Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, POEM: 8, by LAURENCE MINOT


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

POEM: 8, by                    
First Line: Calays men, now mai ge care
Last Line: Edward wan it at his will.
Subject(s): Courts & Courtiers; France; War


CALAYS men, now mai ge care,
And murning mun ge haue to mede;
Mirth on mold get ge no mare;
Sir Edward sall ken pow gowre crede.
Whilum war ge wight in wede
To robbing rathly for to ren;
Mend pow sone of gowre misdede;
Gowre care es cumen, will ge it ken.

Kend it es how ge war kene
Al Inglis men with dole to dere;
þaire gudes toke ge al bidene,
No man born wald ge forbere;
ge spared noght with swerd ne sþere
To stik pam and þaire gudes to stele;
With wapin and with ded of were
Pus haue ge wonnen werldes wele.

Weleful men war ge, i-wis,
Bot fer on fold sall ge noght fare;
A bare sal now abate gowre blis
And wirk pow bale on bankes bare;
He sall pow hunt als hund dose hare
þat in no hole sall ge pow hide;
For all gowre sþeche will he noght spare
Bot bigges him right by gowre side.

Biside zow here ge bare bigins
To big his boure in winter tyde;
And all bi tyme takes he his ines
With semly sergantes him biside.Þe word of him walkes ful wide;
Ihesu saue him fro mischance.
In bataill dar he wele habide
Sir Philip and sir Iohn of France.

þe Franche men er fers and fell
And mase grete dray when þai er dight;
Of pam men herd slike tales tell
With Edward think þai for to fight,
Him for to hald out of his right
And do him treson with þaire tales;Þat was þaire purpos day and
night
Bi counsail of þe Cardinales.

Cardinales with hattes rede
War fro Calays wele thre myle;
þai toke þaire counsail in þat stede
How þai might sir Edward bigile.Þai lended pare bot litill while
Till Franche men to grante þaire grace;
Sir Philip was funden a file,
He fled and faght noght in þat place.

In þat place þe bare was blith,
For all was funden pat he had soght:
Philip þe Valas fled ful swith
With þe batail þat he had broght.
For to haue Calays had he thoght
All at his ledeing loud or still;
Bot all þaire wiles war for noght,
Edward wan it at his will.





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