Classic Poem

And in tha t land dwells a king
W hi ch does beare the bell ouer all,
And w i th him there dwelled a curteous k nigh t,
S i r Cawline men him call.

And he hath a ladye to his daughter,
Of ffashyon shee hath noe peere;
K night s and lordes they woed her both,
Trusted to haue beene her feere.

S i r Cawline loues her best of oni,
But nothing durst hee say
To discreeue his councell to noe man,
But deerlye loued this may.

Till itt beffell vpon a day,
Great dill to him was dight;
The maydens loue remoued his mind,
To care-bed went the knight.

And one while he spread his armes him ffroe,
And cryed soe pittyouslye:
" Ffor the maydens loue tha t I haue most minde
This day may comfort mee.
Or else ere noone I shalbe dead"
Thus can Sir Cawline say.

When our p ar ish masse tha t itt was done,
And our king was bowne to dine,
He sayes, Where is S i r Cawline,
Tha t was wont to serue me w i th ale and wine?

But then answered a curteous k nigh t,
Ffast his hands wringinge:
" S ir Cawline 's sicke, and like to be dead
W i thout and a good leedginge."

" Ffeitch yee downe my daughter deere,
Shee is a leeche ffull ffine;
I, and take you doe and the baken bread,
And driuke he on the wine soe red,
And looke no daynti is ffor him to deare,
For ffull loth I wold him tine."

This ladye is gone to his chamber,
Her maydens ffollowing nye;
" O well," shee sayth, " how doth my lord?"
" O sicke!" againe saith hee.

" I, but rise vp wightlye, man, for shame!
Neuer lye here soe cowardlye!
Itt is told in my ffathers hall,
Ffor my loue you will dye."

" Itt is ffor yo u r loue, ffayre ladye,
Tha t all this dill I drye;
Ffor if you wold comfort me w i th a kisse,
Then were I brought ffrom bale to blisse,
Noe longer here wold I lye."

" Alas! soe well you know, S i r k nigh t,"
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I cannott bee yo u r peere:
" Ffor some deeds of armes ffaine wold I doe,
To be yo u r bacheeleere."

" Vpon Eldrige Hill there growes a thorne,
Vpon the mores brodinge;
And wold you, s i r knight, wake there all night
To day of the other morninge?

" Ffor the eldrige k ing , tha t is mickle of might,
Will examine you beforne;
And there was neuer man tha t bare his liffe away
Since the day tha t I was borne."

" But I will ffor yo u r sake, ffaire ladye,
Walke on the bents [soe] browne,
And Ile either bring you a readye token,
Or Ile neuer come to you againe."

But this ladye is gone to her chamber,
Her maydens ffollowing bright,
And S i r Cawlin 's gone to the mores soe broad,
Ffor to wake there all night.

Vnto midnight [that] the moone did rise,
He walked vp and downe,
And a lightsome bugle then heard he blow,
Ouer the bents soe browne;
Saies hee, And if cryance come vntill my hart,
I am ffarr ffrom any good towne.

And he spyed, ene a litle him by,
A ffuryous king and a ffell,
And a ladye bright his brydle led,
Tha t seemlye itt was to see.

And soe fast hee called vpon S i r Cawline,
Oh man, I redd the fflye!
Ffor if cryance come vntill thy hart,
I am a-feard least thou mun dye.

He sayes, [No] cryance comes to my hart,
Nor ifaith I ffeare not thee;
Ffor because thou minged not Christ before,
Thee lesse me dreadeth thee.

But S i r Cawline he shooke a speare;
The k ing was bold, and abode;
And the timber these two children bore
Soe soone in sunder slode;
Ffor they tooke and two good swords,
And they layden on good loade.

But the elridge k ing was mickle of might,
And stiffly to the ground did stand;
But S i r Cawline, w i th an aukeward stroke,
He brought ffrom him his hand,
I, and fflying oue r his head soe hye,
[It] ffell downe of that lay land.

And his lady stood a litle thereby,
Ffast ringing her hands:
" For the maydens loue t ha t you haue most minde,
Smyte you my lo r d no more.

" And hees neu er come vpon Eldrige [Hill],
Him to sport, gamon, or play,
And to meete noe mau of middle-earth
And tha t liues on Christs his lay."

But he then vp and tha t eldryge k ing ,
Sett him in his sadle againe,
And tha t eldryge k ing and his ladye
To their castle are they gone.

And hee tooke then vp and tha t eldryge sword,
As hard as any fflynt,
And soe he did those ringes fine,
Harder then ffyer, and brent.
Ffirst he p re sented to the k ing s daughter
The hand, and then the sword,
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*****

" But a serre buffett yon haue him giuen,
The k ing and the crowne," shee sayd:
" I, but four and th irty stripes
Comen beside the rood."

And a gyant that was both stiffe [and] strong,
He lope now them amonge,
And vpon his squier fine heads he bare,
Vnmackley made was hee.

And he dranke then on the k ing s wine,
And hee put the cup in his sleeue,
And all the trembled and were wan,
Ffor feare he shold them greeffe.
" Ile tell thee mine arrand, k ing ," he sayes,
" Mine errand what I doe heere;
Ffor I will bren thy temples hye,
Or Ile haue thy daughter deere;
I, or else vpon yond more soe brood
Thou shalt ffind mee a ppeare."
The k ing he turned him round about,
Lo rd , in his heart he was woe!
Says, Is there noe k nigh t of the Round Table
This matter will vndergoe?
" I, and hee shall haue my broad lands,
And keepe them well his liue;
I, and soe hee shall my daughter deere,
To be his weded wiffe."
And then stood vp S i r Cawline,
His owne errand ffor to say:
" Ifaith, I wold to God, S i r," sayd S i r Cawline,
" Tha t soldan I will assay.
" Goe ffeitch me downe my eldrige sword,
Ffor I woone itt att ffray:"
" But away, away!" sayd the hend soldan,
" Thou tarryest mee here all day!"
But the hend soldan and S i r Cawline
The ffought a sum m ers day;
Now has hee slaine tha t hend soldan,
And brought his fiue heads away.
And the k ing has betaken him his broade lands,
And all his venison;
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" But take you doo and yo u r lands [soe] broad,
And brooke them well yo u r liffe;
Ffor you p ro mised mee yo u r daughter deere,
To be my weded wiffe."

" Now by my ffaith," then sayes our k ing ,
" Ffor tha t wee will not striffe,
Ffor thou shalt haue my daughter dere,
To be thy weded wiffe."

The other morninge S i r Cawline rose
By the dawning of the day,
And vntill a garden did he goe
His mattius ffor to say;
And tha t bespyed a ffalse steward,
A shames death tha t he might dye!

And he lett a lyon out of a bande,
S i r Cawline ffor to teare;
And he had noe wepon him vpon,
Nor noe wepon did weare.

But hee tooke then his mantle of greene,
Into the lyons mouth itt thrust;
He held the lyon soe sore to the wall
Till the lyons hart did burst.

And the watchmen cryed vpon the walls
And sayd, " S i r Cawline 's slaine!
And w i th a beast is not ffull litle,
A lyon of mickle mayne:"

Then the k ing s daughter shee ffell downe,
" For peerlesse is my payne!"

" O peace, my lady!" sayes S i r Cawline,
" I haue bought thy loue ffull deere;
O peace, my lady!" sayes S i r Cawline,
" Peace, lady, ffor I am heere!"

Then he did marry this k ing s daughter,
W i th gold and siluer bright,
And fiftene sonnes this ladye beere
To S i r Cawline the knight.