Henry of Monmouth Volume I Part 20

"Dear Friend,--I do you to wit that Owyn was in purpose to Kedwelly, and the Baron of Carew was coming with a great retinue towards St. Clare, and so Owyn changed his purpose, and rode to meet the Baron; and that night he lodged at St. Clare, and destroyed all the country about. And on Tuesday they were at treaties all day, and that night he lodged him at the town of Locharn, six miles out of the town of Carmarthen. The intention is, if the Baron and he accord in treaty, then he turneth again to Carmarthen for his part of the good, and Rees Duy[350] (p. 391) his part. And many of the great masters stand yet in the castle of Carmarthen; for they have not yet made their ordinance whether the castle and town shall be burnt or no; and therefore, if there is any help coming, haste them all haste towards us, for every house is full about us of their poultry, and yet wine and honey enough in the country, and wheat and beans, and all manner of victuals. And we of the castle of Dynevor had treaties with him on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday; and now he will ordain for us to leave that castle, [for ther a castyth to ben y serkled thince,] for that was the chief place in old time. And Owyn's muster on Monday was eight thousand and twelve score spears, such as they were. Other tidings I not now; but G.o.d of Heaven send you and us from all enemies! Written at Dynevor this Wednesday in haste."

[Footnote 350: This partisan of Owyn, who is here said to have gone to share with him in the spoil of Carmarthen, partook even in greater bitterness of his cup of affliction. He was taken prisoner and beheaded. The Chronicle of London a.s.serts that his quarters were salted, and sent to different parts of the kingdom; but this a.s.sertion, in an affair of little importance, shows how small reliance can be placed on anonymous records. The King, by writ of privy seal, 29 May 1412, commands Rees Duy's body, then in the custody of his officers, to be buried in some consecrated cemetery. It had perhaps been exposed for some time. MS. Donat. 4599, p. 128.]

The despatch from the burgesses of Carleon, after stating that seven hundred men, whom Owyn had sent forwards as pioneers and to search the ways, were to a man slain by the Lord of Carew's men on the 12th day of July, records an anecdote so characteristic of Owyn's superst.i.tion, that, whilst examining his conduct, we may scarcely pa.s.s it by unnoticed. He sent after Hopkyn ap Thomas of Gower, inasmuch (p. 392) as he held him Master of Brut, (_i. e._ skilled in the prophecies of Merlin,) to learn from him what should befal him, and he told him that he should be taken within a brief time between Carmarthen and Gower under a black banner. [The Author finds the next sentence so obscure that he leaves it to the interpretation of the reader.] "Knowelichyd that thys blake baner scholde dessese hym, and nozt that he schold be take undir hym."

In weighing the evidence brought to light by these original despatches, it will be necessary to have a few dates immediately present to our mind.

We have it under the King's own hand, that, when he was at Higham Ferrers, he believed himself to be on his road northward to form a junction with Hotspur and his father Northumberland, and together with them (of whose allegiance and fidelity he apparently had not hitherto entertained any suspicion) to make a joint expedition against the Scots. This letter is dated July 10, 1403.

Five days only at the furthest intervened between the date of this letter and the King's proclamation at Burton on Trent (still on his journey northward) to the sheriffs to raise their counties, and join him to resist the Percies, whose rebellion had then suddenly been made known to him. This proclamation is dated July 16, 1403. Four days only elapsed between the issuing of this proclamation and the death of Hotspur, with the total discomfiture of his followers in Hateley Field, where the battle of Shrewsbury was fought on Sat.u.r.day, 21st of July, the very week on the Monday of which he had first heard of the revolt of the Percies.

If the dates relating to Owyn's proceedings,--some ascertained beyond further question, and others admitted on the ground of high probability, approaching certainty, with which the doc.u.ments above quoted supply us,--are laid side by side with these indisputable facts, the inference from the comparison seems unavoidable, that Owyn was never made acquainted with the expectation on the part (p. 393) of his allies of so early a struggle with the King's forces in England; (indeed the conflict evidently was unexpected by Hotspur himself;) that Owyn was in the most remote corner of South Wales when the battle was fought; and that probably the sad tidings of Hotspur's overthrow reached him without his ever having been apprised (at least in time) that the Percy needed his succour.

APPENDIX, No. II. (p. 394)

LYDGATE.

Extracts from the Dedication to Henry of Monmouth of his poem, "The Death of Hector:"

"For through the world it is known to every one, And flying Fame reports it far and wide, That thou, by natural condition, In things begun wilt constantly abide; And for the time dost wholly set aside All rest; and never carest what thou dost spend Till thou hast brought thy purpose to an end.

And that thou art most circ.u.mspect and wise, And dost effect all things with providence, As Joshua did by counsel and advice, Against whose sword there is none can make defence: And wisdom hast by heavenly influence With Solomon to judge and to discern Men's causes, and thy people to govern.

For mercy mixt with thy magnificence, Doth make thee pity all that are opprest; And to withstand the force and violence Of those that right and equity detest.

With David thou to piety art prest; And like to Julius Caesar valorous, That in his time was most victorious.

And in thine hand (like worthy Prince) dost hold Thy sword, to see that of thy subjects none Against thee should presume with courage bold And pride of heart to raise rebellion; (p. 395) And in the other, sceptre to maintain True justice while among us thou dost reign.

More than good heart none can, whatsoe'er he be, Present nor give to G.o.d nor unto man, Which for my part I wholly give to thee, And ever shall as far forth as I can; Wherewith I will (as I at first began) Continually, not ceasing night nor day, With sincere mind for thine estate thus pray.

"The time when I this work had fully done By computation just, was in the year One thousand and four hundred twenty-one Of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour dear; And in the eighth year complete of the reign Of our most n.o.ble lord and sovereign King Henry the Fifth.

"In honour great, for by his puissant might He conquered all Normandy again, And valiantly, for all the power of France; And won from them his own inheritance, And forced them his t.i.tle to renew To all the realm of France, which doth belong To him, and to his lawful heirs by true Descent, (the which they held from him by wrong And false pretence,) and, to confirm the same, Hath given him the honour and the name Of Regent of the land for Charles his life; And after his decease they have agreed, Thereby to end all b.l.o.o.d.y war and strife, That he, as heir, shall lawfully succeed Therein, and reign as King of France by right, As by records, which extant are to light, It doth appear.

And I will never cease, both night and day, With all my heart unto the Lord to pray

"For HIM, by whose commandment I tooke (p. 396) On me (though far unfit to do the same) To translate into English verse this booke, Which Guido wrote in Latin, and doth name 'The Siege of Troy;' and for HIS sake alone, I must confess that I the same begun, When Henry, whom men _Fourth_ by name did call, My Prince's father, lived, and possest The crown. And though I be but rustical, I have therein not spared to do my best To please my Prince's humour."

This poem, "The Life and Death of Hector," was published after the marriage of Henry with Katharine, and before her arrival in England.

Among its closing sentiments are the following, intended probably as an honest warning to his royal master, that in the midst of life we are in death, and that the messenger from heaven knocks at the palace of the conquering monarch with no less suddenness than at the cottage of his humblest subject. How appropriate was the warning! Henry did not survive the publication of this poem more than a single year.

"For by Troy's fall it plainly doth appear That neither king nor emperor hath here

"A permanent estate to trust unto.

Therefore to Him that died upon the rood (And was content and willing so to do, And for mankind did shed his precious blood,) Lift up your minds, and pray with humble heart That He his aid unto you will impart.

For, though you be of extreme force and might, Without his help it will you nought avail; And He doth give man victory in fight, And with a few is able to prevail, And overcome an army huge and strong: And by his grace makes kings and princes long

"To reign here on the earth in happiness; (p. 397) And tyrants, that to men do offer wrong And violence, doth suddenly suppress, Although their power be ne'er so great and strong.

And in his hand his blessings all reserveth For to reward each one as he deserveth.

"To whom I pray with humble mind and heart, And so I hope all you will do no less, That of his grace He would vouchsafe to impart And send all joy, welfare, and happiness, Health, victory, tranquillity, and honour, Unto the high and mighty conqueror.

"King Henry the Fifth, that his great name May here on earth be extolled and magnified While life doth last; and when he yields the same Into his hands, he may be glorified In heaven among the saints and angels bright, There to serve the G.o.d of power and might.

"At whose request this work I undertook, As I have said.

G.o.d He knows when I this work began, I did it not for praise of any man,

"But for to please the humour and the hest Of my good lord and princely patron, Who [dis]dained not to me to make request To write the same, lest that oblivion By tract of time, and time's swift pa.s.sing by, Such valiant act should cause obscured to be;

"As also 'cause his princely high degree Provokes him study ancient histories, Where, as in mirror, he may plainly see How valiant knights have won the masteries In battles fierce by prowess and by might, To run like race, and prove a worthy knight.

"And as they sought to climb to honour's seat, (p. 398) So doth my Lord seek therein to excel, That, as his name, so may his fame be great, And thereby likewise idleness expel; For so he doth to virtue bend his mind, That hard it is his equal now to find.

"To write his princely virtues, and declare His valour, high renown, and majesty, His brave exploits and martial acts, that are Most rare, and worthy his great dignity, My barren head cannot devise by wit To extol his fame by words and phrases fit.

"This worthy Prince, whom I so much commend, (Yet not so much as well deserves his fame,) By royal blood doth lineally descend From Henry King of England, Fourth by name, His eldest son, and heir to the crown, And, by his virtues, Prince of high renown.

"For by the graft the fruit men easily know, Encreasing the honour of his pedigree; His name Lord Henry, as our stories show, And by his t.i.tle Prince of Wales is he.

Who with good right, his father being dead, Shall wear the crown of Britain on his head.

"This mighty Prince hath made me undertake To write the siege of Troy, the ancient town, And of their wars a true discourse to make; From point to point as Guido set it down, Who long since wrote the same in Latin verse, Which in the English now I will rehea.r.s.e."

In the poem called the "Siege of Troy," written in different metre, Lydgate, addressing Henry, "O most worthy Prince! of Knighthood (p. 399) source and well!" thus proceeds to state the circ.u.mstances under which he wrote his work:

"G.o.d I take highly to witness That I this work of heartily low humbless Took upon me of intention, Devoid of pride and presumption, For to obey without variance _My Lord's bidding fully and pleasance_; Which hath desire, soothly for to sayn, Of very knighthood to remember again The wortheness (if I shall not lie) And the prowess of old chivalry, Because _he hath joy and great dainty_ To _read in books of antiquity_ To _find only virtue_ to sow By example of them, and also to eschew The cursed vice of sloth and idleness; So he enjoyeth in _virtuous_ business, In all that longeth to manhood, dare I sayn, He busyeth ever. And thereto is so fain To haunt his body in plays martial, Through exercise to exclude sloth at all, (After the doctrine of Vigetius.) Thus is he both _manful_ and _virtuous_, More pa.s.singly than I can of him write; I want cunning his high renown to indite, So much of manhood men may in him seen.

And for to wit whom I would mean, The eldest son of the n.o.ble King Henry the Fourth; of knighthood well and spring; In whom is showed of what stock that he grew, The root is virtue; Called Henry eke, the worthy Prince of Wales, Which me commanded the dreary piteous tale Of them of Troy in English to translate; The siege, also, and the destruction, Like as the Latin maketh mention, For to complete, and after Guido make, (p. 400) So I could, and write it for his sake; Because he would that to high and low The n.o.ble story openly were knowe In our tongue, about in every age, And written as well in our language As in Latin and French it is; That of the story the truth we not miss, No more than doth each other nation; This was the fine of his intention.

The which emprise anon I 'gin shall In his wors.h.i.+p for a memorial.

And of the time to make mention, When I began on this translation, It was the year, soothly to sayn, Fourteen complete of his Father's reign."

Though this Preface was written when Henry was still Prince of Wales, the work was not finished till he had ascended the throne; when the poet sent it into the world with this charge, which he calls "L'Envoy:"

"Go forth, my book! veiled with the princely grace Of him that is extolled for excellence Throughout the world, but do not show thy face Without support of his magnificence."

TESTIMONY OF OCCLEVE. (p. 401)

The interesting circ.u.mstances under which the poet represents the following dialogue to have taken place are detailed in the body of the work.[351] The old man addresses Occleve as his son, and the poet calls his aged monitor father.

[Footnote 351: See page 331.]

_Father._ "My Lord the Prince,--knoweth he thee not?

If that thou stood in his benevolence, He may be salve unto thine indigence."

_Son._ "No man better: next his father,--our Lord the Liege His father,--he is my good gracious Lord."

_F._ "Well, Son! then will I me oblige, And G.o.d of heaven vouch I to record, That, if thou wilt be fully of mine accord, Thou shalt no cause have more thus to muse, But heaviness void, and it refuse.

Since he thy good Lord is, I am full sure His grace shall not to thee be denied.

Thou wotst well he _benign_ is and _demure_ To sue unto: not is his ghost maistried[352]

With danger; but his heart is full applied To grant, and not the needy to warn his grace.

To him pursue, and thy relief purchase.