Classic Poem

The Fifth Part

Early in tha t May morning,
merrely when the burds can sing,
the throstlecocke, the Nightingale,
the laueracke & the wild woodhall,
the rookes risen in euery riuer,
the birds made a blissfull bere;
It was a heauenly Melodye
p ro a K nigh t tha t did a louer bee,
on the one side to heare the small birds singing,
on the other side the flowers springing.
then drew forth of the dales the dun deere,
the sun it shone both fresh & cleere,
Phebus gott vp w i th his golden beames,
ou er all the land soe light it gleames;
hee looked vpon the other side,
see p ar kes & palaces of Mickle pryde,
w i th 7 townes by the salt sea
w i th castles fayre & towers hyee
ou er the riuer were ryding places 2,
& soone Grime chose to the one of tho;
& then he wold noe longer abyde,
but into Gray-steeles Land can he ryde;
& yett was feared S i r Gryme the K nigh t
lest he wold haue tarryed him till night;
but, god wott, he had noe cause to doe soe;
for Gray-steele had ou er -waches 2
they went & told their M aster anon right,
" into yo ur Land is comen a K nigh t,
and 3 st he hath rydden about the plaine,
And now is he bowne to turne home againe. "
" Nay, " sayd Gray-steele, " by St. John!
this one yeere he shall not goe home,
but he shall either fight or flee,
or a wed in this land leaue shall hee. "
they brought him red sheeld & red spere,
& all of fresh gold shone his geere;
his brest plate was purpelye pight,
his helmett itt shone w i th gold soe bright,
his shankes full seemlye shone,
was sett w i th gold & p re cious stone,
his armes w i th plate & splents dight
were sett w i th gold & siluer bright;
w i th his sheelde on his brest him beforne,
theron was a dragon & a vnicorne;
on the other side a beare & a wyld bore,
in the Middest a ramping Lyon tha t wold byt[e]sore;
about his necke w i thouten fayle
a gorgett rought w i th rich Mayle,
w i th his helme sett on his head soe hye;
a mase of gold full royallye,
on the top stoode a Carbunckle bright,
it shone as Moone doth in the night;
his sadle w i th selcamoure was sett,
w i th barrs of gold richlye frett;
his petrill was of silke of Inde,
his steed was of a furley kinde,
w i th raines of silke raught to his hand,
w i th bells of gold theratt ringand.
he stepped into his stirropp well armed in war,
a K nigh t kneeled & raught him a spere;
& then wold he noe longer abyde,
but straight to S i r Grime cold he ryde.
when Grime was ware of Gray-steele,
through comfort his hart came to him weele;
he sayd, " thou wounded my brother S i r Egar!
tha t deed, traytor, thou shall buy full sore. "
Gray-steele answered neu er a word,
but came on S i r Grime as he was woode;
they smoten their steeds w i th spurres bright,
& ran together w i th all their might;
but Gray-steele came on S i r Grime
like a lyon in his woodest time;
soe did Grime vpon S i r Gray-steele,
& attilde him a dint tha t bote full weele;
thorrow all his armour lesse & more,
cleane thorrow the body he him bore,
tha t all his girthers burst in sunder;
the K nigh t & salle & all came vnder.
through the strenght of Gryime & his steede
he smote downe Gray-steele, & ou er him yeede;
& well p er ceiued Gray-steele then
tha t he was macht w i th a Noble man.
then young grime start out of stray,
& from his stirrops he light tha t day;
he thought on tha t Ladye yore,
how shee had taught him to doe before;
he shooke out his sword Egeking;
the other mett him manffully w i thout leasing;
Grime sought him on one side
& raught him a wound full wyde;
a 100 d . Mailes he shore assunder,
& all the stuffe tha t was there vnder;
throughout all his armour bright,
5 inch into the sholder, the sword light.
but Gray-steele neu er w i th noe man mett
tha t 2 such dints did on him sett;
then thought Gray-steele, tha t warryour wight,
to quitt S i r Grime tha t Noble K nigh t:
He hytt him on the helme on hye
tha t the fire as flynt out can flye;
or eu er he cold handle Egeking againe,
3 doughtye dints he sett on him certaine
tha t almost S i r Gryme was slaine,
the least of them might haue beene a mans bane.
thus these Noble burnes in battele
hacked & hewed w i th Swords of Mettle.
through rich many & myny plee
the red blood blemished both their blee.
S i r Grime was learned in his child-hood
full Noblye to handle a sworde;
w i th an arkward stroke ffull slee
he hitt Sir Gray-Steele on the knee;
if he were neu er soe wight of hand,
on the one foote he might but stand:
" thou wounded my brorther S i r Egar;
tha t deed thou shalt abuy full sore! "
then answered Gray-steele, tha t warryour wight,
" wherefore vpbraydest thou me w i th tha t K nigh t? "
" for he neu er went by watter nor Lande,
but he was as good as [t]he both of hart & hand;
& hee had beene weaponed as well as I
he had beene worth both thee & mee. "
he hitt S i r Gryme on the cainell bone;
a quarter of his sheeled away his gone;
the other he claue in tow
tha t it ffell into the feyld soe far him froe;
his Noble sword Egeking
went from him w i thout Leasing
but Grime was wight upon the land,
he followed fast after & gatt his brand;
but on Gray-Steele had had his other foote
to haue holpen him in neede and boote,
I cold not thinke how Gryme the K nigh t
shold haue comen againe to tha t Ladye bright.
when he had gotten againe Ege-king,
fell were the dints he sett on him;
w i th an arkeward stroke full sore
through Liuer & longs Gray-steele he bore.
Gray-Steele went walling woode
when his sydes fomed of his harts blood;
then p er ceiued the K nigh t S i r Grime
tha t Gray-Steele was in poynt of time.
Grime sayd, " yeeld thee, S i r Gray-steele,
for thou can neu er doe soe weele. "
the other said, " thou mayst lightlye lye;
tha t man shall I neu er see;
tha t man was neu er of woman borne
shall make me yeelde, one man to one. "
he was soe angry att Grimes words
tha t both his hands he sett on his sword,
& w i th all his strength tha t was in him Leade,
he sett itt on S i r Grimes heade
tha t such a stroke he neu er gate,
nor noe K nigh t tha t was his mate.
he thought his head roue assunder,
his necke cracked tha t was vnder,
his eares brushed out of blood.
the K nigh t stackered w i th tha t stroke, & stoode,
for & he & had once fallen to the ground,
the Lady had neu er seene him sound
thus they fought together fell & sore
the space of a mile and somthing more.
Gray-steele bled w i thouten fayle,
his visage waxed pan and wale;
Grime att his gorgett he gate a gripe,
& fast he followed in after itt,
& backward to the ground he him bare;
he let him neu er recouer more;
his brest-plate from him he cast,
& thrise to the hart he him thrust:
thus vngracious deeds w i thout mending
can neu er scape without an ill endinge.
all this I say by S i r Gray-Steele,
for fortune had led him long and weele;
I haue wist tha t K nigh t with his hands tow
slay 100 K nigh ts and moe,
shamefullye driuen them to dead
w i thout succour or any remed;
& he lyeth slaine w i th a poore K nigh t
& for his sworne brother came to fight.
then Gryme looked by him soone;
they steeds were fighting, as they had done;
in sonder he p ar ted the steeds 2;
to Graysteeles sadle can he goe;
he right the Girthes, & sadled the steed,
& againe to the dead body he yeede,
& pulled forth his Noble Brand,
& smote of S i r Gray-steeles hande:
" My brother left a fingar in this land w i th thee,
therfore thy whole hand shall he see. "
hee looked vp to the castle of stone,
& see Ladyes manye a one
wringing, & wayling, & riuing there heare,
striking, & crying w i th voices full cleere.
wight men, they wold not blin,
horsse & harnesse p ro to win:
it was eu er S i r Gray-steeles desiring
that for his death shold be made noe chalishing.
Grime leapt on S i r Gray-steeles steed,
his owne by the bridle he cold him leade,
& he rode towards the fresh riuer,
there was noe man durst nye him nere;
yett it was an howre w i thin the night
before he came againe to tha t Ladye bright.
he rode strayght to the burgesse dore,
the ostler mett him on the flore:
" O M aster ! " he sayd, " now is come tha t K nigh t
tha t went hence when the day was light;
he hath brought w i th him S i r Gray-steeles steede,
& much more of his golden weede;
he hath brought w i th him his chaine of gold —
his sadle harnes is fayre to behold, —
w i th other more of his golden geere;
in all this land there is none such to were. "
then to the dore fast cold they hye,
bold men & yeamanrye.
the Burgesse asked the K nigh t
whether he wold lodg w i th him all night.
Grime sayd, " to lye in a strange Land —
& here is a strong Castle att hand —
methinke itt were a great follye;
I wott not who is my freind or my enemye. "
hee tooke the hand, & the gloue of gold soe gay;
to the Ladyes chamber he tooke the way
att supp er where shee was sett,
but neu er a Morsel might shee eate:
" a! " shee sayd, " now I thinke on tha t K nigh t
tha t went from me when the day was light!
yesternight to the chamber I him Ledd;
this night Gray-steele hath made his bed!
alas! he is foule lost on him!
tha t is much pittye for all his kine!
for he is large of blood & bone,
& goodlye nurture lacketh he none;
& he his fayre in armes to fold,
He is worth to her his waight in gold;
woe is me, for his loue in his countrye!
shee may thinke longe or she him see! "
w i th tha t she thought on her Lo rd Attelstone
tha t they water out of her eyen ran.
w i th tha t Grime knocked att the chamber dore,
& a maiden stoode ther on the flore;
" O Madam! " shee said, " now is come tha t K nigh t
tha t went hence when the day was light. "
& hastilye from the bord she rise,
& kissed him 20 sithe:
" how haue you farren on yo ur Iourney? "
" full well, my loue, " S i r Grime did say,
" for I haue taken such a surtye on yonder K nigh t
tha t pore men in his country may haue right;
Merchants may both buy and sell
w i thin the lands where they doe dwell. "
he gaue her the hand & the gloue gay,
& sayd, " lay vp this till itt be day. "
shee tooke the gloue att him,
but shee wist not tha t they hand was in;
& as they stoode still on the ground,
the hand fell out ther in tha t stond,
& when shee looked on tha t hand
tha t had slaine her brother and her husband,
noe marueill though her hart did grisse,
the red blood in her face did rise:
it was red rowed for to see,
w i th fingars more then other three;
on eu er ye fingar a gay gold ring,
a p re cious stone or a goodly thing;
& yet shee hath it vp tane
& put into the gloue againe,
& vnto a coffer did shee goe,
& vnlocked lockes one or 2.
a rich supp er there was dight
& sett before tha t worthye K nigh t,
but meate nor drinke he might none;
he was soe furbrished, body and bone,
he longed sore to be a bedd
& to a chamber shee him Ledd,
& all his armour of was done,
& the Lady searched his wounds soone.
the Ladye was neu er soe soe sounde
when shee saw hee had no death wound;
for eu er thought tha t fayre Ladye
his wedded wife tha t shee shold bee.
& when shee had this done,
to her owne chamber shee went soone;
she tooke out the hand & the gloue of gold;
to her fathers hall shee sayd shee wold,
att supp er when he was sett,
& many Lords withouten lett.
& when shee came into the hall,
finely shee halched on them all:
" I can tell you tydings, father, will like you weell e ;
slaine is yo ur enemye S i r Gray-steelee. "
then they laughed all ffull hastilye,
said, " Maddam, it seemeth to be a lye:
tha t man was neu er borne of a woman
cold neu er kill Gray-steele, one man to one. "
she cast out the hand and the gloue of gold;
all had Marueill did it behold,
for it was red rowed for to see,
w i th fingars more then other 3,
& on eu er ye fingar a fine gold ring,
a p re cious stone or a goodlye thing.
the Erle sayd, " daughter, wher dwelleth tha t K nigh t? "
Then answered tha t Ladye both faire [&] bright,
& sayth, " father, his name I cannott myn,
but he was borne in the Land of Beame;
he is large of blood & bone,
& goodlye Nurture lacketh none;
he is faire in armes to fold,
he is worth his waight in gold;
but he rydeth in the morning when it is day. "
" tha t I sett gods forbott, " the Erle can say,
" for I wold [not] for a iooo:
of florences red & rounde,
vnrewarded of me tha t he shold goe
tha t soe manfully hath uenged mee on my foe. "
Earlye on the other day
S i r Gryme radylye can him array;
& as hee was his leaue takeand,
the erle came att his hand;
& when the Erle came him nye,
S i r Gryme sett him on his knee,
& thanked him w i th humble cheerre
for the great refreshing he had there.
the Erle tooke Gryme by the hand,
& said, " gentle K nigh t, doe thou vpp stand!
& as thou art a warriour wight,
tarry w i th me this day & this night. "
" my Lo rd , " hee said, " I am at yo u r will;
all yo u r coma n ndement to fulfill. "
then a squier tooke the steeds tow,
& to a stable then can he goe;
the Erle tooke Gryme by the hand,
to the pallace the yode Leadand;
a rich dinner ther men might see,
of Meate & drinke was great plentye;
the certaine sooth If I shold say,
he was meate fellow for the La dye gay.
& when the dinner was all done,
the Erle tooke Grime into a chamber soone,
& spurred him gentlye,
" S i r, beene you marryed in yo u r countrye? "
Grime answered him hastilye,
" I had neuer wiffe nor yett Ladye:
I tell you truly, by S ain t John,
I had neu er wiffe nor yett Lemman. "
the Erle sayd, " I am glad indeed,
for all the better here may you speede;
for I haue a daughter tha t is my heyre
of all my Lands, tha t is soe faire;
& if thou wilt wed tha t La dye free,
w i th all my hart I will giue her thee. "
great thankes Gryme to him can make;
saith, " I loue her to well to forsake! "
and afore the Erle & Bishopps 3
Gryime handfasted tha t faire Ladye.
the day of Marryage itt was sett,
tha t Gryme shold come againe w i thout Let.
the Erle feitched him in tha t stonde

2 robes was worth 400 li :
they were all beaten gold begon; —
he gaue Egar the better when he came home. —
he tooke Leaue of the Erle & the Ladye,
& rydes home into his countrye.