I.

THE LEGEND OF SIR GUY

Contains a short summary of the exploits of this famous champion, as recorded in the old story books; and is commonly intitled, "A pleasant song of the valiant deeds of chivalry atchieved by that noble knight sir Guy of Warwick, who, for the love of fair Phelis, became a hermit, and dyed in a cave of craggy rocke, a mile distant from Warwick."

The history of Sir Guy, tho' now very properly resigned to children, was once admired by all readers of 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.

This ancient romance is not wholly lost. An imperfect copy in black letter, "Imprynted at London----for 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 v. 105 of the following ballad:--

"----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, By twenty myle rounde aboute, For doubt of a fowle dragon, That sleath men and beastes downe. He is blacke as any cole, 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."

Sir William Dugdale is of opinion that the story of Guy is not wholly apocryphal, tho' 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, v. 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.

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[Guy was one of the most popular of the heroes of romance, and the Folio MS. contains three pieces upon his history, viz., the two printed here and _Guy and Colbrand_.

The original of the present ballad in the Folio MS., entitled _Guy and Phillis_ (ed. Hales and Furnivall, vol. ii. p. 201), is a mere fragment beginning with verse 89. Percy tore out certain leaves to send to the printer, and in consequence the whole of _King Estmere_ and the beginning of this ballad are lost. Alterations have been made in nearly every verse by the help of the printed copies. _Guy and Phillis_ was entered on the Stationers' books, 5th January, 1591-2.

We are told by Dugdale that an English traveller, about the year 1410, was hospitably received at Jerusalem by the Soldan's lieutenant, who, hearing that Lord Beauchamp "was descended from the famous Guy of Warwick, whose story they had in books of their own language, invited him to his palace; and royally feasting him, presented him with three precious stones of great value, besides divers cloaths of silk and gold given to his servants." Dugdale's authority for this story was John Rous, a priest of the chapel at Guy's Cliff, near Warwick, who compiled a biography of the hero, in which all the incidents of the romance are narrated as sober fact. The constant praises of the hero bored some people, and Corbet, in his _Iter Boreale_, expressed the hope that he should hear no more of him--

"May all the ballads be call'd in and dye Which sing the warrs of Colebrand and Sir Guy."

Much valuable information on this subject will be found in Mr. Hale's interesting introduction to the Guy poems in the Folio MS.]

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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.

Then proved I a baron bold,[257] 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 15 I sought by prowesse to subdue.

'Nine' hundred twenty yeere and odde[258] After our Saviour Christ his birth, When king Athèlstone wore the crowne, I lived heere upon the earth. 20

Sometime I was of Warwicke erle, 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 25 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 30 The emperours daughter of Almaine, From manye a vallyant worthye knight.

Then passed I the seas to Greece To helpe the emperour in his right; Against the mightye souldans hoaste 35 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. 40

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, 45 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 50 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, 55 His hainous treason to requite.

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. 60

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, 65 My voyage from her I did take Unto the blessed Holy-land, For Jesus Christ my Saviours sake.

Where I erle Jonas did redeeme, And all his sonnes which were fifteene, 70 Who with the cruell Sarazens In prison for long time had beene.

I slew the gyant Amarant In battel fiercelye hand to hand: And doughty Barknard killed I, 75 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. 80

I overcame him in the feild, And slewe him soone right valliantlye; Wherebye this land I did redeeme From Danish tribute utterlye.

And afterwards I offered upp 85 The use of weapons solemnlye At Winchester, whereas I fought, In sight of manye farr and nye.

'But first,' neare Winsor, I did slaye A bore of passing might and strength; 90 Whose like in England never was For hugenesse both in bredth, and length.

Some of his bones in Warwicke yett, Within the castle there doe lye:[259] One of his sheeld-bones to this day 95 Hangs in the citye of Coventrye.

On Dunsmore heath I alsoe slewe A monstrous wyld and cruell beast, Calld the Dun-cow of Dunsmore heath; Which manye people had opprest. 100

Some of her bones in Warwicke yett Still for a monument doe lye;[259] And there exposed to lookers viewe As wonderous strange, they may espye.

A dragon in Northumberland, 105 I alsoe did in fight destroye, Which did bothe man and beast oppresse, And all the countrye sore annoye.

At length to Warwicke I did come, Like pilgrim poore and was not knowne; 110 And there I lived a hermitts life A mile and more out of the towne.

Where with my hands I hewed a house Out of a craggy rocke of stone; And lived like a palmer poore 115 Within that cave myself alone:

And daylye came to begg my bread Of Phelis att my castle gate; Not knowne unto my loved wiffe Who dailye mourned for her mate. 120

Till att the last I fell sore sicke, Yea sicke soe sore that I must dye; I sent to her a ring of golde, By which shee knew me presentlye.

Then shee repairing to the cave 125 Before that I gave up the ghost; Herself closd up my dying eyes: My Phelis faire, whom I lovd most.

Thus dreadful death did me arrest, To bring my corpes unto the grave; 130 And like a palmer dyed I, Wherby I sought my soule to save.

My body that endured this toyle, Though now it be consumed to mold; My statue faire engraven in stone, 135 In Warwicke still you may behold.

FOOTNOTES:

[257] Ver. 9. The proud Sir Guy, _PC._

[258] Ver. 17. Two hundred, MS. and P.

[259] Ver. 94, 102, doth lye, MS.