The Worthines of Wales Wherein are more then a thousand seuerall things rehearsed: some set out in prose to the pleasure of the Reader, and with such varietie of verse for the beautifying of the Book, as no doubt shal delight thousands to vnderstand. Which worke is enterlarded with many wonders and right strange matter to consider of: All the which labour and deuice is drawne forth and set out by Thomas Churchyard, to the glorie of God, and honour of his Prince and Countrey |
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The Towne of Ludloe, and many good gifts graunted to the same.
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 | The Worthines of Wales |  |
The Towne of Ludloe, and many good gifts graunted to the same.
King
Edward fourth, for seruice truely done,
When Henry sixt, and he had mortall warre:
No sooner he, by force the victorie wone,
But with great things, the Towne he did prefarre.
Gaue lands thereto, and libertie full large,
Which royall gifts, his bountie did declare,
And dayly doth, mainteyne the Townes great charge:
Whose people now, in as great freedome are,
As any men, vnder this rule and Crowne,
That liues and dwels, in Citie or in Towne.
When Henry sixt, and he had mortall warre:
No sooner he, by force the victorie wone,
But with great things, the Towne he did prefarre.
Gaue lands thereto, and libertie full large,
Which royall gifts, his bountie did declare,
And dayly doth, mainteyne the Townes great charge:
Whose people now, in as great freedome are,
That liues and dwels, in Citie or in Towne.
That Towne hath bin well gouerned a lōg while with two Bayliefes, twelue Aldermen, and fiue and thirtie Commoners, a Recorder & a Townclarke assistant to the sayd Bayliefes by iudiciall course of lawe weekely, in as large and ample maner for their triall betweene partie and partie, as any Cittie or Borrowe of England hath.
Two Bayliefes rules, one yeere the Towne throughout,
Twelue Aldermen, they haue there in likewise:
Who doth beare sway, as turne doth come about,
Who chosen are, by oth and auncient guise.
Good lawes they haue, and open place to pleade,
In ample sort, for right and Iustice sake:
A Preacher too, that dayly there doth reade,
A Schoolemaster, that doth good schollers make.
And for the Queere, are boyes brought vp to sing,
And so serue God, and doe none other thing.
Twelue Aldermen, they haue there in likewise:
Who doth beare sway, as turne doth come about,
Who chosen are, by oth and auncient guise.
Good lawes they haue, and open place to pleade,
In ample sort, for right and Iustice sake:
A Preacher too, that dayly there doth reade,
A Schoolemaster, that doth good schollers make.
And for the Queere, are boyes brought vp to sing,
And so serue God, and doe none other thing.
Three tymes a day, in Church good Saruice is,
At sixe a clocke, at nine, and then at three:
In which due howers, a straunger shall not mis,
But sondrie sorts, of people there to see.
And thirtie three, poore persons they maintaine,
Who weekely haue, both money, almes and ayde:
Their lodging free, and further to be plaine,
Still once a weeke, the poore are truely payde:
Which shewes great grace, and goodnesse in that Seate,
Where rich doth see, the poore shall want no meate.
At sixe a clocke, at nine, and then at three:
In which due howers, a straunger shall not mis,
But sondrie sorts, of people there to see.
And thirtie three, poore persons they maintaine,
Who weekely haue, both money, almes and ayde:
Their lodging free, and further to be plaine,
Still once a weeke, the poore are truely payde:
Which shewes great grace, and goodnesse in that Seate,
Where rich doth see, the poore shall want no meate.
An Hospitall, there hath bene long of old,
And many things, pertayning to the same:
A goodly Guyld, the Township did vphold,
By Edwards gift, a King of worthie fame.
This Towne doth choose, two Burgesses alwaies
For Parliament, the custome still is so:
Two Fayres a yeere, they haue on seuerall daies,
Three Markets kept, but monday chiefe I troe:
And two great Parkes, there are full neere the Towne,
But those of right, pertaine vnto the Crowne.
And many things, pertayning to the same:
A goodly Guyld, the Township did vphold,
By Edwards gift, a King of worthie fame.
This Towne doth choose, two Burgesses alwaies
For Parliament, the custome still is so:
Two Fayres a yeere, they haue on seuerall daies,
Three Markets kept, but monday chiefe I troe:
And two great Parkes, there are full neere the Towne,
But those of right, pertaine vnto the Crowne.
These things rehearst, makes Ludloe honord mitch,
And world to thinke, it is an auncient Seate:
Where many men, both worthie wise and ritch
Were borne and bred, and came to credit great.
Our auncient Kings, and Princes there did rest,
Where now full oft, the Presdent dwels a space:
It stands for Wales, most apt, most fit and best,
And neerest to, at hand of any place:
Wherefore I thought, it good before I end,
Within this booke, this matter should be pend.
And world to thinke, it is an auncient Seate:
Where many men, both worthie wise and ritch
Were borne and bred, and came to credit great.
Our auncient Kings, and Princes there did rest,
Where now full oft, the Presdent dwels a space:
It stands for Wales, most apt, most fit and best,
And neerest to, at hand of any place:
Wherefore I thought, it good before I end,
Within this booke, this matter should be pend.
The rest of Townes, that in Shropshiere you haue,
I neede not touch, they are so throughly knowne:
And further more, I knowe they cannot craue
To be of Wales, how euer brute be blowne.
So wishing well, as duetie doth me binde,
To one and all, as farre as power may goe,
I knit vp here, as one that doth not minde
Of natiue Soyle, no further now to showe.
So cease my mule, let pen and paper pause,
Till thou art calde, to write of other cause.
I neede not touch, they are so throughly knowne:
And further more, I knowe they cannot craue
To be of Wales, how euer brute be blowne.
So wishing well, as duetie doth me binde,
To one and all, as farre as power may goe,
I knit vp here, as one that doth not minde
Of natiue Soyle, no further now to showe.
So cease my mule, let pen and paper pause,
Till thou art calde, to write of other cause.
| The Worthines of Wales | |