Specimens with Memoirs of the Less-known British Poets Part 3

A mischance that time him led, He asked that paen for to wed.

Hengist wild not draw a lite,[21]

But granted him, alle so t.i.te.[22]

And Hors his brother consented soon.

Her friendis said, it were to don.

They asked the king to give her Kent, In douery to take of rent.

Upon that maiden his heart so cast, That they asked the king made fast.

I ween the king took her that day, And wedded her on paien's lay.[23]

Of priest was there no benison No ma.s.s sungen, no orison.

In seisine he had her that night.

Of Kent he gave Hengist the right.

The earl that time, that Kent all held, Sir Goragon, that had the sheld, Of that gift no thing ne wist To[24] he was cast out with[25] Hengist.

[1] 'Schotin:' sending about the cups briskly.

[2] 'Well-farand:' very rich.

[3] 'Lauerid:' lord.

[4] 'Ne couth:' knew not.

[5] 'Lered:' learned.

[6] 'Sessoun:' Saxons.

[7] 'Latimer:' _for_ Latiner, or Latinier, an interpreter.

[8] 'Leets:' esteems.

[9] 'Skof:' sport, joke.

[10] 'Ken:' to signify.

[11] 'Sine:' then.

[12] 'Cede:' went.

[13] 'Tane:' taken.

[14] 'Sithes:' many times.

[15] 'Ying:' young.

[16] 'Avenant:' handsome.

[17] 'Semblant:' countenance.

[18] 'Mervelik:' marvellously.

[19] 'Quemid:' pleased.

[20] 'Paen:' pagan, heathen.

[21] 'Wild not draw a lite:' would not fly off a bit.

[22] 't.i.te:' happeneth.

[23] 'On paien's lay:' in pagan's law; according to the heathenish custom.

[24] 'To:' till.

[25] 'With:' by.

THE ATTACK OF RICHARD I. ON A CASTLE HELD BY THE SARACENS.

The dikes were fulle wide that closed the castle about, And deep on ilka side, with bankis high without.

Was there none entry that to the castle 'gan ligg,[1]

But a strait kauce;[2] at the end a draw-brig, With great double chaines drawen over the gate, And fifty armed swaines porters at that gate.

With slinges and mangonels they cast to king Richard, Our Christians by parcels casted againward.

Ten sergeants of the best his targe 'gan him bear That eager were and prest[3] to cover him and to were.[4]

Himself as a giant the chaines in two hew, The targe was his warant,[5] that none till him threw.

Eight unto the gate with the targe they yede, Fighting on a gate, under him they slew his steed, Therefore ne would he cease, alone into the castele Through them all would press; on foot fought he full wele.

And when he was within, and fought as a wild lion, He fondred the Sarazins otuynne,[6] and fought as a dragon, Without the Christians 'gan cry, 'Alas! Richard is taken;'

Then Normans were sorry, of countenance 'gan blaken, To slay down and to' stroy never would they stint, They left fordied[7] no noye,[8] ne for no wound no dint, That in went all their press, maugre the Sarazins all, And found Richard on dais fighting, and won the hall.

[1] 'Ligg:' lying.

[2] 'Kauce:' causey.

[3] 'Prest:' ready.

[4] 'Were:' defend.

[5] 'Warant:' guard.

[6] 'He fondred the Sarazins otuynne:' he formed the Saracens into two parties.

[7] 'Fordied:' undone.

[8] 'No noye:' annoy.

Of De Brunne, Warton judiciously remarks--'Our author also translated into English rhymes the treatise of Cardinal Bonaventura, his contemporary, _De coena et pa.s.sione Domini, et paenis S. Mariae Virgins_. But I forbear to give more extracts from this writer, who appears to have possessed much more industry than genius, and cannot at present be read with much pleasure. Yet it should be remembered that even such a writer as Robert de Brunne, uncouth and unpleasing as he naturally seems, and chiefly employed in turning the theology of his age into rhyme, contributed to form a style, to teach expression, and to polish his native tongue. In the infancy of language and composition, nothing is wanted but writers;--at that period even the most artless have their use.'

Here we may allude to the introduction of romantic fiction into English poetry. This had, as we have seen, reigned in France. There troubadours in Provence, and men more worthy of the name of poets in Normandy, had long sung of Brutus, of Charlemagne, and of Rollo. And thence a cla.s.s, called sometimes Joculators, sometimes Jongleurs, and sometimes Minstrels, issued, harp in hand, wandering to and fro, and singing tales of chivalry and love, composed either by themselves, or by other poets living or dead. (We refer our readers to our first volume of Percy's 'Reliques,' for a full account of this cla.s.s, and of the poetry they produced.) These wanderers reached England in due time and brought with them compositions which found favour and excited emulation, or at least imitation, in our vernacular genius. Hence came a great swarm of romances, all more or less derived from the French, even when Saxon in subject and style; such as 'Sir Tristrem,' (which Sir Walter Scott tried in vain to prove to be written by the famous Thomas the Rhymer, of Ercildoun, or Earlston, in Berwicks.h.i.+re, who died before 1299;) 'The Life of Alexander the Great,' said to be written by Adam Davie, Marshall of Stratford-le-Bow, who lived about 1312; 'King Horn,' which certainly belongs to the latter part of the thirteenth century; 'The Squire of Low Degree; 'Sir Guy;' 'Sir Degore;' 'The King of Tars;' 'King Robert of Sicily;' 'La Mort d'Arthur;' 'Impodemon;' and, more lately, 'Sir Libius;'

'Sir Thopas;' 'Sir Isenbras;' 'Gawan and Gologras;' and 'Sir Bevis.'

Richard I. also formed the subject of a very popular romance. We give extracts from it:--

THE SOLDAN SALADIN SENDS KING RICHARD A HORSE.

'Thou sayst thy G.o.d is full of might: Wilt thou grant with spear and s.h.i.+eld, To detryve the right in the field, With helm, hauberk, and brandes bright, On stronge steedes good and light, Whether be of more power, Thy G.o.d almight, or Jupiter?

And he sent rue to saye this If thou wilt have an horse of his, In all the lands that thou hast gone Such ne thou sawest never none: Favel of Cyprus, ne Lyard of Prys,[1]

Be not at need as he is; And if thou wilt, this same day, He shall be brought thee to a.s.say.'

Richard answered, 'Thou sayest well Such a horse, by Saint Michael, I would have to ride upon.---- Bid him send that horse to me, And I shall a.s.say what he be, If he be trusty, withoute fail, I keep none other to me in battail.'

The messengers then home went, And told the Soldan in present, That Richard in the field would come him unto: The rich Soldan bade to come him unto A n.o.ble clerk that coulde well conjure, That was a master necromansour: He commanded, as I you tell, Thorough the fiende's might of h.e.l.l, Two strong fiende's of the air, In likeness of two steedes fair, Both like in hue and hair, As men said that there were: No man saw never none sich; That one was a mare iliche, That other a colt, a n.o.ble steed, Where that he were in any mead, (Were the knight never so bold.) When the mare neigh wold, (That him should hold against his will,) But soon he woulde go her till, And kneel down and suck his dame, Therewith the Soldan with shame Shoulde king Richard quell, All this an angel 'gan him tell, That to him came about midnight.

'Awake,' he said, 'G.o.ddis knight: My Lord doth thee to understand That thee shalt come an horse to land, Fair it is, of body ypight, To betray thee if the Soldan might; On him to ride have thou no drede For he thee helpe shall at need.'

The angel gives king Richard several directions about managing this infernal horse, and a general engagement ensuing, between the Christian and Saracen armies,

He leapt on horse when it was light; Ere he in his saddle did leap Of many thinges he took keep.-- His men brought them that he bade, A square tree of forty feet, Before his saddle anon he it set, Fast that they should it brase, &c.

Himself was richely begone, From the crest right to the tone,[2]

He was covered wondrously wele All with splentes of good steel, And there above an hauberk.

A shaft he had of trusty werk, Upon his shoulders a s.h.i.+eld of steel, With the libards[3] painted wele; And helm he had of rich entaile, Trusty and true was his ventaile: Upon his crest a dove white, Significant of the Holy Sprite, Upon a cross the dove stood Of gold ywrought rich and good, G.o.d[4] himself, Mary and John, As he was done the rood upon,[5]

In significance for whom he fought, The spear-head forgat he nought, Upon his shaft he would it have G.o.ddis name thereon was grave; Now hearken what oath he sware, Ere they to the battaile went there: 'If it were so, that Richard might Slay the Soldan in field with fight, At our wille evereachone He and his should gone Into the city of Babylon; And the king of Macedon He should have under his hand; And if the Soldan of that land Might slay Richard in the field With sword or speare under s.h.i.+eld, That Christian men shoulde go Out of that land for evermo, And the Saracens their will in wold.'

Quoth king Richard, 'Thereto I hold, Thereto my glove, as I am knight.'

They be armed and ready dight: King Richard to his saddle did leap, Certes, who that would take keep To see that sight it were sair; Their steedes ranne with great ayre,[6]

All so hard as they might dyre,[7]

After their feete sprang out fire: Tabors and trumpettes 'gan blow: There men might see in a throw How king Richard, that n.o.ble man, Encountered with the Soldan, The chief was tolde of Damas, His trust upon his mare was, And therefor, as the book[8] us tells, His crupper hunge full of bells, And his peytrel[9] and his arsowne[10]

Three mile men might hear the soun.

His mare neighed, his bells did ring, For greate pride, without lesing, A falcon brode[11] in hand he bare, For he thought he woulde there Have slain Richard with treasoun When his colt should kneele down, As a colt shoulde suck his dame, And he was 'ware of that shame, His ears with wax were stopped fast, Therefore Richard was not aghast, He struck the steed that under him went, And gave the Soldan his death with a dent: In his s.h.i.+elde verament Was painted a serpent, With the spear that Richard held He bare him thorough under his sheld, None of his armour might him last, Bridle and peytrel all to-brast, His girthes and his stirrups also, His ruare to grounde wente tho; Maugre her head, he made her seech The ground, withoute more speech, His feet toward the firmament, Behinde him the spear outwent There he fell dead on the green, Richard smote the fiend with spurres keen, And in the name of the Holy Ghost He driveth into the heathen host, And as soon as he was come, Asunder he brake the sheltron,[12]

And all that ever afore him stode, Horse and man to the grounde yode, Twenty foot on either side.

When the king of France and his men wist That the mast'ry had the Christian, They waxed bold, and good heart took, Steedes bestrode, and shaftes shook.

[1] 'Favel of Cyprus, ne Lyard of Prys:' Favel of Cyprus, and Lyard of Paris, horses of Kichard's.

[2] 'Tone:' toes.

[3] 'Libards:' leopards.

[4] 'G.o.d:' our Saviour.

[5] 'As he was done the rood upon:' as he died upon the cross.

[6] 'Ayre:' ire.

[7] 'Dyre:' dare.