Classic Poem

To have in mynde callyng to remembraunce
The gret wrongys doon of oold antiquité,
Unrightful heyres by wrong alyaunce
Usurpyng this royaume caused gret adversité;
Kyng Richard the secounde, highe of dignytee,
Whiche of Ingeland was rightful enheritoure,
In whos tyme ther was habundaunce with plentee
Of welthe and erthely joye, withougt langoure.

Than cam Henry of Derby, by force and myght,
And undir the colour of fals perjury,
He toke this rightwys kyng, Goddes trew knyght,
And hym in prison put perpetuelly,
Pyned to dethe, alas! ful pyteuxly;
Holy bisshop Scrope, the blyssed confessour,
In that quarel toke hys dethe ful paciently,
That alle the world spak of that gret langoure.

Whos dethe ys a very trew evidence
To alle Ingeland for the just title and lyne,
Whiche for the trowthe by tyranny and violence
Was put doune and suspect holde venyrsyne;
Many a trew lord then put to mortel fyne;
Alway they have ben aboute withe rigoure
The lynaige of kyng Richard to undirmyne,
That longe have lyved in gret langoure.

God smote the said Henry, for hys gret fersnesse,
With a lepre holdyng hym to hys ende fynally.
Next hym Henry the fyfte, of knyghtly prowesse,
Named the best of that lyne and progeny,
How be it he regned unrightfully,
Git he upheld in Ingeland the honnour;
Henry hys sone of Wy[n]desore, by gret foly,
Alle hathe retourned unto huge langoure.

Callyng to mynde the fals engendred treson
And myschyefz that were in hys dayes regnyng;
The good duc of Gloucestre, in the season
Of the parlement at Bury beyng,
Was put to dethe; and ay sithe gret mornyng
Hathe ben in Ingeland, with many a scharp schoure,
Falshode, myschyef, secret synne upholdyng,
Whiche hathe caused in Engeland endelez langoure.

Noo mervail though Engeland hathe ben unhappy,
Whiche hathe be mysrewled gerys sertayne;
Scripture saithe heritage holdyn wrongfully
Schal never cheve ne with the thred heyre remayne,
As hathe be verified late ful playne,
Where as iij. kynges have regned by erroure,
The thred put ougte, and the right brought agayne,
Whos absence hathe caused endlez langoure.

Also scripture saithe, woo be to that regyon
Where ys a kyng unwyse or innocent;
Moreovyr it ys right a gret abusion,
A womman of a land to be a regent,
Qwene Margrete I mene, that ever hathe ment
To governe alle Engeland with myght and poure,
And to destroye the ryght lyne was here entent,
Wherfore sche hathe a fal, to here gret langoure.

And now sche ne rought, so that sche myght attayne,
Though alle Engeland were brought to confusyon,
Sche and here wykked affynité certayne
Entende uttyrly to destroye thys regioun;
For with theym ys but dethe and distruccioun,
Robberye and vengeaunce, with alle rygour,
Therfore alle that holde of that oppynioun,
God sende hem a schort ende with meche langour.

O it ys gretly agayne kynde and nature,
An Englyshe man to corrumpe hys owne nacion,
Willyng straungiers for to recure,
And in Engeland to have the domynacioun,
Wenyng thanne to be gret of reputacion;
For sothe they that soo hope, least schal be theyre pour;
He that woold be high schal be undir subjecioun,
And the fyrst that schal repente the langoure.

Wherfore I lykken England to a gardayne,
Whiche that hathe ben overgrowen many yere
Withe wedys, whiche must be mowen doune playne,
And than schul the pleasant swete herbes appere.
Wherfore alle trewe Englyshe peuple, pray yn fere
For kyng Edward of Rouen, oure comfortoure,
That he kepe justice and make wedis clere,
Avoydyng the blak cloudys of langoure.

A gret signe it ys that God lovythe that knyght,
For alle thoo that woold have destroyed hym utterly,
Alle they ar myschyeved and put to flyght.
Than remembre hys fortune with chevalry
Whiche at Northamptoun gate the victory,
And at Mortimers Crosse he had the honnour;
On Palme Sonday he wan the palme of glorye.
And put hys enemyes to endelez langour.

And drave hys adversary ougt of the lande;
Aftyr cam to Londun and was crouned kyng.
Ryght late God gaf hym grace to undirstonde
The fals traytours agayne hym ymagynynge.
The prophecie saithe, there schal dere hym noo thinge,
He it ys that schal wynne castelle, toune, and toure;
Alle rebellyous undyr he schal hem brynge,
Willyng to hys highenesse any langoure.

Richard the erl of Warwyk, of knyghthode
Lodesterre, borne of a stok that evyr schal be trewe,
Havyng the name of prowes and manhoode,
Hathe ay ben redy to helpe and resskewe
Kyng Edward, in hys right hym to endewe;
The commens therto have redy every houre;
The voyx of the peuple, the voix of Jhesu,
Who kepe and preserve hym from alle langoure.

Now blyssed saint George, pray the vierge immaculat
To be good mediatrix, praying her sonne
That Edward of Rouen may be victorieux and fortunat,
Withe alle the trew lordes of hys regioun,
That they may se a good way and directioun
To make peas in Engeland, that riche and pouer
May joyfully synge at the conclusyon,
Welcom everlastyng joye, and farewal langoure.