The bore's heed I understande

Is the chefe servyce in this lande,
Loke where ever it be fande

Servite cum cantico.

Be gladde lordes bothe more and lasse
For this hath ordeyned our stewarde,
To chere you all this christmasse

The bore's heed with mustarde.

When Henry II. had his eldest son crowned as fellow with him in the kingdom, upon the day of coronation, king Henry, the father, served his son at the table as sewer, bringing up the bore's head with trumpets before it, according to the manner; whereupon (according to the old adage,

Immutant mores homines cum dantur honores)

the young man conceiving a pride in his heart, beheld the standers-by with a more stately countenance than he had been wont. The archbishop of York who sat by him, marking his behaviour, turned unto him and said, "Be glad, my good son, there is not another prince in the world that hath such a sewer at his table." To this the new king answered as it were disdainfully thus: "Why doest thou marvel at that? my father in doing it thinketh it not more than becometh him, he being born of princely blood only on the mother's side, serveth me that am a king born, having both a king to my father and a queen to my mother." Thus the young man of an evil and perverse nature, was puffed up in pride by his father's unseemly doings.

But the king his father hearing his talk was very sorrowful in his mind, and said to the archbishop softly in his ear, "It repenteth me, it repenteth me, my lord, that I have thus advanced the boy." For he guessed hereby what a one he would prove afterward, that shewed himself so disobedient and forward already. Holinshed.

Page 181. line 459.

his old limbs

Are not like yours so supple in the flight.

Τους δε παλαιοτερους, ων ουκετι γουνατ' ελαφρα,
Μη καταλείποντες φεύγετε τους γεραίους.

Αισχρον γάρ δη τουτο μετα προμάχοισι πεσοντα,
Κεισθαι προσθε νεων ανδρα παλαρότερον,

Ηδη λευκον εχοντα καρη, πολιον τε γενειον,

Θυμον αποπνείοντ' αλκιμον εν κονίη - Tyrtæus.

Page 182. line 475. — He from the saddle bow his falchion caught.

In the combat between Francus and Phouere, Ronsard says de la main leurs coutelas trouverent

Bien aiguisez qui de l'arçon pendoyent.

On this passage the commentator observes, "l'autheur arme ces deux chevaliers à la mode de nos gendarmes François, la lance en la main, la coutelace ou la mace à l'arçon, et l'espée au

costé.

Thus Desmarests says of the troops of Clovis

A tous pend de l'arçon, à leur mode guerrierre,

Et la hache tranchante, et la masse meurtriere.

And when Clovis on foot and without a weapon hears the shrieks of a woman, he sees his horse,

Jette l'œil sur l'arçon, et void luire sa hache.

Lope de Vega speaks of the sword being carried in the same manner, when he describes Don Juan de Aguila as—

Page 182. line 494.

The sword of Talbot.

Talbot's sword, says Camden, was found in the river of Dordon, and sold by a peasant to an armourer of Bourdeaux, with this inscription,

Sum Talboti, M. IIII. C. XLIII.

Pro vincere inimicos meos.

But pardon the Latin, for it was not his, but his camping chaplain's. A sword with bad Latin upon it, but good steel within it, says Fuller.

It was not uncommon to bear a motto upon the sword. Lope de Vega describes that of Aguilar as bearing inlaid in gold, a verse of the psalms. It was, he says,

Mas famosa que fue de hombre cenida,
Para ocasiones del honor guardada,

Y en ultima defensa de la vida,
Y desde cuya guarnicion dorada
Hasta la punta la canal brunida
Tenia escrito de David un verso.
Nielado de oro en el azero terso.

Jerusalen Conquistada.

Page 182. line 501.

Fastolffe, all fierce and haughty as he

was.

In the Paston letters published by Mr. Fenn, Fastolffe appears in a very unfavourable light. Henry Windsor writes thus of him," hit is not unknown that cruelle and vengible he hath byn ever, and for the most part with oute pite and mercy. I can no more, but vade et corripe eum, for truly he cannot bryng about his matiers in this word (world), for the word is not for him. I suppose it wolnot chaunge yett be likelenes, but i beseche you sir help not to amend hym onely, but every other man yf ye kno any mo mysse disposed."

The order of the garter was taken from Fastolffe for his conduct at Patay. He suffered a more material loss in the money he expended in the service of the state. In 1455, 40837. 15. 7.

were due to him for costs and charges during his services in France, "whereof the sayd Fastolffe hath had nouther payement nor assignation." So he complains.

In a battle between the Burgundians and Dauphinois near Abbeville (1421) Monstrellet especially notices the conduct of John Villain, who had that day been made a knight. He was a nobleman from Flanders, very tall, and of great bodily strength, and was mounted on a good horse, holding a battleaxe in both hands. Thus he pushed into the thickest part of the battle, and throwing the bridle on his horse's neck, gave such blows on all sides with his battle-axe, that whoever was struck was instantly unhorsed and wounded past recovery. In this way he met Poton de Xaintrailles, who, after the battle was over, declared the wonders he did, and that he got out of his reach as fast as he could. - Vol. v. p. 294.

Page 184. line 552.

His buckler now splinter'd with many

a stroke.

L'écu des chevaliers était ordinairement un bouclier de forme à peu près triangulaire, large par le haut pour couvrir le corps, et se terminant en pointe par le bas, afin d'être moins lourd. On les faisait de bois qu'on recouvrait avec du cuir bouilli, avec des nerfs ou autres matieres dures, mais jamais de fer ou d'acier. Seulement il était permis, pour les empêcher d'être coupés trop aisément par les epées, d'y mettre un cercle d'or, d'argent, ou de fer, qui les entourât. Le Grand.

Page 185. line 588.

Threw o'er the slaughter'a chief his blazon'd coat.

This fact is mentioned in Andrews's History of England. I have merely versified the original expressions. "The herald of Talbot sought out his body among the slain. Alas, my lord, and is it you! I pray God pardon you all your misdoings. I have been your officer of arms forty years and more:

it is time that I should surrender to you the ensigns of my office.' Thus saying, with the tears gushing from his eyes, he threw his coat of arms over the corpse, thus performing one of the ancient rites of sepulture."

Page 188. line 656.-Pour'd on the monarch's head the mystic oil.

"The Frenchmen wonderfully reverence this oyle; and at the coronation of their kings, fetch it from the church where it is kept, with great solemnity. For it is brought (saith Sleiden in his Commentaries) by the prior sitting on a white ambling palfrey, and attended by his monkes; the archbishop of the town (Rheims) and such bishops as are present, going to the church door to meet it, and leaving for it with the prior some gage, and the king, when it is by the archbishop brought to the altar, bowing himself before it with great reverence. Peter Heylyn.