ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



c 1437- 



An incident of the Lord of the sea King 

 Edward the third. 



OF king Edward I passe and his prowes 

 On lande, on sea yee knowe his worthines : 

 The siege of Caleis, ye know well all the matter 

 Round about by land, and by the water, 



wldeL?ye Howe [t lasted not 7 eereS man >" a g° e > 

 'English 1347. After the battell of Crecye was ydoe : 



[I. 205.] Howe it was closed environ about, 



Olde men sawe it, which liven, this is no doubt. 

 Old Knights say that the Duke of Burgoyn, 

 Late rebuked for all his golden coyne ; 

 Of ship on see made no besieging there, 

 For want of shippes that durst not come for feare. 

 It was nothing besieged by the see : 

 Thus call they it no siege for honestee. 

 Gonnes assailed, but assault was there none, 

 No siege, but fuge : well was he that might be gone 

 This maner carping have knights ferre in age, 

 Expert through age of this maner language. 

 But king Edward made a siege royall, 

 King Edward And wanne the towne : and in especiall 

 had 7°°- The sea was kept, and thereof he was Lord. 

 mdiLiii!* Thus made he Nobles coyned of record; 

 English man- In whose time was no navie on the see 

 ners before That might withstand his majestic. 

 Caleu. Battell of Scluse yee may rede every day, 



The battell of J-[owe [ t was J one J J eve anc [ pr 0e m y wav : 

 Scluse by sea. T , , , . , J J 



It was so late done that yee it knowe, 



In comparison within a litle throwe : 



For which to God give we honour and glorie ; 



For Lord of see the king was with victorie. 



142 



