The Minor Poems of John Lydgate :: :: University of Virginia Library

By trew[e] recorde of the Doctor Bede,
That some tyme wrotte so mikle with his hand,
And specially—remembringe as I reede
In his Cronicles made of England—
Amoung other thyngs, as ye shall understand—
Whom for myne aucthour I dare alleage—
Kouth þe translation & buylding of Cambridge;

2

With hym accordynge, Alfride the Croniclere—
Seriouslye who lyst his booke to see,
Made in þe tyme when he was Thresurere
Of Beverley, an old famouse cytye—
Affirme & seyne, the Universitie
Off Cambridge & studye fyrst began
By þat wrytinge, as I reporte can.

3

He rehersing first for commendacion,
By þat wrytinge, how that old cytie
Was stronglie whalled with towers manye one,
Builte & finished with great libertie,
Notable & famous, of greate authoritie,
As theis authors accordinge sayne þe same,
Of Cantabro takyng first his name.

4

Like as I finde—reporte I can none other—
This Canteber tyme of his lyvynge
To Pertholyne he was germayne brother,
Duke in tho dayes, in Ireland a great kynge,
Chieffe & principall cause of that buildyng;
The wall about & towers as they stoode
Was sett & builte upon a large floode,

653

5

Named Cantebro, a large brode ryver,
And after Cante called Cantebro.
This famous citie, this write the cronicler,
Was called Cambridge; rehersing eke also
In þat booke theis authors bothe twoe.
Towching the date, as I rehear[s]e can,
Fro thilke tyme that the world began

6

Fower thowsand complete, by accompt[e]s clere,
And three hundreth by computacion,
Ioyned therto eight & fortie yeare,
When Cantebro gave the foundacion
Of thys cytie & this famous towne,
And of this noble universitie,
Sett on this ryver which is called Cante;

7

And fro the greate transmigracion
Of kyns reconned in the Byble of old,
Fro Ierusalem to Babylon
Two hundreth wynter & thirtie years told—
Thus to write myne author maketh me bold—
When Cantebro, as it [is] well kouthe,
At Atheynes scholed in his youth,

8

All his wytts greatlye did applie
To have acquayntance by great affection,
With folke experte in philosophie.
From Atheynes he brought with him downe
Philosophers most sovereigne of renowne,
Unto Cambridge, playnlye this is the case,
Anaxamander & Anaxogoras,

9

With many other, myne Authours dothe declare;
To Cambridge fast[e] can hym spede,
With philosophers, & let for no cost spare,

654

In the scholes to studdie & to reede,
Of whoes teachynge great profit þat gan spread
And great increase rose of his doctrine;
Thus of Cambridge þe name gan first shyne

10

As chieffe schoole & universitie.
Unto this tyme fro the daye it began,
By clere reporte, in many a far countre;
Unto the reigne of Cassibellan—,
A woorthie prynce & a full knightlie man,
As sayne cronicles, who with his might[y] hand
Let Iulius Cesar to arryve in this land—,

11

Five hundreth yere, full thirtie yere & twentie
Fro Babylons transmigracion,
That Cassibelane reigned in Britaine,
Which, by his notable royall discrecion,
To increase that studdie of great affection,
I meane of Cambridge the Universitie
Franchised with manye a libertie.

12

By the meane of his royall favor,
From countreis about[en] manye one,
Divers schollers, by diligent labour,
Made þat resorte of great affection;
To that stooddie great plentye there cam downe,
To gather fruits of wysedome & science
And sondrie flowers of sugred eloquence.

13

And as it is put eke in memorie,
Howe Iulius Cesar, entring this region,
On Cassybellan after his victorye,
Tooke with him clarks of famous renowne
Fro Cambridge, & ledd them to Rome Towne;
Thus by process remembred here-to-forne,
Cambridg was founded long or Chryst was borne—

655

14

Five hundreth yere, thirtie & eke nyne.
In this matter ye gett no more of me,
Reherse I wyll no more at this tyme.
Theis remembranc[e]s have great authoritie,
To be preferred of long antiquitie;
For which by recorde, all clarks seyne þe same,
Of heresie Cambridge bare never blame.