oh my stars and garters
Yet another excerpt from the Golden Garland of Stuff &c. This one is about the legendary and certainly untrue tale of the foundation of the Order of the Garter, notable for its extremely odd depiction of the Hundred Years War (obviously they didn't call it that then). It is interesting, too, that the lady in this version of the Garter story (usually imagined to be a Countess of Salisbury who may be Joan of Kent but may also be named Alice and probably isn't a real person at all) is none other than the Queen of France!
This song calls for the tune "When Arthur first in court," which is fairly well-known among Shakespeareans because Falstaff sings part of it in 2 Henry IV. The original editions of "When Arthur first in court" call for the tune "Flying Fame," which is now lost but appears as a tune direction for many ballads which in other sources are said to go to the tune of the famous ballad "Chevy Chase," so it is pretty likely* that the two tunes are the same; I have, therefore, used it here. Of course, this song is in the standard ballad meter so you can put it to pretty much any ballad tune you like.
(Incidentally, in the Golden Garland there is a ballad about King Lear which calls for the tune "Flying Fame.")
*according to Ross Duffin at least, in Shakespeare's Songbook, which includes the Arthur ballad.
A gallant Song of the Garter of England and how it was made first an honour to this Kingdome by King Edward the third.
To the tune of, When Arthur first, &c.
When as third Edward ruld this Land:
And was our English king:
He had good speed in all his sight
braue conquest home to bring:
Two kingly Crownes vpon his sword,
In sumptuous sort was borne:
Most gallantly to grace the third,
that on his head was worne.
Thus three in one made Englands fame,
through all the world to shine:
Which well might clame a titled grace,
amongst our worthies nine:
Seauen princely Sonnes he likewise had,
whose vertues wonne him prayse,
From one fayre Queene descended all,
in beauties blooming dayes,
His Earles and Barons brauely bent,
to practise knightly deeds:
To break the Launce, to runne at Ring,
to back their barbed steedes:
Which made the world thinke, Mars his Court
was kept in England here
When Englands Peeres made forraine lands
to quake with trembling feare.
King Edwards raigne rung ecchoing thus,
through euery Christian Court,
Of whom the nobles Prince that liued
gaue sounds of braue report.
Right valiant king, himself likewise,
his Country to aduance:
With many of his Peeres ariud,
within the Court of France.
And there by Tilts and Tournies braue,
such honours did obtaine,
As Mars himself in glistering steele,
the prize from them would gaine:
So braue and bold his Barons were,
and so successefull then,
That none of all the Lords of France,
were like our English men.
Thus many moneths he with his Peeres
spent there with braue delights,
Whose dayly sports concluded were
by reueling at nights:
Where Measure ad Carantoes fine,
so gract the Court of France:
As if Queene Iuno with her Ioue,
had brauely led the daunce.
Amongst which glorious troope of Dames,
that richly sate to see,
The French Queene there aboue the rest
the fairest seemed to be,
Whom English Edward by the hand,
in curteous manner tooke,
To dance withall, at which the French,
gaue many a scornefull looke.
But Edward still like Mars himselfe,
with countenance and grace,
By Courtship won great liking there,
from all within that place.
King Edward pleasd the Princely Queene,
the Queene king Edward well,
But as they daunct, there from her leg,
by chance her garter fell.
The which king Edward soone tooke vp,
And it in kindnesse wore,
For fauour and for curtesies
he to her vertues bore.
But some there present gaue forth words,
The Queene of purposelost
Her garter there for him to find
whom she affected most.
But when he heard these ill conceits
And speeches that they made,
Hony soyt qui maly pens,
the noble Princess said.
Ill hap to them that euill thinke,
In English it is thus
Which words so wise (quoth Englands King)
shall surely goe with vs,
And for her sake shall Englands Peeres,
In honour of our land,
A Garter weare, and in the same,
these words in gold shall stand.
That all the world may nobly speake,
Our garter came from France,
In Princely manner named thus,
our Countrey to aduance.
The Tilts and Reuels thus had end,
That long had lasted there:
And home our King and Nobles came
with mirth and meery cheere:
Where soone he brauely did create,
Full many a Lordly Knight,
To weare this golden Garter faire,
So sumptuous and so bright.
And named them S. Georges knights,
And of this Garter braue:
As noble an order of estate,
as any king can haue,
Which Knights vpon S. Georges day,
Still there precession goes,
Through Englnds Court in robes of gold
and most delightfull shoes.*
At Windsor is this Order kept,
where kings be of the same,
And forraigne Princes much desire,
the honours of that name.
Third Edward first began this grace,
of knight-hood to his praise:
Which still is kept with high renowne,
in our King Iames is dayes.
Ten English kings haue been thereof,
of Princes and of Peeres
A number great, whose honors liu'd,
most braue in ancient yeares:
And at this day of Dukes and Lords,
our land hath honoured store:
Whose names and fames the Lord increase
and make them more and more.
FINIS.
*I'm not sure whether this word is actually "shoes" or if it's an odd spelling for "shows." Either would make sense, really, in context.
This song calls for the tune "When Arthur first in court," which is fairly well-known among Shakespeareans because Falstaff sings part of it in 2 Henry IV. The original editions of "When Arthur first in court" call for the tune "Flying Fame," which is now lost but appears as a tune direction for many ballads which in other sources are said to go to the tune of the famous ballad "Chevy Chase," so it is pretty likely* that the two tunes are the same; I have, therefore, used it here. Of course, this song is in the standard ballad meter so you can put it to pretty much any ballad tune you like.
(Incidentally, in the Golden Garland there is a ballad about King Lear which calls for the tune "Flying Fame.")
*according to Ross Duffin at least, in Shakespeare's Songbook, which includes the Arthur ballad.
A gallant Song of the Garter of England and how it was made first an honour to this Kingdome by King Edward the third.
To the tune of, When Arthur first, &c.
When as third Edward ruld this Land:
And was our English king:
He had good speed in all his sight
braue conquest home to bring:
Two kingly Crownes vpon his sword,
In sumptuous sort was borne:
Most gallantly to grace the third,
that on his head was worne.
Thus three in one made Englands fame,
through all the world to shine:
Which well might clame a titled grace,
amongst our worthies nine:
Seauen princely Sonnes he likewise had,
whose vertues wonne him prayse,
From one fayre Queene descended all,
in beauties blooming dayes,
His Earles and Barons brauely bent,
to practise knightly deeds:
To break the Launce, to runne at Ring,
to back their barbed steedes:
Which made the world thinke, Mars his Court
was kept in England here
When Englands Peeres made forraine lands
to quake with trembling feare.
King Edwards raigne rung ecchoing thus,
through euery Christian Court,
Of whom the nobles Prince that liued
gaue sounds of braue report.
Right valiant king, himself likewise,
his Country to aduance:
With many of his Peeres ariud,
within the Court of France.
And there by Tilts and Tournies braue,
such honours did obtaine,
As Mars himself in glistering steele,
the prize from them would gaine:
So braue and bold his Barons were,
and so successefull then,
That none of all the Lords of France,
were like our English men.
Thus many moneths he with his Peeres
spent there with braue delights,
Whose dayly sports concluded were
by reueling at nights:
Where Measure ad Carantoes fine,
so gract the Court of France:
As if Queene Iuno with her Ioue,
had brauely led the daunce.
Amongst which glorious troope of Dames,
that richly sate to see,
The French Queene there aboue the rest
the fairest seemed to be,
Whom English Edward by the hand,
in curteous manner tooke,
To dance withall, at which the French,
gaue many a scornefull looke.
But Edward still like Mars himselfe,
with countenance and grace,
By Courtship won great liking there,
from all within that place.
King Edward pleasd the Princely Queene,
the Queene king Edward well,
But as they daunct, there from her leg,
by chance her garter fell.
The which king Edward soone tooke vp,
And it in kindnesse wore,
For fauour and for curtesies
he to her vertues bore.
But some there present gaue forth words,
The Queene of purposelost
Her garter there for him to find
whom she affected most.
But when he heard these ill conceits
And speeches that they made,
Hony soyt qui maly pens,
the noble Princess said.
Ill hap to them that euill thinke,
In English it is thus
Which words so wise (quoth Englands King)
shall surely goe with vs,
And for her sake shall Englands Peeres,
In honour of our land,
A Garter weare, and in the same,
these words in gold shall stand.
That all the world may nobly speake,
Our garter came from France,
In Princely manner named thus,
our Countrey to aduance.
The Tilts and Reuels thus had end,
That long had lasted there:
And home our King and Nobles came
with mirth and meery cheere:
Where soone he brauely did create,
Full many a Lordly Knight,
To weare this golden Garter faire,
So sumptuous and so bright.
And named them S. Georges knights,
And of this Garter braue:
As noble an order of estate,
as any king can haue,
Which Knights vpon S. Georges day,
Still there precession goes,
Through Englnds Court in robes of gold
and most delightfull shoes.*
At Windsor is this Order kept,
where kings be of the same,
And forraigne Princes much desire,
the honours of that name.
Third Edward first began this grace,
of knight-hood to his praise:
Which still is kept with high renowne,
in our King Iames is dayes.
Ten English kings haue been thereof,
of Princes and of Peeres
A number great, whose honors liu'd,
most braue in ancient yeares:
And at this day of Dukes and Lords,
our land hath honoured store:
Whose names and fames the Lord increase
and make them more and more.
FINIS.
*I'm not sure whether this word is actually "shoes" or if it's an odd spelling for "shows." Either would make sense, really, in context.