The Boke of Noblesse Part 7

[Sidenote: Redempcio Joh'is dicentis [se] ducem de Allunson pro .clx.

M^{l}. salux bene solutis ultra alia onera suarum expensarum.]

And, overmore, not long after, youre auncien enheritaunce in the counte of Mayne, the cite of Maunce, conquerid and brought be the said regent duc of Bedforde, withe the power of his lordis and helpers, in subgeccion, [by the erle of Salysbery, lord Scalys, ser John Fastalf, ser John Popham, ser N.

Mongomery, ser Wylliam Oldhalle, chevalers, and many othyr n.o.ble men of worshyppe.[116]] And whiche counte of Mayne was accustomed sithen to be in value yerely to the eide and helpe of the werres of Fraunce, and to the releve of the kyng ys subgettis obeisauntes lyvyng uppon the werre for the furtheraunce of that conquest, .x. M^l. li. sterlinges. Also the said regent of Fraunce, with the power of youre n.o.ble bloode and lordes, wanne the feeld at the forseid grete bataile of Vernelle in Perche ayenst the power of the Frenshe adverse party of Fraunce, being a.s.sembled to the nombre of .xl. M^l. fighters of the Frenshe partie; and there Johan cleping hymsilf duke of Alaunson, lieutenaunt to Charles the .vij. calling hym Frenshe king, taken prisonner, withe many other lordis, barons, and knightes, and n.o.ble men of wors.h.i.+p, whiche paied to the said regent duc of Bedforde for his raunson and finaunce allone .clx. M. salux, beside his other grete costis and charges, whiche was a gret relief and socoure to the eide of the conquest, whiche bataile was in the yere of Crist M^l.iiij^c.xxiiij., the seyd .iij^d. yere of the reigne of king Henry s.e.xt.

[Sidenote: Nota bene pro t.i.tulo Regis Henrici s.e.xti.]

How that Henry the s.e.xt was crouned king be the might of grete lordes.

[Sidenote: Coronatio Regis Henrici s.e.xti.]

[Sidenote: De magna fama regni Angliae tempore regis Hen. vi^{th}]

And he also, for a gret act of remembraunce to be had in writing, was crouned king of Fraunce in the n.o.ble citee of Paris, in the yere of Crist M^l.iiij^c.xxix., the .ix. yere of his reigne, withe right gret solennyte amongis the lordis spirituelle and temporelle, and be the gret mighte and power, as well in goodes and richesse, of his graunt {20} oncle Henry cardinalle of Englande, byshop of Wynchester, and by the gret mighte and power of his uncle Johan regent of the roiaum of Fraunce, duc of Bedforde, being present at that tyme to their grettist charge and cost to resist theire gret adversarie of Fraunce calling hym Dolphin. For sethen the roiaume of Englonde first began to be inhabite withe peple was never so wors.h.i.+pfulle an act of entreprise done in suche a case, the renoume of which coronacion spradde thoroughe alle cristen kingis roiaumes.

[Sidenote: A courageous recomfortyng.]

[Sidenote: Exortacio militaris.]

O then ye most n.o.ble and cristen prince, for notwithestanding gret conquestis and batailes had in the said roiaume be the famous knight king Edwarde the thrid, he never atteyned to that souvraine honoure but by valiauntnes of Englishe men, whiche have in prowes avaunced hem, and governed so n.o.bly as is before briefly historied and specified, be youre saide n.o.ble, puissaunt, and vailaunt progenitours in divers regions, and inespecialle in Fraunce and Normandie, and in the duchie of Gascoigne and Guyen, that this sodenly wern put oute of by usurpacion ayenst alle trouthe and knyghthode. Now therfore, in repairing this undew intrusion uppon yow, mantelle, fortifie, and make yow strong ayenst the power of youre said adversaries of Fraunce. For now it is tyme to clothe you in armoure of defense ayenst youre ennemies, withe the cotes of armes of youre auncien feernesse, haveng in remembraunce the victorious conquestis of youre n.o.ble predecessours, the whiche clothing many histories, cronicles, and writinges witnessithe moo than myn simple entendement can not suffice to reherse in this brief epistle.

Of the n.o.blesse of Ectour and other mighty kinges of Grece.

[Sidenote: Nota de exemplis aliorum n.o.bilium.]

[Sidenote: Hector.]

[Sidenote: Agamemnon.]

[Sidenote: Ulixes.]

[Sidenote: Hercules.]

[Sidenote: 1. j.]

[Sidenote: 2. ij.]

[Sidenote: 3. iij.]

And also let be brought to mynde to folow the steppis in conceitis of n.o.ble courage of the mighty dedis in armes of the vaillaunt knight Hector of Troy, whiche bene enacted in the siege of Troy for a perpetuelle remembraunce of chevalrie [that your n.o.blesse ys decended of[117]]. Also of the dedis in armes of Agamemnon the {21} puissaunt king of Greece, that thoroughe cruell and egre werre ayenst the Trojens bethin .x. yere day conquerid the gret cite of Troie. In like wise of the famous knight Ulixes, that alle his daies dispendid in marciall causis. And of the .xij.

puissaunt entreprinses and aventurous dedis that Hercules, as it is figured and made mencion in the vij^{the} metre of the .v. booke of Boecius, toke uppon hym, putting himself frome voluptuouse delites and l.u.s.tis, being subget to grete laboure, wynnyng renomme and wors.h.i.+p; whiche .xij.

entreprinses of Hercules, albeit it be thought [but a poesye[118]]

impossible to any mortalle man to doo or take uppon hym, as for to bereffe the skyn of the rampant lion, wrestlid withe Antheus and Poliphemus, the gret giauntes, and hym overthrew, he slow the serpent clepit Ydra, made tame the proude beestis clepid Centaurus, that be of halfe man and halfe best, and many soche wonderfulle entreprises as is wreten that Hercules did, whiche is writen in figure of a poesy for to courage and comfort alle othre n.o.ble men of birthe to be victorious in entreprinses of armes. And how, in conclusion, that there is no power, puissaunce, ne strenght, who so l.u.s.t manly [wyth prudens[118]] put forthe hymsilf may resist and withestande ayenst such gret entreprises.

How a conquerour shulde use in especialle thre thinges.

[Sidenote: A conqueroure shuld use iij thinges.]

[Sidenote: j.]

[Sidenote: ij.]

And, as Vegecius in his booke of Chevalrie counceilithe that a conquerour shulde use thre thinges in especialle whiche the Romains used, and alle that tyme they had the victorie of here ennemies, that is to wete, The first was science, that is forto undrestonde prudence, to seene before the remedies of bonchief, or the contrarie; The second was exercitacion and usage in dedis of armes, that they might be apte and redie to bataille whan necessite fille; the thrid was naturalle love that a prince shulde have to his peple, as doing his trew diligence to doo that may be to the comon wele of his peple, whiche is to be undrestonde in the executing of justice egallie. And for to kepe them in tranquillite and pece within hemsilfe.

{22}

[Sidenote: Menne of n.o.blenesse shuld lefe sensualites and delites.]

How men of n.o.blesse ought lefe sensualitees and delites.

Let it no lenger be suffred to abide rote, no forto use the pouder and semblaunce of sensualite and idille delites, for Water Malexander seiethe, that voluptuous delitis led be sensualite be contrarie to the exercising and haunting of armes. Wherfor, like and after the example of the boore whiche knowethe not his power, but foryet.i.the his strenghte tille he be chafed and see his owne bloode, in like wise put forthe youre silf, avaunsing youre corageous hertis to werre, and late youre strenght be revyved and waked ayen, furious, egre, and rampanyng as liouns ayenst alle tho nacions that soo without t.i.tle of right wolde put you frome youre said rightfulle enheritaunce. And where is a more holier, parfiter, or a juster thing than in youre adversary is offence and wrong-doing to make hym werre in youre rightfull t.i.tle, where as none other moenys of pease can be hadde.

And therfore considering be this brief declaracion that youre right and t.i.tle in alle this royaumes and contrees is so opyn--

[Sidenote: Mentio brevis de t.i.tulo ducatus Normandiae.]

Here is briefly made mencion of the first t.i.tle of Normandie, and how frely it holdithe.

[Sidenote: Nota pro t.i.tulo ducatus Normanniae.]

[Sidenote: Richardus dux Normandiae cepit in bello Lodovic.u.m regem Franciae, qui resingnavit totum t.i.tulum Ricardo de ducatu predicto.]

[Sidenote: ccccc.^{th}x.x.x.v^{te}.]

[Sidenote: Arma ducatus illius.]

For as youre first auncien right and t.i.tle in youre duchie of Normandie, it is knowen thoroughe alle cristen landes, and also of highe recorde by many credible bookis of olde cronicles and histories, that William Conqueroure descendid frome duc Rollo, after cristned and called Roberd, that came out of Dennemarke aboute the yere of Crist .ix^c.xij., was righte duke of Normandie by yeft of Charlys the symple, king of Fraunce, [who] maried his doughter to Rollo and gave hym the saide ducdome. And after Richarde due of Normandie, in the yere of Crist .ix^c.xlv. in plaine batelle before the cite of Rone toke Lowes king of Fraunce prisoner, and the said Lowes relesid the seide dukedom to the said Richarde and to alle his successours to holde frely in souvereinte and resort of none creature but of G.o.d, as in act therof is made mencion that was sene and rad uppon this writing. {23} And after the said William Conquerour being king of Englond, of whome ye and youre n.o.ble progenitours bene descendid and ent.i.tled this .v^c.x.x.xv.

yere, and beere in armes by the saide duchie of Normandie in a feelde of gulis .ij. libardis of golde.

[Sidenote: Nota de tempore quo Rex Angliae int.i.tulatus ducatui de Angew et comitatui Mayne.]

How long the king is ent.i.tled to the righte enheritaunce of Angew and Mayne.

[Sidenote: Matildis filia et heres Henrici primi copulata fuit imperatori, et quo mortuo copulata fuit Galfrido Plantagenet, et ex ea Henricus .ij.

natus est.]

[Sidenote: 1127.]

[Sidenote: Angew. Nota, pro t.i.tulo ducat' Andegav'.]

And that as for youre next enheritaunce that fille to youre seide progenitoures and to you in the duchie of Anjou and countee of Mayne and Tourayne, it is also notorily knowen among alle cristen princes and be parfit writing how that dame Maude, whiche was doughter and soule heire to that puissaunt king Henry the first, that after she weddid was to the emperoure of Almayne; after his decese the saide Maude emperesse was maried the yere of Crist .M^l.cxxvij. to Geffry Plantagenest son to Fouke king of Jherusalem, that was erle of Anjou, of Mayne, and Toreyne, by whome the saide Maude had issue that most famous king in renome Henry the seconde, whiche be right of his moder Maude was right king and enheritoure of Englonde, also duke of Normandie seisid. And be right of his foresaide father Geffrey Plantagenet was bethout any clayme or interupcion right enheritour and seisid of the said countee of Anjou, Mayne, Toreyne continued this .iij^c.xlvij. yer. [And the n.o.ble actys of the seyd erles of Angew wyth her lynealle dessentys ben wryten yn the cronicles called _Ymago historiarum_ that maister Raffe de Diceto dene of Poulys yn seynt Thomas Canterbery days wrote notablye. And therfore the armys of the n.o.ble erlys that for her prowesse were chosen king of Jerusalem wold be worshypped, because yowr hyghnes ys descended of the eyr masle, that ys to wete of Geffry Plantagenest erle of Angew, and the countee of Mayne by maryage was unyoned to the erledom of Angew to longe to wryte.[119]]

{24}

[Sidenote: Gyen.]

Here is made mencion of the t.i.tle of Gascoigne and Guien, and how long agoo pa.s.sed possessid.

[Sidenote: Nota, pro t.i.tulo Vasconiae.]