I brondeous[99] wulde hem slee[100];
Tare owte theyre sable harte bie ryghtefulle breme[101];
Theyre deathe a meanes untoe mie lyfe shulde bee, 70
Mie spryte shulde revelle yn theyr harte-blodde streme.
Tare owte theyre sable harte bie ryghtefulle breme[101];
Theyre deathe a meanes untoe mie lyfe shulde bee, 70
Mie spryte shulde revelle yn theyr harte-blodde streme.
Thomas Chatterton - Rowley Poems
45
The wyddowe, fahdrelesse, & bondemennes cries
Acheke[63] the mokie[64] aire & heaven astende[65]
On us the rulers doe the folcke depende;
Hancelled[66] from erthe these Normanne[67] hyndes shalle bee;
Lyche a battently[68] low[69], mie swerde shalle brende[70]; 50
Lyche fallynge softe rayne droppes, I wyll hem[71] slea[72];
Wee wayte too longe; our purpose wylle defayte[73];
Aboune[74] the hyghe empryze[75], & rouze the champyones strayte.
GODDWYN.
Thie suster--
HAROLDE.
Aye, I knowe, she is his queene.
Albeytte[76], dyd shee speeke her foemen[77] fayre, 55
I wulde dequace[78] her comlie semlykeene[79],
And foulde mie bloddie anlace[80] yn her hayre.
GODDWYN.
Thye fhuir[81] blyn[82].
HAROLDE.
No, bydde the leathal[83] mere[84]
Upriste[85] withe hiltrene[86] wyndes & cause unkend[87],
Beheste[88] it to be lete[89]; so twylle appeare, 60
Eere Harolde hyde hys name, his contries frende.
The gule-steynct[90] brygandyne[91], the adventayle[92],
The feerie anlace[92] brede[93] shal make mie gare[94] prevayle.
GODDWYN.
Harolde, what wuldest doe?
HAROLDE.
Bethyncke thee whatt.
Here liethe Englonde, all her drites [95] unfree, 65
Here liethe Normans coupynge[96] her bie lotte,
Caltysnyng[97] everich native plante to gre[98],
Whatte woulde I doe?
I brondeous[99] wulde hem slee[100];
Tare owte theyre sable harte bie ryghtefulle breme[101];
Theyre deathe a meanes untoe mie lyfe shulde bee, 70
Mie spryte shulde revelle yn theyr harte-blodde streme.
Eftsoones I wylle bewryne[102] mie ragefulle ire,
And Goddis anlace[103] wielde yn furie dyre.
GODDWYN.
Whatte wouldest thou wythe the kynge?
HAROLDE.
Take offe hys crowne;
The ruler of somme mynster[104] hym ordeyne; 75
Sette uppe fom dygner[105] than I han pyghte[106] downe;
And peace in Englonde shulde be brayd[107] agayne.
GODDWYN.
No, lette the super-hallie[108] seyncte kynge reygne,
Ande somme moe reded[109] rule the untentyff[110] reaulme;
Kynge Edwarde, yn hys cortesie, wylle deygne 80
To yielde the spoiles, and alleyne were the heaulme:
Botte from mee harte bee everych thoughte of gayne,
Not anie of mie kin I wysche him to ordeyne.
HAROLDE.
Tell me the meenes, and I wylle boute ytte strayte;
Bete[111] mee to slea[112] mieself, ytte shalle be done. 85
GODDWYN.
To thee I wylle swythynne[113] the menes unplayte[114],
Bie whyche thou, Harolde, shalte be proved mie sonne.
I have longe seen whatte peynes were undergon,
Whatte agrames[115] braunce[116] out from the general tree;
The tyme ys commynge, whan the mollock[117] gron[118] 90
Drented[119] of alle yts swolynge[120] owndes[121] shalle bee;
Mie remedie is goode; our menne shall ryse:
Eftsoons the Normans and owre agrame[122] flies.
HAROLDE.
I will to the West, and gemote[123] alle mie knyghtes,
Wythe bylles that pancte for blodde, and sheeldes as brede[124] 95
As the ybroched[125] moon, when blaunch[126] shedyghtes[127]
The wodeland grounde or water-mantled mede;
Wythe hondes whose myghte canne make the doughtiest[128] blede,
Who efte have knelte upon forslagen[129] foes,
Whoe wythe yer fote orrests[130] a castle-stede[131], 100
Who dare on kynges for to bewrecke[123] yiere woes;
Nowe wylle the menne of Englonde haile the daie,
Whan Goddwyn leades them to the ryghtfulle fraie.
GODDWYN.
The wyddowe, fahdrelesse, & bondemennes cries
Acheke[63] the mokie[64] aire & heaven astende[65]
On us the rulers doe the folcke depende;
Hancelled[66] from erthe these Normanne[67] hyndes shalle bee;
Lyche a battently[68] low[69], mie swerde shalle brende[70]; 50
Lyche fallynge softe rayne droppes, I wyll hem[71] slea[72];
Wee wayte too longe; our purpose wylle defayte[73];
Aboune[74] the hyghe empryze[75], & rouze the champyones strayte.
GODDWYN.
Thie suster--
HAROLDE.
Aye, I knowe, she is his queene.
Albeytte[76], dyd shee speeke her foemen[77] fayre, 55
I wulde dequace[78] her comlie semlykeene[79],
And foulde mie bloddie anlace[80] yn her hayre.
GODDWYN.
Thye fhuir[81] blyn[82].
HAROLDE.
No, bydde the leathal[83] mere[84]
Upriste[85] withe hiltrene[86] wyndes & cause unkend[87],
Beheste[88] it to be lete[89]; so twylle appeare, 60
Eere Harolde hyde hys name, his contries frende.
The gule-steynct[90] brygandyne[91], the adventayle[92],
The feerie anlace[92] brede[93] shal make mie gare[94] prevayle.
GODDWYN.
Harolde, what wuldest doe?
HAROLDE.
Bethyncke thee whatt.
Here liethe Englonde, all her drites [95] unfree, 65
Here liethe Normans coupynge[96] her bie lotte,
Caltysnyng[97] everich native plante to gre[98],
Whatte woulde I doe?
I brondeous[99] wulde hem slee[100];
Tare owte theyre sable harte bie ryghtefulle breme[101];
Theyre deathe a meanes untoe mie lyfe shulde bee, 70
Mie spryte shulde revelle yn theyr harte-blodde streme.
Eftsoones I wylle bewryne[102] mie ragefulle ire,
And Goddis anlace[103] wielde yn furie dyre.
GODDWYN.
Whatte wouldest thou wythe the kynge?
HAROLDE.
Take offe hys crowne;
The ruler of somme mynster[104] hym ordeyne; 75
Sette uppe fom dygner[105] than I han pyghte[106] downe;
And peace in Englonde shulde be brayd[107] agayne.
GODDWYN.
No, lette the super-hallie[108] seyncte kynge reygne,
Ande somme moe reded[109] rule the untentyff[110] reaulme;
Kynge Edwarde, yn hys cortesie, wylle deygne 80
To yielde the spoiles, and alleyne were the heaulme:
Botte from mee harte bee everych thoughte of gayne,
Not anie of mie kin I wysche him to ordeyne.
HAROLDE.
Tell me the meenes, and I wylle boute ytte strayte;
Bete[111] mee to slea[112] mieself, ytte shalle be done. 85
GODDWYN.
To thee I wylle swythynne[113] the menes unplayte[114],
Bie whyche thou, Harolde, shalte be proved mie sonne.
I have longe seen whatte peynes were undergon,
Whatte agrames[115] braunce[116] out from the general tree;
The tyme ys commynge, whan the mollock[117] gron[118] 90
Drented[119] of alle yts swolynge[120] owndes[121] shalle bee;
Mie remedie is goode; our menne shall ryse:
Eftsoons the Normans and owre agrame[122] flies.
HAROLDE.
I will to the West, and gemote[123] alle mie knyghtes,
Wythe bylles that pancte for blodde, and sheeldes as brede[124] 95
As the ybroched[125] moon, when blaunch[126] shedyghtes[127]
The wodeland grounde or water-mantled mede;
Wythe hondes whose myghte canne make the doughtiest[128] blede,
Who efte have knelte upon forslagen[129] foes,
Whoe wythe yer fote orrests[130] a castle-stede[131], 100
Who dare on kynges for to bewrecke[123] yiere woes;
Nowe wylle the menne of Englonde haile the daie,
Whan Goddwyn leades them to the ryghtfulle fraie.
GODDWYN.
