Classic Poem

The Second Part

Att the feast of the turnament
the Barrons tha t were gent,
tha t all the treason vnderstoode,
they had ruth of the right blood,
tha t they children shold be done to dead;
therfore they tooke another reade,
& tooken Vther & Pendragon,
& passed ou er the seas anon.
Of theire passage wist noe moe
but the hend barrons 2.
& when the feast was all hold,
Vortiger the traitor bold
lett make accompackement
of erles & barrons tha t were gent,
att w hi ch Parlament they had hight
for to haue slaine they children right.
Vortiger com m anded anon
for to feitch Vther & Pendragon.
fast about all they sought,
but they cold find them nought.
when Vortiger this vnderstoode,
then hee waxed almost woode,
but neu er -the-lesse S i r Vortiger
did giue comandment far & neere
to Duke, Erle, Barron, & K nigh t,
to make them rydey for to fight;
& soone the dight them I-wis
w i th armes & w i th horsses of price.
& when they were ready dight,
forsooth it is a seemlye sight:
w i th helme one head, & bright banner,
all went forth w i th Vortiger.
the K ing of Denmarke w i th pryde
brought his host by his syde;
either host can other assayle;
there might you see a strong battele.
the English folkes, sooth to say,
they foughten so well tha t day
tha t K ing Anguish in tha t tyde
was vpon the worsse side,
& ffledd away as he were woode
into a Castle faire & goode;
& manye of his host alsoe,
fast away can they goe;
& Vortiger w i th his rowte
besett the castle all aboute
& when t[h]ey had Long Laine,
Vortiger send to them for to saine
" if he peace passe must,
hee wolde take all his host
& wende into his countrye,
& neu er after tha t day
wold he passe the sea stronde,
ne come to warr in Englande. "
& when this couenant was all done,
tha t they wold not into England come,
Vortiger tooke his councell
& lett them passe certaine;
& soe they went to the sea,
& passed to their owne countrye
Vortiger then tooke his ost
& went thence w i th a great boaste;
he held feast many a day
w i th much solace & w i th play.
And when the feast was all helde,
the 12 Barrons tha t I erst of told,
tha t had slaine Moyne the K ing ,
they bethought them of a wonderous thing,
tha t they wold wend to Vortiger
& aske him meede & liverr,
& said, " Vortiger, now you bee aboue,
now yeelde vs meede! for thy Loue
wee slew our right K ing by kind;
now will wee see if thou bee hynde;
for wee brought thee to thine aboue;
thinke what wee did for yo u r loue! "
K ing Vortiger answered againe:
w i th Egar Moode he can saine:
" by the law tha t god made
you shall haue as yee bade!
for yee are traitors starke & stronge,
& haue slaine yo u r K ing w i th wronge,
& yee haue wrought against the law!
& therfore yee shall both hang & draw. "
he did take horsses fleete,
& tyed them to their ffeete,
& then drew them on a pauement,
& sithen hanged them verament.
then Many an Erle & Barron hynde
that were of the Barrons Kinde,
to Vortiger they ran anon
as his most deadlye fone;
hard on him can they fight,
for to slay him the thought right
Vortiger w i th Might & Maine,
he w i th his host went them againe;
a strong battell there was dight,
& many a head ther of smitt,
soe tha t Vortiger tha t day
was glad for to scape away.
anon the Barrons send their sonde
wyde ou er all England
to all their ffreinds, sibb & couthe,
East, west, North & southe,
& told them tha t sooth tyde,
" how Vortiger w i th great despighte,
w i th great treason & w i th wrong,
their kinred had drawen & honge."
wrath then was many a man,
& al together swarren then
tha t they wold not assunder breake
till they were on him wreake.
eu er ye man on other besought,
a great host on him they brought,
& foughten w i th S i r Vortiger
9 monthes of this yeere,
tha t many a Lady fayre & free
lost her Lo rd & her meanye.
then the warr endured long,
& the Barrons waxed strong
tha t Vortiger had not power
against them longer to endure.
Messengers anon hee tooke,
& made them sworne vpon a booke
tha t they shold his arrand gone;
& letters he tooke to them anon,
& sent them ou er the seas I-wis
to Denmarke, vnto K ing Anguis,
& tha t hee shold come att neede
w i th all the power tha t he might lead,
against his foemen for to fight
tha t wold depriue him of his right.
then was K ing Anguis blythe,
& Messengers hee sent swithe
to Duke, Erle, Barron, & K nigh t,
& to all tha t weapon beare might.
Then to shipp they went blithe,
And ou er the sea can they driue;
& when they came to vortiger,
he welcomed them w i th merry cheere,
& seazed there into his hands
halfe the realme of England
tha t he had, or haue might,
for to helpe him in his right.
when this couenant was made fast,
all they dighten them in hast
into Battelle for to wend
w i th the Barrons tha t were hende;
besids Salsbury a Lyte,
there the battell can the smite.
many a bold Champion,
& many a 1000, in tha t stonde
were slaine & brought to ground;
many a Ladye & damsell
can weepe tha t day w i th teares fell.
then had Vortiger 10
against one of the Barrons men;
discomffitted they were tha t day;
w i th great sorrow the fled away;
& vortiger, tha t wold not spare,
but hunted them as hound doth hare,
them tha t he did ou er take,
noe other peace did he make,
but did them all to-draw & hange.
but sithen all tha t was wrong;
many a Barron hynde & free
fled out of his owne countrye,
& dwelled out many a yeere
for loue of S i r Vortiger
then Vortiger ceazed into his hands
the Lands & rents of all the Barrons;
& both wiffe, Chyld, & swaine,
he droue out of the Lannd certaine.
K ing Anguis had verament
a daughter tha t was faire & gent,
tha t was heathen Sarazen;
& Vortiger for loue fine
vndertooke her for his wiffe,
& liued in cursing all his liffe,
for he did make the Christen Men
to Marry the heathen women,
soe tha t nighe all England
was fallen into the devills hand;
& thus they liued many a yeere.
soe on a day S i r Vortiger
bethought him on the children tow
tha t out of the Land were fledden thoe,
& alsoe he bethought him then
of many another doughtye Man
tha t hee had fleemed out of the Land,
& in his hart gan vnderstand
tha t it was a sorry happe,
& doubted him of an afterclappe.
anon he sent Messengers
ou er all the Land for Carpenters,
& for good Massons alsoe,
the best tha t were in Land thoe.
Many a 1000 there came anon
tha t colde worke Lime & stone;
& when they were comen all,
the K ing anon to them gan call,
& said, " Lordings, I haue thought
a strong castle to be wrought
of bigge timber, lime, & stone,
tha t such another be noe-were none,
if eu er I haue any need,
my liffe therin tha t I may Lead.
the Castle yee shall make surlye
vpon the plaine of Salsburye;
goe & doe as I you bade,
tha t itt be surlye & well made,
And you shall haue to yo u r hyer
as much as you shall desire. "
the workemen went forthe thoe,
15000 & yett moe,
hewen timber, caruing stone,
& laid a foundation there anon.
some Laid, & some bore,
& some can the worke arreare.
tha t ilke day, round about
itt was brest high w i thout doubt.
when itt came to the night,
to their bedd they went wright,
& came againe vpon the Morrow
& found a thing of much sorrow,
for all the fondation the found
lying abroad vpon the ground,
& all to-torne, both Lime & stone.
the had great wonder, eu er ye one:
better read then cold they None,
but began it new againe,
& sped as well, the sooth to say,
as the did the first daye.
& when the euening was comen,
the went to bedd all soone.
on morrow they came anon,
& found it cast downe, lime & stone,
& was spredd both heere & the[r]e;
& thus they faren halfe a yeere.
When the K ing heard of this,
great wonder he had I-wis,
& oft asked both young & old,
& of the wonder wold be told,
& why the worke might not stand.
there was none w i thin the land,
highe nor lowe, Learned nor Clarke,
tha t cold tell him of the worke.
K ing Vortiger sate in his hall
amongst his Barrons & K nigh ts all,
& sware he wold neu er spare
vntill he wist why it were;
& anon he sent his sonde
ou er all England
after Clerkes old & younges
tha t cold tell him wonderous things.
the Messengers forth went,
& did the K ing s Coma n ndement;
many a wise Clarke they sought;
before the King they all were brought.
K ing Vortiger opposed them all
why his worke did downe fall;
but there was none tha t cold him tell.
then he sware he wold them quell
but if they wold say in hast
why this worke was downe cast.
10 Masters he tooke anon,
the wisest of them euery one;
into a chamber they were doe
tha t noe man might come them to.
soe one day verament
the looked into the firmament,
& vnder the welkin their shewed a skye
tha t shewedd them witterlye
tha t in 5 winters there beforne
a knaue child there was borne,
begotten w i thout any man;
& if they had tha t child then,
& sley him hastilye then
or he spoke to any man,
and smeere the worke w i th his blood,
then shold tha t worke be sure & goode: "
thus the sky shewed them there,
And passed away w i thout more
then were the clarkes gladd & blythe,
& came to Vortiger sithe,
& told him w i thout lesse
of a knaue child tha t was gotten I-wis
w i thout seede of any man:
thus they saydden eu er ye one,
" doe send & feitch tha t child
whether hee bee in towne or feild;
& doe him slay hastilye,
& take the blood of his bodye
& smere the worke rond about,
& it shall stand w i thout doubt."
glad & blithe was Vortiger,
& called to him 12 Messengers,
& p ar ted them in veritye,
tha t neu er a one might other see;
he sent them forth vpon his sond
vnto 4 p ar ts of England,
& com m anded tha t they stint nought
till he were befor him brought.
anon the Messengers forth went
and did the K ing s com m andement;
& S i r vortiger the bold
caused the clarkes to be hold
till the Messengers came againe,
to witt what the wold saine,
& sware by Iesu, heauen K ing ,
" if they made any Leasinge,
noe ransome shold for them gone,
but they shold dye eu er ye one. "
now let vs tell of these Messengers
tha t went from S i r Vortigers
for to seeke the child soe younge;
& yee shall heare a wonderous thing
& if yee will a stond dwell;
of tha t Chyld I shall you tell,
on what Manner the Messenger
brought him to S i r Vortiger,
& what hee hight w i thouten lesse,
& of what kind he is,
tha t yee may vnderstand & witt
thorrow what skill he was gett.