The Lyrics of Henry VIII/ENglond be glad pluk vp thy lusty hart (Unattributed)

[ff. 100^v-102^r]

ENglond be glad pluk vp thy lusty hart.
help now thi kyng and tak his part
Ageynst the frenchmen in the feld to fyght
In the quarell of the church and in the ryght
with spers and sheldes on goodly horsys lyght.                                       5
bowys and arows to put them all to flyght

helpe now thi kyng

Textual Commentary

Providing a brief and optimistic characterization of battle (ll. 5–6) and summation of the cause for Henry’s war with France of 1513 (l. 4), this lyric urges support for the king in that campaign, on which he was accompanied by the Chapel Royal. “Pray we to god that all may gyde” (H 65), which follows this lyric, is of the same occasion.

1 . . . pluk vp thy lusty hart Cf. “Comfort at hand! Pluck up thy heart” (in DBla), attributed to Wyatt.

4 quarrell Cause, ground or occasion of complaint leading to hostile feeling or action (OED “quarrel” n.3 2).

The unattributed “ENglond be glad pluk vp thy lusty hart” is through-set in three voices.

This piece is indexed in Robbins Index & Suppl. 134.5 and Ringler MS TM76. It is reprinted in Chappell Account 383, Flügel Anglia 250, Flügel Neuengl 161, Stevens M&P 417–18, and Stevens MCH8 74.

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

H^1,2,3 (ff. 100^v–102^r).

1 lusty hart.] hart^ H²

2 and tak his part] and tak his part and take hys part. H^1,3, and take his and take his part. H²

4 in the ryght.] in thi ryght. H², thi ryght. H³

6 to put them all to flyght] to put them all to flyght to put them all to flyght. H¹, to put them all to flyght to put them all to flyght. H², to put them all to flyght. H³

7 helpe now] now helpe H³