche shome,
That ane fewe fullaris maketh ou so tome;
Sixti thousent on a day hue maden fot-lome,
With eorl ant knyht.
Herof habbeth the Flemysshe suithe god game,125
Ant suereth by Seint Omer ant eke bi Seint Jame,
Yef hy ther more cometh, hit falleth huem to shame,
With huem for te fyht.
I telle ou for sothe, the bataille thus bigon
Bituene Fraunce ant Flaundres, hou hue weren fon;130
Vor Vrenshe the Eorl of Flaundres in prison heden ydon,
With tresoun untrewe.
Ye[f] the Prince of Walis his lyf habbÉ mote,
Hit falleth the Kyng of Fraunce bittrore then the sote;
Bote he the rathere therof welle do bote,135
Wel sore hit shal hym rewe.
15. anonen. R. an oven. W.
THE EXECUTION OF SIR SIMON FRASER. On the 27th of March, 1306, Robert Bruce was crowned king at Scone. Immediately thereupon, King Edward the First sent the Earl of Pembroke, Aymer de Valence, to Scotland, to suppress what he called the rebellion in that kingdom. Pembroke attacked Bruce in his cantonments at Methven (or Kirkenclif) near Perth, and dispersed his small army, taking several prisoners of great consequence. Among them was Sir Simon Fraser, or Frisel, whose cruel fate is narrated in the following ballad. This piece has been printed in Ritson's Ancient Songs (i. 28), and in Wright's Political Songs, p. 212, and is extracted from the same MS. as the preceding ballad. Lystneth, lordynges, a newe song ichulle bigynne,
Of the traytours of Scotlond, that take beth wyth gynne;
Mon that loveth falsnesse, and nule never blynne,
Sore may him drede the lyf that he is ynne,
Ich understonde:5
Selde wes he glad
That never nes a-sad
Of nythe ant of onde.
That y sugge by this Scottes that bueth nou to-drawe,
The hevedes o Londone-brugge, whosÉ con y-knawe;10
He wenden han buen kynges, ant seiden so in sawe;
Betere hem were han y-be barouns, ant libbe in Godes lawe
Wyth love.
WhosÉ hateth soth ant ryht,
Lutel he douteth Godes myht,15
The heye kyng above.
To warny alle the gentilmen that bueth in Scotlonde,
The Waleis wes to-drawe, seththe he wes an-honge,
Al quic biheveded, ys bowels ybrend,
The heved to Londone-brugge wes send,20
To abyde.
After Simond Frysel,
That wes traytour ant fykell,
Ant y-cud ful wyde.
Sire Edward oure kyng, that ful ys of pietÉ,25
The Waleis quarters sende to is oune contrÉ,
On four-half to honge, huere myrour to be,
Theropon to thenche, that monie myhten se,
Ant drede.
Why nolden he be war30
Of the bataile of Donbar,
Hou evele hem con spede?
Bysshopes ant barouns come to the kynges pes,
Ase men that weren fals, fykel, ant les,
Othes hue him sworen in stude ther he wes,35
To buen him hold ant trewe for alles cunnes res,
Thrye,
That hue ne shulden ayeyn him go,
So hue were temed tho;
Weht halt hit to lye?40
To the kyng Edward hii fasten huere fay;
Fals wes here foreward so forst is in May,
That sonne from the southward wypeth away;
Moni proud Scot therof mene may
To yere.45
Nes never Scotlond
With dunt of monnes hond
Allinge aboht so duere.
The bisshop of Glascou y chot he wes ylaht,
The bisshop of Seint-AndrÈ, bothe he beth ycaht,50
The abbot of Scon with the kyng nis nout saht,
Al here purpos ycome hit ys to naht,
Thurh ryhte:
Hii were unwis
When hii thohte pris55
Ayeyn huere kyng to fyhte.
Thourh consail of thes bisshopes ynemned byfore,
Sire Robert the Bruytz furst kyng wes ycore;
He mai everuche day ys fon him se byfore,
Yef hee mowen him hente, i chot he bith forlore,60
Sauntz fayle.
Soht for te sugge,
Duere he shal abugge
That he bigon batayle.
Hii that him crounede proude were ant bolde,65
Hii maden kyng of somer, so hii ner ne sholde,
Hii setten on ys heved a croune of rede golde,
Ant token him a kyneyerde, so me kyng sholde,
To deme.
Tho he wes set in see,70
Lutel god couthe he
Kyneriche to yeme.
Nou kyng Hobbe in the mures yongeth,
For te come to toune nout him ne longeth;
The barouns of Engelond, myhte hue him grype,75
He him wolde techen on Englysshe to pype,
Thourh streynthe:
Ne be he ner so stout,
Yet he bith ysoht out
O brede ant o leynthe.80
Sire Edward of Carnarvan, (Jhesu him save ant see!)
Sire Emer de Valence, gentil knyht ant free,
Habbeth ysuore huere oht that, par la grace dÉe,
Hee wolleth ous delyvren of that false contree,
Yef hii conne.85
Muche hath Scotlond forlore,
Whet alast, whet bifore,
Ant lutel pris wonne.
Nou i chulle fonge ther ich er let,
Ant tellen ou of Frisel, ase ich ou byhet.90
In the batayle of Kyrkenclyf Frysel wes ytake;
Ys continaunce abatede eny bost to make
Biside Strivelyn;
Knyhtes ant sweynes,
Fremen ant theynes,95
Monye with hym.
So hii weren byset on everuche halve,
Somme slaye were, ant somme dreynte hemselve;
Sire Johan of Lyndeseye nolde nout abyde,
He wod into the water, his feren him bysyde,100
To adrenche.
Whi nolden hii be war?
Ther nis non ayeyn star:—
Why nolden hy hem bythenche?
This wes byfore seint Bartholomeus masse,105
That Frysel wes ytake, were hit more other lasse;
To sire Thomas of Multon, gentil baron ant fre,
Ant to sire Johan Jose, bytake tho wes he
To honde:
He wes yfetered weel,110
Bothe with yrn ant wyth steel,
To bringen of Scotlonde.
Sone therafter the tydynge to the kyng com;
He him sende to Londone, with mony armed grom;
He com yn at Newegate, y telle yt ou aplyht,115
A gerland of leves on ys hed ydyht,
Of grene;
For he shulde ben yknowe,
Bothe of heye ant of lowe,
For treytour, y wene.120
Yfetered were ys legges under his horse wombe,
Bothe with yrn ant with stel mankled were ys honde,
A gerland of peruenke set on his heved;
Muche wes the poer that him wes byreved
In londe:125
So god me amende,
Lutel he wende
So be broht in honde.
Sire Herbert of Norham, feyr knyht ant bold,
For the love of Frysel ys lyf wes ysold;130
A wajour he made, so hit wes ytold,
Ys heved of to smhyte, yef me him brohte in hold,
Wat so bytyde:
Sory wes he thenne
Tho he myhte him kenne135
Thourh the toun ryde.
Thenne seide ys scwyer a word anon ryht,
"Sire, we beth dede, ne helpeth hit no wyht,"
(Thomas de Boys the scwyer wes to nome,)
"Nou, y chot, our wajour turneth us to grome,140
So ybate."
Y do ou to wyte,
Here heved wes of-smyte,
Byfore the Tour-gate.
Thenne saide the justice, that gentil is ant fre,
"Sire Simond Frysel, the kynges traytour hast thou be,
In water ant in londe, that monie myhten se.155
What sayst thou thareto, hou wolt thou quite the?
Do say."
So foul he him wiste,
Nede waron truste
For to segge nay.160
Ther he wes ydemed, so hit wes londes lawe;
For that he wes lordswyk, furst he wes to-drawe;
Upon a retheres hude forth he wes ytuht:
Sum while in ys time he wes a modi knyht,
In huerte.165
Wickednesse ant sunne,
Hit is lutel wunne
That maketh the body smerte.
For al is grete poer, yet he wes ylaht;
Falsnesse ant swykedom, al hit geth to naht;170
Tho he wes in Scotlond, lutel wes ys thoht
Of the harde jugement that him wes bysoht
In stounde.
He wes foursithe forswore
To the kyng ther bifore,175
Ant that him brohte to grounde.
With feteres ant with gyves i chot he wes to-drowe,
From the Tour of Londone, that monie myhte knowe,
In a curtel of burel, a selkethe wyse,
Ant a gerland on ys heved of the newe guyse,180
Thurh Cheepe;
Moni mon of Engelond
For to se Symond
Thideward con lepe.
Tho he com to galewes, furst he wes anhonge,185
Al quic byheveded, thah him thohte longe;
Seththe he wes y-opened, is boweles ybrend,
The heved to Londone-brugge wes send,
To shonde:
So ich ever mote the,190
Sumwhile wende he
Ther lutel to stonde.
He rideth thourh the sitÉ, as y telle may,
With gomen ant wyth solas, that wes here play;
To Londone-brugge hee nome the way,195
Moni wes the wyves chil that theron laketh a day,
Ant seide, Alas,
That he wes ibore,
Ant so villiche forlore,
So feir mon ase he was!200
Nou stont the heved above the tu-brugge,
Faste bi Waleis, soth for te sugge;
After socour of Scotlond longe he mowe prye,
Ant after help of Fraunce, (wet halt hit to lye?)
Ich wene.205
Betere him were in Scotlond,
With is ax in ys hond,
To pleyen o the grene.
Ant the body hongeth at the galewes faste,
With yrnene claspes longe to laste;210
For te wyte wel the body, ant Scottysh to garste,
Foure ant twenti ther beoth to sothe ate laste,
By nyhte:
Yef eny were so hardi
The body to remuy,215
Al so to dyhte.
Were sire Robert the Bruytz ycome to this londe,
Ant the erl of Asseles, that harde is an honde,
Alle the other pouraille, forsothe ich understonde,
Mihten be ful blythe ant thonke godes sonde,220
Wyth ryhte;
Thenne myhte uch mon
Bothe riden ant gon
In pes withoute vyhte.
The traytours of Scotland token hem to rede225
The barouns of Engelond to brynge to dede:
Charles of Fraunce, so moni mon tolde,
With myht ant with streynthe hem helpe wolde,
His thonkes.
Tprot, Scot, for thi strif!230
Hang up thyn hachet ant thi knyf,
Whil him lasteth the lyf
With the longe shonkes.
66. Bruce's wife, it is said, replied to her husband, when he was boasting of his royal rank, "You are indeed a summer king, but you will scarce be a winter one," alluding to the ephemeral sovereignty of the Lord of the May.129. He was one of the Scottish prisoners in the Tower; and is said to have been so confident of the safety or success of Sir Simon Fraser, that he had offered to lay his own head on the block, if that warrior suffered himself to be taken; and (however involuntarily) it seems he kept his word. Vide M. West. 460.—Ritson. MS. Morham.145. 7th September.147. Sir Thomas Multon was one of the justices of the King's Bench in 1289. Sir Ralph Sandwich was made Baron of the Exchequer in 1312.—Ritson.148. MS. told.175. Sir Simon was one of those whom King Edward brought out of Scotland in 1296, when that kingdom was first subdued. He remained a close prisoner about eight months, and was then freed, on entering into the usual engagement with the conqueror, to which, however, it is certain he did not think proper to adhere; esteeming it, perhaps, more sinful to keep such a forced obligation than to take it. Abercrombie, i. 552.—Ritson.218. The Earl of Athol, John de Strathbogie. Attempting to escape by sea, he was driven back by a storm, taken, and conveyed to London, where he was tried, condemned, and, with circumstances of great barbarity, put to death, 7th, &c. November, 1306. (M. West. 461.) Which proves the present ballad to have been composed between that time and the 7th of September preceding.—Ritson.
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