Extracts from the first version of Hardyng's Chronicle / C. L. Kingsford [EHR (English Historical Review) 27 (1912)]

I. INTRODUCTION

[DEDICATION]

O Souerayne lorde, be it to your plesance This book to take of my symplicite, Thus now newly made for Rememorance, Whiche no man hath in worlde bot oonly ye; Whiche I compiled vnto your Rialte, And to the Queenes hertes consolacion To know thestate of youre domynacion;

And for the Prynce to haue playne conyshance Of this Region, in what nobilite It hath been kept alway of gret pushance With baronage and lordes of dignyte; The whiche alway God graunte that ye and he May so kepe forth vndyr your gouernance To Goddes plesir withouten variance.

Thus to yow thre Rials in vnyte This book with hert and lowly obeishance I present now with al benygnyte To been euermore within your gouernance, For soueraynte and your inherytance Of Scotlond hool, whiche shulde your Reule obaye As Souereyn lorde, fro whiche thay prowdly straye.

Wythin thre yer thair grete Rebellion Ye myght oppresse and vttirly restrayne, And haue it all in youre possession, And to obaye your myght make thaym full fayne, As Kynge Edward the first with hungir and payne Thaym conquerde hool to his subieccion To byde for euer vndir his hole proteccion.

[PROEM]

Who hath an hurte and will it nought diskure And to his leche can nought his sore complayne, In wo euermore withouten any cure All helples forth he muste comporte his payne; And who his own erande forgatte to seyne, As alle thise wise men say alway and wote, Men calle a Fool or elles an Idyote.

Wherfore to yow, as prynce most excellent, I me compleyne, as reson techeth me, That youre Fadir gafe me in commaundement In Scotlonde ryde for his Regalyte To seke his ryght thar for his souereynte, And euydence to gette and to espy Appurtenant vnto his monarchy.

Whiche euydence by labour and processe Thre yere and halfe amonge the enmyte, On lyfes peryle, maymed in grete distresse, With costages grete as was necessite, I boughte and gatte of grete auctorite; Of whiche I gafe vnto your excellence At Esthamstede 1 parte of that euydence.

I gafe yow ther a lettre of Rialte, By whiche ten men claymyng the croune Of Scotlond than boonde thaym by thaire agre The iuggement to bide and constitucion Of kynge Edward with longshankes by surnoun, Whiche of thaym shulde of Scotlond been the kynge Vndir thaire seels hys souereynte expressynge.

I gafe yow als other two patentes rial, By whiche Dauid and Robert ye Scotes Kynges Boonde thaym and al thaire haires in general To holde Scotlond of Kyng Edward, expressynge His soueraynte by clere and playn writynge Vndre thaire seels to bide perpetualy, As playnly is in thaym made memory.

I gafe yow als the Relees, that Edwarde The thrid to Kyng Robert of Scotlond made In tendre age; whiche whill it was in warde Of Vmfreuile was dreynt in oyl and defade, Sex woukes ligging in it, as it abade; Bot noght forthy it may hurte yow right noght, For it is all agayn youre hieghnesse wroght.

[In] the lettres is graunt Yorkes primacy 2 [Thru]gh all Scotlonde and to hys successours [To ha]ue and vse aboue the prelacy [As dyd] afore of olde hys predecessours [And also t]he hows of Durham of honours [And C]uthbertes ryght with all the liberte [Thrugh al]l Scotlonde withoute difficulte. 3

[Also that p]rynce of grete magnificence, [Your Fadir] so gafe me in commaundement [Scotlond to] spy with alkyns diligence, [How that it] myght bene hostayde thrugh and brent [.....] wele to his wille and intent, [Whatkyns p]assage were for ane hoste to ryde, [What toures a]nde touns stode on the este see syde,

[Wher tha]t hys flete myght londe and with hym mete [With hys] vitayle, gunnes and ordenance [Hys host to] fresshe, and lygge in all quyete [From stor]mes grete and wethyrs variance. [Whiche] all I dydde and putte in remembrance [At hys] biddynge and riall commaundement, [Bot was] nought rewarded aftyr his intent.

Whiche remembrance now to youre sapience Vpon the ende of this boke in figure Illumynde is for your intelligence, Declared hool by wrytynge and lettrure, How lyghte wer now vnto your hiegh nature For to conquer by rial assistence, And kepe it euer vndir your hiegh regence.

Now seth that prynce is gone, of excellence, In whom my helpe and makynge shulde haue bene, I vouche it sauf, wyth all benyvolence, On yow, gode lorde, hys sonne and hayre that bene, For to none other my complaynte can I mene; So lynyall of his generacioun Ye bene discent by very demonstracioun.

For other none will fauour his promyse, Ne none that wylle ought forther myne intente, Bot if it lyke vnto your owne avyse, Alle oonly of your rial Regymente

To comforte now withoute impedymente Your pore subgite, maymed in his seruyse, Withoute rewarde or lyfelode any wyse.

Sex yer now go I pursewed to your grace; And vndirnethe your lettres secretary, And Priuy Seel that longeth in that cace, Ye graunted me to haue perpetualy The maner hool of Gedyngton truely To me and to myne hayres in heritage, With membres hool and other all auauntage.

Bot so was sette your noble chaunceller, He wolde nought suffre I had such waryson, That cardinal was of York withouten per; That wolde noght parte with londe ne yit with ton, Bot rather wolde, er I had Gedyngton, Ye shulde forgo your ryall soueraynte Of Scotlonde, whiche long to your rialte.

Your patent couthe I haue in nokyns wyse, Bot if I sewed to alle youre grete counsayle, To whiche my purs no lengar myght suffyse: So wente I home withoute any auayle; Thus sette he me all bakhalfe on the tayle: And alle your grace fro me he dyd repelle, Your lettres bothe fro me he dyd cancelle.

Bot vndirnethe your Fadir's magnificence He durste nought so haue lette hys righte fall doun Ne layde asyde so riall euydence Appertenant vnto hys rial croun, Who sonner wolde suche thre as Gedyngton Hafe youe than so forgone that euydence By whiche the Scottes obey shulde hys regence.

For whiche Kynge Iames vnto my waryson A thousonde marke me highte of Englisshe golde; Whiche I forsoke in myne oppynyon, As natyfe birth and alkyns reson wolde; Sex and thretty yer I haue it kepte and holde In truste ye wolde of youre haboundant grace Your Fadirs promyse so fauoure in thys cace.

Whiche euydence in this afore comprised, With other mo whiche I shal to yow take, Four hundre marke and fifty ful assised Cost me treuly for youre Fadir sake, With incurable mayme that maketh me wake. Wherfore plese it of youre magnificence Me to rewarde as pleseth youre excellence.

Notes

• 1

  In July 1440; see pp. 464-5, 467, above.
• 2

  The defect of these stanzas is due to a corner of the leaf on which they are written having been torn away. The words in brackets are restored in part from a comparison with the parallel passage on p. 751, below.
• 3

  This refers to the forged letters of David Bruce exemplifying a charter of Alexander of Scotland, in which the English overlordship is acknowledged, and the rights of York and Durham are reserved: Palgrave, Documents, pp. cciv-v, 368-9.