"With these words engraven, as epitaph meet, O willow, &c. 'Here lyes one, drank poyson for potion most sweet.' O willow, &c. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd. 30 35 "I cannot against her unkindly exclaim, Cause once well I loved her, and honoured her name. 40 "The name of her sounded so sweete in mine eare, O willow, &c. It rays'd my heart lightly, the name of my deare ; 45 Sing, O the greene willow, &c. "As then 'twas my comfort, it now is my griefe ; O willow, &c. It now brings me anguish; then brought me reliefe. O willow, &c. Sing, O the greene willow, &c. 50 "Farewell, faire false-hearted, plaints end with my breath! O willow, willow, willow! Thou dost loath me, I love thee, though cause of my death. O willow, willow, willow! O willow, willow, willow! Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland.” 55 VOL. I. L 1X. Sir Lancelot du Lake.1 This ballad is quoted in Shakspeare's Second Part of Henry IV. act ii. sc. 4. The subject of it is taken from the ancient romance of King Arthur (commonly called Morte Arthur), being a poetical translation of chap. cviii. cix. cx. in Part 1st, as they stand in ed. 1634, 4to. This song is the older editions the chapters are differently numbered. given from a printed copy, corrected in part by folio MS. In In the same Play of 2 Henry IV., Silence hums a scrap of one of the old ballads of Robin Hood. It is taken from the following stanza of Robin Hood and the Pindar of Wakefield. "All this beheard three wighty yeomen, 'Twas Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John: With that they espyd the jolly Pindàr As he sate under a thorne." That ballad may be found on every stall, and therefore is not here reprinted. WHEN Arthur first in court began, And was approved king, By force of armes great victorys wonne, Then into England straight he came 5 With fifty good and able Knights that resorted unto him, And were of the Round Table. And many justs and turnaments Wherto were many prest, 10 Wherein some knights did farr excell, But one Sir Lancelot du Lake, Who was approved well, He for his deeds and feates of armes All others did excell. 15 1 The folio MS. copy of this ballad is so mutilated that we owe more than half the present version to the ingenuity of Percy.-Editor. When he had rested him a while, In play, and game, and sportt, He armed rode in forrest wide, Who told him of adventures great, Whereto he gave good eare. 20 66 Why shold I not?" quoth Lancelott tho, 25 "For that cause came I hither." "Thou seemst," quoth she, “a knight full good,” And I will bring thee thither, “Wheras a mighty knight doth dwell, That now is of great fame; 30 Therfore tell me what knight thou art, And what may be thy name." "My name is Lancelot du Lake.” Here dwelles a knight who never was 35 "Who has in prison threescore knights And four, that he did wound; Knights of King Arthurs court they be, 40 Ver. 29, where is often used by our old writers for whereas: here it is just the contrary. "Sir Knight," then sayd Sir Lancelòtt, Bring me that horse-load hither, And lay him downe, and let him rest; "For, as I understand, thou hast, 50 Soe far as thou art able, 55 "If thou be of the Table Round," I utterly defye." 60 "That's over much," quoth Lancelott tho, "Defend thee by and by." They sett their speares unto their steeds, And each att other flye. They coucht their speares, (their horses ran, 65 And strucke them each immidst their shields, Their horsses backes brake under them, The knights were both astound; 70 To avoyd their horsses they made great haste, They tooke them to their shields full fast, With mighty strokes most eagerlye 75 Each at the other ran. They wounded were, and bled full sore, And leaning on their swordes awhile, "And tell to me what I shall aske;' 66 Say on," quoth Lancelot tho. وو "Thou art," quoth Tarquine, "the best knight That ever I did know; 80 “And like a knight that I did hate; 85 Soe that thou be not hee, I will deliver all the rest, And eke accord with thee." "That is well sayd," quoth Lancelott tho, 90 What knight is that thou hatest thus ? I pray thee to me show." "His name is Lancelot du Lake, He slew my brother deere; Him I suspect of all the rest: I would I had him here." "Thy wish thou hast, but yet unknowne ; I am Lancelot du Lake, Now knight of Arthurs Table Round; King Hauds son of Schuwake; "And I desire thee do thy worst." "Ho, ho," quoth Tarquin tho, "One of us two shall end our lives, Before that we do 95 100 go. 2 Rashing seems to be the old hunting term to express the stroke made by the wild-boar with his fangs. To rase has apparently a meaning something similar. See Mr. Steevens' Note to King Lear, act iii. sc. 7 (ed. 1793, vol. xiv. p. 193), where the quartos read, "Nor thy fierce sister In his anointed flesh rash boarish fangs." So in King Richard III., act iii. sc. 2 (vol. x., pp. 567, 583), "He dreamt To-night the boar had rased off his helm." |