A Passing Holy King Nowe To Purpose, In The Sommer Faire Of Lusty Season, Whan Clered Was The Aire, He Had Redie Shippes Made Before Great And Huge, Not Fewe But Many A Store: Full Three Thousand And Sixe Hundred Also Stately Inough On Our Sea To Goe.

[Sidenote: Dicit Chronica praparauerat naues robustissimas numero tria millia sexcenta:

In quibus redeunte astate omnem insulam ad terrorem extraneorum & ad suorum excitationem cum maximo apparatu circumnauigare consueuerat.]

The Chronicles say, these shippes were full boysteous: Such things long to kings victorious. In Sommer tide would hee haue in wonne And in custome to be ful redie soone, With multitude of men of good array And instruments of werre of best assay. Who could hem well in any wise descriue? It were not light for eny man aliue. Thus he and his would enter shippes great Habiliments hauing and the fleete Of See werres, that ioyfull was to see Such a nauie and Lord of Maiestee, There present in person hem among To saile and rowe enuiron all along, So regal liche about the English isle; To all strangers terrours and perile. Whose fame went about in all the world stout, Vnto great fere of all that be without, And exercise to Knights and his meynee To him longing of his natall cuntree For courage of nede must haue exercise, Thus occupied for esshewin of vice This knew the king that policie espied; Winter and Somer he was thus occupied. Thus conclude I by authoritee Of Chronike, that enuiron the see Should bene our subiects vnto the King, And hee bee Lord thereof for eny thing: For great worship and for profile also To defend his land fro euery foo. That worthy king I leue, Edgar by name, And all the Chronike of his worthy fame:

[Sidenote: Dicit Chronica &c. vt non minus quantum ei etiam in hac vita bononum operum mercedem donauerit: cum aliquando ad maximam eius festiuitatem, reges, comites multarumque, prouinciarum protectores conuenissent, &c.]

Saffe onely this I may not passe away, A worde of mighty strength till that I say, That graunted him God such worship here, For his merites, hee was without pere, That sometime at his great festiuitee Kings, and Erles of many a countree, And princes fele were there present, And many Lords came thider by assent. To his worship: but in a certaine day Hee bad shippes to be redie of aray: For to visit Saint Iohns Church hee list Rowing vnto the good holie Baptist, Hee assigned to Erles, Lords, and knights Many ships right goodly to sights: And for himselfe and eight kings moo Subiect to him hee made kepe one of thoo, A good shippe, and entrede into it With eight kings, and downe did they sit; And eche of them an ore tooke in hand, At ore hales, as I vnderstand, And he himselfe at the shippe behinde As steris man it became of kinde. Such another rowing I dare well say, Was not seene of Princes many a day. Lo than how hee in waters got the price, In lande, in see, that I may not suffice To tell, O right, O magnanimitee, That king Edgar had vpon the see.

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