Page images
PDF
EPUB

wit and taste: for taste and wit had once their childhood. Although of English growth, it was early a favourite with other nations: it appeared in French in 1525; and is alluded to in the old Spanish romance Tirante el blanco, which, it is believed, was written not long after the year 1430. See advertisement to the French translation, 2 vols, 12mo.

The original whence all these stories are extracted is a very ancient romance in old English verse, which is quoted by Chaucer as a celebrated piece even in his time, (viz.

"Men speken of romances of price,
"Of Horne childe and Ippotis,

"Of Bevis, and sir Guy, &c.

R. of Thop.)

and was usually sung to the harp at Christmas dinners and brideales, as we learn from Puttenham's Art of Poetry, 4to. 1589.

66

-for

This ancient romance is not wholly lost. An imperfect copy in black letter, Imprynted at London"Wylliam Copland," in 34 sheets 4to. without date, is still preserved among Mr. Garrick's collection of old plays. As a specimen of the poetry of this antique rhymer, take his description of the dragon mentioned in ver. 105 of the following ballad :

[ocr errors]

"A messenger came to the king.

Syr king, he sayd, lysten me now,
"For bad tydinges I bring you,

"In Northumberlande there is no man,
"But that they be slayne everychone :
"For there dare no man route,

66

By twenty myle rounde aboute,

"For doubt of a fowle dragon,

"That sleath men and beastes downe.
“He is blacke as any cole,

[ocr errors]

Rugged as a rough fole;

"His bodye from the navill upwarde
"No man may it pierce it is so harde;

"His neck is great as any summere ;

"He renneth as swifte as any distrere ;
"Pawes he hath as a lyon:

"All that he toucheth he sleath dead downe.

"Great winges he hath to flight,

"That is no man that bare him might.
"There may no man fight him agayne,
"But that he sleath him certayne:
"For a fowler beast then is he,
"Ywis of none never heard ye.'

[ocr errors]

Sir William Dugdale is of opinion that the story of Guy is not wholly apocryphal, though he acknowledges the monks have sounded out his praises too hyperbolically. In particular, he gives the duel fought with the Danish champion as a real historical truth, and fixes the date of it in the year 926, ætat. Guy 67. See his Warwickshire.

The following is written upon the same plan as ballad V. Book I. but which is the original, and which the copy, cannot be decided. This song is ancient, as may be inferred from the idiom preserved in the margin, ver. 94. 102: and was once popular, as appears from Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Pestle, Act 2. sc. ult.

It is here published from an ancient MS copy in the Editor's old folio volume, collated with two printed ones, one of which is in black letter in the Pepys collection.

Was ever knight for ladyes sake

Soe tost in love, as I sir Guy
For Phelis fayre, that lady bright
As ever man beheld with eye?

She gave me leave myself to try,

The valiant knight with sheeld and speare,
Ere that her love shee wold grant me;

Which made mee venture far and neare.

[blocks in formation]

5

Then

Then proved I a baron bold,

In deeds of armes the doughtyest knight
That in those dayes in England was,

With sworde and speare in feild to fight.

An English man I was by birthe :
In faith of Christ a christyan true :
The wicked lawes of infidells

I sought by prowesse to subdue.

'Nine' hundred twenty yeere and odde

After our Saviour Christ his birth,

When king Athelstone wore the crowne,

I lived heere upon the earth.

Sometime I was of Warwicke erle,

10

15

20

And, as I sayd, of very truth

A ladyes love did me constraine

To seeke strange ventures in my youth.

To win me fame by feates of armes

In strange and sundry heathen lands;

Where I atchieved for her sake

Right dangerous conquests with my hands.

For first I sayled to Normandye,

And there I stoutlye wan in fight

The emperours daughter of Almaine,

From manye a vallyant worthye knight.

25

30

Ver. 9. The proud sir Guy, PC. Ver. 17. Two hundred. MS. and P.

Then

35

Then passed I the seas to Greece

To helpe the emperour in his right; Against the mightye souldans hoaste

Of puissant Persians for to fight.

Where I did slay of Sarazens,

And heathen pagans, manye a man ; And slew the souldans cozen deere,

Who had to name doughtye Coldràn.

Eskeldered a famous knight

To death likewise I did pursue: And Elmayne king of Tyre alsoe, Most terrible in fight to viewe.

I went into the souldans hoast,

Being thither on embassage sent,
And brought his head awaye with mee;
I having slaine him in his tent.

There was a dragon in that land

Most fiercelye mett me by the waye

As hee a lyon did pursue,

Which I myself did alsoe slay.

Then soon I past the seas from Greece,

And came to Pavye land aright :

Where I the duke of Pavye killed,
His hainous treason to requite,

[blocks in formation]

To England then I came with speede,
To wedd faire Phelis lady bright:
For love of whome I travelled farr

To try my manhood and my might.

But when I had espoused her,

I stayd with her but fortye dayes, Ere that I left this ladye faire,

And went from her beyond the seas.

All cladd in gray, in pilgrim sort,
My voyage from her I did take

Unto the blessed Holy-land,

60

65

[blocks in formation]

75

And doughty Barknard killed I,

A treacherous knight of Pavye land.

Then I to England came againe,

And here with Colbronde fell I fought: An ugly gyant, which the Danes

Had for their champion hither brought.

30

I over

« PreviousContinue »