Traditional Nursery Songs of England Part 6

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Guy little dreaming of this so sudden thaw, and wanting the balm of love to apply to his sores, resolved to make a second encounter. So coming again to his Felice, said, "Fair Lady, I have been arraigned long ago, and now am come to receive my just sentence from the Tribunal of Love.

It is life, or death, fair Felice that I look for, let me not languish in despair; give judgment, O ye fair, give judgment, that I may know my doom. A word from thy sacred lips can cure my bleeding heart, or a frown can doom me to the pit of misery."

"Gentle Guy," said she, "I am not at my own disposal, you know my father's name is great in the nation, and I dare not match without his consent."

"Sweet Lady," said Guy, "I make no doubt but quickly to obtain his love and favour. Let me have thy love first, fair Felice, and there is no fear of thy father's wrath preventing us."

"Sir Guy," quoth Felice, "make thy bold achievements and n.o.ble actions s.h.i.+ne abroad, glorious as the sun, that all opposers may tremble at thy high applauded name, and then thy suit cannot be denied."

"Fair Felice," said Guy, "I ask no more. Oh that I were at work my task to prove with some such churlish man as Hercules!"

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CHAPTER III.

_Guy wins the Emperor's Daughter from several Princes, and returning to Warwick is sent forth by Felice to seek new Adventures; but before his departure destroys a monstrous Dun Cow upon Dunsmore Heath._

Our n.o.ble Guy, at last disengaged from Love's cruelty, now armed himself like a Knight of Chivalry, and crossing the raging ocean, quickly arrived at the Court of Thrace, where he heard that the Emperor of Almain's fair daughter Blanch was to be made a prize for him that won her in the field; upon which account the Worthies of the World a.s.sembled to try their fortunes. The golden trumpets sounded with great joy and triumph, and the stately pampered steeds pranced over the ground, and each He there thought himself a Caesar that none could equal. Kings and Princes were there, to behold who should be the conqueror, every one thinking that fair Blanch should be his.

After desperate charging with horse and man, much blood was shed; and our n.o.ble Guy laid about him like a lion, among the princes; here lay one headless, another without a leg or an arm, and there a horse. Guy still, like Hercules, charged desperately, and killed a German Prince and his horse under him. Duke Otto, vowing revenge upon our English champion, gave Guy a fresh a.s.sault, but his courage was soon cooled.

Then Duke Rayner would engage our favourite Knight, but with as little success as the rest; and at length no man would encounter Guy any more: so by his valour he won the Lady, in the field.

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The Emperor, being himself a spectator, sent a messenger for our English Knight. Guy immediately came into the Emperor's presence, and made his obeisance, when the Emperor, as a token of his affection, gave him his hand to kiss, and withal resigned to him his daughter, a falcon and a hound.

Guy thanked his Majesty for his gracious favour; but for fair Felice's sake, left fair Blanch to her father's tuition, and departed from that graceful Court, taking with him only the other tokens of his victory.

Now Guy beginning to meditate upon his long absence from his fair Felice, and doubting of her prosperity, or that she might too much forget him, departed for England; and having at last arrived at the long-wished for haven of his love, thus greeted his beloved mistress: "Fair foe," said he, "I am now come to challenge your promise, the which was, upon my making my name famous by martial deeds, I should be the master of my beloved mistress. Behold, fair Felice, this stately steed, this falcon, and these hounds, part of the prize I have won in the field, before Kings and Princes."

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"Worthy Knight," quoth Felice, "I have heard of thy winning the Lady Blanch from Royal Dukes and Princes, and I am glad to find that Guy is so victorious. But thou must seek more adventures, earn yet a n.o.bler name, before I wed thee."

Guy, discomfited at this unlooked for answer, took leave of fair Felice, clad himself again in Bellona's livery, and set forth on his travels.

While waiting for a fair wind to sail for France, Guy heard of an exceeding great and monstrous Cow, four yards in height and six in length, lurking within the woods not many miles from Warwick, and making there most dreadful devastations. This Cow was of a Dun colour, and from thence named the Dun Cow; and the place where she lay being on the borders of a great Heath, was from thence called Dunsmore Heath, which name it retains to this day.

Guy arming himself with his sword, a strong battle axe, and his bow and quiver, rode to the place where this monster used to lurk, which was in a thicket of trees, which grew on the side of a heath near a pool of standing water; and being come within a bow shot of it the monster espied him, and set up a dreadful roaring, enough to fill any heart with terror. Guy nothing daunted bent his bow of steel; but his arrow rebounded as from an adamantine wall, when the dreadful beast rushed at him like the wind. Guy observing this, lifted up his battle axe and smote her such a blow as made her recoil. Enraged yet more, she again rushed at him, and clapping her horns upon his breast, dented his armour, though of highest proof. Wheeling his warlike steed about, he gave her a desperate wound under the ear, and following this stroke with others no less forcible, at last he brought her to the ground. Then Guy alighting from his horse hewed her so long, till with a horrid groan she breathed her last.

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The whole country, when they heard of the monster's death, came to behold the dead carcase, and loaded Guy with thanks and presents; and the King, after a splendid entertainment, gave him the Order of Knighthood.

CHAPTER IV.

_Guy, having performed great Wonders abroad, returns to England, and is married to Felice._

Guy now set forth in search of further adventures, and performed many acts of valour. Once after a tedious journey, being seated by a spring to refresh himself, he heard a hideous noise, and presently espied a Lion and a Dragon, fighting, biting, and tearing each other. At length Guy, perceiving the Lion ready to faint, encountered the Dragon, and soon brought the ugly Cerberus roaring and yelling to the ground. The Lion, in grat.i.tude to Guy, run by his horse's side like a true born spaniel, till lack of food made him retire to his wonted abode.

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Soon after Guy met with the Earl of Terry, whose father was confined in his Castle by Duke Otto; but he and that Lord posted thither, and freed the Castle immediately; and Guy in an open field slew Duke Otto, whose dying words of repentance moved Guy to remorse and pity.

After this, as Guy returned through a desert, he met a furious boar that had slain many Christians. Guy manfully drew his sword, and the boar gaping, intending with his dreadful tusks to devour our n.o.ble champion, Guy thrust it down his throat, and slew the greatest boar that ever man beheld.

On Guy's arrival in England, he immediately repaired to King Athelston at York, where the King told Guy of a mighty Dragon in Northumberland, that destroyed men, women, and children. Guy desired a guide, and went immediately to the Dragon's cave; when out came the monster, with eyes like flaming fire. Guy charged him, courageously; but the Monster bit the lance in two like a reed; then Guy drew his sword, and cut such gashes in the Dragon's sides, that the blood and life poured out of his venomous carcase. Then Guy cut off the head of the monster, and presented it to the King, who in the memory of Guy's service, caused the picture of the Dragon, which was thirty feet in length, to be worked in a cloth of arras, and hung up in Warwick Castle for an everlasting monument. Felice, hearing of Guy's return and success, came as far as Lincoln to meet him, where they were married with much joy and great triumph; King Athelstan, his Queen, and all the chief n.o.bles and Barons of the land being present.

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No sooner were their nuptials celebrated, but Felice's father died, leaving all his estate to Sir Guy, whom the King thereupon created Earl of Warwick.

CHAPTER V.

_Guy leaves his Wife, and goes a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land._

In the very height of Guy's glory, when he was exalted to his father's dignities, conscience biddeth him repent of all his former sins; so Guy resolved to travel to the Holy Land like a Pilgrim. Felice, perceiving his melancholy, inquired of her Lord the cause of this pa.s.sion? "Ah, Felice!" said he, "I have spent much time in honouring thee, and to win thy favour; but never spared one minute for my soul's health in honouring the Lord."

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Felice, though very much grieved, understanding his determination, opposed not his will. So with exchange of rings, and melting kisses, he departed, like a stranger from his own habitation, taking with him neither money nor scrip; while but a small quant.i.ty of herbs and roots, such only as the wild fields could afford, formed his chief diet; and he vowed never to fight more, but in a just cause.

Guy, after travelling many tedious miles, met an aged person oppressed with grief, for the loss of fifteen sons, whom Armarant, a mighty Giant, had taken from him, and held in strong captivity.

Guy borrowed the old man's sword, and went directly up to the Castle gate, where the Giant dwelt, who coming to the door, asked grimly, "How he durst so boldly knock at the gates?" vowing he would beat out his brains. But Guy, laughing at him, said, "Sirrah, thou art quarrelsome; but I have a sword that has often hewn such lubbards as you asunder." As he spoke he laid his blade about the Giant's shoulders, so that he bled abundantly; who being much enraged, flung his club at Guy with such force, that it beat him down; and before Guy could recover his fall Armarant had got up his club again. But in the end Guy killed this broad backed monster, and released divers captives that had been in thraldom a long time; some almost famished, and others ready to expire under various tortures; who returned Guy thanks for their happy deliverance.

After which he gave up the Castle and keys to the old man and his fifteen sons; and pursued his intended journey, and coming to a grave, he took up a worm-eaten skull, which he thus addressed: Perhaps thou wert a Prince, or a mighty Monarch, a King, a Duke, or a Lord! But the King and the Beggar must all return to the earth; and therefore man had need to remember his dying hour. Perhaps thou mightest have been a Queen, or a Dutchess, or a Lady varnished with much beauty; but now thou art wormsmeat, lying in the grave, the sepulchre of all creatures.

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While Guy was in this repenting solitude, fair Felice, like a mourning widow, clothed herself in sable attire, and vowed chast.i.ty in the absence of her beloved husband. Her whole delight was in divine meditations and heavenly consolations, praying for the welfare of her beloved Lord, whom she feared some savage monster had devoured. Thus Felice spent the remainder of her life in sorrow for her dear Lord; and to show her humility, she sold her jewels and the costly robes with which she used to grace King Athelstan's Court, and gave the money freely to the poor; she relieved the lame and the blind, the widow and the fatherless, and all those that came to ask alms; and built a large hospital for aged and sick people, that they might be comforted in their sickness. Thus she laid up for herself treasure in heaven, which will be paid again with life everlasting.

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In the mean time Guy travelled through many lands, and at last in the course of his journeying he met the Earl of Terry, who had been exiled from his territories by a merciless traitor. Guy bade him not be dismayed, and promised to venture his life for his restoration. The Earl thanked Guy most courteously, and they travelled together against Terry's enemy. Guy challenged him into the field, and there slew him hand to hand, and restored the Earl to his lands. The Earl full of grat.i.tude begged to know the name of his champion, but Guy insisted upon remaining unknown; neither would he take any reward for his services.

Thus was the n.o.ble Guy successful in all his actions, until finding his head crowned with silver hairs, after many years travel, he resolved to end his days in his native country: and therefore returning from the Holy Land, he came to England. On his arrival he found the nation in great distress, the Danes having invaded the land, burning cities and towns, plundering the country, and killing men, women, and children; insomuch that King Athelstan was forced to take refuge in his invincible city of Winchester.