''The Song of Lewes'', sometimes written as ''The Battle of Lewes'', (c. 1264) is a Latin poem of 968 lines in Goliardic manner, recording, celebrating, and justifying the victory of Simon de Montfort at the

Battle of Lewes The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264. It marked the high point of the career of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and made ...

. The poem criticizes

Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of John, King of England, King John and Isabella of Ang ...

for his reliance on

favourite A favourite was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In Post-classical Europe, post-classical and Early modern Europe, early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated signifi ...

s. It depicts the

pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...

and ferocity of Prince Edward (the future king

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...

), but criticizes Edward's inconstancy.

Origins

The poem is taken to be written by a cleric closely associated with de Montfort's household—hence its many Biblical references and its knowledge of the baronial constitutional position.

Themes

The first part of the poem, lines 1-484, is concerned with the actual battle, designating the (outnumbered) de Montfort as

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

Goliath Goliath ( ) was a Philistines, Philistine giant in the Book of Samuel. Descriptions of Goliath's giant, immense stature vary among biblical sources, with texts describing him as either or tall. According to the text, Goliath issued a challen ...

. The second part (lines 485–968) reflect the constitutional debate, beginning with a statement of the royalist position that "the degenerate race of the English, which used to serve, inverting the natural order of things, ruled over the king and his children". In response, the Song points out that the king fell under natural law, citing the case of the fall of King

Saul Saul (; , ; , ; ) was a monarch of ancient Israel and Judah and, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, the first king of the United Monarchy, a polity of uncertain historicity. His reign, traditionally placed in the late eleventh c ...

for breaking the law ("quia leges fregit"). Henry's personal rule, and reliance on favourites, was then condemned. The alternative the Song proposed was the action of the community of the realm (or at least of that part most involved with the kingdom and its laws: "Therefore the community of the realm take counsel, and let there be decreed what is the opinion of the commonalty, to whom their own laws are best known".

Princely character

''The Song of Lewes'' also provided a telling description of Prince Edward: "He is a lion by his pride and ferocity; by his inconstancy and changeableness he is a

pard A pard (Ancient Greek: πάρδος) is the Greek word for the leopard, which is listed in medieval bestiaries and in Pliny the Elder's book ''Natural History.'' Over the years, there have been many different depictions of the creature including ...

".Quoted in D. Jones, ''The Plantagenets'' (London 2012), p. 283.

References

External links

''The Political Songs of England, from the Reign of John to that of Edward II''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Song of Lewes, The 1264 in England

Poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

13th-century poems Cultural depictions of Edward I of England Cultural depictions of Henry III of England Goliardic poetry Lewes Medieval literature Second Barons' War War poetry

Origins

Themes

Princely character

See also

References

Further reading

External links