Classic Poem

[Part II.]

In the morninge when the day can spring,
 vp riseth B ESSYE in tha t stower,
to Humphrey Bretton gone is shee;
 but when shee came to Humphreys bower,

w i th a small voice called shee.
 Humphrey answered tha t Lady bright,
& saith, “lady, who are yee
  tha t calleth on me ere itt be light?”

“I am K ing Edwards daughter,
 the countesse cleere, young B ESSYE :
in all the hast thou can,
 thou must come speake w i th the Erle of Darbye.”

Humphrey cast vpon [him] a gowne,
 a paire of slippers on his ffeete.
for[th] of [his] Chamber then he came,
 & went w i th tha t Lady sweet

shee brought him to the bed side
 where they Lo rd lay in bed to sleepe.
when they Erle did Humphrey see,
 full tenderlye can hee weepe,

& said, “my loue, my trust, my liffe, my Land,
 all this, Humphrey, doth Lye in thee!
thou may make, & thou may marr,
 thou may vndoe B ESSYE & mee!

“take sixe letters in thy hand,
 & bring them into the north countrye;
they be written on they backside,
 where they letterrs deliu e red shold bee”

he receiued the letterrs sixe;
 into the west wend wold hee
then meeteth him tha t Ladye bright,
 she said, “abide, Humphray, & speake w i th mee

“a poore reward I shall thee giue,
 itt shall be but pounds three;
if I be Queene, & may liue,
 better rewarded shalt thou bee

“A litle witt god hath sent mee:
 when thou rydest into the west,
I pray thee take no companye
 but such as shall be of the best,

“sitt not too long drinking thy wine,
 lest in heat thou be too merrrye;
such words you may cast out then,
 to-morrow fforthought itt may bee.”

Humphray of B ESSYE rec eiued noble[s] nine;
 w i th a peece of wine shee cold him assay;
hee tooke leaue of tha t Ladye sheene,
 & straight to the holt he took h[i]s way.

when S i r william stanley did him see,
 he said to him w i th words free,
“Humphrey Brettom, what maketh thee heere,
  tha t hither dost ryde soe hastilye?

“How [fareth] tha t Lo rd , my brother deare,
 That lately was made the Erle of darby,
is he dead w i thout letting,
 or w i th K ing Richard his counsell is hee?

“Or he be suspected w i thout lett,
 or taken into the tower so hye,
London gates shall tremble & quake
 but my brother borrowed shall bee!

“tell me, Humphrey, w i thouten lett,
  tha t rydest hither soe hastilye.”
“breake tha t letter,” said Humphrey then;
 “behold then, and you shall see.”

when the K nigh t Looked the Letter on,
 he stood still in a studdiinge:
answer to Humphrey gaue he none,
 but still hee gnew on his staffe end.

he plucket the letter in peeces three,
 into the water he cold itt fflinge:
“haue heere, Humphrey,” said the K nigh t,
 “I will giue thee a 100 shillinge;

“thou shalt not tarry heere all night,
 straight to Latham ryd shall yee.”
“alas,” sais Humphrey, “I may not ryde,
 my horsse is tyred, as ye may see;

“I came ffrom London in this tyde,
 there came no sleepe w i thin mine eye.”
“Lay thee downe, Humphrey,” he said, “& sleepe
 well the space of houres three;

“a ffresh horsse I thee behett,
 shall bring [thee] through the north countrye.”
Humphray slept but howers 2,
 but on his Iourney well thought hee;

a ffresh horsse was brought to him
 to bring him through the west countrye.
he tooke his leaue at the K nigh t,
 & straight to Latham rydeth hee,

& att 9 of Clocke in the night,
 att Latham gates knocketh hee.
the Porter ariseth anon-right,
 & answerd Humphray w i th words ffree,

“In good ffaith, itt is tó Late
 to call on me this time of the night.”
“I pray the, porter, open the gate,
 & lett me in anon-right;

“w i th the Lo rd strangers must speake,
 from his ffather, the Erle of Darbye.”
the porter opened vp the gates,
 & in came his horsse and hee.

the best wine tha t was therin,
 to Humphrey Bretton fforth brought hee,
w i th torches burning in tha t tyde,
 & other lights tha t he might see,

& brought him to the bed syde
 wheras the Lo rd strange Lay.
the Lo rd he mused in tha t tyde,
 & sayd, “Humphrey, what hast thou to say?

“how ffareth my ffather, tha t noble Lo rd ?
 in all England he hath no peere”
Humphrey tooke a letter in his hand,
 & said, “behold & yee may see.”

when they Lo rd strange looked the letter vpon,
 the teares trickled downe his eye;
he sayd, “wee must vnder a cloude,
 for wee may neuer trusted bee;
wee may sigh & make great moane;
 this world is not as itt shold bee.

“comend me to my father deere,
 his daylye blessing he wold giue me;
for & I liue another yeere,
 this appontment keepe will I.”

he receiued gold of my Lo rd Strange,
 & straight to Manchester rydeth hee;
And when hee came to Manchester,
 Itt was prime of the day;
he was ware of the warden & Edward Stanley,
 together their Mattins ffor to say.

then one brother said to the other,
 “behold, brother, & you may see,
heere cometh Humphrey Bretton,
 some hastye tydings bringheth hee.”

he betooke them either a letter,
 & bidd them looke & behold;
& read they did these le tte rrs readylye,
 & vp they lope, & laught aloude,

And saith, “ffaire ffall o u r ffather tha t noble Lord!
 to stirre and rise beginneth hee;
Buckinghams blood shall be roken,
  tha t was beheaded att Salsburye.

“ffaire ffall the Countesse, the K ing s daughter,
  tha t good Councell giue cold shee;
wee trust in god ffull of might
 to bring her Lord ouer the sea!

“haue heere, Humphray, of either 40 s ;
 better rewarded shall thou bee.”
he tooke the gold att their hand;
 to S i r Iohn Sauage rydeth hee,

& hee tooke him a letter in hand,
 bade him “behold, read, and see”
& when the K nigh t the Letter hadd,
 all blanked was his blee:

“womens witt is wonder to heare!
 my vnckle is turned by yo u r Bessye!
& wether itt turne to weale or woe,
 att my vnckles biddinge will I bee.

“haue heere, Humphrey, 40 s :
 better rewarded may thou bee!
to Sheffeld Castle Looke thou ryde
 in all the hast tha t may bee.”

fforth then rydeth tha t gentle K nigh ;
 S i r Gilbert Talbott ffindeth hee;
hee tooke him a letter in his hand,
 & bidd him, “reade & yee may see.”

when S i r Gilbert Talbott the l ett re looked on,
 a loude laughter laughed hee:
“ffaire ffall tha t Lord of hye renowne!
 to rise and stirr beginneth hee!

“ffaire ffall Bessye, tha t Countesse cleere,
  tha t such councell giueth trulye!
Comend me to my nephew deare,
 the young Erle of Shrewsbyrye,

“bidd him neuer dread for no death,
 In London Towre if hee bee;
I shall make London tremble & quake
 but my nephew borrowed shalbee!

“Comend me to tha t Countesse cleere,
 K ing Edwards daughter, young Bessye;
tell her, I trust in god tha t hath no peere
 to bring her loue ouer the sea

“Comend me to tha t Lo rd w i thout dread
  tha t latelye was made Erle of darbye;
& euery haire of my head
 for a man counted might bee,

“w i th tha t Lo rd w i thouten dread,
 w i th him will I liue and dye!
haue heere, Humphray, pounds three;
 better rewarded may thou bee!

“Straight to London looke thou ryde
 in all the hast tha t may bee;
Comend mee to the K ing s daughter, young Bessye,
 K ing Edwards daughter forssooth is shee,

“In all this Land shee hath no peere.”
 he taketh his leaue att the K nigh t,
& straight to London rydeth hee.
 & when he came to London right

Itt was but a litle before eueni[n]ge,
 there was he ware, walking in a garden greene,
[of] both the Erle & Richard our Kinge.
 when the Erle had Humphrey see[ne,]

he gaue him a priuye twinke with his eye
 then Humphrey came before the K ing soe ffree,
& downe he ffalleth vpon his knee.
 “welcome, Humphray!” said the Erle of Darbye:

“where hast thou beene, Humphray?” said the Erle,
 “ffor I haue mist thee weekes three.”
“I haue beene in the west, my Lo rd ,
 where I was borne and bredd trulye,

“ffor to sport me & to play
 amonge my ffreinds ffarr & nye.”
“tell me, Humphrey,” said the Erle,
 “how ffareth all tha t Countrye?
tell me, Humphray, I thee pray,
 how ffareth K ing Richards Comunaltye?”

“of all Countryes, I dare well say,
 they beene the fflower of archerye,
ffor they will be trusty w i th their bowes,
 for they will ffight & neuer fflee”

when K ing Rich ard heard Humphray soe say,
 in his hart hee was ffull merrye;
hee w i th his Cappe tha t was soe deere
 thanked him ffull curteouslye,
& said, “ffather Stanley, thou art to mee neare,
 you are cheeffe of yo u r Comynaltye,

“halfe of England shalbe thine,
 & equally devided betweene thee & mee;
I am thine, & thou art mine,
 & for 2 ffellowes will wee bee.

“I sweare by Marry, maid mild,
 I know none such vnder the skye!
whilest I am K ing & weare the Crowne,
 I will be cheeffe of the poore Comynaltye

“tax nay mise I will make none,
 in noe Cuntry ffarr nor neare;
ffor if by their goods I shold plucke them downe,
 for me they will ffaight ffull ffainteouslye.

“There is no riches to me soe rich
 as is the pore Comynaltye”
when they had ended all their speeche,
 they tooke their leaue ffull gladlye,

& to his Bower the K ing is gone.
 then the Erle and Humphrey Bretton,
to Bessyes bower they went anon,
 & ffound Bessye there alone.

when Bessye did see Humphrey anon,
 anon shee kissed him times three,
saith, “Humphray Bretton, welcome home!
 how hast thou spedd in the west Cuntrye?”

Into a p ar ler they went anon,
 there was no more but hee & shee:
“Humphray, tell mee or hence I gone,
 some tydings out of the west Countrye!

“If I shold send ffor yonder Prince
 to come ouer ffor the Loue of mee,
and murthered amongst his ffoes to bee,
 alas, tha t were ffull great pittye!

“fforsooth, tha t sight I wold not see
 for all the gold in Christentye!
tell me, Humphray, I thee pray,
 how hast thou done in the west countrye.”

vnto Bessye anon he told
 how hee had sped in the west countrye,
what was the answers of them hee had,
 & what rewards hee had trulye:

“By the third day of May, Bessye,” he sayd,
 “In London there will they bee;
thou shalt in England be a Queene,
 or else doubtlesse they will dye.”