A pleasant Song of the Valiant Deeds of Chivalry
Atchiev'd 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 Lady's 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 shield and 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 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 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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Sometime I was of Warwick Earl,
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and as I said on very truth,
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A Lady's 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 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 sail'd to Normandy,
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and there I stoutly won in sight,
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The Emperour's 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 Emperour to his right,
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Against the mighty Soldan's 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 Soldan's Cousin dear,
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who had to name, Doughty 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 terrible too in fight to view:
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I went into the Soldian's Host,
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being thither on Ambassage 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 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 travell'd 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 stay with her but forty days,
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But there I left this Lady fair,
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and then I went beyound 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 Saviour's 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 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 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 Winchester, whereas I fought,
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in sight of many far nigh.
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In Windsor-forrest 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 breadth and length,
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Some of his bones in Warwick yet,
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within the castle there do 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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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 lie,
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Which unto every Looker's 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 liv'd a Hermit's 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 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 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 corpse unto the grave,
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And like a Palmer dyed I,
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whereby I hope my soul to save:
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My body in Warwick yet doth lye,
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though now it is consum'd to mould,
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My stature was engraven in stone,
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this present day you may behold.
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