The Battle Abbey Roll: With Some Account of the Norman Lineages, Volume 3

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Page 211 - I have laboured to make a covenant with myself that affection may not press upon judgment ; for I suppose there is no man that hath any apprehension of gentry or nobleness, but his affection stands to the continuance of so noble a name and house, and would take hold of a twig or a twine thread to uphold it.
Page 67 - BEDFORD*. This morning, timely rapt with holy fire, I thought to form unto my zealous Muse, What kind of creature I could most desire To honour, serve, and love, as Poets use. I meant to make her fair, and free, and wise, Of greatest blood, and yet more good than great ; I meant the day-star should not brighter rise, Nor lend like influence from his lucent seat. I meant she should be courteous, facile, sweet, Hating that solemn vice of greatness, pride ; I meant each softest virtue there should meet,...
Page 330 - A man so various, that he seemed to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome: Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, Was everything by starts, and nothing long, But, in the course of one revolving moon, Was chemist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon, Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking.
Page 210 - It may please your grace, that were not for " mine ease: they are most of them my retainers, that " are come to do me service at such a time as this, and
Page 210 - have heard much of your hospitality, but I see it is " greater than the speech: These handsome gentlemen " and yeomen, which I see on both sides of me, are
Page 111 - Roxburghshire. He was of royal descent, being the grandson of Nicholas de Soulis, who claimed the crown of Scotland, in right of his grandmother, daughter to Alexander II. ; and who, could her legitimacy have been ascertained, must have excluded the other competitors. The elder brother of William was John de Soulis, a gallant warrior warmly attached to the interests of his country, who, with fifty borderers, defeated and made prisoner sir Andrew Harclay, at the head of three hundred Englishmen, and...
Page 67 - I meant to make her fair, and free, and wise, Of greatest blood, and yet more good than great; I meant the day-star should not brighter rise, Nor lend like influence from his lucent seat. I meant she should be courteous, facile, sweet. Hating that solemn vice of greatness, pride; I meant each softest virtue there should meet, Fit in that softer bosom to reside. Only a learned and a manly soul I purposed her, that should, with even powers, The rock, the spindle, and the shears control Of destiny,...
Page 192 - at the Mount of St Mary's, in the stony stage where I now stand, I have brought you some fine biscuits, baked in the oven of charity, carefully conserved for the chickens of the church, the sparrows of the spirit, and the sweet swallows of salvation.
Page 296 - Baron returned in three days' space, And his looks were sad and sour ; And weary was his courser's pace, As he reached his rocky tower. He came not from where Ancram Moor Ran red with English blood ; Where the Douglas true, and the bold Buccleuch, 'Gainst keen Lord Evers stood.
Page 315 - Scots, in winter,1 had been sitting at the window-side knitting of a work, and after the board was covered, she rose and went to the fire-side, and, making haste to have the work finished, would not lay it away, but worked of it the time she was warming of herself. She looked for one of her servants, which indeed were all gone to fetch up her meat, and, seeing none of her own folk there, called me to hold her work, who was looking at my Lord Scrope and Sir Francis Knowles playing of chess. I went,...