THE ENGLISH POLICY 



Flanders and Spaine, and other, trust to mee, 

 Or ellis hundred all for this Narrow see. 



Therefore I cast mee by a little writing 



To shewe at eye this conclusion, 



For conscience and for mine acquiting 



Against God and ageyne abusion, 



And cowardise, and to our enemies confusion. 



For foure things our Noble sheweth to me, 



King, Ship, and Swerd, and power of the see. 



Where ben our ships, where ben our swerds become ? 



Our enemies bed for the ship set a sheepe. 



Alas our rule halteth, it is benome. 



Who dare well say that lordship should take keepe ? 



I will assay, though mine heart ginne to weepe, 



To doe this werke, if wee will ever thee, 



For very shame to keepe about the see. 



Shall any Prince, what so be his name, 

 Which hath Nobles moch leche ours, 

 Bee Lord of see : and Flemings to our blame, 

 Stop us, take us, and so make fade the flowers 

 Of English state, and disteyne our honours ? 

 For cowardise alas it should so bee. 

 Therefore I ginne to write nowe of the see. 



Of the commodities of Spaine and of Flanders. 

 The first Chapter. 



KNowe well all men that profits in certaine 

 Commodities called comming out of Spaine 

 And Marchandie, who so will weete what it is, 

 Bene Figs, Raisins, wine Bastard, and Datis, 

 And Licoris, Sivill oyle, and graine, 

 White Pastill Sope, and Waxe is not vayne. 

 Yron, Wooll, Wadmolle, Gotefell, Kidfell also : 

 For Poynt-makers full needefull bene they tweyn : 

 Saffron, Quickesilver, which owne Spaine Marchandy, 

 Is into Flanders shipped full craftily, 

 Unto Bruges as to her staple fayre : 



"5 



A.D. 



c H37- 



regni 18. 

 Quatuor con- 

 siderantur in 

 moneta aurea 

 Anglica, quce 

 dicitur No- 

 bile : scilicet 

 Rex, Navis, 

 gladius, £ff 

 Mare : Qua 

 designant po- 

 testatem An- 

 glicorum super 

 Mare. In 

 quorum oppro- 

 brium his 

 diebus Bri- 

 tones minores 

 IsFlandrenses 

 15 alii dicunt 

 Anglic is: Tol- 

 lite de vestro 

 Nobile navem 

 y imponite 

 ovem. Inten- 

 dentes, quod 

 sicut quondam 

 a tempore 

 Edwardi 

 tertii Anglici 

 erant domini 

 Maris, modo 

 his diebus sunt 

 vecordes, victi, 

 & ad bellan- 

 dum i$ Mare 

 observandum 

 velut oves. 



[I. 188.] 

 Figges, 

 Raisins, 

 Wine Bas- 

 tard, 

 Dates, 

 Lycoras, 

 Civil Oyle, 

 Graynes, 



