Classic Poem

After bere and bacon, odre gode commodites usene

Now bere and bacon bene fro Pruse ibroughte
Into Fflaundres, as loved and fere isoughte;
Osmonde, coppre, bow-staffes, stile, and wex,
Peltre-ware, and grey, pych, terre, borde, and flex,
And Coleyne threde, fustiane, and canvase,
Carde, bokeram, of olde tyme thus it wase.
But the Fflemmyngis amonge these thinges dere
In comen lowen beste bacon and bere.
Thus arn they hogges, and drynkyn wele ataunt,
Ffare wele, Flemynge, hay, harys, hay, avaunt.
Also Pruse mene make here aventure
Of plate of sylvere, of wegges gode and sure
In grete plente, whiche they bringe and bye
Oute of londes of Bealme and Hungrye;
Whiche is encrese ful grete unto thys londe.
And thei bene laden, I understonde,
Wyth wollen clothe alle manere of coloures,
By dyers craftes ful dyverse that bene oures.
And they aventure ful gretly unto the Baye
Ffor salte, that is nedefulle wythoute naye.
Thus if they wolde not oure frendys bee,
Wee myght lyghtlye stope hem in the see;
They shulde not passe oure stremes wythoutene leve.
It wolde not be, but if we shulde hem greve.