--contains a fhort fummary of the exploits of this famous champion, as recorded in the old story books; and is commonly intitled, "A pleafant fong of the valiant deeds' "of chivalry atchieved by that noble knight fir Guy of "Warwick, who, for the love of fair Phelis, became a

" hermit,

"hermit, and dyed in a cave of craggy rocke, a mile "diftant from Warwick.”

The hiftory of fir Guy, tho' now very properly refigned to children, was once admired by all readers of wit and tafte: for tafte 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 tranflation, 2 vols. 12mo.

The original whence all these ftories are extracted is a very ancient romance in old English verfe, 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 fir Guy, Sc.

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 loft. An imperfect copy in black letter, "Imprynted at London-for Wylliam "Copland." in 34 fheets 4to. without date, is ftill preferved among Mr. Garrick's collection of old plays. As a fpecimen of the poetry of this antique rhymer, take his defcription of the dragon mentioned in ver. 105 of the following ballad, "A mesenger came to the king.

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Syr king, he fayd, lyften me now,
"For bad tydinges 1 bring you,

"In Northumberlande there is no man,
"But that they be flayne everychone?

"For there dare no man route,

ઃઃ

By twenty myle rounde aboute,

"For doubt of a fowle dragon,
"That fleath men and beaftes 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 fo harde;

H 3

"His

"His neck is great as any fummere;
"He renneth as fwifte as any diftrere s
Pawes he hath as a lyon:

"All that he toucheth he fleath 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 fleath him certayne:
"For a fowler beaft then is be,
"Twis of none never heard ye.

Sir William Dugdale is of opinion that the ftory of Guy is not wholly apocryphal, tho' be acknowledges the monks have founded out his praises too hyperbolically. In particular, he gives the duel fought with the Danish champion as a real hiftorical truth, and fixes the date of it in the year 929, Etat. Guy, 70. See his Warwickshire.

The following is written upon the fame plan, as ballad V. Book I. but which is the original and which the copy, cannot be decided. This fong is ancient, as may be inferred from the idiom preferved in the margin, ver. 94. 102: and was once popular, as appears from Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Peftle, alt. 2. c. 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.

W

AS ever knight for ladyes fake

Soe toft in love, as I fir Guy
For Phelis fayre, that lady bright
As ever man beheld with eye?

Shee gave me leave myself to try,

The valiant knight with fheeld and speare,

Ere that her love fhee wold grant me;

Which made mee venture far and neare.

Then

Then proved I a baron bold,

bebeg rodT In deeds of armes the doughtyeft knight That in thofe dayes in England was,

With fworde and fpeare in feild to fight?

An English man I was by birthe : I setV
In faith of Chrift a chriftyan true et Lu

The wicked lawes of infidells

I fought by proweffe to fubdue.

10

"Nine' hundred twenty yeere and odde bonn
After our Saviour Chrift his birthe,
When king Athèlftone wore the crowne,

I lived heere upon the earthe.

Sometime I was of Warwickę erle,
And, as I fayd, of very truthe

A ladyes love did me conftraine

To feeke strange ventures in my youthe,

To win me fame by feates of armes
In ftrange and fundry heathen lands;
Where I atchieved for her fake

Right dangerous conquefts with my hands.

For first I fayled to Normandye,

my hand

25

And there I ftoutlye wan in fighest neiT 30

The emperours daughter of Almayne,

From manye a vallyant worthye knight.

H4

A

Then

Ver. 9. The proud fir Guy, P. Ver. 17. Two hundred, MS and P.

1

Then paffed I the feas to Greece

To helpe the emperour in his right; bi
Against the mightye fouldans hoafte

Of puiffant Perfians for to fight.

Where I did flay of Sarazens,

And heathen pagans, manye a man ;
And flew the fouldans cozen deare,
Who had to name doughtye Coldràn.

Efkeldered a famous knight
To death likewife I did purfue:
And Elmayne king of Tyre alfoe,
Moft terrible in fight to viewe.

I went into the fouldans hoaft,

Being thither on embaffage, fent,
And brought his head awaye with mee,
I having flaine him in his tent.

There was a dragon in that land

Moft fiercelye mett me by the waye

As hee a lyon did purfue,

Which I myself did alfoe flay.

Then foon I paft the feas from Greece, DA

And came to Pavye land aright:
Where I the duke of Pavye killd,

His hainous treafon to requite.

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