Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

Then up they took that lothly dame,
And home anone they bringe:
And there fir Gawaine he her wed,
And married her with a ringe.

And when they were in wed-bed laid,
And all were done awaye;

90

Come turne to mee, mine owne wed-lord

95

[blocks in formation]

Sir Gawaine fcant could lift his head,

For forrowe and for care;

When, lo! instead of that lothelye dame,
Hee fawe a young ladye faire.

Sweet blushes ftayn'd her rud-red cheeke,
Her eyen were blacke as floe:

And all her necke was fnowe.

100

The ripening cherrye fwellde her lippe,

Sir Gawaine kifs'd that lady faire,

105

Lying upon the sheete:

And swore, as he was a true knighte,
The spice was never foe sweete.

Sir Gawaine kifs'd that lady brighte,
Lying there by his fide:
"The faireft flower is not foe faire,

Thou never can't bee my bride.

110

I am thy bride, mine owne deare lorde,
The fame whiche thou didst knowe,
That was foe lothlye, and was wont
Upon the wild more to goe.

Nowe, gentle Gawaine, chufe, quoth fhee,

And make thy choice with care; Whether by night, or else bee daye Shall I be foule or faire ?

To have thee foule ftill in the ni_ht,
When I with thee should playe;
I had rather farre, my lady deare,
To have thee foule by daye.

115

120

[blocks in formation]

Nowe bleffed bee thou, fweete Gawaine,

And the daye that I thee fee;

For as thou feeft mee at this time,

Sce fhall I ever bee.

C 4

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

My father was an aged knighte,

And yet it chanced foe;

He tooke to wife a false ladye,

Whiche broughte me to this woe.

Shee witch'd mee, being a faire yonge maide,

In the greene forèft to dwelle;

And there to abide in lothlye fhape,

140

Moft like a fiend of helle.

Midft mores and moffes; woods, and wilds,

145

To lead a lonesome life :

Till fome yong faire and courtlye knighte,
Wolde marrye me to his wife :

Nor fully to gaine mine owne trewe shape,

Suche was her devilish skille;

150

Until he wolde yielde to be rul'd by mee,

And let mee have all my wille.

Shee witchd my brother to a carlish boore,
And made him ftiffe and stronge;

And built him a bowre on magicke grounde, 155
To live by rapine and wronge.

But now the fpelle is broken throughe,

And wronge is turnde to righte; Henceforth I fhall bee a faire ladyè,

And hee be a gentle knighte. *.*

160

III.

KING RYENCE'S CHALLENGE.

This fong is more modern than many of thofe which follow it, but is placed here for the fake of the fubject. It was fung before queene Elizabeth at the grand entertainment at Kenelworth-caftle in 1575, and was probably compofed for that occafion. In a letter defcribing thofe feftivities, it is thus mentioned; "A minftral came forth with a follem fong, warranted for flory out of K. Arthur's "acts, whereof I gat a copy, and is this;

66

[ocr errors]

So it fell out on a Pentecoft &c.”

After the fong the narrative proceeds: "At this the minftrell made a pauze and a curiczy for primus paffus. "More of the fong is thear, but I gatt it not."

[ocr errors]

---

The ftory in Morte Arthur, whence it is taken, runs as follows, Came a messenger haftely from king Ryence of North<< Wales, faying, that king Ryence had discomfited "and overcomen eleaven kings, and everiche of them did "him homage, and that was this; they gave him their "beardscleane flayne off,----wherefore the messenger came for king Arthur's beard, for king Ryence had purfeled a "mantell with kings beards, and there lacked for one place of the mantell, wherefore be fent for his beard, or elfe he would enter into his lands, and brenn and flay, "and never leave till he have thy head and thy beard. "Well, faid king Arthur, thou haft faid thy message, which is the most villainous and lewdeft message that

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

ever man heard fent to a king. Also thou mayeft fee my "beard is full young yet for to make a purfell of, but tell "thou the king that----or it be long he shall do to me homage "on both his knees, or else he shall leefe his head." [B. 1. c. 24. See alfo the fame Romance, B. 1. c. 92.]

The thought feems to be originally taken from Jeff. Monmouth's hift. B. 10. c. 3. which is alluded to by Drayton in his Poly. Olb. Song 4. and by Spenfer in Faer. Qu. 6. 1. 13, 15. See the Obfervations on Spenfer.

The

The following text is compofed of the best readings felected from three different copies. The firft in Enderbie's Cambria Triumphans, p. 197. The fecond in the Letter abovementioned. And the third inferted in MS. in a copy of Morte Arthur, 1632, in the Bodl. Library.

"N. B. Stow tells us, that king Arthur kept his round "table at "diverfe places, but especially at Carlion, Win"chefter, and Camalet in Somerfetfhire. This Ca"melet Sometimes a famous towne or caftle, is fituate on "a very [high] tor or hill, &c." [See an exact description in Stowe's Annals, Ed. 1631. p. 55.]

A

S it fell out on a Pentecoft day,

King Arthur at Camelot kept his court royall,
With his faire queene dame Guenever the gay ;
And many bold barons fitting in hall;
With ladies attired in purple and pall;
And heraults in hewkes, hooting on high,
Cryed, Largez, Largez, Chevaliers tres-hardie.

A doughty dwarfe to the uppermost deas
Right pertlye gan pricke, kneeling on knee,
With steven fulle ftoute amids all the preas,

Sayd, Nowe fir king Arthur, God fave thee, and fee!
Sir Ryence of North-gales greeteth well thee,

And bids thee thy beard anon to him fend,
Or elfe from thy jaws he will it off rend.

For his robe of ftate is a rich fcarlet mantle,
With eleven knights beards bordered about,

*

* Perhaps 'broidered: so " purfelled" fignifies.

And

« ПредишнаНапред »