A Pleasant and Renowned SONG of
Sir GUY, Earl of Warwick:
Shewing, The valiant DEEDS atchievd by that Noble Knight:
Also how he livd in a Cave as a Hermit, and of his Sickness and Death.
Tune of, Was ever Man, etc.
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WAS ever Knight for Ladys Sake
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So crost 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 Eye:
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She gave me Leave myself to try
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The valiant Knight with Shield and Spear,
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Eer 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 doughty 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 Englishman 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 Athelstone wore the Crown,
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I lived here upon the Earth:
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Some Time I was of Warwick Earl,
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And as I said, on very Truth,
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A Ladys Love did me constrain
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To seek great Ventures in my Youth.
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To try my Fame by Force of Arms,
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In strange and sundry Heathen Lands,
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Where I atchieved for her Sake,
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Right dangerous Conquests by my Hands.
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For first I saild to Normandy,
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And there I stoutly won in Fight
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The Emperors Daughter of Almain,
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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 Soldans Host
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Of Persians 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 Soldans Cousin dear,
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Besides the haughty Colbron.
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Exkeldred, the 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 terrible in Fight to view,
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I went into the Soldans Host,
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Being thither on Embassage sent:
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And brought away his Head with me,
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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 myself did slay,
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As he a Lion did pursue,
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Most fiercely met me by the Way:
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From thence I passd the Seas of Greece,
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And came to Pavy Land aright,
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Where I the Duke of Pavy killd,
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His heinous 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 travelld 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 then I left this Lady bright,
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And then I went beyond the Seas.
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All clad in Grey, in Pilgrim 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 that 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 Giant Amarant,
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In Battle fiercely Hand to Hand;
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And doughty 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 Giant, that 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 dead 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 afterwards I offerd up
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The Use of Weapons solemnly
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At Winchester, when as I fought
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In Sight of many far and nigh.
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In Windsor Forest 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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In Bigness both for Breath and Length:
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Some of his Bones in Warwick yet
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Within the Castle there do lie;
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One of his Shield-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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Calld, The Dun Cow bf 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 do lie,
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Which unto every Lookers View,
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As Wonders strange they may espy.
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And the Dragons in the Land,
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I also did in Sight destroy,
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That did both Man and Beast 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 Pilgrim poor, and was not known;
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And there I livd a Hermits Life,
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A Mile and more out of the Town.
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Where with my Hands I hewd a House
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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 myself alone:
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And daily 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, sore so Sick, that I must die;
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I sent to her a Ring of Gold,
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By which she knew me presently:
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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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Herself closd up my dying Eyes,
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My Phillis fair whom I lovd most.
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Thus dreadful Death did me arrest,
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To bring my Corpse unto the Grave;
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And like Palmer died I,
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Whereby I hope my Soul to save:
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My Body in Warwick yet doth lie,
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Though it is now consumd to Mould;
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My Stature was engraven i[n] Stone,
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This present Day you may behold.
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