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The brave Syr Charles hee dydd stande 355 For servynge loyally mye kynge,

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"Thou thynkest I shall die to-daie;

I have beene dede 'till nowe,

360

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Mye kynge most ryghtfullie.

'As longe as Edwarde rules thys land, Ne quiet you wylle knowe:

Youre sonnes and husbandes shalle bee slayne

And brookes wythe bloude shalle flowe.

"You leave youre goode and lawfulle kynge,

Whenne ynne adversitye;

Lyke mee, untoe the true cause stycke,
And for the true cause dye."

And soone shall lyve to weare a crowne 365 Thenne hee, wyth preestes, uponne hys For aie uponne my browe:

325 Whylst thou, perhapps, for som few

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knees,

A pray 'r to Godde dydd make,
Beseechynge hym unto hymselfe
Hys partynge soule to take.

Thenne, kneelynge downe, hee layd hys.
hedde

Most seemlie onne the blocke;
Whyche fromme hys bodie fayre at once
The able heddes-manne stroke:

And oute the bloude beganne to flowe,
And rounde the scaffolde twyne;

Kynge Edwarde's soule rush'd to hys face, 375 And teares, enowe to wash 't awaie,

Hee turn'd hys hedde awaie,

335 And to hys broder Gloucester1

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Dydd flow fromme each mann's eyne.

The bloudie axe hys bodie fayre
Ynnto foure parties cutte;

And ey'rye parte, and eke hys hedde,
Uponne a pole was putte.

One parte dydd rotte onne Kynwulph-
hylle,

One onne the mynster-tower,
And one from off the castle-gate

The crowen1 dydd devoure;

385 The other onne Seyncte Powle's goode gate,

390

A dreery spectacle;

Hys hedde was plac'd onne the hyghe

crosse,

Ynne hyghe-streete most nobile.

Thus was the ende of Bawdin's fate:
Godde prosper longe oure kynge,

And grante hee maye, wyth Bawdin's

soule,

Ynne heav'n Godd's mercie synge!

1 crows

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131

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Waterre wytches, crownede wythe reytes,' Bere mee to yer leathalle2 tyde.

I die! I comme! mie true love wayies. 60 Thos the damselle spake, and dyed.

5

10

15

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lande drewe,

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flies,

Hiltring attenes the sunnis fetyve 35 And the hot fierie smothe1 in the wide

face,12

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lowings 23 dies.

Liste! now the thunder's rattling clymmynge2+ sound

Cheves25 slowlie on, and then embollen 26 clangs,

Shakes the hie spyre, and, losst, dispended, drown'd,

Still on the gallard27 eare of terroure

hanges;

The windes are up, the lofty elmen swanges;28

appearance

2 beggarly; not like a gentleman

3 dress

4 brimful

5 beggar of alms

6

gloomy; dejected
dry; withered
the grave
accursed

10 chest coffin
11 sleeping
12 cold

13 grow
14 among

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45

50

55

60

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reine,

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This is no season almes and prayers to give.

Mie porter never lets a faitour1 in; None touch mie rynge2 who not in honour live."

And now the sonne with the blacke cloudes did stryve,

And shettynge" on the grounde his glairie raie:*

And his pencte gyrdle met with mickle 70 The Abbatte spurrde his steede, and eftshame,"

He aynewarde tolde his bederoll' at the same.8

The storme encreasen, and he drew aside

With the mist almes-craver neere10 to the holme to bide.

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No house, ne friend, ne moneie in my pouche;

All yatte20 I calle my owne is this my silver crouche. ''21

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85

soones roadde awaie.

Once moe the skie was blacke, the thounder rolde:

Faste reyneynge oer the plaine a prieste

was seen,

Ne dighte full proude, ne buttoned up in golde;

His cope and jape were graie, and eke were clene;

A Limitoure he was of order seene." And from the pathwaie side then turnèd

hee,

Where the pore almer laie binethe the holmen tree.

"An almes, sir priest!" the droppynge pilgrim sayde,

"For sweete Seyncie Marie and your order sake.

The Limitoure then loosen'd his pouche threade,

And did thereoute a groates of silver take;

The mister pilgrim dyd for halline10 shake.

Here take this silver, it maie eathe11 thie care;

We are Goddes stewards all, nete12 of oure owne we bare.

But ah! unhailie13 pilgrim, lerne of

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3 shooting

4 shining ray

5 dressed; adorned

A short surplice.

7 as to his order, he
was seen to be a
limiter, i. e..
friar licensed to beg

a

within a certain

limited area

8 A small coin, worth four pence.

9 poor 10 joy 11 ease 12 naught

13 unhappy 14 scarcely 15 rental,

rents

account of

10 under-cloak

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