A dragon in Northumberland,

I alfoe did in fight destroye,

Which did bothe man and beaft oppreffe,

And all the countrye fore annoye.

At length to Warwicke I did come,

105

And there I lived a hermitts life

A mile and more out of the towne.

Where with my

hands I hewed a house

Out of a craggy rocke of stone;

And lived like a palmer poore

Within that cave myself alone:

And daylye came to begg my bread.
Of Phelis att my castle gate;
Not knowne unto my loved wiffe
Who dailye mourned for her mate.

Till att the laft I fell fore ficke,
Yea ficke foe fore that I muft dye;
I fent to her a ring of golde,

By which fee knew me presentlye.

Then shee repairing to the cave

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Before that I gave up the ghost;

Herself closd up my dying eyes:

My Phelis faire, whom I lovd moit.

Thus

Thus dreadful death did me arrest,

To bring my corpes unto the grave;
And like a palmer dyed I,

Wherby I fought my foule to fave.

My body that endured this toyle,
Though now it be confumed to mold;

My ftatue faire engraven in ftone,
In Warwicke ftill you may behold.

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The Eaitor found this Poem in his ancient folio manufcript among the old ballads; he was defirous therefore that it fhould fill accompany them; and as it is not altogether devoid of merit, its infertion here will be pardoned.

Although this piece Jeems not imperfect, there is reafon to believe that it is only a part of a much larger poem, which contained the whole hiftory of fir Guy: for, upon compa ring it with the common flory book 12mo, we find the latter to be nothing more than this poem reduced to profe: which is only effected by now and then altering the rhyme, and throwing out fome few of the poetical ornaments The difquife is fo flight, that it is an eafy matter to pick complete fianzas in any page of that book.

The author of this poem has shown fome invention. Though he took the fubject from the old romance quoted before, he has adorned it afresh, and made the story intirely "his own.

GUY

G

UY journeyes towards that fanctifyed ground, Whereas the Jewes fayre citye fometime stood, Wherin our Saviours facred head was crownd,

And where for finfull man he shed his blood:

To fee the fepulcher was his intent,
The tombe that Joseph unto Jesus lent.

With tedious miles he tyred his wearye feet,
And paffed defart places full of danger,
At last with a most woefull wight * did meet,
A man that unto forrow was noe stranger:
For he had fifteen fonnes, made captives all
To flavish bondage, in extremeft thrall.

A gyant called Amarant detaind them,

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10

Whom noe man durft encounter for his ftrength: Who in a castle, which he held, had chaind them: 15 Guy questions, where? and understands at length The place not farr.-Lend me thy fword, quoth hee, Ile lend my manhood all thy sonnes to free.

With that he goes, and lays upon

the dore,

Like one that fayes, I muft, and will come in:

The gyant never was foe rowz'd before;

For noe fuch knocking at his gate had bin:" Soe takes his keyes, and clubb, and cometh out Staring with ireful countenance about.

*Erle Jonas, mentioned in the foregoing ballad.

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Sirra,

Sirra, quoth hee, what bufines haft thou heere?

Art come to feast the crowes about my walls?
Didft never heare, noe ransome can him cleere,
That in the compafse of my furye falls:
For making me to take a porters paines,

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With this fame clubb I will dash out thy braines.

30

Gyant, quoth Guy, y'are quarrelfome I see,
Choller and you seem very neere of kin:
Most dangerous at the clubb belike you bee;

I have bin better armd, though nowe goe thin;
But fhew thy utmost hate, enlarge thy spight,
Keene is my weapon, and shall doe me right.

Soe draws his fword, falutes him with the fame
About the head, the fhoulders, and the fide:
Whilft his erected clubb doth death proclaime,
Standinge with huge Coloffus' spacious stride,
Putting fuch 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,

Did brush his plated coat against his will:

Att fuch advantage Guy wold never fayle,
To bang him foundlye in his coate of mayle.

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40

45

Att

Att laft through thirst the gyant feeble grewe,

And fayd to Guy, As thou'rt of humane race, Shew itt in this, give natures wants their dewe,

Let me but goe, and drinke in yonder place: Thou canst not yeeld to 'me' a smaller thing, Than to graunt life, thats given by the spring.

I graunt thee leave, quoth Guye, goe drink thy laf, 55 Go pledge the dragon, and the falvage bore*: Succeed the tragedyes that they have past,

But never thinke to tafle cold water more: Drinke deepe to Death and unto him carouse: Bid him receive thee in his earthen house.

Soe to the spring he goes, and flakes his thirst,
Takeing the water in extremely like

Some wracked hipp that on a rocke is burst,

Whofe forced hulke against the stones does ftryke;

Scooping it in foe faft with both his hands,

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That Guy admiring to behold it ftands.

Come on, quoth Guy, let us to worke againe,
Thou stayeft about thy liquor overlong;

The fish, which in the river doe remaine,

Will want thereby; thy drinking doth them wrong: But I will fee their satisfaction made,

γι

With gyants blood they must, and shall be payd.

♦ Which Guy bad flain before. Fer. 64. bulke. MS. and PCC.

Vil