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by Marriott Edgar
Illustrations by John Hassall
Henry the Seventh is another of Marriot Edgar's poems that provides us with a lighthearted way to learn a bit of English history.
We also learn a bit of deliberately corrupted French: "San Fairy Ann" (Ca ne Fait Rien) meaning: "It doesn't matter". Coined (maybe) by British servicemen as they struggled to make sense of the language when crossing France in the First World War. The term has been kept alive through the 1965 English comic movie "San Ferry Ann" and Paul McCartney's lyrics "San Ferry Anne", written for his 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound.
There's another jokey corruption on the name "Perkin", which is written here as "Peter". Perkin Warbeck was a pretender to the English throne and this poem alludes to the belief that he was an impostor and not really the Duke of York and son of King Edward IV.
Finally, there's Lambert Simne, another pretender to the throne but forced to work in the King's kitchen, no doubt baking Simnel Cakes.
(See also Albert and the 'Eadsman)
Henry the Seventh of England
Wasn't out of the Royal top drawer,
The only connection of which he could boast,
He were King's nephew's brother-in-law.
It were after the Wars of the Roses
That he came to the front, as it were,
When on strength of his having slain Richard the Third
He put himself up as his heir.
The Barons scheming |
T'were a bit of a blow to the Barons |
But they didn't get far with their scheming, A feller they called Perkin Warbeck He claimed to be one of the Princes |
Taking them off to the Tower |
He worked from an office in France |
Henry knew the appeal of the Princes In reply to his kind invitation This reply put the King in a passion |
Then up spoke the bold Lambert Simne Then he took the King up in a corner, T 'were a plan to anticipate Perkin, |
A word in thy ear 'ole, O King |
Paying for the fun they'd had |
And so Lambert Simnel's rebellion |
T 'was surprising how many believed him It were quite a success this rebellion |
The King started to laugh |
The Peasant going back to his herd |
The public forgave this deception, And so when Peter Warbeck came over And the Baron went back to his castle, |