Whann battayle, smethynge wythe new quick- Wythe syke an eyne she swotelie hymm dydd view Soe, gyff thou lovest Pleasure and herr trayne, BRISTOWE TRAGEDIE: OR THE DETHE OF SYR CHARLES BAWDIN. [This poem is reprinted from the copy printed at London in 1772, with a few corrections from a copy made by Mr. Catcott, from one in Chatterton's hand-writing. The person here celebrated under the name of syr Charles Bawdin was probably sir Baldewyn Fulford, knt. a zealous Lancastrian, who was executed at Bristol in the latter end of 1461, the first year of Edward the Fourth. He was attainted, with many others, in the general act of attainder, 1 Edw. IV, but he seems to have been executed under a special commission for the trial of treasons, &c. within the town of Bristol. The fragment of the old chronicle, published by Hearne at the end of Sprotti Chronica, p. 289, says only, "(1 Edw. IV.) was takin sir Baldewine Fulford and behedid at Bristow." But the matter is more fully stated in the act which passed in 7 Edw. IV. for the restitution in blood and estate of Thomas Fulford, kut. eldest son of Baldewyn Fulford, late of Fulford, in the county of Devonshire, knt. Rot. Pat. 8 Edw. IV. p. 1, m. 13. The pre7 Advance our waving colours on the walls! Shakspeare, Henry 6, part 1. amble of this act, after stating the attainder by the act 1 Edw. IV. goes on thus: "And also the said Baldewyn, the said first yere of your noble reign, at Bristowe in the shere of Bristowe, before Henry erle of Essex, William Hastyngs, of Hastyngs, knt. Richard Chock, William Canyng, maire of the said towne of Bristowe, and Thomas Yong, by force of your letters patentes totheym and other directe to here and determine all treesons, &c. doon withyn the said towne of Bristowe before the vth day of September the first yere of your said reign, was atteynt of dyvers tresons by him doon ayenst your highness, &c." If the commission sat soon after the vth of September, as is most probable, king Edwarde might very possibly be at Bristol at the time of sir Baldewyn's execution; for in the interval between his coronation and the parliament which met in November, he made a progress (as the continuator of Stowe informs us, p. 416.) by the South coast in the West, and was (among other places) at Bristol. Indeed there is a circumstance which might lead us to believe, that he was actually a spectator of the execution from the minster window, as described in the poem. In an old accompt of the procurators of St. Ewin's church, which was then the minster, from xx March in the 1 Edward IV. to 1 April in the year next ensuing, is the following article, according to a copy made by Mr. Catcott from the original book. "Item for washynge the church payven ageyns Kynge Edwarde 4th is comynge. J' THE feathered songster chaunticleer Han wounde hys bugle horne, And tolde the earlie villager The commynge of the morne : Kynge Edwarde sawe the ruddie streakes Of lyghte eclypse the greie; And herde the raven's crokynge throte Proclayme the fated daic. iiijd.ob."] "Thou'rt ryghte," quod hee, "for, by the Godde Thenne wythe a jugge of nappy ale Hys knyghtes dydd onne hymm waite; And to syr Charles dydd goe. Butt whenne hee came, hys children twaine, It appears by a MSS. (Rich penes me) that Henry V. was taken in disguised apparel at the Abbey of Salley in Yorkshire, by one Cantelow, in 1465. This is a proof that k. Edward IV. had such a person as sir Cantelow much in bis interest and at his command, and affords some additional proof of the authenticity of the poem. Barrett. "O good syr Charles!" sayd Canterlone, "I greeve to telle, before yonne Sonne Hee hathe uponne hys honnour sworne, "Wee all must die," quod brave syrr Charles; "Of thatte I 'm not affearde; Whatte bootes to lyve a little space? Thanke Jesu, I'm prepar'd: "Butt telle thye kynge, for myne hee's not, Thanne lyve hys slave, as manie are, Thenne Canterlone bee dydd goe out, Thenne maisterr Canynge saughte the kynge, Thenne quod the kynge, "Youre tale speke out, "My nobile leige! alle my request Ys for a nobile knyghte, Who, tho' may hap hee has donne wronge, Hee thoghte ytt stylle was ryghte: "He has a spouse and children twaine, Charles Bawdin die to daie." "Speke nott of such a traytour vile," The kynge ynne furie sayde; "Before the evening starre doth sheene, Bawdin shall loose hys hedde: "Justice does loudlie for hym calle, And hee shalle have hys meede: "My nobile leige!" goode Canynge sayde, Be thyne the oly ve rodde. "Was Godde to serche our hertes and reines, "Lette mercie rule thyne infante reigne, From race to race thy familie Alle sov'reigns shall endure: "But yff wythe bloode and slaughter thou Thy crowne uponne thy childrennes brows "Canynge, awaie! thys traytoure vile "Mie nobile leige! the trulie brave "Canynge, awaie! By Godde ynn Heav'n I wylle nott taste a bitt of breade "Bie Marie, and alle seinctes in Heav'n, Wyth herte brymm-fulle of gnawynge grief, And satt hymm downe uponne a stoole, "We all must die," quod brave syr Charles; "Saye, why, my friend, thie honest soul Is ytt for my most welcome doome And leave thy sonnes and helpless wyfe; Thenne drie the tears thatt out thyne eye Dethe I despise, and alle the power "Whan throgh the tyrant's welcom means "Before I sawe the lyghtsome Sunne, Thys was appointed mee: Shall mortal manne repyne or grudge "Howe oft ynne battaile have I stoode, Whan smokyuge streemes of crimson bloode "Howe dydd I knowe thatt ev'ry darte, "And shall I nowe, forr feere of dethe, "Ah, goddelyke Henrie! Godde forefende, My honest friende, my faulte has beene And thatt I no tyme-server am, My dethe wylle soone convynce. · Ynne Londonne citye was I borne, Emblazon onne hys cote: "I make ne doubte butt hee ys gone Where soone I hope to goe; Where wee for ever shall bee blest, From oute the reech of woe: "Hee tanghte mee justice and the laws And eke hee taughte mee howe to knowe Ne lette my servants dryve awaie The hungrie fromme my doore: "And none can saye, but alle mye lyfe I have a spouse, goe aske of her, "Ne! hapless Henrie! I rejoyce, Moste willynglie ynne thye just cause "Oh fickle people! rewyn'd londe! Forr those of bloude and peyne? "Whatte tho' I onne a sledde bee drawne, And mangled by a hynde, I doe defye the traytor's pow'r, Hee can ne harm my mynde; Charles Bawdin's name shall bear; "Yett ynne the holie booke above, "Thenne welcome dethe! for lyfe eterne 1 leave thys mortall lyfe: Farewell, vayne world, and alle that's deare, Mie sonnes and lovynge wyfe; "Nowe dethe as welcome to mee comes, As e'er the moneth of Maie; Nor woulde I even wyshe to lyve, Quod Canynge, ""Tys a goodlie thynge And from thys world of peyne and grefe And nowe the bell beganne to tolle, Syr Charles hee herde the horses feete And just before the officers, His lovynge wyfe came ynne, Praie Godde, thatt ev'ry Christian soule "Sweet Florence! why these brinie teeres? And almost make mee wyshe for lyfe, "Tys butt a journie I shalle goe Untoe the lande of blysse; Thenne Florence, fault'ring ynne her saie, "Ah, cruele Edwarde! bloudie kynge! "Ah, sweete syr Charles! why wylt thou goe," Wythoute thye lovynge wyfe? The cruelle axe thatt cuttes thy necke, Ytte eke shall ende my lyfe." And nowe the officers came ynne To brynge syr Charles awaie, Whoe turnedd toe hys lovynge wyfe, And thus to her dydd saie: "I goe to lyfe, and nott to dethe; Trust thou ynne Godde above, Thatt I theyre fader runne: Florence! shou'd dethe thee take-adieu! Thenne Florence rav'd as anie madde, "Oh! staie, mye husbande! lorde! and lyfe!"Syr Charles thenne dropt a teare. "Tyll tyredd oute wythe ravynge loude, Uponne a sledde hee mounted thenne, Before hym went the council-menne, The freers of seincte Augustyne next Alle cladd ynne homelie russett weedes, Ynne diffraunt partes a godlie psaume Thenne fyve-and-twentye archers came; Bolde as a lyon came syr Charles, Drawne onne a clothe-layde sledde, Bye two blacke stedes ynne trappynges white, Behynde hym five-and-twenty moe Marched yune goodlie route; Seincte Jameses freers marched next, Echone hys parte dydd chaunte; Thenne came the maior and eldermenne, And after them, a multitude Of citizenns dydd thronge; And whenne hee came to the hyghe crosse, At the grete mynsterr wyndowe sat To see Charles Bawdin goe alonge Soone as the sledde drewe nyghe enowe, Butt be assur'd, disloyall manne! I'm greater nowe thanne thee. "Bye foule proceedyages, murdre, bloude, "Thou thynkest I shall die to-dai; And soon shall lyve to wear a crowne "Whylst thou, perhapps, for som few years, Shalt rule thys tickle lande, To lett them knowe nowe wyde the rule "Thye pow'r unjust, thou traytour slave! Kynge Edwarde's soul rush'd to hys face, And to hys broder Gloucester Hee thus dydd speke and saie: "To hym that soe-much-dreaded dethe Beholde the manne! he spake the truthe, "Soe lett hym die !" Duke Richarde sayde; Bende downe theyre neckes to bloudie axe, And nowe the horses gentlie drewe Syr Charles uppe the hyghe hyile; Syrr Charles dydd uppe the scaffolde goe, Of victorye, bye val'rous chiefs Gayn'd ynne the bloudie warre: And to the people hee dydd sai, For servynge loyally mye kynge, "As longe as Edwarde rules thys land, "You leave youre goode and law fulle kynge, Lyke mee, untoe the true cause stycke, Then hee, wyth preestes, uponne hys knees, Thenne, kneelynge downe, hee layd hys hedde The able heddes-manne stroke; And oute the bloude beganne to flowe, The bloudie axe hys bodie fayre One parte dydd rotte onne Kynwulph-hylle, And one from off the castle-gate The crowen dydd devoure; The other onne Seyncte Powle's goode gate, Hys hedde was plac'd onne the hyghe crosse, Thus was the ende of Bawdin's fate: Godde prosper longe oure kynge, And learn the builder's vertues and his name; ONN OURE LADIES CHYRCHE. [From a copy made by Mr. Catcott, from one in Chatterton's hand-writing.] As onn a hylle one eve sittynge, At oure Ladie's chyrche mouche wonderynge, Where glassie bubblynge Trymme doth roun." ON THE SAME. ON THE DEDICATION OF OUR LADIE'S CHURCH. [This poem was given by Chatterton in a note to the Parlyamente of Sprytes. The lines are here divided into the ballad length.] SOONE as bryght Sunne alonge the skyne, A troop of holie freeres dyd, Then Carpenter yn scarlette dreste, From Mastre Canynge hys greate howse Before hym wente a throng of freeres Who dyd the masse song synge, Who dyd the mass songe sound; fur-So lowdlie was theyr swotie voyce, [From a MS. in Chatterton's hand-writing, nished by Mr. Catcott, entitled, A Discorse on Bristowe, by Thomas Rowlie.] 1 STAY, curyous traveller, and pass not bye, Thou seest this maystrie of a human hand, That seemd with breath and human soule dis- Well maiest thou be astounde, but view it well; The chyrche to Godde for aie, Y precchen was bie mee: And drynk hys wyne and ale so goode ON THE MYNSTER. [This poem is reprinted from Barrett's History of Bristol. It is said by Chatterton to be translated by Rowley, "as nie as Englyshe wyll serve, from the original, written by Abbot John, who was ynductyd 20 yeares, and dyd act as abbatt 9 yeares before hys inductyon for Phillip then abbatt: he dyed yn M.CC.XV. beynge buryed in his albe in the mynster."] |