A Pleasant Song of the Valiant Deeds of Chivalry.
Atchieved by that Noble Knight Sir Guy of Warwick, who for the love of fair
Phillis, became a Hermet, and dyed in a Cave of Craggy Rock, a Mile distant
from Warwick. To the Tune of, Was ever Man.
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WAs ever Knight for Ladies sake,
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so tost in love, as I Sir Guy,
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For Phillis fair that Lady bright,
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as ever man beheld with mortal eye:
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She gave me leave my self to try,
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the valiant Knight with shield & spear,
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E're that her love she would grant me,
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which made me venture far and near.
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The proud Sir Guy a Baron bold,
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in deeds of arms the doubtful Knight
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That every day in England was,
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with Sword and Spear in field to fight
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An English-man I was by birth,
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in faith of Christ, a Christian true,
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The wicked Laws of Infidels
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I sought by power to subdue.
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Two hundred twenty years and odd,
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after our Saviour Christ his birth,
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When King Athelston wore the Crown,
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I lived here upon the earth,
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Sometimes I was of Warwick Earl,
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and as I said on very truth,
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A Ladies love did me constrain,
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to seek strange ventures in my youth.
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To try my fame by feats of arms
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in staange and sundry Heathen Lands,
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Where I atchieved for her sake,
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right dangerous Conquests with my hands,
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For first I sail'd to Normandy,
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and there I stoutly won in fight:
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The Emperor's Daughter of Almany,
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from many a valiant worthy Knight.
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Then passed I the Seas of Greece,
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to help the Emperor to his right,
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Against the mighty Souldans host,
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of puissant Persians for to fight:
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Where I did slay of Sarazens,
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and Heathen Pagans many a man,
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And slew the Souldians Cousin dear,
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who had to name, Daughty Colbron.
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Ezkeldered that Famous Knight,
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to death likewise I did pursue,
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And Almain King of Tyre also,
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most tirrable too in fight to view,
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I went into the Soldans Host,
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being thither on ambassage sent,
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And brought away his head we,
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I having slain him in his Tent.
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THere was a Dragon in the Land.
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which I also my self did slay,
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As he a Lyon did persue.
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most fiercly met me by the way:
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From thence I past the Seas of Greece,
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and came to Pavy Land aright:
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Where I the Duke of Pavy kill'd,
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his hanious Treason to requite,
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And after came into this Land,
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towards fair Phillis Lady bright,
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For love of whom I travelled far,
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to try my manhood and my might,
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But when I had espoused her,
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I staid with her but forty days,
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But there I left this Lady fair,
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and then I went beyond the Seas.
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All clad in gray in Pilgrime sort,
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my Voyage from her I did take,
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Unto that blessed Holy Land,
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for Jesus Christ my Saviours sake,
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Where I Earl Jonas did redeem,
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and all his sons which were fifteen,
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Who with the cruel Sarazen,
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in Prison for long time had been.
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I slew the Gyant Amarant,
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in Battle fiercely hand to hand,
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And daughty Barknard killed I,
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the mighty Duke of that same Land:
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Then I to England came again,
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and here with Colbron fell I fought,
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An ugly Gyant which the Danes,
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had for their Champion hither brought,
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I overcame him in the field,
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and slew him did right valiantly,
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Where I the Land did then redeem,
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from Danish tribute utterly,
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And afeerward I offered up,
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the use of weapons solemnly,
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At Winchester whereas I fought,
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in sight of many far and nigh.
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In Windsor Forrist I did slay,
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a Boar of passing might and strength,
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The like in England never was,
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for hugeness both in bredth and length,
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Some of his bones in Warwick yet,
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within the Castle there doth lye,
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One of his Thield bones to this day,
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hangs in the City of Coventry.
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On Dunsmore-heath I also slew
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a monstrous wild and cruel Beast,
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Call'd the Dun Cow of Dunsmore heath,
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which many people had opprest:
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Some of her bones in Warwick yet,
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still for a monument doth lye:
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Which unto every lookers view,
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as wondrous strange they may espy,
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Another Dragon in the Land,
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I also did in fight destroy,
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Which did both man and Beasts oppress,
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and all the Country sore annoy,
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And then to Warwick came again,
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like Pilgrime poor & was not know[n],
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And there I liv'd a hermets life,
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a mile and more out of the town,
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Where with my hand I hew'd a hous[e]
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out of a craggy Rock of stone,
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And lived like a Palmer poor,
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within that Cave my self alone:
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And dayly came to beg my food,
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of Phillis at my Castle Gate.
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Not known unto my loving wife,
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who daily mourned for her mate,
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Till at the last I fell sore sick,
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yea sick so sore that I must dye,
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I sent to her a Ring of Gold,
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by which she knew me presantly:
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Then she repaired to the Cave,
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before that I gave up the Ghost,
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Her self clos'd up my Dying eyes,
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my Phillis fair whom I lov'd most.
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Thus dreadful Death did me arrest,
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to bring my Corps unto the grave
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And like a Palmer dyed I,
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whereby I thought my Soul to sa[ve]
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My body in Warwick yet doth lye,
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though now it be consum'd to mo[ld]
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My Stature was ingraven in stone
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this present day you may behold.
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FINIS.
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