English and Scottish Ballads
Chapter 12 : "His name is Lancelot du Lake, He slew my brother dear; Him I suspect of all the r

"His name is Lancelot du Lake, He slew my brother dear; Him I suspect of all the rest; 95 I would I had him here."

"Thy wish thou hast, but yet unknown; I am Lancelot du Lake!

Now knight of Arthur's Table Round, King Ban's son of Benwake;[L100] 100

"And I desire thee do thy worst."

"Ho! ho!" quoth Tarquin tho, "One of us two shall end our lives, Before that we do go.

"If thou be Lancelot du Lake, 105 Then welcome shalt thou be; Wherefore see thou thyself defend, For now defie I thee."

They buckled then together so, Like two wild boars ras.h.i.+ng, 110 And with their swords and s.h.i.+elds they ran At one another slas.h.i.+ng.[L112]

The ground besprinkled was with blood, Tarquin began to faint; For he gave back, and bore his s.h.i.+eld 115 So low, he did repent.

This soon espied[L117] Sir Lancelot tho; He leapt upon him then, He pull'd him down upon his knee, And rushed[L120] off his helm. 120

And then he struck his neck in two; And when he had done so, From prison, threescore knights and four Lancelot delivered tho.

29, the.

36, E'er match'd.

44, fellow.

92, so.

100, Kind Haud's son of Seuwake.

112, flas.h.i.+ng.

117, 'spied.

120, rus.h.i.+ng.

THE LEGEND OF SIR GUY.

(Percy's _Reliques_, iii. 143.)

"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.

An inferior copy is printed in Ritson's _Ancient Songs and Ballads_, ii. 193.

From an essay on the romance of Sir Guy, read by Mr. Wright before the British Archaeological a.s.sociation during its meeting at Warwick, we extract the following remarks in ill.u.s.tration of the history of the present ballad, and other similar popular heroic traditions.

"As the Teutonic tribes progressed in their migrations, and settled in new lands--and especially when they received a new faith, and made advances in civilization,--the mythic romances of their forefathers underwent remarkable modifications to adapt them to new sentiments and new manners. Among people who had forgotten the localities to which they referred, they received a new location and became identified with places and objects with which people were better acquainted, and in this manner they underwent a new historical interpretation. It would be no uninteresting task to point out how many romantic tales that are soberly related of individuals of comparatively modern history, are merely new applications of these early myths.

"Among the romances of the Anglo-Danish cycle by no means the least celebrated is that of GUY OF WARWICK. It is one, of the few, which has been preserved in its Anglo-Norman form, since which it has gone through an extraordinary number of versions, and Chaucer enumerated it among the _romances of pris_, or those which in the fourteenth century were held in the highest estimation. It is doubtless one of those stories in which an ancient mythic romance has undergone the series of modifications I have been describing; a legend which had become located by popular traditions in the neighbourhood we are now visiting, in which the contests between northern chieftains are changed into tilts and tournaments, but in which the combats with dragons and giants are still preserved. Whatever may have been the name of the original hero, that which he now bears, Guy, is a French name, and could not have been given till Norman times.

"From the Anglo-Norman poem, so great was its popularity, two or three different English metrical versions were made, which are still found in ma.n.u.scripts, and the earliest of which, that of the well-known Auchinlech ma.n.u.script, has been printed in a very expensive form by one of the Scottish Antiquarian clubs. It was next transformed into French prose, and in that form was popular in the fifteenth century, and was printed by some of the earlier printers. It was finally reduced to a popular chap-book in prose and a broadside ballad in verse, and in these forms was hawked about the streets until a very recent period. Such has in general been the fate of the romantic literature of the middle ages; a remarkable proof of the tenacity with which it has kept its hold on the popular mind." _Gentleman's Magazine_, Sept. 1847, p. 300.

Was ever knight for ladyes sake Soe tost in love, as I, Sir Guy, For Phelis fayre, that lady bright As ever man beheld with eye?

She gave me leave myself to try, 5 The valiant knight with sheeld and speare, Ere that her love she would grant me; Which made mee venture far and neare.

Then proved I a baron bold,[L9]

In deeds of armes the doughtyest knight 10 That in those dayes in England was, 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 15 I sought by prowesse to subdue.

'Nine' hundred twenty yeere and odde[L17]

After our Saviour Christ his birth, When King Athelstone wore the crowne, I lived heere upon the earth. 20

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 25 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 30 The emperours daughter of Almaine, From manye a vallyant worthye knight.

Then pa.s.sed I the seas to Greece, To helpe the emperour in his right, Against the mightye souldans hoaste 35 Of puissant Persians for to fight:

Where I did slay of Sarazens, And heathen pagans, manye a man; And slew the souldans cozen deere, Who had to name doughtye Coldran. 40

Eskeldered, a famous knight, To death likewise I did pursue: And Elmayne, King of Tyre, alsoe, Most terrible in fight to viewe.

I went into the souldans hoast, 45 Being thither on emba.s.sage sent, And brought his head awaye with mee; I having slaine him in his tent.

There was a dragon in that land Most fiercelye mett me by the waye, 50 As hee a lyon did pursue, Which I myself did alsoe slay.

Then soon I past the seas from Greece, And came to Pavye land aright; Where I the duke of Pavye killed, 55 His hainous treason to requite.

To England then I came with speede, To wedd faire Phelis, lady bright; For love of whome I travelled farr To try my manhood and my might. 60

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, 65 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, 70 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, 75 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. 80

I overcame him in the feild, And slewe him soone right valliantlye; Wherebye this land I did redeeme From Danish tribute utterlye.