Incensed much by these bold pagan bostes, Which like two pillars did his body beare. 80 Which did directly on his body light 85 Soe violent and weighty there-withall, That downe to ground on sudden came the knight: The gyant gott his clubb againe in fist, And aimd a stroke that wonderfullye mist. "Traytor," quoth Guy, "thy falshood Ile repay, "Its well," said Guy, "thy honest thoughts appeare 90 95 Which are thy tenants while thou livest heare, But will be landlords when thou comest in hell. 100 Vile miscreant, prepare thee for their den, "But breathe thy selfe a time while I goe drinke, My thirst wolde serve to drinke an ocean drye. "Noe, sillye wretch, my father taught more witt, How I shold use such enemyes as thou. By all my gods I doe rejoice at itt, To understand that thirst constraines thee now; 105 110 "Releeve my foe! why, 'twere a madmans part! Noe, fellow, I have known the world too long 115 120 And with these words, heaving aloft his clubb Then shakes his lockes, and doth his temples rubb, And like the Cyclops in his pride doth strout: Sirra," says hee, "I have you at a lift; Now you are come unto your latest shift; "Perish forever; with this stroke I send thee 125 A medicine that will doe thy thirst much good; 130 "Infernall, false, obdurate feend," said Guy, "That seemst a lumpe of crueltye from hell; Ungratefull monster, since thou dost deny The thing to mee wherin I used thee well, With more revenge than ere my sword did make, On thy accursed head revenge Ile take. "The gyants longitude shall shorter shrinke, Except thy sun-scorcht skin be weapon proof. “Here, tyrant, take a taste of my good-will; It is not that same clubb will beare you out,- 135 140 145 150 Then Guy sett foot upon the monsters brest, And from his shoulders did his head divide, Which with a yawninge mouth did gape unblest, Noe dragons jawes were ever seene soe wide To open and to shut,--till life was spent. 155 Then Guy tooke keyes, and to the castle went, Where manye woefull captives he did find, Which had beene tyred with extremityes, Whom he in friendly manner did unbind, And reasoned with them of their miseryes. 160 Eche told a tale with teares and sighes and cryes, All weeping to him with complaining eyes. There tender ladyes in darke dungeons lay, And had noe other dyett everye day 165 But flesh of humane creatures for their food; Some with their lovers bodyes had beene fed, Now he bethinkes him of his being there, To enlarge the wronged brethren from their woes; 170 And, as he searcheth, doth great clamours heare, By which sad sound's direction on he goes Untill he findes a darksome obscure gate, That he unlockes, and enters where appeares Were like deathes picture, which the painters draw! Men that with famishment of many years Divers of them were hanged by eche thombe; Others head-downward; by the middle, some. 175 180 With diligence he takes them from the walls, faint: "Receive thy sonnes, though poore and I promised you their lives; accept of that; 185 "The castle I doe give thee, heere's the keyes, Where tyranye for many yeeres did dwell; Procure the gentle tender ladyes ease; For pittyes sake use wronged women well: 190 Men easilye revenge the wrongs men do, But poore weake women have not strength thereto." The good old man, even overjoyed with this, Fell on the ground, and wold have kist Guys feete. 195 Ambitious pryde hath hurt mee all it can, goe to mortifie a sinfull man.' I ***The foregoing poem on Guy and Amarant has been discovered to be a fragment of "The famous historie of Guy earle of Warwicke, by Samuel Rowlands, London, printed by J. Bell, 1649," 4to, in xii. cantos, beginning thus: "When dreadful Mars in armour every day." Whether the edition in 1649 was the first, is not known, but the author, Sam. Rowlands, was one of the minor poets who lived in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and James I., and perhaps later. His other poems are chiefly of the religious kind, which makes it probable that the history of Guy was one of his earliest performances. There are extant of his (1.) "The betraying of Christ, Judas in dispaire, the seven words of our Saviour on the crosse, with other poems on the passion, &c. 1598," 4to. [Ames Typ. p. 428.] (2.) "A Theatre of delightful Recreation, Lond. printed for A. Johnson, 1605," 4to. (Penes editor.) This is a book of poems on subjects chiefly taken from the Old Testament. (3.) "Memory of Christ's miracles, in verse. Lond. 1618," 4to. (4.) "Heaven's glory, earth's vanity, and hell's horror." Lond. 1638, 8vo. [These two in Bod. Cat.] In the present edition, the foregoing poem has been much improved from the printed copy. III. The Auld Good-man. A SCOTTISH SONG. I have not been able to meet with a more ancient copy of this humorous old song, than that printed in The Tea-Table Miscellany, &c., which seems to have admitted some corruptions. LATE in an evening forth I went To light on a battle new begun : Cryeng, "Evir alake, mine auld goodman !" HE. Thy auld goodman that thou tells of, The country kens where he was born, Was but a silly poor vagabond, And ilka ane leugh him to scorn; For he did spend and make an end Of gear his fathers nevir' wan; He gart the poor stand frae the door; Sae tell nae mair of thy auld goodman." 5 10 15 And skin as white as ony swan, He was large and tall, and comely withall; HE. "Why dost thou plein? I thee maintein; For meal and mawt thou disna want; 25 Sae tell nae mair of thy auld goodman." |