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Tho kynges mette them, with their company,
Egbryt kynge of Kent, brother to the quene;
The fecond was Aldulphe kynge of the east party,
Brother to faynt Audry, wyfe and mayde ferene;
With divers of theyr progeny, and nobles as I wene,
Dukes, erles, barons, and lordes ferre and nere,
In theyr best array, were present all in fere '.

It were full tedyous, to make descrypcyon
Of the great tryumphes, and folempne royalte,
Belongynge to the feest, the honour and provyfyon,
By playne declaracyon, upon every partye;
But the fothe to fay, withouten ambyguyte,

All herbes and flowres, fragraunt, fayre and fwete,
Were strawed in halles, and layd under theyr fete.

Clothes of golde and arras, were hanged in the hall
Depaynted with pyctures, and hystoryes manyfolde,
Well wroughte and craftely, with precious ftones all
Glyterynge as Phebus, and the beten golde,
Lyke an erthly paradyfe, pleafaunt to beholde:
As for the fayd moynes, was not them amonge,
But prayenge in her cell, as done all novice yonge.

The story of Adam, there was goodly wrought
And of his wyfe Eve, bytwene them the ferpent,
How they were deceyved, and to theyr peynes brought;
There was Cayn and Abell, offerynge theyr present,
The facryfyce of Abell, accepte full evydent :
Tuball and Tubalcain, were purtrayed in that place
The inventours of mufyke, and crafte by great grace.

i Together.

* Nun. i. e.The Lady Werburg.

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Noe

Noe and his shyppe, was made there curyously Sendynge forthe a raven, whiche never came again; And how the dove returned, with a braunche hastely, A token of comforte and peace, to man certayne: Abraham there was, ftanding upon the mount playne To offer in facrifice, Ifaac his dere fone,

And how the shepe for hym was offered in oblacyon.

The twelve fones of Jacob, there were in purtrayture
And how into Egypt, yonge Jofeph was folde,
There was imprisoned, by a false conjectour,
After in all Egypte, was ruler (as is tolde).
There was in pycture, Moyfes wyse and bolde,
Our Lorde apperynge, in bushe flammynge as fyre
And nothing thereof brent, lefe, tree, nor fpyre'.

The ten plages of Egypt, were well embost
The chyldren of Ifrael, paffyng the reed see,
Kynge Pharoo drowned, with all his proude hooft,
And how the two table, at the mounte Synaye
Were gyven to Moyfes, and how foon to idolatry
The people were prone, and punyshed were therefore,
How Datan and Abyron, for pryde were full youre ".

Duke Jofue was joyned, after them in pycture,
Ledynge the Ifrehelytes to the land of promyffyon,
And how the faid land was divided by mesure
To the people of God, by equall fundry porcyon:
The judges and bysshops were there everychone,
Theyr noble actes, and tryumphes marcyall,
Freshly were browdred in these clothes royall.

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Nexte to the greate lorde, appered fayre and bryght
Kynge Saull and David, and prudent Solomon,
Roboas fuccedynge, whiche foone lost his myght,
The good kynge Efechyas, and his generacyon,
And fo to the Machabees, and dyvers other nacyon,
All these fayd storyes, fo rychely done and wrought.
Belongyng to kyng Wulfer, agayn that tyme were brought ".

P

But over the hye deffe, in the pryncypall place
Where the fayd thre kynges fate crowned all,
The best hallynge hanged, as reason was,
Whereon were wrought the ix. orders angelicall
Dyvyded in thre ierarchyfes, not ceffynge to call
Sanctus, fanctus, fanctus, bleffed be the Trynite,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth, thre perfons in one deyte.

Next in order fuynge, fette in goodly purtrayture
Was our bleffed lady, flowre of femynyte,
With the twelve Apostles, echeone in his figure,
And the foure Evangelyftes, wrought most curyously:

Alfo the Dyscyples of Chrift in theyr degre

Prechynge and techynge, unto every nacyon,
The faythtes' of holy chyrche, for their falvacyon.

Martyrs than folowed, right manifolde :

The holy Innocentes, whom Herode had flayne,
Bleffed Saynt Stephen, the prothomartyr truly,

Saynt Laurence, Saynt Vyncent, fufferynge great payne;
With many other mo, than here ben now certayne,
Of which fayd martyrs exsample we may take,
Pacyence to obferve, in herte, for Chryftes fake.

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Confeffours approched, right convenient,
Freffely enbrodred in ryche tysshewe and fyne;
Saynt Nycholas, Saynt Benedy&te, and his covent,
Saynt Jerom, Bafylyus, and Saynt Augustine,

Gregory the great doctour, Ambrose and Saynt Martyne:
All these were fette in goodly purtrayture,
Them to beholde was a heavenly pleasure.

Vyrgyns them folowed, crowned with the lyly,
Among whome our lady chefe prefident was;
Some crowned with rooses for their great vyctory :
Saynt Katheryne, Saynt Margerette, Saynt Agathas,
Saynt Cycyly, Saynt Agnes, and Saynt Charytas,
Saynt Lucye, Saynt Wenefryde, and Saynt Apolyn;
All these were brothered, the clothes of golde within.

Upon the other fyde of the hall sette were
Noble auncyent storyes, and how the stronge Sampson
Subdued his enemyes by his myghty power;
Of Hector of Troye, flayne by fals treason;
Of noble Arthur, kynge of this regyon:
With many other mo, which it is to longe
Playnly to expresse this tyme you amonge.

The tables were covered with clothes of dyaper,
Rychely enlarged with filver and with golde,
The cupborde with plate shynyng fayre and clere,
Marshalles theyr offyces fulfylled manyfolde :
Of myghty wyne plenty, both newe and olde,
All maner kynde of meetes delycate

(Whan grace was fayd) to them was preparate,

Vol. II.

• Embroidered.

B b

Το

To this noble feeft there was fuche ordinaunce,
That nothynge wanted that goten myght be
On fee and on lande, but there was habundance
Of all maner pleasures to be had for monye;
The bordes all charged full of meet plente,
And dyvers fubtyltes' prepared fothly were,
With cordyall and fpyces, theyr gueftes for to chere.

The joyfull wordes and fweet communycacyon
Spoken at the table, it were harde to tell;
Eche man at lyberte, without interrupcyon,
Bothe fadnes and myrthes, alfo pryve counsell,
Some adulacyon, fome the truth dyd tell,
But the great aftates " fpake of theyr regyons,
Knyghtes of theyr chyvalry, of craftes the comons.

Certayne at eche cours of fervice in the hall,
Trumpettes blewe up, fhalmes and claryons,
Shewynge theyr melody, with toynes" mufycall,
Dyvers other mynftrelles, in crafty proporcyons,
Mad fwete concordaunce and lufty dyvyfyons:
An hevenly pleasure, fuche armony to here,
Rejoyfynge the hertes of the audyence full clere.

X

A finguler Mynstrell, all other ferre paffynge,
Toyned his inftrument in pleasaunte armony,
And fang mooft fwetely, the company gladynge,
Of myghty conquerours, the famous vyctory;
Wherwith was ravysfhed theyr sprytes and memory :
Specyally he fange of the great Alexandere,

Of his tryumphes and honours endurynge xii yere.

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