quocunque jeceris stabit*
We offreth with gret reverence,
And aske in open audience
To Thanet set your eyes o friend,
That you sall see what alle we sende
Syr Cedric, who on knee doth grette,
A knight, both comly and sae sweete.
He picked an axe and lette it fly
To see where it lande from the sky,
It does not strike the goal by chaunce
But strength and minde in keene balance.
At every chance he did rehearse
Thrown items of nature diverse.
His skill brought many for to seche
He undertook them alle to teache.
With tone so calm and speache so blythe
He showed the way to throw als swithe.
Unto the ladies hihe and loude;
to knyhtes that ben yonge and proude,
To little childe and mighty lord,
And all who came of good accord.
A maister of the sharpened blade
So many strikes Syr Cedric made.
And building boards and making things
And teaching folk and serving Kinges,
The skill in each he seemed to finde
With gentyl manner ever kinde.
He who most worthi was of dede
Receive he scholde a certein mede
A Silver Mantle we now give
That he may bear long as he live.
This is done by the hand of Basilissa Caoilfhionn & Basileus Brennan at their Court in the Province of Malagentia at the Great Northeastern War on July 14, anno sociatis fifty-three.
Syr Cedric is a part of my house, Thanet, and a kind friend and mentor for many years. I was thrilled to be asked to create words for his inclusion in the Order of the Silver Mantle for his prowess and teaching of thrown weapons.
It’s been a while since I have fully created a new work rather than adapting an existing one to some degree or other. For this piece I chose Middle English and the style is that of the octosyllabic English couplet which was favored by John Gower (1330 – 1408) who wrote during the time that Syr Cedric would have lived. To learn more, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gower
I made a strong effort to use only end-rhymes that would have appeared in Gower’s time period.
The motto at the top “quocunque jeceris stabit” is “whithersoever you throw it, it will stand” — the motto of the Isle of Man which is at least in Britannia. I thought that it worked really well as a motto for this piece too, since it’s been very much Cedric’s ability!
Lady Keziah and I had a brief turnaround time for this piece, so it’s 231 words.