Classic Poem

Of the commodytees of Spayne and of Fflaundres. The ffyrste chapitle.

Knowe welle alle men that profites in certayne,
Commodytes called, commynge out of Spayne,
And marchandy, who so wylle wete what that is,
Bene fygues, raysyns, wyne bastarde, and dates;
And lycorys, Syvyle oyle, and grayne,
Whyte Castelle sope, and wax, is not in vayne;
Iren, wolle, wadmole, gotefel, kydefel also,
Ffor poynt-makers fulle nedefulle be the ij.;
Saffron, quiksilver, wheche arne Spaynes marchandy,
Is into Fflaundres shypped fulle craftylye,
Unto Bruges, as to here staple fayre,
The haven of Sluse here havene for here repayre,
Wheche is cleped Swyn, thaire shyppes gydynge,
Where many wessell and fayre arne abydynge.
But these merchandes, wyth there shyppes greet,
And suche chaffare as they bye and gette
By the weyes, most nede take one honde
By the costes to passe of oure Englonde,
Betwyxt Dover and Calys, thys is no doute,
Who can weelle ellis suche mater bringe aboute.
And whenne these seyde marchauntz discharged be
Of marchaundy in Fflandres neere the see,
Than they be charged agayn wyth marchaundy
That to Fflaundres bougeth full rychelye;
Ffyne clothe of Ipre, that named is better than oure is,
Cloothe of Curtryke, fyne cloothe of alle coloures,
Moche ffustyane and also lynen cloothe.
But ye Fflemmyngis, yf ye be not wrothe,
The grete substaunce of youre cloothe, at the fulle,
Ye wot ye make hit of youre Englissh wolle.
Thanne may hit not synke in mannes brayne,
But that hit most, this marchaundy of Spayne,
But ought and inne by oure costes passe;
He that seyde nay, in wytte was lyche an asse.
Thus if thys see werre kepte, I dare well sayne,
Wee shulde have pease with the growndes tweyne.
Ffor Spayne and Fflaundres is as yche othere brothere,
And nethere may well lyve wythowght othere.
The may not lyven to mayntene there degrees,
Wythought oure Englysshe commodytees,
Wolle and tynne; for the wolle of Englonde
Susteyneth the comons Fflemmyngis, I understonde.
Thane yf Englonde wolde hys wolle restreyne
Ffrome Fflaundres, thys ffoloweth in certayne,
Fflaundres of nede must wyth us have pease,
Or ellis he is distroyde, wythowght lees.
Also yef Fflaundres thus distroyed bee,
Some marchaundy of Spayne wolle nevere ithe;
Ffor distroyed hit is, and, as in cheffe,
The wolle of Spayne hit cometh not to preffe,
But if it be toseed and menged welle
Amonges Englysshe wolle the gretter delle.
Ffor Spayneshe wolle in Fflaundres draped is,
And evere hath be, that men have mynde of this;
And yet wolle is one of the cheffe marchaundy
That longeth to Spayne, who so woll aspye;
Hit is of lytelle valeue, trust unto me,
Wyth Englysshe wolle but if it menged be.
Thus if the see be kepte, then herkene hedere,
Yf these ij. londes comene not togedere,
So that the fflete of Fflaundress passe nought,
That in the narowe see he be not brought
Into the Rochelle, to feche the fumose wine,
Nere into Britonuse bay for salt so fyne,
What is than Spayne? what is Fflaundres also?
As who seyde, nought, the thryfte is ago.
Ffor the lytelle londe of Fflaundres is
But a staple to other londes, iwys,
And alle that groweth in Fflaundres, greyn and sede,
May not a moneth ffynde hem mete of brede.
What hath thenne Fflaundres, be Fflemmyngis leffe or lothe,
But a lytelle madere and Flemmyshe cloothe?
By drapinge of oure wolle in substaunce
Lyvene here comons, this is here governaunce;
Wythought whyche they may not leve at case,
Thus moste hem sterve, or wyth us most have peasse.