122
ALBON UND AMPHABEL.
[BUCH I.]
His name worthy to be put in
memory —
He quit hym seife so like a manly
knight!
Graunted to hym the price and the
victory
Thrugh his desert, | of very trouthe
and right;
«35 Called in Rome the lanterne and the light
Of knightly prowes,' | and Phebus
soueraine
Thrugh all Italic, ) and day-sterre of
Britaine.
Of blessed Albon | the armes in his
shelde
Square on his shulders, by antiquitie:
640 Of fyne asure, sothely, was the felde,
Therin ofgolde depictewasa sautree —
In whose story | at Leicester who list se,
After his passion, [ as I affirme dare,
In his cote-armour | kyng Offa sothely
bare —
645 Of whose mynster he after was foun
der,
As the Cronicle maketh mencion,
A manly knight, | a noble gouernour;
In his dayes 1 thrugh many a region
His name sprad[andhishigh renownc;
650 Vnder these armes, | as put is in
memory,
In euery felde had alway the victory —
A-forne prouided (I trow of yore
agoon)
By grace of god and heuenly influence
And by the merite of the glorious
saint Albon —
65s Had in knighthood marciall excellence;
And for to acquite hym, by vertuouse
prouidence
To this martir, | called saint Albon,
Of that minster laid the first stoon,
After whose hande | masons dyd
wyrche —
660 He bare the cost, | of great deuocion;
The said armes he left vnto the chirche,
This kyng Offa, | as made is mencion;
And finally, | by myne opinion,
By these armes | againe all that dothe
them wrong
665 With helpe of Albon they shall be
made stronge.
The felde of Asure betokeneth
stedfastnes.
The Sautree [ lyke a crosse of saint
Andrue;
The colour heuenly shall giue them
perfitnes,
By the holy crosse | force in our lorde
Jesu
670 From day to day [ to encreas all in
vertue;
The Prothomartir, | theyr patron saint
Albon,
Shall them defende fro theyr mortall
foon. —
After these iustes and famous tour-
nement
Fully accomplisshed, 1 tolde here in
sentence,
675 Bassian | disposed in his entent
To awaite a tyme of intiere diligence
Of the Emperourto aske goodly licence
With the Barons I beyng in Rome towne
Home to retourne to Brutes Albiowne.
680 His request was graunted anon
By Dioclecian, | made non exception,
Saue onely thus: 1 he sayd that Albon
Shall not departe by no condicion —
To hym he had so great affection
685 For high noblesse and semelynes
alone —
He shulde abyde [ and awaite on his
persone —
To Albon I egall in fayrnes
With Dioclecian, | non so great as he,
Of manly force and hardynes,
690 Famouse in knighthode 1 like Judas
Machabe,
As Scipion 1 of prudent aduyse was he,
Of chere benigne, | discrete and ver-
tuous,
Gyuyng councell right sad and com
pendious,
637) the st. and. 642) Lecestre. 643) a (tonne. 645) foundre. 651) ay st. alway. 654) the fehlt.
659) worche. 665) with the. 666) stabulnesse. 672) ageyn all her. 680) graunted was. 686) waite.
691) As Sc. prudent and awise. 693) right fehlt.
