A pleasant Song of the Valiant Deeds of Chivalry
Atchievd by that
Noble Knight, Sir GUY of Warwick,
Who for the Love of Fair PHILLIS became a Hermet, and died in a Cave of
a Craggy Rock a Mile distant from Warwick. Tune, Was ever Man, etc.
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WAs ever Knight for Ladys 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 eye,
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She gave me leave myself to try,
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the valiant Knight with sheild and spear,
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Ere 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 bith,
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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 Ladys love did me constrain
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to seek strange ventures in my youth.
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To try my fame by fears 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 with 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 Emperours Daughter of Almany,
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from many a valiant wo[r]thy Knight.
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Then passed I the seas of Greece
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to help the Emperour to his right,
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Against the mighty Soldians host,
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of puissant Persians for to sight:
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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 Soldians 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 Ring of Tyre also,
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A most terrible too in sight to view:
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I went into the Soldians host,
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bring thither on Ambassage sent,
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And brought a way 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 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 killd,
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his hanious treason to require.
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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 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 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 which were fitteen,
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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 flew the Grant Amarant,
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in battle fiercely hand to hand.
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And daughey 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 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 offered up
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the use of weapons solemnly,
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At Win[c]heste[r], whereas I fought
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in sight of many far and nigh.
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In Windsor-forrest I did slay
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a Boar at passing might and strength,
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The like in England never was,
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for hugeness both in breadth 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 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 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 lie.
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Which unto every lookers view,
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as wondrous strange they may espy.
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And the Dragon in the land,
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I also did in fight destroy,
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Which did both men 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 Pilgrim poor, and was not known
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And there I livd a Hermets life,
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a mile and more out of the town.
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Where with my hand 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, 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 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 to the grave,
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Aod like a Palmer dyed I,
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whereby I thought my soul to save:
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My body in Warwick yet doth lye,
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though now it is consumd to mold,
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My stature was engraven in stone,
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this present day you may behold.
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