No. 158: Hugh Spencer's Feats in France
[There are no known US or Canadian versions of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (Found at the end of Child's Narrative)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Texts A-C
5. Endnotes
6. "Additions and Corrections"
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3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A-C with additional notes)]
Child's Narrative: High Spencer's Feats in France
A. 'Hugh Spencer,' Percy Manuscript, p. 281; Hales and Furnivall, II, 290.
B. 'Hugh Spencer,' Percy Papers, communicated by the Duchess Dowager of Portland.
C. Dr. Joseph Robertson's Journal of Excursions, No 4.
The king of England, A, B, sends Hugh Spencer as ambassador to France, to know whether there is to be peace or war between the two lands. Spencer takes with him a hundred men-at-arms, A; twenty ships, B. The French king, Charles, A 30, declares for war, A, C; says that the last time peace was broken it was not along of him, B. The queen, Maude, B 9, is indignant that the king should parley with traitors, A, with English shepherds, B. She proposes to Spencer a joust with one of her knights. The Englishman has no jousting-horse. Three horses are brought out for him, all of which he rejects, A, B; in C, two. In A he calls for his old hack which he had brought over sea; in B, C, he accepts a fourth [third], a fiery-eyed black. Spencer breaks his spear, a French shaft, upon his antagonist; three spears [two] are tied together to make something strong enough for him to wield. He unhorses the Frenchman, then rides through the French camp and kills some thirteen or fourteen score of King Charles's men, A. The king says he will have his head, A, with some provocation certainly; the queen says as much in B, though Spencer has only killed her champion in fair fight. Spencer has but four true brethren left, A 33; we are not told what had become of the rest of his hundred. With these, or, in B, with two, he makes a stand against the royal guard, and kills scores of them. The French king begs him to hold his hand, A 34, B 35. There shall never be war with England while peace may be kept, A; he shall take back with him all the ships he brought, B.[1]
Hugh is naturally turned into a Scotsman in the Scottish version, C. The shepherd's son that he is matched with, 7, 15, is explained by traditional comment to be the queen's cousin.
These feats of Hugh Spencer do not outstrip those of the Breton knight Les Aubrays, when dealing with the French, Luzel, I, 286-305, II, 564-581; nor is his fanfaronnerie much beyond that of Harry Fifth. The Breton knight was explicitly helped by St. Anne, but then Spencer and Harry have God and St. George to borrow.
Liebrecht well remarks, Göttinger Gelehrte Anzeigen, 1868, p. 1900, that Spencer's rejecting the three French horses and preferring his old hack is a characteristically traditional trait, and like what we read of Walter of Aquitania in the continuation of his story in the chronicle of the cloister of Novalesa. After Walter, in his old age, had entered this monastery, he was deputed to obtain redress for a serious depredation on the property of the brethren. Asking the people of the cloister whether they have a horse serviceable for fight in case of necessity, he is told that there are good strong cart-horses at his disposal. He has these brought out, mounts one and another, and condemns all. He then inquires whether the old steed which he had brought with him is still alive. It is, but very old, and only used to carry corn to the mill. "Let me see him," says Walter, and, mounting, cries, "Oh, this horse has not forgotten what I taught him in my younger days." Grimm u. Schmeller, Lateinische Gedichte des X. u. XI. Jahrhunderts, p. 109. See 'Tom Potts,' II, 441.[2]
Of the many Hugh Spensers if we select the younger of the favorites of Edward II, his exploits, had they any foundation in reality, would necessarily fall between 1322, when Charles IV came to the French throne, and 1326, when the Spensers, father and son, ended their career. The French king says in B 8 that Spenser had sunk his ships and slain his men. Hugh Spenser the younger (both, according to Knyghton, col. 2539, but the father was a very old man) was engaged in piracy in 1321. The quarrel between Edward II and Charles IV, touching the English possessions in France, was temporarily arranged in 1325, but not through the mediation of the younger Spenser, who never was sent on an embassy to France. Another Sir Hugh Spenser was a commander in the Earl of Arundel's fleet in the operations against the French in Charles VI's time, 1387, and was taken prisoner in consequence of his ship grounding: Knyghton, col. 2693; Nicolas, History of the Royal Navy, II, 322f. No one of the three queens of Charles IV bore the name of Maude, which is assigned to the French queen in B, neither did the queen of Charles VI.
Footnotes:
1. "Thou hadst twenty ships hither, thou'st have twenty away," B 37. It would be more in the ballad-way were the second twenty doubled.
2. In the London Athenaeum, about twenty-five years ago, there was (I think) a story of an Englishman in Russia resembling Hugh Spencer's. I have wrongly noted the number as 1871, and have not recovered the story after much rummaging. This ballad is not very unlike Russian bylinas.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
Of the many Hugh Spensers if we select the younger of the favorites of Edward II, his exploits, had they any foundation in reality, would necessarily fall between 1322, when Charles IV came to the French throne, and 1326, when the Spensers, father and son, ended their career. The French king says in B 8 that Spenser had sunk his ships and slain his men. Hugh Spenser the younger was engaged in piracy in 1321. The quarrel between Edward II and Charles IV, touching the English possessions in France, was temporarily arranged in 1325, hut not through the mediation of the younger Spenser, who never was sent on an emhassy to France. Another Sir Hugh Spenser was a commander in the Earl of Arundel's fleet in the operations against the French in Charles VI's time, 1387, and was taken prisoner in consequence of his ship grounding.
This ballad is after the fashion of Russian bylinas, and especially the bylina of Dobrynja and Vasilij Kaziruirovic. In this very fine ballad, Vladimir is in arrears with his tribute to a Saracen king, and appoints Vasilij his envoy, to make payment. Vasilij asks that he may have Dobrynja go with him, and Dobrynja asks for Ivanuska's company. Dobrynja beats the king at chess and at the bow (which corresponds to the justing in the English ballad); then follows a great fight, the result of which is that the Saracen king is fain to pay tribute himself. See Wollner, Volksepik der Grossrussen, pp. 123-5.
Child's Ballad Texts
'Hugh Spencer'- Version A; Child 158 High Spencer's Feats in France
Percy Manuscript, p. 281; Hales and Furnivall, II, 290.
1 The court is kept att leeue London,
And euermore shall be itt;
The King sent for a bold embassador,
And Sir Hugh Spencer that he hight.
2 'Come hither, Spencer,' saith our kinge,
'And come thou hither vnto mee;
I must make thee an embassadour
Betweene the king of Ffrance and mee.
3 'Thou must comend me to the king of Ffrance,
And tell him thus and now from mee,
I wold know whether there shold be peace in his land,
Or open warr kept still must bee.
4 'Thou'st haue thy shipp at thy comande,
Thou'st neither want for gold nor fee;
Thou'st haue a hundred armed men,
All att thy bidding for to bee.'
5 The wind itt serued, and they sayled,
And towards Ffrance thus they be gone;
The wind did bring them safe to shore,
And safelye landed euerye one.
6 The Ffrenchmen lay on the castle-wall,
The English souldiers to behold:
'You are welcome, traitors, out of England;
The heads of you are bought and sold.'
7 With that spake proud Spencer:
My leege, soe itt may not bee;
I am sent an embassador
Ffrom our English king to yee.
8 The king of England greetes you well,
And hath sent this word by mee;
He wold know whether there shold be peace in your land,
Or open warres kept still must bee.
9 'Comend me to the English kinge,
And tell this now from mee;
There shall neuer peace be kept in my land
While open warres kept there may bee.'
10 With that came downe the queene of Ffrance,
And an angry woman then was shee;
Saies, Itt had beene as fitt now for a king
To be in his chamber with his ladye,
Then to be pleading with traitors out of England,
Kneeling low vppon their knee.
11 But then bespake him proud Spencer,
For noe man else durst speake but hee:
You haue not wiped your mouth, madam,
Since I heard you tell a lye.
12 'O hold thy tounge, Spencer!' shee said,
'I doe not come to plead with thee;
Darest thou ryde a course of warr
With a knight that I shall put to thee?'
13 'But euer alacke!' then Spencer sayd,
'I thinke I haue deserued Gods cursse;
Ffor I haue not any armour heere,
Nor yett I haue noe iusting-horsse.'
14 'Thy shankes,' quoth shee, 'Beneath the knee
Are verry small aboue the shinne
Ffor to doe any such honourablle deeds
As the Englishmen say thou has done.
15 'Thy shankes beene small aboue thy shoone,
And soe the beene aboue thy knee;
Thou art to slender euery way
Any good iuster for to bee.'
16 'But euer alacke,' said Spencer then,
'For one steed of the English countrye!'
With that bespake and one Ffrench knight,
This day thou'st haue the choyce of three.
17 The first steed he feiched out,
I-wis he was milke-white;
The first foot Spencer in stirropp sett,
His backe did from his belly tyte.
18 The second steed that he feitcht out,
I-wis that hee was verry browne;
The second foot Spencer in stirropp settt,
That horsse and man and all fell downe.
19 The third steed that he feitched out,
I-wis that he was verry blacke;
The third foote Spencer into the stirropp sett,
He leaped on to the geldings backe.
20 'But euer alacke,' said Spencer then,
'For one good steed of the English countrye!
Goe feitch me hither my old hacneye,
That I brought with me hither beyond the sea.'
21 But when his hackney there was brought,
Spencer a merry man there was hee;
Saies, With the grace of God and St George of England,
The feild this day shall goe with mee.
22 'I haue noe forgotten,' Spencer sayd,
'Since there was feild foughten att Walsingam,
When the horsse did heare the trumpetts sound,
He did beare ore both horsse and man.'
23 The day was sett, and togetther they mett,
With great mirth and melodye,
With minstrells playing, and trumpetts soundinge,
With drumes striking loud and hye.
24 The first race that Spencer run,
I-wis hee run itt wonderous sore;
He [hitt] the knight vpon his brest,
But his speare itt burst, and wold touch noe more.
25 'But euer alacke,' said Spencer then,
'For one staffe of the English countrye!
Without you'le bind me three together,'
Quoth hee, 'They'le be to weake for mee.'
26 With that bespake him the Ffrench knight,
Sayes, Bind him together the whole thirtye,
For I haue more strenght in my to hands
Then is in all Spencers bodye.
27 'But proue att parting,' Spencer sayes,
'Ffrench knight, here I tell itt thee;
For I will lay thee five to four
The bigger man I proue to bee.'
28 But the day was sett, and together they mett,
With great mirth and melodye,
With minstrells playing, and trumpetts soundinge,
With drummes strikeing loud and hye.
29 The second race that Spencer run,
I-wis hee ridd itt in much pride,
And he hitt the knight vpon the brest,
And draue him ore his horsse beside.
30 But he run thorrow the Ffrench campe;
Such a race was neuer run beffore;
He killed of King Charles his men
Att hand of thirteen or fourteen score.
31 But he came backe againe to the K[ing],
And kneeled him downe vpon his knee;
Saies, A knight I haue slaine, and a steed I haue woone,
The best that is in this countrye.
32 'But nay, by my faith,' then said the King,
'Spencer, soe itt shall not bee;
I'le haue that traitors head of thine,
To enter plea at my iollye.'
33 But Spencer looket him once about,
He had true bretheren left but four;
He killed ther of the Kings gard
About twelve or thirteen score.
34 'But hold thy hands,' the King doth say,
'Spencer, now I doe pray thee;
And I will goe into litle England,
Vnto that cruell kinge with thee.'
35 'Nay, by my faith,' Spencer sayd,
'My leege, for soe itt shall not bee;
For an you sett foot on English ground,
You shall be hanged vpon a tree.'
36 'Why then, comend [me] to that Englishe kinge,
And tell him thus now from mee,
That there shall neuer be open warres kept in my land
Whilest peace kept that there may bee.'
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'Hugh Spencer'- Version B; Child 158 High Spencer's Feats in France
Percy Papers: communicated by the Duchess Dowager of Portland.
1 Our king lay at Westminster,
as oft times he had done,
And he sent for Hugh Spencer,
to come to him anon.
2 Then in came Hugh Spencer,
low kneeling on his knee:
'What's the matter, my liege,
you sent so speedily for me?'
3 'Why you must go ambassadour
to France now, to see
Whether peace shall be taken,
aye, or open wars must be.'
4 'Who shall go with me?'
says Hugh Spencer, he:
'That shall Hugh Willoughby
and John of Atherly.'
'O then,' says Hugh Spencer,
'we'll be a merry company.'
5 When they came before the French king,
they kneeled low on the knee:
'O rise up, and stand up,
whose men soer you be.'
6 The first that made answer
was Hugh Spencer, he:
'We are English ambassadours,
come hither to see
Whether peace shall be taken,
aye, or open wars must be.'
7 Then spoke the French king,
and he spoke courteously:
The last time peace was broken,
it was neer along of me.
8 For you sunk my ships, slew my men,
and thus did ye;
And the last time peace was broken,
it was neer along of me.
9 Then in came Queen Maude,
and full as ill was she:
'A chamber of presence
is better for thee,
Then amongst English shepherds,
low bending on the knee.'
10 The first that made answer
was Hugh Spencer, he:
'We are no English shepherds,
Queen Maude, I tell thee,
But we're knights, and knights fellows,
the worst man in our company.'
11 O then spoke Queen Maude,
and full as ill was she:
Thou shouldst be Hugh Spencer,
thou talkst so boldly.
12 And if thou beest Hugh Spencer,
as well thou seemst to be,
I've oft heard of thy justling,
and some of it would fain see.
13 I have a steed in my stable
that thou canst not ride;
I have a spear in my keeping
that thou canst not guide;
And I have a knight in my realm
that thou darest not abide.
14 Then Spencer askd Willoughby
and John of Atherly
Whether he should take this justling in hand,
aye, or let be.
15 O then spoke Hugh Willoughby
and John of Atherly:
If you won't take it [in] hand,
why turn it unto we.
16 'It shall neer be said in England,'
says Hugh Spencer, he,
'That I refused a good justling
and turned it to ye.
17 'Alas,' says Hugh Spencer,
'Full sore may I moan,
I have nought here but an ambler,
my good steed's at home.'
18 Then spoke a French knight,
and he spoke courteously:
I have thirty steeds in my stables,
the best of them take to thee.
19 'Gramercy,' says Spencer,
'aye, and gramercy;
If eer thou comest to England,
well rewarded shalt thou be.'
20 The first steed they brought him,
he was a milk-white:
'Take that away,' says Spencer,
'For I do not him like.'
21 The next steed they brought him,
he was a good dun:
'Take that away,' says Spencer,
'For he's not for my turn.'
22 The next steed they brought him,
he was a dapple-grey:
'Take that away,' says Spencer,
'For he is not used to the way.'
23 The next steed they brought him,
he was a coal-black;
His eyes burnt in his head,
as if fire were in flax;
'Come saddle me that horse,' says Spencer,
'For I'll have none but that.'
24 When that horse was saddled,
and Spencer got on,
With his spear at his foot,
O he was portly man!
25 'Now I am on that steede-back
that I could not ride,
That spear in my keeping
that I could not guide,
Come shew me that French knight
that I dare not abide.'
26 'It is a sign by thy sharp shin,
ay, and thy cropped knee,
That are no fit match
to justle with me:'
'Why it makes no matter,' says Spencer,
'you hear no brags of me.'
27 The first time they rode together,
now Sir Hugh and he,
He turnd him in his saddle
like an apple on a tree.
28 The next time they rode together,
now Sir Hugh and he,
He lit upon his breast-plate,
and he broke his spear in three.
29 'A spear now,' says Spencer,
'a spear now get me:'
'Thou shalt have one,' says Willoughby,
'if in France one there be.'
30 'O tye two together,
and the stronger they'l be,
For the French is the better,
and the better shall be:'
'Why it makes no matter,' says Spencer,
'you hear no brags of me.'
31 The next time they rode together,
now Sir Hugh and he,
He threw him fifteen foot from his saddle,
and he broke his back in three:
'Now I have slain thy justler,
Queen Maude, I tell thee.'
32 O then spoke Queen Maude,
and full as ill was she:
If thou'st slain my justler,
by the Kings laws thou'st dye.
33 'It shall neer be said in England,'
says Hugh Spencer, he;
'It shall neer be said in England,'
says Hugh Willoughby;
34 'It shall neer be said in England,'
says John of Atherly,
'That a queen of another nation
eer had her will of we.'
35 They laid their heads together,
and their backs to the wall;
There were four score of the Queen's guards,
and they slew them all.
36 Then spoke the French king,
and he spoke courteously:
O hold thy hand, Spencer,
I dearly pray thee.
37 Thou art sharp as thy spear,
and as fierce as thy steed,
And the stour of thy lilly-white hand
makes my heart bleed.
38 Thou hadst twenty ships hither,
thou'st have twenty away;
Then hold thy hand, Spencer,
I dearly thee pray.
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['Young Sir Hugh']- Version C; Child 158 Hugh Spencer's Feats in France
Dr. Joseph Robertson's Journal of Excursions, No 4; taken down from a man in the parish of Leochel, Aberdeenshire, 12 February, 1829.
1 It fell about the Martinmas time
The wind blew loud and cauld,
And all the knichts of fair Scotland
They drew them to sum hald.
2 Unless it was him young Sir Hugh,
And he beet to sail the sea,
Wi a letter between twa kings, to see an they
wald lat down the wars,
And live and lat them be.
3 On Friday shipped he, and lang
Ere Wodensday at noon
In fair France landed he,
. . .
4 He fell down before the King,
On his bare knees:
'Gude mak ye safe and soun;'
'Fat news o your contrie?' he says.
5 'The news o our countrie,' he says,
'Is but news brought over the sea,
To see an ye'll lat down the wars,
And live and lat them be.'
6 'Deed no,' he says;
'I'm but an auld man indeed,
But I'll no lat down the wars,
And live and lat them be.'
7 It's out it spak the Queen hersel: I have a shepherd's sin
Would fight an hour wi you;
'And by my seeth,' says young Sir Hugh,
'That sight fain would I see.'
8 The firsten steed that he drew out,
He was the penny-gray;
He wad hae ridden oer meel or mor
A Leve-lang summer's day.
9 O girths they brak, and great horse lap,
But still sat he on he:
'A girth, a girth,' says young Sir Hugh,
'A girth for charity!'
'O every girth that you shall have,
Its gude lord shall hae three.'
10 The nexten steed that he drew out,
He was the penny-brown;
He wad hae ridden oer meel or mor
As ever the dew drap down.
11 O bridles brak, and great horse lap,
But still sat he on he:
'A bridle, a bridle,' says young Sir Hugh,
'A bridle for charitie!'
'O every bridle that you shall have,
And its gude lord shall have three.'
12 The nexten steed that he drew out
He was the raven-black;
His een was glancin in his head
Like wild-fire in a slack;
'Get here a boy,' says young Sir Hugh,
'Cast on the saddle on that.'
13 O brands there brak, and great horse lap,
But still sat he on he:
'A brand, a brand,' says young Sir Hugh,
'A brand for charitie!'
'O every brand that you sall have,
And its gude lord sall have three.'
14 He gave him a dep unto the heart,
And over the steed fell he:
'I rather had gane you money,' she says,
'And free lands too,
That ye had foughten an hour wi him,
And than had latten him be.'
15 'If ye hae ony mair shepherd's sins,' he says,
'Or cooks i your kitchie,
Or ony mair dogs to fell,
Ye'll bring them here to me;
And gin they be a true-hearted Scotsman,
They'll no be scorned by thee.
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End-Notes: High Spencer's Feats in France
A. 43. 100.
51,3. They.
61. walls? There is a tag at the end of this word in the Manuscript. Furnivall.
164. of 3.
174. Manuscript, tylpe, with the l crossed at top. Furnivall.
181,3. 2d.
182. I should read berry-browne were it not for verry blacke in 192.
191,3. 3?.
253. 3.
262. 30tye.
273. 5 to 4.
291. 2?.
304. 13 or 14.
324. No emendation of this unintelligible line occurs to me.
332. 4.
333. therof.
334. 2 or 3: cf. 304, and observe the metre.
353. for on: seitt or settt.
And for & always.
C. 144. too: pronounced tee.
15. The shepherd's son was the Queen's own son: comment of the reciter. I do not understand the last two lines; indeed they are obviously corrupt.
Additions and Corrections
To be Corrected in the Print.
276 a, line 7. Read queen's own son.
281 a, 52 . Read new.
III, 276, note †. I had remarked that this ballad was after the fashion of Russian bylinas. Professor Wollner indicates especially the bylina of Dobrynja and Vasilij Kazimirović, which in a general way is singularly like 'Hugh Spencer.' In this very fine ballad, Vladimir is in arrears with his tribute to a Saracen king, and appoints Vasilij his envoy, to make payment. Vasilij asks that he may have Dobrynja go with him, and Dobrynja asks for Ivanuška's company. (Compare B.) Dobrynja beats the king at chess and at the bow (which corresponds to the justing in the English ballad); then follows a great fight, the result of which is that the Saracen king is fain to pay tribute himself. Wollner, Volksepik der Grossrussen, pp. 123-125.
Other examples of difficult feats done in foreign lands, commonly by comrades of the hero, in Karadžić, II, 445, 465, Nos 75, 79; also II, 132, No 29; and the Bulgarian Sbornik, II, 130, 1, 132, 3. (W. W.)
P. 276. What is narrated of Walter in the Chronicon Novalese is likewise told of Ogier by Alexander Neckam, De Naturis Rerum, ed. T. Wright, p. 261 ff. (see also the note at p. lvi), in a copy of Turpin's Chronicle, Ward, Catalogue of Romances, I, 579 f., and (excepting the monastery) in La Chevalerie Ogier, ed. Barrois, v. 10390 ff.; of Heimir, Saga Ðiðriks af Bern, c. 429 ff., Unger, p. 361 ff.; and in part in the ballad of 'Svend Felding,' Grundtvig, No 31, I, 398. See Grundtvig's preface to No 15, I, 216 ff.; Ward, as above; Voretzsch, Ueber die Sage von Ogier dem Dänen, p. 113 ff.