Proemium

fol. 1r Salve, festa dies I Martis, Mavortis! Avete Kalende! Qua Deus ad celum sublevat ire David! (See next three lines)

Hail Haly Day devout! Al hail kalende Holy Day kalends (i.e., first day) Of Marche, wheryn David the Confessour Commaunded is his Kyngis court ascende! Emanuel, Jhesus the Conquerour,line5 This same day as a tryumphatour, supreme victor Sette in a chare and throne of majestee, chair To London is comyn. O Saviour, Welcome a thousand fold to Thi citee!

And she, Thi Modir (blessed mot she be!) Mother (i.e., Mary) blessed mayline10 That cometh eke, and angelys anende, also, and angels constantly Wel-wynged and wel-horsed, hidir fle, flying here Thousendys on this goode approche attende, And ordir aftir ordir thei commende, order they salute As seraphin, as cherubyn, as throne, seraphim cherubim thronesline15 As domynaunce, and princys hidir sende. dominions principalities And, at o woord, right welcom everychone! one

fol. 1v But Kyng Herry the Sexte, as Goddes Sone Henry VI, like Or th’emperour or Kyng Emanuel, To London, welcomer be noo persone! more welcome is no one [but you]line20 O souverayn Lord, welcom! Now wel, now wel! Te Deum to be songen, wil do wel, ‘Thee, O God [we praise]’ And Benedicta Sancta Trinitas! ‘Blessed [be] the Holy Trinity’ Now prosperaunce and peax perpetuel prosperity and perpetual peace Shal growe. And why? For here is Unitas. ‘Unity’

line25 Therof to the Unitee: Deo gratias ‘Thanks be to God’ In Trinitee! The clergys and knyghthode clergy knights And comynaltee better accorded nas commons better accorded were Never then now. Now nys ther noon abode, Now there is no one facing off But out on hem that fordoon Goddes forbode,line30 Perjurous ar, rebellous, and atteynte, criminal So forfaytinge her lyif and lyvelode, forfeiting their lives and livelihood Although ypocrisie her faytys peynte. hypocrisy disguises their fates

Now, person of Caleys, pray every seynte parson of Calais, pray [to] In hevenys and in erth of help: th’availe on earth for help: the benefitline35 It is. That in this werk nothing ne feynte, nothing be held back But that beforn good wynde it go ful sayle; before sail And that not oonly prayer, but travaile labor Heron be sette. Enserche and faste inquere Thi litil book Of Knyghthode and Bataile Your Battleline40 What chivaler is best, on it bewere. knight be advised

[Conversation between the Poet and Beaumont]

fol. 2r Whil Te Deum laudamus up goth there ‘Thee, O God we praise’ is sung At Paulis, up to Westmynster go thee; Paul’s (i.e., St. Paul’s Cathedral) The kyng comyng, honor, virtus the quene, [with] ‘virtue’ the queen So glad goth up that blisse it is to see. Such happiness arisesline45 Thi bille unto the kyng is red, and he Your petition read Content withal, and wil it not foryete. What seith my lord Beaumont? “Preste, unto me Priest Welcom.” Here is t’assay, entre to gete! Now is the test, [with] entry to gain

“Of knyghthode and bataile, my lord, as trete as is treated inline50 The bookys olde, a werk is made now late, a poem was made of late And if it please you, it may be gete.” fetched “What werk is it?” “Vegetius translate translated Into balade.” “O preste, I pray thee, late Into poetry let Me se that werk.” “Therto wil I you wise. I will reveal it to youline55 Lo, here it is!” Anoon he gan therate At once he began of it To rede, thus: “Sumtyme it was the gise. . .” read fashion

And red therof a part. “For my servyse read Heer wil I rede,” he seith, “as o psaultier.” one psalter “It pleaseth you right wel. Wil your advyse As it pleases youline60 Suppose that the kyng heryn pleasier Whether pleasure of this May have?” “I wil considir the matier. I fynde it is right good and pertynente Unto the kyng. His celsitude is hier; highness is here I halde it wel doon, hym therwith presente.” consider it well done

[Presentation of the Poem to the King]

fol. 2v “Almyghti Maker of the firmament,line66 O mervailous in every creature, So singuler in this most excellent So uniquely present within Persone, our souverayn lord! Of what stature (i.e., Henry VI) Is he, what visagynge, how fair-feture, visage fair-featuredline70 How myghti mad, and how strong in travaile! mightily made works In oonly God and hym it is t’assure to affirm As in a might, that noo wight dar assaile. mighty one, that no person dare assail

“Lo, souverayn lord, Of Knyghthode and Bataile, This litil werk, your humble oratour,line75 Ye, therwithal your chivalers, t’availe, Inwith your hert to Crist the Conquerour, Offreth. For ye theryn doeth him th’onour. His true thought, accepte it, he besecheth. he (i.e., the poet) begs Accepte it is to this tryumphatourline80 That myghti werre exemplifying techeth.” war teaches by examples

He redeth, and fro poynt to poynt he secheth, reads [it] searches [it] How hath be doon, and what is now to done; His providence on aftirward he strecheth, By see and lond. He wil provide sone sea and land [forces] soonline85 To chace his adversaryes everychone; Thei hem by land, thei hem by see asseyle. The kyng his oratoure, God graunt his bone, orator prayer Ay to prevaile in knyghthode and bataile. Always

Amen.