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am king and wear the crown, then I will be chief of the poor commenty: Task nor mize I will make none, In no countrey farr nor nigh; If their goods I shoud take and pluck them downe, For me they woud fight full faintly: There is no riches to me so rich, As is the love of our poor commenty. When they had ended all their speeches, They take their leave full heartiley; And to his bower King Richard is gone. The earle and Humphrey Brereton To Bessy's bower anon were gone; When Bessy Humphrey did see anon, She took him in her arms and kissed him times three. Welcome, she said, Humphrey Brereton; How hast thou spedd in the West Countrey I pray thee tell me quickly and anon. Into a parlour they went from thence, There were no more but he and shee: Humphrey, said Bessy, tell me e're we go hence Some tideings out of the West Countrey; If I shall send for yonder prince To come over the sea, for the love of me, And if King Richard shoud him convince, Alas! it were great ruthe to see, Or murthered among the Stanley's blood to be, Indeed that were great pitty; That sight on that prince I woud not see, For all the gold in Christantie! Tell me, Humphrey, I thee pray, How hast thou spedd in the West Countrey? What answer of them thou had now say, And what reward they gave to thee. By the third day of May it shall be seen, In London all that they will bee; Thou shalt in England be a queen, Or else doubtless that they will dye. Thus they proceed forth the winter then, Their councell they kept close all three, The earle he wrought by prophecy certaine, In London he would not abide or bee, But in the subburbs without the city An ould inn chosen hath hee. A drew an Eagle foot on the door truely, That the western men might know where he did lye. Humphrey stood on a high tower then, He looked into the West Countrey; Sir William Stanley and seven in green, He was aware of the Eagle drawne; He drew himselfe so wonderous nigh, And bad his men go into the towne, And drink the wine and make merry; Into the same inn he went full prest, Whereas the earle his brother lay. Humphrey full soon into the west Looks over a long lee; He was aware of the Lord Strange and seven in green, Come rideing into the city. When he was aware of the Eagle drawn, He drew himself so wonderously nigh, He bad his men go into the towne certain, And drink the wine and make merry; And he himselfe drew then, Where as his father in the inne lay. Humphrey looked in the west, I say, Sixteen in green then did he see; He was aware of the Warden and Edward Stanley, Come rideing both in one company. When they were aware of the Eagle drawne, The gentlemen they drew it nee; And bad their men go into the towne, And drink the wine and make merry. And did go themselves into the same inn full prest, Where the earle their father lay. Yet Humphrey beholdeth into the west, And looketh towards the north countrey; He was aware of Sir John Savage and Sir Gilbert Talbot, Came rideing both in one company. When they were aware of the Eagle drawn, Themselves drew it full nigh, And bad their men go into the towne, To drink the wine and make merry. They did go themselves into the same inn, Where as the earle and Bessy lye. When all the lords together were, Amongst them all Bessy was full buissy; With goodly words Bessy then said there, Fair lords, what will you do for me? Will you relieve yonder prince, That is exiled beyond the sea? I woud not have King Richard him to convince, For all the gold in Christentye. The Earle of Darby came forth then, These words he said to young Bessye— Ten thousand pounds will I send, Bessy, for the love of thee, And twenty thousand Eagle feet, The Queen of England for to make thee; Then Bessy most lowly the earle did greet, And thankt his honor most heartiley. Sir William Stanley came forth then, These words he said to fair Bessy: Remember, Bessy, another time, Who doth the most, Bessy, for thee; Ten thousand coats, that shall be red certaine, In an hours warning ready shall bee; In England thou shall be our queen, Or doubtlesse I will dye. Sir John Savage came forth then, These words he said to young Bessye— A thousand marks for thy sake certaine, Will I send thy love beyond the sea. Sir Gilbert Talbott came forth then, These were the words he said to Bessy: Ten thousand marks for thy sake certaine, I will send to beyond the sea. The Lord Strange came forth then, These were the words he said to Bessy: A little money and few men, Will bring thy love over the sea; Let us keep our gold at home, said he, For to wage our company; For if we should send it over the sea, We shoud put our gold in jeopartie. Edward Stanley came forth then, These were the words he said to Bessye: Remember, Bessye, another time, Who that now doth the best for thee, For there is no power that I have, Nor no gold for to give thee; I will be under my father's banner, if God me save, There either to live or dye. Bessye came forth before the lords all, And downe she falleth upon her knee; Nineteen thousand pound of gold, I shall Send my love behind the sea, A love letter, and a gold ring, From my heart root rite will I. Who shall be the messenger the same to bring, Both the gold and the writeing over the sea? Humphrey Brereton, said Bessy, I know him trusty and true certaine, Therefore the writeing and the gold truely By him shall be carried to Little Brittaine. Alas, said Humphry, I dare not take in hand, To carry the gold over the sea; These galley shipps they be so strange, They will me night so wonderously; They will me robb, they will me drowne, They will take the gold from me. Hold thy peace, Humphrey, said Bessye then, Thou shalt it carry without jepordye; Thou shalt not have any caskett nor any male, Nor budgett, nor cloak sack, shall go with thee; Three mules that be stiff and strong withall, Sore loaded with gold shall they bee, With saddle-side skirted I do tell thee Wherein the gold sowe will I: If any man faine whose is the shipp truely That saileth forth upon the sea, Say it is the Lord Lislay, In England and France well beloved is he. Then came forth the Earle of Darby, These words he said to young Bessy: He said, Bessye, thou art to blame To appoint any shipp upon the sea; I have a good shipp of my owne, Shall carry Humphrey with the mules three; An eagle shall be drawne upon the mast top, That the Italians may it see; There is no freak in all France The eagle that dare come nee If any one ask whose ship it is, then Say it is the Earles of Darby. Humphrey took the three mules then, Into the west wind wou'd hee, Without all doubt at Liverpoole He took shipping upon the sea: With a swift wind and a liart, He so saild upon the sea, To Beggrames Abbey in Little Brittain, Where as the English Prince lie; The Porter was a Cheshire man, Well he knew Humphrey when he him see; Humphrey knockt at the gate truely, Where as the porter stood it by, And welcomed me full heartiley, And received then my mules three; I shall thee give in this breed To thy reward pounds three; I will none of thy gold, the porter said, Nor Humphrey none of the fee, I will open thee the gates certaine To receive thee and the mules three; For a Cheshire man born am I certain, From the Malpas but miles three. The porter opened the gates that time, And received him and the mules three. The wine that was in the hall that time He gave to Humphrey Brereton truely. Alas! said Humphrey, how shoud I doe, I am strayed in a strange countrey, The Prince of England I do not know, Before I never did him see. I shall thee tell, said the porter then, The Prince of England know shall ye, Low where he siteth at the butts certaine, With other lords two or three; He weareth a gown of velvet black And it is cutted above the knee, With a long visage and pale and black— Thereby know that prince may ye; A wart he hath, the porter said, A little alsoe above the chinn, His face is white, his wart is redd, No more than the head of a small pinn; You may know the prince certaine, As soon as you look upon him truely.— He received the wine of the porter, then With him he took the mules three. When Humphrey came before that prince He falleth downe upon his knee, He delivereth the letters which Bessy sent, And so did he the mules three, A rich ring with a stone, Thereof the prince glad was hee; He took the ring of Humphrey then, And kissed the ring times three. Humphrey kneeled still as any stone, As sure as I do tell to thee; Humphrey of the prince answer gott none, Therefore in heart was he heavy; Humphrey stood up then full of skill, And then to the prince said he: Why standest thou so still at thy will, And no answer dost give to me? I am come from the Stanleys' blood so dear, King of England for to make thee, A fairer lady then thou shalt have to thy fair, There is not one in all christantye; She is a countesse, a king's daughter, Humphrey said, The name of her it is Bessye, She can write, and she can read, Well can she work by prophecy; I may be called a lewd messenger, For answer of thee I can gett none, I may sail home with heavy cheare, What shall I say when I come home? The prince he took the Lord Lee, And the Earle of Oxford was him nee, The Lord Ferris wou'd not him beguile truely, To councell they are gone all three; When they had their councell taken, To Humphrey then turned he: Answer, Humphrey, I can give none truely Within the space of weeks three; The mules into a stable were taken anon, The saddle skirts unopened were, Therein he found gold great plenty For to wage a company. He caused the abbot to make him chear: In my stead now let him be, If I be king and wear the crown Well acquited Abbott shalt thou be. Early in the morning they made them knowne,
