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[What man lyeth here? sey me, sir Frere!—]
[_]
This Dialogue betwix a Seculer asking and a Frere answeryng at the grave of Dame Johan of Acres shewith the lyneal descent of the lordis of the honoure of Clare, fro the tyme of the fundation of the Freeris in the same honoure the yere of our Lorde MCCXLVIII, unto the first day of May the yere MCCCLVI.
1
What man lyeth here? sey me, sir Frere!—No man.—What ellis?—It is a woman.—
Whos doughter she was, I wolde lefe here.—
I wol you tell, sir, liche as I kan:
King Edwarde the first aftir the conquest began,
As I have lernyd, was hir fadir;
And of Spayne borne was hir modir.—
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2
What was hir name?—Dame Johan she hightOf Acris.—Why so declarid wolde be?—
For there she sey first this worldes light,
Borne of hir modir, as cronicles tell me.
Wherefore in honoure, O Vincent, of the,
To whom she had singuler affection,
This chappell she made of pure deuotion.—
3
Was she ought weddid to ony wight?—Yea, sir.—To whom?—Yf I shulde not lye,
To Gilbert of Clare, the erle by right
Of Gloucestre.—Whos son was he?—Sothlye.
Another Gilbertis.—This genealogye
I desire to know: wherefore telle me
Who was his fadir, yf it plese the.—
4
This Gilbertis fadir was that noble knyghtSir Richard of Clare, to sey al and sum,
Which for a freris love that Giles hight,
And his boke, clepid De Regimine Principum,
Made first freres Augustynes to Ingelonde cum,
Therein to duelle: and for that dede
In heven God grant him joye to mede.—
5
But laterally, who was, telle me,This Richardis wife, whom thou preisest so?—
The countesse of Hereforde, and Maulte hight she,
Which, wan dethe the knotte hadde undoo
Of temporal spousale bitwixe hem two,
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Liche as oure monumentys make declaration.—
6
Of the first Gilbert who was the wife?—Dame Maulte, a lady full honourable,
Borne of the Ulsters, as sheweth ryfe
Hir aarmes of glasse in the easte gable.
And for to God thei wolde ben acceptable,
Her Lorde and she with an holy entent
Made up our chirche fro the fundament.—
7
Now to dame Johane turn we ageyn,Latter Gilbertis wife, as to-forne seid is,
Which lyeth here: Was she bareyn?—
Nay, sir.—Sey me, what frute was this?—
A branche of right great joie, I-wis.—
Man or woman?—A ladie bright.—
What was hir name? Elizabeth she hight.—
8
Who was hir husbonde?—Sir John of Burgh,Eire of the Ulstris; so conjoyned be
Ulstris armes and Gloucestris thurgh and thurgh,
As sheweth our wyndowes in housis thre,
Dortur, Chapiter-hous, and fraitour, which she
Made out the grounde, both plauncher and wall.—
And who the rofe?—She allone did al.—
9
Had she ony issue?—Yea, sir, sickerly.—What?—A doughter. What name had she?—
Liche hir modir; Elizabeth, sothely.—
Who evir the husbonde of hir might be?
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Sir Lyonel, which buried is hir by,
As for such a Prince, to simpilly.—
10
Lefe he ony frute, this Prince mighty?—Sir, yea, a doughtir, and Philipp she hight;
Whom sir Edmond Mortymer weddid, truly,
Firste erle of the Marche, a manly knight;
Whose son, sir Roger, by title of right
Lefte heire a nothir Edmonde ageyn;
Edmonde left noone, but deide bareyn.—
11
Right thus did cese of the Marchis blodeThe heire male: Whither passid the right
Of the Marchis londis, and in whome it stode,
I wolde fayne lerne, yf that I might.—
Sir Roger Myddil erle, that noble knight,
Tweyn doughters lefte of his blode roial;
That ones issue deid; that othris hath al.—
12
What hight that ladie whos issue had graceThis lordship tatteyne?—Dame Anne, I-wis;
To the erle of Cambrigge and she wife was,
Which both be dede, God graunte hem blys.
But hir son Richard, which yet liveth, is
Duke of Yorke by discent of his fadir,
And hath Marchis londis by right of his modir.—
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13
Is he sole or maried, this Prynce myghty?—Sole, God forbede! it were grete pitee!—
Who hath he weddid?—A gracious lady.—
What is her name, I the praie telle me!—
Dame Cicily, sir.—Whos doughtir was she?—
Of the erle of Westmerlond, I trowe, the yengest,
And yn grace hir fortuned to be the hyest.—
14
Is there ony frute betwix hem two?—Yea, Sir, thonks be God, ful glorius.—
Male or female?—Sir, bothe-two—
The nombir of this progeny gracious
And the names to know I am desirous,
The order eke of birth telle, yf thou kan,
So I wil ever be even thyn own man.—
15
Sir, aftir the tyme of longe bareynesseGod first sent Anne, which signifyeth grace,
In token that at her hertis hevynesse
He as for bareynesse wold fro hem chace;
Harry, Edward, and Edmonde, eche in his place
Succedid; and after tweyn doughters cam:
Elizabeth and Margarete, and aftir William.
16
John aftir William nexte borne was,Which bothe be passid to Goddis grace;
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Borne was, which sone aftir did pace
By the path of dethe into the hevenly place;
Richard liveth yet; but the last of alle
Was Ursula, to him whom God list calle.
17
To the duke of Excestre Anne maried isIn her tendir youth. But my lord Henry
God chosen hath to enherite hevenblis,
And lefte Edward to succede temporally,
Now erle of Marche; and Edmonde, of Rutland sothly
Counte; bothe fortunabil to right high marriage.
The othir foure stonde yit in their pupillage.
18
Longe mote he liven to Goddis plesaunce,This high and mighty Prince, in prosperite;
With virtue and victorie God him avaunce
Of al his enemyes, and grante that he
And the noble Princesse, his wife, may see
Her childres children, or thei hens wende,
And aftir this outelary the joy that nevir shal end!
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