Political, religious, and love poems. Some by Lydgate, Sir Richard Ros, Henry Baradoun, Wm. Huchen, etc. from the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lambeth Ms. no. 306, and other sources, with a fragment of The Romance of Peare of Provence and the fair Magnelone, and a sketch, with the prolog and epilog, of The Romance of the knight Amoryus and the Lady Cleopes,

The Twelve Letters that shall save Merry England.

(Ab. 1465.) [Lambeth MS. No. 306, fol. 134.]

(1)

[There is a space left for a large E, but only a little e is written, as a guide to the capital-maker.] ERLY in a sommeristide y sawe in london, as y wente, A gentilwoman of chepe-side workinge on a vest[i]ment. Line 4

(2)

She sette xij lett[e]rs on a Rowe, And saide, if that y myght it vnderstond, Thorough þe grace of god, ye schule it knowe, This lettres xij schall save mery Englond. Line 8

(3)

A litil while yf ye wille duelle, And yeve avdenes vnto me, what lettres they be y shall you telle, they were drawe oute of þe .A.b.c. Line 12

(4)

They were nether A. b. nor S., [? for C.] Of any clarke y take wittnes, Hit was R. w. And ij ees F. M. Ȝ. [ȝ = y.] and S. Line 16

(5)

Than stode y stille a litile Sesone, And constred this lettres or y wente thens, And Exspoundide theim after myn owne wesdone After the forme of Experience. Line 20

Line 20

(6)

iij ares for iij Richardes þat bene of noble fames; A E. for Edward, men wote it is soo, This ben the lettr[e]s of the iiij lordes names The whiche all Englonde is myche bounden too. Line 24

(7)

A .Ȝ. for yorke that was manely & myghtfull, The whiche Grewe be þe grace of god & grete reuela|cion, Raynyng with Rewles [A long f with a stroke through it stands here.] resenable and Rightfull, The whiche for oure sake hathe sofferde grete vex[a]|cion. Line 28

(8)

An .M. for marche, treue in eueri titell & triall, [folio 134b] Growinge be eistricion, that worthi and wis is, Concayued in wedlocke, & comen of blode rialle, [[Edward IV.]] Ioyning vnto vertu, devode of vices. Line 32

(9)

An S. for Salisbery, without any avision, Riall in his reynyng, and riche in his Rente, Brynging a man to a good conclucion, Called for his wisdome patris Sapiente. Line 36

(10)

A Doble W. for Warwike, þat god be his gide, Who is called with þe comens their childe & þer deffence, The boldest vnder baner batell to a-bide, for þe righte of Englonde he dothe his deligence. Line 40

(11)

An F. for þe feterlock þat is of grete Substance, That hathe amendide many maters þorow his medi|acion; In yrlonde & in walles, in englonde and in fraunce, He Reynyed with Rewelis of Riall Repetacion. Line 44

Line 44

(12)

An R. for the Rose þat is frische and wol nat fade, Bothe þe rote & the stalke þat is of grete honoure, from normandie vnto norway þe leues do springe, from irlonde vnto Estlonde me reioise þat floure. Line 48

(13)

An E. for þe egile þat grete worship hath wone Thorowe þe spredinge of his wengis þat neuer begane to flee, There was neuer birde brede vnder þe stone More fortunable in a felde þan þat birde hath be. Line 52

(14)

An R. for þe Raged staf [(Warwik)

The Bere is bound that was so wildFfor he hath lost his ragged staffe.

Cotton Rolls, ii. 23, in Wright's Pol. Songs, v. ii. p. 222.] þat no man may a-Skape, from scotlonde to Calles, þerof they stonde in Awe, he is a stafe of stedfastne[s], bothe erly & latte To Chastes siche kaytifes as don ayenst þe lawe. Line 56

(15)

Nowe haue y declared you this lettr[e]s all xij [folio 135] Accordyng to their condisciones whereuer þei ride or goo[n]; nowe thei be declared eche lorde be him self, Their entent and purpos groundeth all in oon, Line 60

(16)

That is, for to distroy tresson, & to mak a treue triall Of theym that be-fawte & hurte vs all full sore, And for þe welfare of Edward Rex moste riall, That is þe verie purpos that we labure fore. Line 64

(17)

And nowe, my frendes in eueri cost, The grace and goodnes of þe holigost Kepe you in sted[fa]ste charite, And after this life, bryng you & me Line 68 vnto euer-lasting Ioie; amen, for charit[e]! [[The poem on Women follows, which is printed in The Wright's Chaste Wife: 'Women, women, loue of women, make bare purs with some men.]]

EXPLICIT.