The Battle of Sluys

Lithes and the batail I sal bigyn
of Inglisch men and Normandes in the Swin.

Minot with mowth had menid to make
Suth sawes and sad for sum mens sake ;
The wordes of sir Edward makes me to wake,
Wald he salue vs sone mi sorow suld slake;
War mi sorow slaked sune wald I sing:
When God will sir Edward sal vs bute bring.

Sir Philip the Valas cast was in care ;
And said sir Hugh Kyret to Flandres suld fare,
And haue Normondes inogh to leue on his lare,
All Flandres to brin and mak it all bare ;
Bot, vnkind coward, wo was him thare :
When he sailed in the Swin it sowed him sare ;
Sare it tham smerted that ferd out of ffrance;
Thare lered Inglis men tham a new daunce.

The buriase of Bruge ne war noght to blame;
I pray Ihesu saue tham fro sin and fro schame,
For thai war sone at the Sluse all by a name,
Whare many of the Normandes tok mekill grame.

When Bruges and Ipyre hereof herd tell,
Thai sent Edward to wit that was in Arwell;
Than had he no liking langer to dwell,
He hasted him to the Swin with sergantes snell,
To mete with the Normandes that fals war and fell,
That had ment if thai might al Flandres to quell.

King Edward vnto sail was ful sune dight
With erles and barons and many kene knight:
Thai come byfor Blankebergh on Saint Ions night;
That was to the Normondes a well sary sight,
Yit trumped thai and daunced with torches ful bright,
In the wilde waniand was thaire hertes light.

Opon the morn efter, if I suth say,
A meri man, sir Robard out of Morlay,
At half eb in the Swin soght he the way ;
Thare lered men the Normandes at bukler to play ;
Helpid tham no prayer that thai might pray;
The wreches er wonnen thaire wapin es oway.

The Erie of Norhamton helpid at that nede,
Als wise man of wordes and worthli in wede,
Sir Walter the Mawnay, God gif him mede,
Was bold of body in batayl to bede.

The due of Lankaster was dight for to driue,
With mani mody man that thoght for to thriue,
Wele and stalworthly stint he that striue,
That few of the Normandes left thai oliue ;
Fone left thai oliue bot did tham to lepe;
Men may find by the flode a 'C' on hepe.

Sir. William of Klinton was eth for to knaw ;
Mani stout bachilere broght he on raw.
It semid with thaire schoting als it was snaw;
The bost of the Normandes broght thai ful law ;
Thaire bost was abated and thaire mekil pride,
Fer might thai noght fle bot thare bud tham bide.

The gude Erie of Glowcester, God mot him glade,
Broght many bold men with bowes ful brade;
To biker with the Normandes baldely thai bade
And in middes the flode did them to wade ;
To wade war tho wretches casten in the brim ;
The kaitefs come out of France at lere tham to swim.

I prays Iohn Badding als one of the best;
Faire come he sayland out of the suthwest,
To proue of tha Normandes was he ful prest,
Till he had foghten his fill he had neuer rest.

Iohn of Aile of the Sluys with scheltron ful schene
Was comen into Cagent, cantly and kene,
Bot sone was his trumping turned to tene;
Of him had sir Edward his will als I wene.

The schipmen of Ingland sailed ful swith,
That none of the Normandes fro tham might skrith.
Who so kouth wele his craft thare might it kith :
Of al the gude that thai gat gaf thai no tithe.

Two hundreth and mo schippes on the sandes
Had oure Inglis men won with thaire handes;
The kogges of Ingland war broght out of bandes,
And also the Cristofir that in the streme standes ;
In that stound thai stode, with stremers ful still
Til thai wist full wele sir Edwardes will.

Sir Edward, oure gude king wurthi in wall
Faght wele on that flude, faire mot him fall;
Als it es custom of king to confort tham all
So thanked he gudely the grete and the small,
He thanked them gudely, God gif him mede,
Thus come oure king in the Swin till that gude dede

This was the bataile that fell in the Swin,
Whare many Normandes made mekill din;
Wele war thai armed vp to the chin ;
But God and sir Edward gert thaire boste blin,
Thus blinned thaire boste, als we wele ken :
God assoyle thaire sawls, sais all, Amen.