Classic Poem

The Battle of Flodden

Then the mighty Lord Maxfield over the mountains fleeth,
And kyred to his king with careful tithindes,
Telleth him the truth, and tarrieth he no longer,
Sayeth " I am beaten back, for all my big meinie,
And there been killed of the Scots I know not how many."
Then the Scottish king full nigh his wit wanteth,
And said: " On who was thou matched, man, by the sooth?"
And he promised him pertly they passed not a thousand.
" Ye been cowards," quod the king, " Care mote ye happen!
I will wind you to wreak, wees, I you hete,
Along within that land the length of three weeks,
And destroy all aright that standeth me before."
Thus he promised to the prince that paradise wieldeth.
Then he summoned his sedges, and set them in order.
The next way to Norham anon then he taketh;
He umclosed that castle clean round about,
And they defended fast, the folk that were within.
Without some succour come soon their sorrow is the more!
The Earl of Surrey himself at Pomfret abideth,
And heard what unhap all those harlots didden.
He made letters boldly all the land over:
Into Lancashire belive he caused a man to ride
To the Bishop of Ely, that bode in those parts;
Courteously commanded him, in the King's name,
To summon the shire and set them in order.
He was put in more power than any prelate else.
Then the bishop full boldly bouneth forth his standard
With a captain full keen, as he was known after.
He made a wee to wind to warn his dear brother
Edward, that eager knight, that epe was of deeds,
A stalk of the Stanleys, stepe of him selven.
Then full radly he raiseth rinks ten thousandes;
To Skipton in Crane then he come belive.
There abideth he the banner of his dear brother,
Till a captain with it come that knowen was full wide:
Sir John Stanley, that stout knight, that stern was of deeds,
With four thousand fierce men that followed him after.
They were tenants that they took, that tenden on the bishop,
Of his household, I you hete, hope ye no other.
Every burn had on his breast, broidered with gold,
A foot of the fairest fowl that ever flew on wing,
With three crowns full clear, all of pure gold.
It was a seemly sight to see them together:
Fourteen thousand eagle-feet fettled in array.
Thus they coasten through the country to the new castle:
Proclamation in that place was plainly declared
That every hattel should him hie, in haste that he might,
To Bolton in Glendour, all in godly haste.
There met they at a muster men many thousand,
With knights that were keen, full well known in their country,
And many a lovely lord upon that land light.
Then they moved towards the mountains those meinie to seek,
Those scattle Scots, that all the scathe didden.
They would never rest, but alway raked forward
Till they had seen the sedges that they had sought after;
But they had gotten them a ground most ungracious of other
Upon the top of a high hill, I hete you for sooth.
There was no wee in this world might wind them again
But he should be killed in the cloes or he could climb the mountains.
When the lords had on them looked as long as them liked,
Every captain was commanded their company to order.
Though we were bashed of these burns, I blame us but little.
Then we tilled down our tents, that told were a thousand.
At the foot of a fine hill they settled them all night.
There they lien and lodged the length of four days,
Till every captain full keenly callen to their lords,
Bid them fettle them to fight or they would fare homeward:
Their company was clemmed, and much cold did suffer:
Water was a worthy drink, win it who might.
Then the Lord Lieutenant looked him about,
And boldly unto battle busked he his meinie.
The Lord Howard, the hende knight, have should the vanward,
With 14,000 fierce men that followed him after.
The left wing to that ward was Sir Edward Howard:
He chose to him Cheshire — their chance was the worse —
Because they knew not their captain their care was the more,
For they were wont at all war to wait upon the Stanleys.
Much worship they won when they that wee served,
But now lank is their loss — Our Lord it amend!
The right wing, as I ween, was my Lord Lumley,
A captain full keen, with St. Cuthbert's banner.
My Lord Clifford with him came, all in clear armour;
So did Sir William Percy, that proved was of deeds;
And Sir William Bulmer, that bold hath been ever,
With many captains full keen, who so knows their names.
And if I reckon the rearward, I rest must too long,
But I shall tell you the best frekes that thereupon tenden.
The Earl of Surrey himself surely it guided;
The Lord Scroop full comely, with knights full many.
If ye would wit the wings that to that ward longed,
That was a bishop full bold, that born was at Lathom:
Of Ely that ilk lord, that epe was of deeds,
An egg of that bold earl that named was Stanley,
Near of nature to the Nevilles, that noble have been ever;
But now death with his dart hath driven him away.
It is a loss to the land — Our Lord have his soul! —
For his wit and his wisdom and his wale deeds,
He was a pillar of peace the people among.
His servants they may sike and sorrow for his sake;
What for pity and for pain my pen doth me fail.
I will meddle with this matter no more for this time,
But He that is makless of mercy have mind on his soul!
Then he sent with his company a knight that was noble:
Sir John Stanley, that stout knight, that stern was of deeds.
There was never burn born that day bare him better.
The left wing to that rearward was my Lord Mounteagle,
With many ledes of Lancashire that to him longed,
Which foughten full fiercely whiles the field lasted.
Thus the rearward in array raked ever after,
As long as the light day lasted on the ground.
Then the sun full soon shot under the clouds,
And it darkened full dimly, and drew toward the night.
Every rink to his rest full radly him dressed,
Beten fires full fast, and fettled them to sowp
Besides Berwick in a bank within a broad wood.
Then dayned the day, so dear God it ordained:
Clouds cast up full clearly like castles full high.
Then Phoebus full fair flourished out his beams,
With leams full light all the land over.
All was damped with dew the daisies about;
Flowers flourished in the fields, fair to behold;
Briddes braiden to the boughs, and boldly they songen:
It was solace to hear for any sedge living.
Then full boldly on the broad hills we busked our standards,
And on a sough us beside there seen we our enemies
Were moving over the mountains; to match us they thoughten,
As boldly as any burns that born were of mothers;
And we eagerly with ire atiled them to meet.
Then trumpets full truly they triden together;
Many shawms in that shaw, with their shrill notes.
Heavenly was their melody, their mirths to hear,
How they songen with a shout all the shaws over.
There was girding forth of guns with many great stones;
Archers uttered out their arrows, and eagerly they shotten.
They proched us with spears, and put many over,
That the blood outbrast at their broken harness.
There were swingeing out of swords and swapping off heads.
We blanked them with bills through all their bright armour,
That all the dale dinned of their derf strokes.
Then betide a check that Cheshire men fledden.
In wing with those wees was my Lord Dacres:
He fled at the first braid, and they followed after.
When their captain was away, their comfort was gone.
They were wont at all wars to wait upon the Stanleys:
They never failed at no forward that time that they were.
Now lost is their loss — Our Lord it amend!
Many swires full swiftly were swapped to the death.
Sir John Booth of Barton was brought from his life:
A more bolder burn was never born of woman;
And of Yorkshire a young knight that epe was of deeds:
Sir William Warcop, as I ween, was the wee's name;
Of the same shire Sir William, that was so fierce holden;
Besides Rotherham that rink his resting-place had.
The Baron of Kinderton full keenly was killed them beside;
So was Honford, I you hete, that was a hind swyre;
Fullsewise full fell was fallen to the ground;
Christopher Savage was down cast, that kere might he never;
And of Lancashire John Lawrence — Our Lord have their souls!
These frekes would never flee for fear that might happen:
They were killed like conquerors in their King's service.
When the Scots and the Ketericks seen our men scatter,
They had great joy of their joining, and jollily came downward
Then the Scots' King calleth to him a herald,
Biddeth tell him the truth, and tarry no longer:
Who were the banners of the burns that bode in the valley?
" They are the standards of the Stanleys that stand by themselven.
If he be faren into France the Frenchmen to fear,
Yet is his standard in that stead with a stiff captain:
Sir Henry Keighley is called, that keen is of deeds.
Sir Thomas Gerard, that jolly knight, is joined thereunder
With Sir William Molyneux with a manful meinie.
These frekes will never flee for fear of no weapon,
But they will stick with their standards in their steel weeds.
Because they bashed them at Berwick, that boldeth them the more.
Lo, how he batters and beats, the bird with his wings!
We are feard of yonder fowl, so fiercely he fareth;
And yonder streamer full straight, that standeth him beside,
Is the standard of St Towder — trow ye no other —
That never beaten was in battle for burn upon live.
The third standard in that stead is my Lord's Mounteagle,
And of Yorkshire full epe, my young Lord Dacres,
With much puissance and power of that pure shire."
Then the Scottish King carped these words:
" I will fight with yonder frekes that are so fierce holden:
And I beat those burns, the battle is ours!"
Then he moved toward the mountains, and manly came downward:
We met him in the midway, and matched him full even.
Then there was dealing of dents, that all the dales rung;
Many helms with heads were hewn all to pieces.
This lake lasted on the land the length of four hours.
Yorkshire like yorn men eagerly they foughten;
So did Derbyshire that day deyred many Scots;
Lancashire like lions laiden them about.
All had been lost, by Our Lord, had not those ledes been!
But the care of the Scots increased full sore,
For their King was down knocked and killed in their sight
Under the banner of a bishop: that was the bold Stanley.
Then they fettled them to fly as fast as they might,
But that served not, for sooth, who so truth telleth.
Our Englishmen full eagerly after them followed,
And killed them like caitiffs in clows all about.
There were killed of the Scots, that told were by tale,
That were found in the field, fifteen thousand.
Lo, what it is to be false and the fiend serve!
They have broken a book oath to their blessed king,
And the truce that was taken for the space of two years.
All the Scots that were scaped were scattered far asunder;
They removed over the moor upon the other morning,
And there stood like stakes, and stir durst no further,
For all the lords of their land were left them behind.
Beside Brimstone in a brink breathless they lien,
Gaping against the moon, — their ghosts were away!
Then the Earl of Surrey himself calleth to him a herald,
Bade him fare into France with these fair tithands:
" Commend me to our King these comfortable words:
Tell him I have rescued his realm, so right required.
The King of Scots is killed, with all his cursed lords."
When the King, of his kindness, heard these words,
He saith: " I will sing him a soul-knell with the sound of my guns."
Such a noise, to my name, was never heard before,
For there was shot at a shot a thousand at once,
That all rang with the rout, rocher and other.
Now is this fierce field foughten to an end;
Many a wee wanted his horse and wandered home on foot.
All was long of the march men — a mischief them happen!
He was a gentleman, by Jesu, that this gest made,
Which said but as ye see, for sooth, and no other.
At Baguley that burn his biding-place he had;
His ancestors of old time have yerded there long,
Before William Conqueror this country inhabited.
Jesu, bring them to thy bliss, that brought us forth of bale,
That have hearkened me here, and heard well my tale!