Right dangerous conquests with my hands. Who with the cruell Sarazens

Although this piece seems not imperfect, there is reason to believe that it is only a part Gry journeyes towards that sanctifyed

With tedious miles he tyred his wearye feet,
And passed desart places full of danger,
At last with a most woefull wight* did meet,
A man that unto sorrow was noe stranger:
For he had fifteen sonnes, made captives all
To slavish bondage, in extremest thrall.

A gyant called Amarant detaind them,

12

Putting such vigour to his knotty beame,
That like a furnace he did smoke extreame.

But on the ground he spent his strokes in vaine,

For Guy was nimble to avoyde them still, And ever ere he heav'd his clubb againe, 45 Did brush his plated coat against his will:

Whom noe man durst encounter for his Att such advantage Guy wold never fayle, strength:

Who in a castle, which he held, had chaind them:

15

Guy questions, where? and understands at length

To bang him soundlye in his coate of mayle.

Att last through thirst the gyant feeble grewe,
And sayd to Guy, As thou'rt of humane

The place not farr.-Lend me thy sword, Shew itt in this, give natures wants their quoth hee,

Ile lend my manhood all thy sonnes to free.

With that he goes, and lays upon the dore,
Like one that sayes, I must, and will come
in:
20

The gyant never was soe rowz'd before:
For noe such knocking at his gate had bin:
Soe takes his keyes, and clubb, and cometh
out,

Staring with ireful countenance about.

dewe,

Goe pledge the dragon, and the salvage
bore:*

Succeed the tragedyes that they have past,
But never thinke to taste cold water more:

Sirra, quoth hee, what business hast thou Drinke deepe to death and unto him carouse:

Bid him receive thee in his earthen house, 60

Art come to feast the crowes about my Soe to the spring he goes, and slakes his

walls?

thirst;

About the head, the shoulders, and the Villaine, quoth Amarant, Ile crush thee

This clubb, which is about some hundred By all my gods I doe rejoice at itt, 111 To understand that thirst constraines thee

weight,

75

Traytor, quoth Guy, thy falshood Ile repay,
This coward act to intercept my bloode.
Sayes Amarant, Ile murther any way,
With enemyes all vantages are good:

Perish forever: with this stroke I send thee A medicine, that will doe thy thirst much good;

O could I poyson in thy nostrills blowe, 95 Take noe more care for drinke before I end Besure of it I wold dispatch thee soe.

But breathe thy selfe a time, while I goe drinke,

For flameing Phoebus with his fyerye eye Torments me soe with burning heat, I thinke My thirst wold serve to drinke an ocean drye:

Forbear a litle, as I delt with thee.

106

thee,

And then wee'll have carouses of thy blood; Here's at thee with a butcher's downright blow,

To please my furye with thine overthrow.

Infernall, false, obdurate feend, said Guy,

131

That seemst a lump of crueltye from hell; Ungratefull monster, since thou dost deny The thing to mee wherin I used thee well': With more revenge, than ere my sword did make, 139

On thy accursed head revenge Ile take.

Thy gyants longitude shall shorter shrinke, Except thy sun-scorcht skin be weapon proof:

140 Farewell my thirst; I doe disdaine to drinke; Streames keepe your waters to your owne behoof;

Quoth Amarant. "Thou hast noe foole of mee. Or let wild beasts be welcome thereunto;

Noe, sillye wretch, my father taught more witt,

How I shold use such enemyes as thou;

With those pearle drops I will not have to do.

Here, tyrant, take a taste of my good-will,

For thus I doe begin my bloodye bout: 146

You cannot chuse but like the greeting ill;

It is not that same clubb will beare you out;

Then the perplexed knight their father calls, And sayes, Receive thy sonnes though poore and faint: 184

And take this payment on thy shaggye I promisd you their lives, accept of that; But did not warrant you they shold be fat.

crowne

Whether the edition in 1649 was the first is not known, but the author Sam. Rowlands was one of the minor poets who lived in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and James I. and perhaps later. His other poems are chiefly of the religious kind, which makes it probable that the history of Guy was one of his earliest performances.-There are extant of his (1.) "The betraying of Christ, Judas in dispaire, the seven words of our Saviour on the crosse, with other poems on the passion, &c., 1598, 4to." [Ames Typ. p. 428.]—(2.) A Theatre of delightful Recreation. Lond. printed for A. Johnson, 1605," 4to. (Penes editor.) This is a book of poems on subjects chiefly taken from the Old Testament. (3.) "Memory of Christ's Miracles, in verse, Lond. 1618, 4to." (4.) "Heaven's glory, earth's vanity, and hell's horror." Lond. 1638, 8vo. [These two in Bod. Cat.]

In the present edition the foregoing poem has been much improved from the printed copy.