"His name is Lancelot du Lake, "Thy wish thou hast, but yet unknown; Now knight of Arthur's Table Round, And I desire thee do thy worst." If thou be Lancelot du Lake, Then welcome shalt thou be; Wherefore see thou thyself defend, For now defie I thee." They buckled then together so, Like two wild boars rashing, And with their swords and shields they ran At one another slashing. The ground besprinkled was with blood, Tarquin began to faint; For he gave back, and bore his shield So low, he did repent. This soon espied Sir Lancelot tho; He leapt upon him then, He pull'd him down upon his knee, And rushed off his helm. And then he struck his neck in two; From prison threescore knights and four THE LEGEND OF SIR GUY. "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."-PERCY. AS ever knight for ladye's sake She gave me leave myself to try, The valiant knight with sheeld and speare, Then proved I a baron bold, In deeds of arms the doughtyest knight 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 I sought by prowesse to subdue. 'Nine' hundred twenty yeere and odde 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 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 Then passed I the seas to Greece, Where I did slay of Sarazens, And heathen pagans, manye a man; And slew the souldan's cozen' deere, Who had to name doughtye Coldràn. Eskeldered, a famous knight, To death likewise I did pursue : I went into the souldan's hoast, There was a dragon in that land As hee a lyon did pursue, Which I myself did alsoe slay. Then soon I past the seas from Greece, Sultan's cousin. To England then I came with speede, 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, 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, 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, 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. And afterwards I offered upp 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 boar of passing might and strength; Whose like in England never was For hugeness both in bredth and length. Some of his bones in Warwicke yett On Dunsmore heath I alsoe slewe A monstrous wyld and cruell beast, Call'd the Dun-cow of Dunsmore heath; Which manye people had opprest. |