Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
England: Vols. I–IV. 1876–79.
The Legend of Sir Guy
By Percy’s ReliquesW
Soe tost in love, as I, Sir Guy,
For Phelis fayre, that lady bright
As ever man beheld with eye?
The valiant knight with sheeld and speare,
Ere that her love she would grant me;
Which made mee venture far and neare.
In deeds of armes the doughtyest knight
That in those dayes in England was,
With sworde and speare in feild to light.
In faith of Christ a christyan true:
The wicked lawes of infidells
I sought by prowesse to subdue.
After our Saviour Christ his birth,
When King Athelstone wore the crowne,
I lived heere upon the earth.
And, as I sayd, of very truth
A ladyes love did me constraine
To seeke strange ventures in my youth;
In strange and sundry heathen lands;
Where I atchieved for her sake
Right dangerous conquests with my hands.
And there I stoutlye wan in fight
The emperours daughter of Almaine,
From manye a vallyant worthye knight.
To helpe the emperour in his right,
Against the mightye souldans hoaste
Of puissant Persians for to fight:
And heathen pagans, manye a man;
And slew the souldans cozen deere,
Who had to name doughtye Coldrôn.
To death likewise I did pursue:
And Elmayne, King of Tyre, alsoe,
Most terrible in fight to viewe.
Being thither on embassage sent,
And brought his head awaye with mee;
I having slaine him in his tent.
Most fiercelye mett me by the waye,
As hee a lyon did pursue,
Which I myself did alsoe slay.
And came to Pavye land aright;
Where I the duke of Pavye killed,
His hainous treason to requite.
To wedd faire Phelis, lady bright;
For love of whome I travelled farr
To try my manhood and my might.
I stayd with her but fortye dayes,
Ere that I left this ladye faire,
And went from her beyond the seas.
My voyage from her I did take
Unto the blessed Holy-Land,
For Jesus Christ my Saviour’s sake.
And all his sonnes, which were fifteene,
Who with the cruell Sarazens
In prison for long time had beene.
In battel fiercelye hand to hand,
And doughty Barknard killed I,
A treacherous knight of Pavye land.
And here with Colbronde fell I fought;
An ugly gyant, which the Danes
Had for their champion hither brought.
And slewe him soone right valliantlye;
Wherebye this land I did redeeme
From Danish tribute utterlye.
The use of weapons solemnlye
At Winchester, whereas I fought,
In sight of manye farr and nye.
A bore of passing might and strength;
Whose like in England never was
For hugenesse both in bredth and length.
Within the castle there doth lye;
One of his sheeld-bones to this day
Hangs in the citye of Coventrye.
A monstrous wyld and cruell beast,
Calld the Dun-cow of Dunsmore heath;
Which manye people had opprest.
Still for a monument doth lye,
And there exposed to lookers viewe,
As wondrous strange, they may espye.
I alsoe did in fight destroye,
Which did bothe man and beast oppresse,
And all the countrye sore annoye.
Like pilgrim poore, and was not knowne;
And there I lived a hermitt’s life
A mile and more out of the towne.
Out of a craggy rocke of stone,
And lived like a palmer poore
Within that cave myself alone:
Of Phelis att my castle gate;
Not knowne unto my loved wiffe,
Who dailye mourned for her mate.
Yea, sicke soe sore that I must dye;
I sent to her a ring of golde,
By which shee knew me presentlye.
Before that I gave up the ghost,
Herself closed up my dying eyes;
My Phelis faire, whom I lovd most.
To bring my corpes unto the grave,
And like a palmer dyed I,
Wherby I sought my soule to save.
Though now it be consumed to mold,
My statue, faire engraven in stone,
In Warwicke still you may behold.