William Dunbar (1456?-1513?)
To the City of London
1London, thou art of town{.e}s A per se.
2 Soveraign of cities, semeliest in sight,
3Of high renoun, riches, and royaltie;
4 Of lordis, barons, and many goodly knyght;
5 Of most delectable lusty ladies bright;
6Of famous prelatis in habitis clericall;
7 Of merchauntis full of substaunce and myght:
8London, thou art the flour of Cities all.
9Gladdith anon, thou lusty Troy Novaunt,
10 Citie that some tyme cleped was New Troy,
11In all the erth, imperiall as thou stant,
12 Pryncesse of townes, of pleasure, and of joy,
13 A richer restith under no Christen roy;
14For manly power, with craftis naturall,
15 Fourmeth none fairer sith the flode of Noy:
16London, thou art the flour of Cities all.
17Gemme of all joy, jasper of jocunditie,
18 Most myghty carbuncle of vertue and valour;
19Strong Troy in vigour and in strenuytie;
20 Of royall cities rose and geraflour;
21 Empresse of town{.e}s, exalt in honour;
22In beawtie beryng the crone imperiall;
23 Swete paradise precelling in pleasure:
24London, thow art the floure of Cities all.
25Above all ryvers thy Ryver hath renowne,
26 Whose beryall stremys, pleasaunt and preclare,
27Under thy lusty wallys renneth down,
28 Where many a swanne doth swymme with wyngis fare;
29 Where many a barge doth saile, and row with are,
30Where many a ship doth rest with toppe-royall.
31 O! towne of townes, patrone and not-compare:
32London, thou art the floure of Cities all.
33Upon thy lusty Brigge of pylers white
34 Been merchauntis full royall to behold;
35Upon thy stretis goth many a semely knyght
36 In velvet gownes and cheyn{.e}s of fyne gold.
37 By Julyus Cesar thy Tour founded of old
38May be the hous of Mars victoryall,
39 Whos artillary with tonge may not be told:
40London, thou art the flour of Cities all.
41Strong be thy wallis that about the standis;
42 Wise be the people that within the dwellis;
43Fresh is thy ryver with his lusty strandis;
44 Blith be thy chirches, wele sownyng be thy bellis;
45 Riche be thy merchauntis in substaunce that excellis;
46Fair be thy wives, right lovesom, white and small;
47 Clere be thy virgyns, lusty under kellis:
48London, thow art the flour of Cities all.
49Thy famous Maire, by pryncely governaunce,
50 With swerd of justice the rulith prudently.
51No Lord of Parys, Venyce, or Floraunce
52 In dignytie or honoure goeth to hym nye.
53 He is exampler, lood{.e}-ster, and guye;
54Principall patrone and roose orygynalle,
55 Above all Maires as maister moost worthy:
56London, thou art the flour of Cities all.
Notes
1] This poem is extant in an early sixteenth century MS. chronicle, which states that at a reception given by the Lord Mayor of London in Christmas week, 1501, to the Scottish embassy which was discussing the marriage of James IV to Margaret, daughter of Henry VII, one of the attendants of the Bishop of Glasgow "made this Balade". As Dunbar seems to have been in England with this embassy and as he later (May 9, 1503) wrote a poem The Thrissill and the Rois to celebrate the approaching wedding, he is thought to be the author of the present poem. It contains non-Scottish forms, which may be due either to the English scribe or to the poet's adaptation of his language to his English patrons. There are two other MS. copies. The poem was first printed by Wright and Halliwell in Reliquiae Antiquae, 1845.
A per se. "A by itself", literally A which by itself makes a word, figuratively (since A is the first letter) unique, unmatched.
9] Gladdith. Be glad.
Troy Novaunt. In his fabulous History of the Kings of Britain (1148), Geoffrey of Monmouth states that Brutus, descendant of Aeneas and founder of Britain, built a city on the Thames and called it New Troy, "until at last, by corruption of the word, it came to be called Trinovantum". It was re-built by King Lud, who called it Kaerlud, "and after that, by the corruption of the name, Kaerlondon".
10] cleped. Called.
11] stant. Standest.
13] roy. King.
15] Noy. Noah,
20] geraflour. Gillyflower.
23] preceding. Excelling.
26] preclare. Famous.
27] renneth. Run; Southern form of plural.
29] are. Oar. Northern form.
30] toppe-royall. Highest part of the mast or highest sail.
31] patrone. Pattern.
not-compare. Unmatched.
34] Been. The usual Northern form is a".
44] sownyng. Sounding.
47] kellis. Coifs, head-dresses.
49] Maire. Mayor.
53] guye. Guide.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: Wright, Thomas, and James Orchard Halliwell, eds., Reliquiae antiquae: Scraps from Ancient Manuscripts (London: J. R. Smith, 1845). PR 1502 .W7 Robarts Library
Publication date note: early 16th cent
RPO poem editor: N. J. Endicott
RP edition: 2RP.1.53; RPO 1996-2000.
Recent editing: 2:2002/4/17
Composition date:
1501
Rhyme: ababbcbc
Other poems by William Dunbar
