Enter [King Henry the Third of England], the Emperor [of Germany], the King of Castile, Eleanor 445his daughter, Jaques Vandermast, a German, [and other lords and attendants]. Great men of Europe, monarchs of the West,
4.2447Ringed with the walls of old Oceanus,
4.3448Whose lofty surge is like the battlements
4.4449That compassed high-built Babel in with towers,
4.5450Welcome, my lords, welcome brave western kings,
4.6451To England's shore, whose promontory cliffs
4.7452Shows Albion is another little world.
4.8453Welcome, says English Henry to you all,--
4.9454Chiefly unto the lovely Eleanor,
4.10455Who dared for Edward's sake cut through the seas
4.11456And venture as Agenor's damsel through the deep
4.12457To get the love of Henry's wanton son.
's rich monarch, brave Plantagenet,
4.14459The Pyren Mounts, swelling above the clouds,
4.15460That ward the wealthy Castile in with walls,
4.16461Could not detain the beauteous Eleanor;
4.17462But hearing of the fame of Edward's youth,
4.18463She dared to brook Neptunus's haughty pride,
4.19464And bide the brunt of froward Aeolus.
4.20465Then may fair England welcome her the more.
After that English Henry, by his lords,
4.22467Had sent Prince Edward's lovely counterfeit,
4.23468A present to the Castile Eleanor,
4.24469The comely portrait of so brave a man,
4.25470The virtuous fame discoursed of his deeds,
4.26471Edward's courageous resolution
4.27472Done at the Holy Land 'fore Damas's walls,
4.28473Led both mine eye and thought in equal links
4.29474To like so of the English monarch's son
4.30475That I attempted perils for his sake.
Where is the prince, my lord?
He posted down, not long since, from the court
4.33478To Suffolk side, to merry Framlingham,
4.34479To sport himself amongst my fallow deer.
4.35480From thence, by packets sent to Hampton House,
4.36481We hear the prince is ridden with his lords
4.37482To Oxford, in the academy there
4.38483To hear dispute amongst the learne}d men.
4.39484But we will send forth letters for my son
4.40485To will him come from Oxford to the court.
Nay, rather, Henry, let us as we be
4.42487Ride for to visit Oxford with our train.
4.43488Fain would I see your universities
4.44489And what learne}d men your academy yields.
4.45490From Hapsburg have I brought a learne}d clerk
4.46491To hold dispute with English orators.
4.47492This doctor, surnamed Jaques Vandermast,
4.48493A German born, passed into Padua,
4.49494To Florence, and to fair Bologna,
4.50495To Paris, Rheims, and stately Orleans,
4.51496And talking there with men of art, put down
4.52497The chiefest of them all in aphorisms,
4.53498In magic, and the mathematic rules.
4.54499Now let us, Henry, try him in your schools.
He shall, my lord; this motion likes me well.
4.56501We'll progress straight to Oxford with our trains,
4.57502And see what men our academy brings.--
4.58503And, wonder Vandermast, welcome to me.
4.59504In Oxford shalt thou find a jolly friar
4.60505Called Friar Bacon, England's only flower;
4.61506Set him but nonplus in his magic spells
4.62507And make him yield in mathematic rules,
4.63508And for thy glory I will bind thy brows,
4.64509Not with a poet's garland made of bays,
4.65510But with a coronet of choicest gold.
4.66511Whilst then we set to Oxford with our troops,
4.67512Let's in and banquet in our English court.