Thus Much Harme They Caught. Then Here I Ende Of The Commoditees For Which Neede Is Well To Kepe The Seas: Este And Weste, South And North They Bee. And Chiefly Kepe The Sharpe Narrow See, Betweene Douer And Caleis:

And as thus that foes passe none without good will of vs: And they abide our danger in the length, What for our costis and Caleis in our strength.

An exhortation for the sure keeping of Caleis.

And for the loue of God, and of his blisse Cherish yee Caleis better then it is. See well thereto, and heare the grete complaint That true men tellen, that woll no lies paint, And as yee know that writing commeth from thence: Doe not to England for slought so great offence, But that redressed it bee for any thing: Leste a song of sorrow that wee sing. For litle wenith the foole who so might chese What harme it were good Caleis for to lese: What wo it were for all this English ground.

[Sidenote: The ioy of Sigismund the Emperour that Caleis was English.]

Which wel concerned the Emperour Sigismound, That of all ioyes made it one of the moste, That Caleis was subiect vnto English coste. Him thought it was a iewel most of all, And so the same in Latine did it call. And if yee wol more of Caleis heare and knowe, I cast to write within a litle scrowe, Like as I haue done before by and by In other parteis of our policie. Loke how hard it was at the first to get; And by my counsell lightly doe not it let. For if wee lese it with shame of face Wilfully, it is for lacke of grace. Howe was Harflew [10] cried vpon, and Rone,[11] That they were likely for shought to be gone: Howe was it warned and cried on in England, I make record with this pen in my hand. It was warened plainely in Normandie, And in England, and I thereon did crie. The world was defrauded, it betyde right so. Farewell Harflew: lewdly it was a go. Nowe ware Caleis, I can say no better: My soule discharge I by this present letter.

[Footnote 10: Harfleur, which was lost in 1449.] [Footnote 11: Rouen]

After the Chapitles of commodities, of diuers lands, sheweth the conclusion of keeping of the sea enuiron, by a storie of King Edgar and two incidents of King Edward the third, and King Henrie the fifth. Chap. 11.

Now see we well then that this round see To our Noble by pariformitee Vnder the ship shewed there the sayle, And our king with royal apparayle, With swerd drawen bright and extent For to chastise enimies violent; Should be lord of the sea about, To keepe enimies from within and without; To behold through Christianitee Master and lord enuiron of the see: All liuing men such a prince to dreed, Of such a regne to bee aferd indeed. Thus proue I well that it was thus of old; Which by a [*] Chronicle anon shalbe told, Right curious: but I will interprete It into English, as I did it gete: Of king Edgar: O most marueilous Prince liuing, wittie, and cheualerous: So good that none of his predecessours Was to him liche in prudence and honours. Hee was fortanate and more gracious Then other before, and more glorious: He was beneth no man in holines: Hee passed all in vertuous sweetnes.

[Marginal note *: Dicit Chronica, quod iste Edgarus cunctis pradecessoribus suis falicior, nulli sanctitate inferior, omnibus morum suauitate prastantior fuerit Luxit ipse Anglis non minus memorabilis quam Cyrus Persis, Carolus Francis, Romulus vero Romanis.]

Of English kings was none so commendable To English men no lesse memorable: Then Cyrus was to Perse by puissance, And as great Charles was to them of France, And as to the Romanes was great Romulus, So was to England this worthy Edgarus. I may not write more of his worthines For lacke of time, ne of his holines: But to my matter I him exemplifie, Of conditions tweyne and of his policie: Within his land was one, this is no doubt, And another in the see without, That in time of Winter and of werre, When boystrous windes put see men into fere; Within his land about by all prouinces Hee passed through, perceiuing his princes, Lords, and others of the commontee, Who was oppressour, and who to pouertee Was drawen and brought, and who was clene in life, And was by mischiefe and by strife With ouer leding and extortion: And good and badde of eche condition Hee aspied: and his ministers als, Who did trought, and which of hem was fals: Howe the right and lawes of the land Were execute, and who durst take in hand To disobey his statutes and decrees, If they were well kept in all countrees: Of these he made subtile inuestigation Of his owne espie, and other men's relation. Among other was his great busines, Well to ben ware, that great men of riches, And men of might in citie nor in towne Should to the poore doe non oppression. Thus was he wont in this Winter tide, On such enforchise busily to abide. This was his labour for the publike thing, Thus was hee occupied: 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:

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