2»<« S. No 106., Jan. 9. '58.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



21 



LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARYS. 1858. 



mCHABD BEAUCHAMP, EAKL OF WARWICK, AS A 

 NORLK AUTHOR. 



There are but fovf persons, probably, among us, 

 who have not at some time or other made a pil- 

 grimage to the collegiate chapel of Warwick, and 

 admired there the splendid monument, still re- 

 maining in perfect preservation, raised over the 

 body of Richard Beauchamp, fifth Earl of War- 

 wick, whose memory the quaint black-letter in- 

 scription, in raised letters on the edge of the tomb, 

 bids us commemorate in the following terms : — 

 " Preieth devoutly for the sowel, whom God 

 assoille, of one of the moost worshipful Knights in 

 his dayesjof monhode and conning, Richard Beau- 

 champ, late Eorl of Warrewik, Lord Despencer, 

 of Bergavenny, and of raony other grete lord- 

 ships," etc. A beautiful engraving of this monu- 

 ment by Le Keux, from a drawing of Edward 

 Bloro, is given in the Monumental Remains of 

 Noble and Eminent Persons, published in 1826, 

 which is illustrated by a memoir written by the 

 late Rev. Philip Bliss, D.C.L., subsequently Prin- 

 cipal of St. Mary's Hall, Oxford. From this 

 memoir (which is chiefly compiled from the " Ba- 

 ronage " and " Warwickshire " of Dugdale), we 

 are sufficiently acquainted with the military and 

 political career of this great nobleman, but no 

 one has hitherto been aware of his claim to a place 

 among the Royal and Noble Authors of Great 

 Britain. Dr. Bliss indeed remarks, that no reason- 

 able doubt can exist of his scholastic attainments, 

 inasmuch as he had to superintend the literary 

 education of the youthful monarch Henry the 

 Sixth (see the appointment in Rymer's Fcedera, 

 anno 1428, vol. iv. pt. 4. p. 137.) ; but no evidence 

 whatever is adduced by him of the Earl's own lite- 

 rary abilities. This evidence, however, I am now 

 fortunately enabled to supply from a manuscript 

 in the British Museum, containing a collection of 

 pieces in prose and verse, made by John Shirley, 

 about the middle of the loth century, MS. Add. 

 16,165. At fol. 245'' of this volume is inserted 

 a " Ballad " composed by the Earl, and addressed 

 by him to the lady who became his second wife, 

 Isabel, daughter and heiress of Thomas Lord 

 Despenser. This Ballad consists of fifteen stanzas 

 in triplets, with a short line at the end of each, 

 rhyming with the triplet that follows ; an artifi- 

 cial structure of verse which was then fashionable, 

 and which is found even among the English 

 poems written by Charles Duke of Orleans, the 

 illustrious prisoner of the battle of Agincourt. 



Balade made of Isahelle, Countasse of Warrewyk and Lady 

 Despenser, by Richard Beauchamp, Eorlle of Warre- 

 wyk. 



I can not half the woo compleyne, 

 That clothe my woful hert streyne, 



With biay thought and grevous peyne. 



Whan I not see 

 My feyre lady, whoa beaute 

 So fully preented is in me, 

 That I for wo n'adversite 



May not astert ' 

 From hir good list 2, that never thwert ' 

 I shal, howe sore that me smert, 

 But right humbelly, withe lowly hert, 



Hir ordenaunce 

 Obeye, and in hir governaunce 

 Set al my welfare and plesaunce, 

 Abyding tyme of allegeaunce, 



And never swerve, 

 Til that the dethe myn hert kerve,* 

 For lever is me hir man to sterve, 

 Thane any other for to .serve, 



For hir noblesse ; 

 Hir flourying youthe in lustynesse, 

 Grownded in vertuous humblesse ^, 

 Causethe that she cleped is maystresse, 



I yow ensure, 

 Of al good chaunce and aventure, 

 That may be gyven by nature 

 Til any worldly creature, ' 



For she alloone 

 In vertue is, and ther bathe noon, 

 Thus seyne bothe sumnie and evrey che oon, 

 That dele wythe hir, and ende in oon ^, 



Prcj'se hir maner, 

 Hir wimmanhed, hir lusty chere ; 

 So wold God, my lady dere, 

 At my request and my preyere, 



Yow list to ruwe 7 

 On me hir man, that hole and truwo 

 Have been, and changed for no nuwe, 

 He never wol myn hert remuwe^ 



From hir servyce. 

 And that is myn hertis empryse, 

 Beseching hir, that in some wyse 

 She wol for my guerdon ^ avyse. 



And womonly, 

 Counsayled by pitous mercy, 

 Kesceyve me, that lievyly 

 Endure thus, and pytously 



lu to hir grace, 

 And whyles that I have lyves space, 

 Out of myn hert to arrace ^^ 

 The descomfort, that me manasse 



Dothe in my thoughte ; 

 But if lii she ther of no thing roughte,!^ 

 And I be lytelle worthe or noughte, 

 Hir wommanhed certis oughte. 



And gentylesse 

 To ruwe vpone myn hevynesse, 

 For hir to serve in stedfastnesse, 

 Myn hert and al my besynesse 



Have I gyve. 

 For ever more whyles that I lyve. 



These verses are not contemptible, when com- 

 pared with those of the writer's contemporaries, 



1 start away. ^ will, pleasure. 



5 to quarrel.' (Jfa verb) ; contrary? (if an adverb.') 

 4 carve. ^ humbleness, humility. 



6 unanimously ? ■^^I'^^s P^^Y' 

 8 remove, remuer, Fr. ^^ reward. 



10 root up, erase. i* o{ MS. " '^^cares, recks. 



