Ladye Bessiye - Part 1
[Part I]
God : tha t is most of might,
& borne was of a maiden ffree,
saue & keepe our comelye Kinge
& all the pore cominaltye!
for wheras K ing Rich ard , I vnd[e]rstand,
had not raigned yeeres three,
But the best duke in all the Land
he caused to be headed att Salsburye.
that time the Stanleys w i thout doubt
were dread ou er England ffarr & neere,
next K ing Richard, tha t was soe stout,
of any Lo rd in England Ire.
there was a Lady faire on mold,
the name of her was litle Bessye;
shee was young, shee was not old,
but of the age of one and twentye;
shee cold write, & shee cold reede,
well shee cold worke by p ro phesye;
shee soiorrned in the Cittye of London
tha t time w i th the Erle of Darbye.
vpon a time, as I you tell,
there was noe more but the Erle & shee;
shee made complaint of Richard the K ing ,
tha t was her vnckle of blood soe nye:
“helpe, ffather stanley, I doe you pray!
for of K ing Richard wroken I wold bee.
he did my brethren to the death on a day
in their bedd where they did lye;
“he drowned them both in a pipe of wine;
itt was dole to heare and see!
& he wold haue put away his Queene
for to haue lyen by my bodye!
“helpe tha t he were put away,
for the royall blood destroyed wilbee!
B UKINGAM , tha t duke of England,
was as great w i th K ing Rich ard as now are yee.
“the crowne of England there tooke hee,—
forsooth, Lo rd , this is no lye,—
& crowned K ing Rich ard of England free,
tha t after beheaded him att Salsburye.
“helpe, father Stanley, I you pray!
for on tha t traitor wroken wold I bee;
& helpe Erle Richmond, tha t Prince soe gay,
tha t is exiled ouer the sea!
“for & he were K ing , I shold be Queene;
I doe him loue, & neuer him see.
thinke on Edward, my father, tha t late was K ing ,
vpon his deathe-bed where he did lye:
“of a litle child he put me to thee,
for to gouerne and to guide;
into yo u r keeping hee put mee,
& left me a booke of p ro phecye;—
“I haue itt in keeping in this citye;—
he knew tha t yee might make me a Q ueene ,
father, if thy will itt be;
for Rich ard is no righteous Kinge,
“nor vpon no woman borne was hee;
the royall blood of all this land,
Rich ard my vnkle will destroye
as he did the D UKE OF B UCKINGHAM ,
“Who was as great w i th K ing Rich ard as now are yee.
for when he was duke of Gloster,
he slew good King Henerye
in the Tower of London as he lay there.
“S i r will ia m Stanley, thy brother decre
in the hol[t]e where he doth lye,
he may make 500 fightinge men
by the marryage of his faire Ladye
“yo u r sonne George, the Lo rd Strange,
in Latham where he doth lye,
he may make a 1000 ffighting men in ffere,
& giue them wages for monthes three.
“Edward stanley tha t is thy sonne,
300 men may bring to thee.
thy sonne Iames, tha t young preist,
warden of Manchester was made latelye.
“S i r Iohn Sauage, thy sisters sonne,—
he is thy sisters sonne of blood soe nye—
hee may make 1500 fighting men,
& all his men white hoods to giue;
“he giueth the pikes on his banner bright;
vpon a feild backed was neuer hee
S i r Gilbert Talbott, a man of might,
in Sheffeild castle where he doth lye,
“Hele make a 1000 d men of might,
& giue them wages ffor monthes three.
& thy selfe a 1000 Eagle ffitt to ffight,
tha t is a goodlye sight to see;
“for thou & thine withouten pine
may Bring Richemond ouer the sea;
for & he were K ing , I should be Queene;
ffather Stanley, remember bee!”
then answered the Earle againe;
these were the words he sayd to B ESSYE :
“& K ing Richard doe know this thing,
wee were vndone, both thou and I;
“In a ffire you must brenn,
my liffe & my lands are lost from mee;
therfore these words be in vaine:
leaue & doe away, good B ESSYE !”
“ffather stanley! is there no grace?
noe Queene of England tha t I must bee?
then B ESSYE stoode studying in tha t place
w i th teares trickling ffrom her eyen:
“Now I know I must neu er be Queene!
all this, man, is longe of thee!
but thinke on the dreadffull day
when the great doame itt shalbe,
“when righteousnesse on the rainbowe shall sitt,
& deeme he shall both thee and mee,
& all ffalshood away shall fflitt
when all truth shall by him bee!
“I care not whether I hange or drowne,
soe tha t my soule saued may bee;
make good answer as thou may,
ffor all this, man, is longe of thee.”
w i th tha t shee tooke her head grace downe,
& threw itt downe vpon the ground,
both pearles & many a p re cyous stone
tha t were better then a 1000 pound.
her ffaxe tha t was as white as silke,
shortly downe shee did itt rent;
w i th her hands as white as any milke,
her ffaire ffaxe thus hath shee spilt;
her hands together can shee wringe,
& w i th teares shee wipes her eye;
“welladay, B ESSYE !” can shee sing,
& p ar ted w i th the Erle of darbye.
“ffare-well, man! now am I gone!
itt shall be long ere thou me see!”
the Erle stood still as any stone,
& all blarked was his blee.
when he heard B ESSYE make such mone,
the teares fell downe from his eye,
“abyde, B ESSYE ! wee p ar t not soe soone!
heere is none now but thee and I;
“ffeild hath eyen, & wood hath eares,
you cannott tell who standeth vs by;
but wend forth, B ESSYE , to thy Bower,
& looke you doe as I bidd yee:
“put away thy maydens bright,
tha t noe p er son doth vs see;
for att nine of the clocke w i thin this night,
in thy bower will I be w i th thee;
“then of this matter wee will talke more,
when there is no moe but you and I;
A charcole [fire] att my desire,
tha t no smoke come in our eye;
“Peeces of wine many a one,
& diuers spices be therbye,
pen, Inke, pap er , looke thou want none,
but haue all things ffull readye.”
B ESSYE made her busines, & forth is gone,
& tooke her leaue att the Erle of D ARBYE ,
& put away her maydens anon,
no man nor mayd was therby;
A charcole fire was ready bowne,—
there cane no smoke w i thin his eye,—
peeces of wine many a one,
& diuers spices lay therby,
Pen, Inke, & pap er , shee wanted none,
& hadd all things there ffull readye,
& sett her selfe vpon a stone
w i thout any companye.
shee tooke a booke in her hande,
& did read of p ro phecye,
how shee shold bee Queene of England,
but many a guiltelesse man first must dye;
& as shee read ffurther, shee wept
w i th tha t came the Erle of Darbye;
att nine of the clocke att night
to bessyes bower Cometh hee
shee barred the dore aboue and vnder,
tha t no man shold come them nye;
shee sett him on [a] seate [soe] rich,
& on another shee sett her by;
shee gaue him wine, shee gaue him spice,
sais, “blend in, ffather, & drinke to me.”
the fire was hott, the spice itt bote,
the wine itt wrought wonderffullye.
then kind in heat, god wott,
then weeped the noble Erle of Darbye:
“aske now, B ESSYE then, what thou wilt,
& thy boone granted itt shalbee.”
“Nothing,” said B ESSYE , “I wold haue,
neither of gold nor yett of ffee,
but ffaire Erle Richmond, soe god me saue,
tha t hath lyen soe long beyond the sea”
“Alas, Bessye! tha t noble Lord
& thy boone, fforsooth, grant wold I thee;
but there is no clarke tha t I dare trust
this night to write ffor thee and mee,
“because our matter is soe hye,
lest any man wold vs bewray.”
B ESSYE said, “ffather, itt shall not neede;
I am a clarke ffull good, I say.”
shee drew a pap er vpon her knee,
pen and Inke shee had full readye,
hands white & ffingars long;
shee dressed her to write speedylye.
“ffather Stanley, now let me see,
ffor euery word write shall I.”
“B ESSYE , make a letter to the Holt
there my brother S i r William doth Lye;
“bidd him bring 7 sad yeomen,
all in greene clothes lett them bee,
& change his Inn in euery towne
where before hee was wont to Lye;
“& lett his fface be towards the benche,
lest any man shold him espye;
& by the 3 d day of May
tha t he come and speake w i th mee.
“Com m end me to my sonne George,
the Lo rd strange, where he doth lye,
& bidd him bring 7 sadd yeomen;
all in greene clothes lett them bee,
“& lett himselfe be in the same suite,
& change his Inn in euery towne,
& lett his backe be ffroe the benche,
Lest any man shold him knowne;
“& by the 3 d day of May
bidd him come & speake w i th mee.
Commend me to Edward my sonne,
the warden & hee togetherr bee,
“& bidd them bring 7 sadd yeomen,
& all in greene lett them bee,
changing their Inn in euery towne
where before they were wont to Lye;
“lett their backes be ffrom the bench,
lest any man shold them see;
& by the 3 d day of May
bidd them come & speake w i th mee.
Comend me to S i r Iohn Sauage
& S i r Gilbert Talbott in the north cuntrye,
& [let] either of them [bring] 7 sad yeomen,
and all in greene lett them bee,
“Changing their Inn in euery towne
before where they were wont to bee;
& by the 3 d day of May
lett them come & speake w i th me.”
B ESSYE writeth, the Lord he sealeth;
“ffather Stanley, what will yee more?”
“alas!” sayd tha t royall Lord,
“all our worke is fforlore!
“ffor there is noe messenger tha t wee may trust
to bring the tydings to the north cuntrye,
lest any man shold vs betraye,
because our matter is soe hye.”
“Humphrey Bretton,” said litle Bessye,
“he hath beene true to my father & mee,
hee shall haue the writting in hand,
& bring them into the North cuntrye
“goe to thy bedd, ffather, & sleepe,
& I shall worke ffor thee & mee,
to-Morrow by rising of the sunn
Humphrey Bretton shall be w i th thee.”
shee brought the Lo rd to his bedd,
all tha t night where he shold Lye;
& B ESSYE worketh all the night;
there came no sleepe in her eye
God : tha t is most of might,
& borne was of a maiden ffree,
saue & keepe our comelye Kinge
& all the pore cominaltye!
for wheras K ing Rich ard , I vnd[e]rstand,
had not raigned yeeres three,
But the best duke in all the Land
he caused to be headed att Salsburye.
that time the Stanleys w i thout doubt
were dread ou er England ffarr & neere,
next K ing Richard, tha t was soe stout,
of any Lo rd in England Ire.
there was a Lady faire on mold,
the name of her was litle Bessye;
shee was young, shee was not old,
but of the age of one and twentye;
shee cold write, & shee cold reede,
well shee cold worke by p ro phesye;
shee soiorrned in the Cittye of London
tha t time w i th the Erle of Darbye.
vpon a time, as I you tell,
there was noe more but the Erle & shee;
shee made complaint of Richard the K ing ,
tha t was her vnckle of blood soe nye:
“helpe, ffather stanley, I doe you pray!
for of K ing Richard wroken I wold bee.
he did my brethren to the death on a day
in their bedd where they did lye;
“he drowned them both in a pipe of wine;
itt was dole to heare and see!
& he wold haue put away his Queene
for to haue lyen by my bodye!
“helpe tha t he were put away,
for the royall blood destroyed wilbee!
B UKINGAM , tha t duke of England,
was as great w i th K ing Rich ard as now are yee.
“the crowne of England there tooke hee,—
forsooth, Lo rd , this is no lye,—
& crowned K ing Rich ard of England free,
tha t after beheaded him att Salsburye.
“helpe, father Stanley, I you pray!
for on tha t traitor wroken wold I bee;
& helpe Erle Richmond, tha t Prince soe gay,
tha t is exiled ouer the sea!
“for & he were K ing , I shold be Queene;
I doe him loue, & neuer him see.
thinke on Edward, my father, tha t late was K ing ,
vpon his deathe-bed where he did lye:
“of a litle child he put me to thee,
for to gouerne and to guide;
into yo u r keeping hee put mee,
& left me a booke of p ro phecye;—
“I haue itt in keeping in this citye;—
he knew tha t yee might make me a Q ueene ,
father, if thy will itt be;
for Rich ard is no righteous Kinge,
“nor vpon no woman borne was hee;
the royall blood of all this land,
Rich ard my vnkle will destroye
as he did the D UKE OF B UCKINGHAM ,
“Who was as great w i th K ing Rich ard as now are yee.
for when he was duke of Gloster,
he slew good King Henerye
in the Tower of London as he lay there.
“S i r will ia m Stanley, thy brother decre
in the hol[t]e where he doth lye,
he may make 500 fightinge men
by the marryage of his faire Ladye
“yo u r sonne George, the Lo rd Strange,
in Latham where he doth lye,
he may make a 1000 ffighting men in ffere,
& giue them wages for monthes three.
“Edward stanley tha t is thy sonne,
300 men may bring to thee.
thy sonne Iames, tha t young preist,
warden of Manchester was made latelye.
“S i r Iohn Sauage, thy sisters sonne,—
he is thy sisters sonne of blood soe nye—
hee may make 1500 fighting men,
& all his men white hoods to giue;
“he giueth the pikes on his banner bright;
vpon a feild backed was neuer hee
S i r Gilbert Talbott, a man of might,
in Sheffeild castle where he doth lye,
“Hele make a 1000 d men of might,
& giue them wages ffor monthes three.
& thy selfe a 1000 Eagle ffitt to ffight,
tha t is a goodlye sight to see;
“for thou & thine withouten pine
may Bring Richemond ouer the sea;
for & he were K ing , I should be Queene;
ffather Stanley, remember bee!”
then answered the Earle againe;
these were the words he sayd to B ESSYE :
“& K ing Richard doe know this thing,
wee were vndone, both thou and I;
“In a ffire you must brenn,
my liffe & my lands are lost from mee;
therfore these words be in vaine:
leaue & doe away, good B ESSYE !”
“ffather stanley! is there no grace?
noe Queene of England tha t I must bee?
then B ESSYE stoode studying in tha t place
w i th teares trickling ffrom her eyen:
“Now I know I must neu er be Queene!
all this, man, is longe of thee!
but thinke on the dreadffull day
when the great doame itt shalbe,
“when righteousnesse on the rainbowe shall sitt,
& deeme he shall both thee and mee,
& all ffalshood away shall fflitt
when all truth shall by him bee!
“I care not whether I hange or drowne,
soe tha t my soule saued may bee;
make good answer as thou may,
ffor all this, man, is longe of thee.”
w i th tha t shee tooke her head grace downe,
& threw itt downe vpon the ground,
both pearles & many a p re cyous stone
tha t were better then a 1000 pound.
her ffaxe tha t was as white as silke,
shortly downe shee did itt rent;
w i th her hands as white as any milke,
her ffaire ffaxe thus hath shee spilt;
her hands together can shee wringe,
& w i th teares shee wipes her eye;
“welladay, B ESSYE !” can shee sing,
& p ar ted w i th the Erle of darbye.
“ffare-well, man! now am I gone!
itt shall be long ere thou me see!”
the Erle stood still as any stone,
& all blarked was his blee.
when he heard B ESSYE make such mone,
the teares fell downe from his eye,
“abyde, B ESSYE ! wee p ar t not soe soone!
heere is none now but thee and I;
“ffeild hath eyen, & wood hath eares,
you cannott tell who standeth vs by;
but wend forth, B ESSYE , to thy Bower,
& looke you doe as I bidd yee:
“put away thy maydens bright,
tha t noe p er son doth vs see;
for att nine of the clocke w i thin this night,
in thy bower will I be w i th thee;
“then of this matter wee will talke more,
when there is no moe but you and I;
A charcole [fire] att my desire,
tha t no smoke come in our eye;
“Peeces of wine many a one,
& diuers spices be therbye,
pen, Inke, pap er , looke thou want none,
but haue all things ffull readye.”
B ESSYE made her busines, & forth is gone,
& tooke her leaue att the Erle of D ARBYE ,
& put away her maydens anon,
no man nor mayd was therby;
A charcole fire was ready bowne,—
there cane no smoke w i thin his eye,—
peeces of wine many a one,
& diuers spices lay therby,
Pen, Inke, & pap er , shee wanted none,
& hadd all things there ffull readye,
& sett her selfe vpon a stone
w i thout any companye.
shee tooke a booke in her hande,
& did read of p ro phecye,
how shee shold bee Queene of England,
but many a guiltelesse man first must dye;
& as shee read ffurther, shee wept
w i th tha t came the Erle of Darbye;
att nine of the clocke att night
to bessyes bower Cometh hee
shee barred the dore aboue and vnder,
tha t no man shold come them nye;
shee sett him on [a] seate [soe] rich,
& on another shee sett her by;
shee gaue him wine, shee gaue him spice,
sais, “blend in, ffather, & drinke to me.”
the fire was hott, the spice itt bote,
the wine itt wrought wonderffullye.
then kind in heat, god wott,
then weeped the noble Erle of Darbye:
“aske now, B ESSYE then, what thou wilt,
& thy boone granted itt shalbee.”
“Nothing,” said B ESSYE , “I wold haue,
neither of gold nor yett of ffee,
but ffaire Erle Richmond, soe god me saue,
tha t hath lyen soe long beyond the sea”
“Alas, Bessye! tha t noble Lord
& thy boone, fforsooth, grant wold I thee;
but there is no clarke tha t I dare trust
this night to write ffor thee and mee,
“because our matter is soe hye,
lest any man wold vs bewray.”
B ESSYE said, “ffather, itt shall not neede;
I am a clarke ffull good, I say.”
shee drew a pap er vpon her knee,
pen and Inke shee had full readye,
hands white & ffingars long;
shee dressed her to write speedylye.
“ffather Stanley, now let me see,
ffor euery word write shall I.”
“B ESSYE , make a letter to the Holt
there my brother S i r William doth Lye;
“bidd him bring 7 sad yeomen,
all in greene clothes lett them bee,
& change his Inn in euery towne
where before hee was wont to Lye;
“& lett his fface be towards the benche,
lest any man shold him espye;
& by the 3 d day of May
tha t he come and speake w i th mee.
“Com m end me to my sonne George,
the Lo rd strange, where he doth lye,
& bidd him bring 7 sadd yeomen;
all in greene clothes lett them bee,
“& lett himselfe be in the same suite,
& change his Inn in euery towne,
& lett his backe be ffroe the benche,
Lest any man shold him knowne;
“& by the 3 d day of May
bidd him come & speake w i th mee.
Commend me to Edward my sonne,
the warden & hee togetherr bee,
“& bidd them bring 7 sadd yeomen,
& all in greene lett them bee,
changing their Inn in euery towne
where before they were wont to Lye;
“lett their backes be ffrom the bench,
lest any man shold them see;
& by the 3 d day of May
bidd them come & speake w i th mee.
Comend me to S i r Iohn Sauage
& S i r Gilbert Talbott in the north cuntrye,
& [let] either of them [bring] 7 sad yeomen,
and all in greene lett them bee,
“Changing their Inn in euery towne
before where they were wont to bee;
& by the 3 d day of May
lett them come & speake w i th me.”
B ESSYE writeth, the Lord he sealeth;
“ffather Stanley, what will yee more?”
“alas!” sayd tha t royall Lord,
“all our worke is fforlore!
“ffor there is noe messenger tha t wee may trust
to bring the tydings to the north cuntrye,
lest any man shold vs betraye,
because our matter is soe hye.”
“Humphrey Bretton,” said litle Bessye,
“he hath beene true to my father & mee,
hee shall haue the writting in hand,
& bring them into the North cuntrye
“goe to thy bedd, ffather, & sleepe,
& I shall worke ffor thee & mee,
to-Morrow by rising of the sunn
Humphrey Bretton shall be w i th thee.”
shee brought the Lo rd to his bedd,
all tha t night where he shold Lye;
& B ESSYE worketh all the night;
there came no sleepe in her eye
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