Laurel · Thomas Chatterton · The Rowley Poems

Mynstrelles

Thomas Chatterton (1752–1770) · 1777

iambic pentameter · 42 lines · from The Rowley Poems

Read it with the toolsAnalyse this poemAll of The Rowley Poems

Wyllyamm, the Normannes floure botte Englondes thorne,The manne whose myghte delievretie hadd knite,Snett oppe hys long strunge bowe and sheelde aborne,Behesteynge all hys hommageres to fyghte.Goe, rouze the lyonn fromm hys hylted denne,Lett thie floes drenche the blodde of anie thynge bott menne.

Ynn the treed forreste doe the knyghtes appere;Wyllyamm wythe myghte hys bowe enyronn'd plies;Loude dynns the arrowe ynn the wolfynn's eare;Hee ryseth battent roares, he panctes, hee dyes.Forslagenn att thie feete lett wolvynns bee,Lett thie floes drenche theyre blodde, bott do ne bredrenn flea.

Throwe the merke shade of twistynde trees hee rydes;The flemed owlett flapps herr eve-speckte wynge;The lordynge toade ynn all hys passes bides;The berten neders att hymm darte the stynge;Styll, stylle, hee passes onn, hys stede astrodde,Nee hedes the daungerous waie gyff leadynge untoe bloodde.

The lyoncel, fromme sweltrie countries braughte,Coucheynge binethe the sheltre of the brierr,Att commyng dynn doth rayse hymselfe distraughte,He loketh wythe an eie of flames of fyre.Goe, sticke the lyonn to hys hyltren denne.Lette thie floes drenche the blood of anie thynge botte menn.

Wythe passent steppe the lyonn mov'th alonge;Wyllyamm hys ironne-woven bowe hee bendes,Wythe myghte alyche the roghlynge thonderr stronge;The lyonn ynn a roare hys spryte foorthe sendes.Goe, slea the lyonn ynn hys blodde-steyn'd denne,Botte bee thie takelle drie fromm blodde of odherr menne.

Swefte fromm the thyckett starks the stagge awaie;The couraciers as swefte doe afterr flie.Hee lepethe hie, hee stondes, hee kepes att baie,Botte metes the arrowe, and eftsoones doth die.Forslagenn atte thie fote lette wylde beastes bee,Lett thie floes drenche yer blodde, yett do ne bredrenn slee.

Wythe murtherr tyredd, hee sleynges hys bowe alyne.The stagge ys ouch'd wythe crownes of lillie flowerrs.Arounde theire heaulmes theie greene verte doe entwyne;Joying and rev'lous ynn the grene wode bowerrs.Forslagenn wyth thie floe lette wylde beastes bee,Feeste thee upponne theire fleshe, doe ne thie bredrenn flee.

Words in this poem 21
manne n.
A human being; -- opposed tobeast. [AS. mann, man, monn, mon; akin to OS., D., & OHG. man, G. mann, Icel. maedhr, for mannr, Dan. Mand, Sw. man, Goth. manna, Skr. manu, manus, and perh. to Skr. ma]
snett n.
The fat of a deer. [Cf. G. schnitt that which is cut, fr. schneiden to cut, E. snath.]
denne n.
A small cavern or hollow place in the side of a hill, or among rocks; esp., a cave used by a wild beast for shelter or concealment; as, a lion's den; a den of robbers. [AS. denn; perh. akin to G. tenne floor, thrashing floor, and to AS. denu valley.]
lett v. t.
To retard; to hinder; to impede; to oppose. [OE.letten, AS. lettan to delay, to hinder, fr. læt slow; akin to D. letten to hinder, G. verletzen to hurt, Icel. letja to hold back, Goth. latjan. See Late.]
menne pron.
A man; one; -- used with a verb in the singular, and corresponding to the present indefinite one or they. Piers Plowman. [OE. me, men. "Not the plural of man, but a weakened form of the word man itself." Skeat.]
throwe n.
A turning lathe.
merke a.
Murky. Piers Plowman.
owlett n.
A small owl; especially, the European species (Athene noctua), and the California flammulated owlet (Megascops flammeolus). Owlet moth (Zoöl.), any noctuid moth. [Dim. of owl. Cf. Howlet.]
herr n.
A title of respect given to gentlemen in Germany, equivalent to the English Mister.
bloodde n.
The fluid which circulates in the principal vascular system of animals, carrying nourishment to all parts of the body, and bringing away waste products to be excreted. See under Arterial. [OE. blod, blood, AS. bl; akin to D. bloed, OHG. bluot, G. blut, Goth, bl, Sw. & Dan. blod; prob. fr. the same root as E. blow to bloom. See Blow to bloom.]
sheltre n.
That which covers or defends from injury or annoyance; a protection; a screen. [Cf. OE. scheltrun, shiltroun, schelltrome, scheldtrome, a guard, squadron, AS. scildtruma a troop of men with shields; scild shield + truma a band of men. See S]
brierr n.
A plant with a slender woody stem bearing stout prickles; especially, species of Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax. [OE. brere, brer, AS. brer, brær; cf. Ir. briar prickle, thorn, brier, pin, Gael. preas bush, brier, W. prys, prysg.]
lette v. t.
To let; to hinder. See Let, to hinder.
menn pron.
A man; one; -- used with a verb in the singular, and corresponding to the present indefinite one or they. Piers Plowman. [OE. me, men. "Not the plural of man, but a weakened form of the word man itself." Skeat.]
steppe n.
One of the vast plains in Southeastern Europe and in Asia, generally elevated, and free from wood, analogous to many of the prairies in Western North America. See Savanna. Steppe murrain. [From Russ. stepe, through G. or F. steppe.]
stagge v. t.
To watch; to dog, or keep track of. H.
afterr a.
Next; later in time; subsequent; succeeding; as, an after period of life. Marshall. [AS. æfter after, behind; akin to Goth. aftaro, aftra, backwards, Icel. aptr, Sw. and Dan. efter, OHG. aftar behind, Dutch and LG. achter, Gr. -ter is an old com]
yett n.
Any one of several species of large marine gastropods belonging to the genus Yetus, or Cymba; a boat shell.
murtherr n.
Murder, n. & v.
wode a.
Mad. See Wood, a. [AS. wod.]
floe n.
A low, flat mass of floating ice. Floe rat (Zoöl.), a seal (Phoca foetida). [Cf. Dan. flag af iis, iisflage, Sw. flaga, flake, isflaga, isflake. See Flag a flat stone.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

Mynstrelles is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Rowley Poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #13037; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Thomas Chatterton, Mynstrelles, in The Rowley Poems (1777), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #13037, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/chatterton-rowley/mynstrelles.html, id L12146.

Form and metre

Mynstrelles is 42 lines in 7 stanzas of 6 lines each. The commonest rhyme scheme is ABABCC, in 2 of the 7 stanzas; the rest vary or could not be confirmed. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 79%). 98% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.6 syllables. 5 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending.

See other poems in iambic pentameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

  1. 1 A-A-BB thorneA · knite · aborneA · fyghte · denneB · menneB
  2. 2 -A-ABB appere · pliesA · eare · dyesA · beeB · fleaB
  3. 3 -A-A-- rydes · wyngeA · bides · styngeA · astrodde · bloodde
  4. 4 A-A-BB braughteA · brierr · distraughteA · fyre · denneB · mennB
  5. 5 ABABCC alongeA · bendesB · strongeA · sendesB · denneC · menneC
  6. 6 A-ABBB awaieA · flie · baieA · dieB · beeB · sleeB
  7. 7 ABABCC alyneA · flowerrsB · entwyneA · bowerrsB · beeC · fleeC
Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.

LineSyl.Stress
Wyllyamm, the Normannes floure botte Englondes thorne,10···/˘·····
The manne whose myghte delievretie hadd knite,10··········
Snett oppe hys long strunge bowe and sheelde aborne,10··········
Behesteynge all hys hommageres to fyghte.10··········
Goe, rouze the lyonn fromm hys hylted denne,10···/˘·····
Lett thie floes drenche the blodde of anie thynge bott menne.13···/˘········
Ynn the treed forreste doe the knyghtes appere;10··········
Wyllyamm wythe myghte hys bowe enyronn'd plies;10··········
Loude dynns the arrowe ynn the wolfynn's eare;10··········
Hee ryseth battent roares, he panctes, hee dyes.10··········
Forslagenn att thie feete lett wolvynns bee,10··········
Lett thie floes drenche theyre blodde, bott do ne bredrenn flea.13···/˘········
Throwe the merke shade of twistynde trees hee rydes;10··········
The flemed owlett flapps herr eve-speckte wynge;10··˘·······
The lordynge toade ynn all hys passes bides;10·······/˘·
The berten neders att hymm darte the stynge;10··········
Styll, stylle, hee passes onn, hys stede astrodde,11····/˘·····
Nee hedes the daungerous waie gyff leadynge untoe bloodde.13·············
The lyoncel, fromme sweltrie countries braughte,9······/˘·
Coucheynge binethe the sheltre of the brierr,11·····/˘··/˘
Att commyng dynn doth rayse hymselfe distraughte,10··········
He loketh wythe an eie of flames of fyre.10··········
Goe, sticke the lyonn to hys hyltren denne.10···/˘·····
Lette thie floes drenche the blood of anie thynge botte menn.13···/˘········
Wythe passent steppe the lyonn mov'th alonge;10·····/˘·/˘
Wyllyamm hys ironne-woven bowe hee bendes,10···/˘/˘···
Wythe myghte alyche the roghlynge thonderr stronge;10··········
The lyonn ynn a roare hys spryte foorthe sendes.10·/˘·······
Goe, slea the lyonn ynn hys blodde-steyn'd denne,10···/˘·····
Botte bee thie takelle drie fromm blodde of odherr menne.13·············
Swefte fromm the thyckett starks the stagge awaie;10··········
The couraciers as swefte doe afterr flie.10·······/˘·
Hee lepethe hie, hee stondes, hee kepes att baie,11·········/˘
Botte metes the arrowe, and eftsoones doth die.10··········
Forslagenn atte thie fote lette wylde beastes bee,10··········
Lett thie floes drenche yer blodde, yett do ne bredrenn slee.13···/˘········
Wythe murtherr tyredd, hee sleynges hys bowe alyne.12············
The stagge ys ouch'd wythe crownes of lillie flowerrs.11·······/˘/˘
Arounde theire heaulmes theie greene verte doe entwyne;10··········
Joying and rev'lous ynn the grene wode bowerrs.11/˘·······/˘
Forslagenn wyth thie floe lette wylde beastes bee,10··········
Feeste thee upponne theire fleshe, doe ne thie bredrenn flee.12············
Notes from the edition 30

The glosses and notes to the Rowley Poems, from Tyrwhitt's edition (Project Gutenberg #13037).

  1. Stanza 1, line 2 a beggar, or vagabond.
  2. Stanza 1, line 2 A short surplice, worn by Friars of an inferior class, and secular priests.
  3. Stanza 1, line 3 A short surplice, worn by Friars of an inferior class, and secular priests.
  4. Stanza 1, line 3 joy.
  5. Stanza 1, line 4 ease.
  6. Stanza 1, line 4 nought.
  7. Stanza 1, line 5 unhappy.
  8. Stanza 1, line 6 a short under-cloke.
  9. Stanza 2, line 2 Glory.
  10. Stanza 2, line 2 mighty, rich.
  11. Stanza 2, line 3 dispatched.
  12. Stanza 2, line 4 red lightning.
  13. Stanza 3, line 1 cruel.
  14. Stanza 3, line 2 flames, rays.
  15. Stanza 3, line 2 throne.
  16. Stanza 3, line 2 pluck.
  17. Stanza 3, line 3 Becomes.
  18. Stanza 3, line 4 subjects.
  19. Stanza 3, line 4 contentions, complaints.
  20. Stanza 4, line 1 choke.
  21. Stanza 4, line 3 dark, cloudy.
  22. Stanza 4, line 3 astonish.
  23. Stanza 4, line 6 cut off, destroyed.
  24. Stanza 5, line 1 slaves.
  25. Stanza 5, line 3 loud roaring.
  26. Stanza 5, line 6 flame of fire.
  27. Stanza 6, line 2 burn, consume.
  28. Stanza 6, line 4 them.
  29. Stanza 7, line 1 slay.
  30. Stanza 7, line 2 decay.

The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.

More by Thomas Chatterton

The Rowley Poems