Classic Poem

It ffell sometimes in the Land of Beame,
there dwelled a Lord w i thin tha t realme,
the greatest he was of renowne
eccept the K ing tha t ware the crowne;
the called him to name Erle Bragas;
he marryed a ladye was fayre of face;
they had noe Child but a daughter younge,
in the world was none soe fayre thing:
They called tha t Ladye winglanye;
husband wold she neuer haue none,
Neither for gold nor yett for good,
nor for noe highnese of his blood,
w i thout he would w i th swords dent
win euery battell where he went
soe there were many in tha t Realme rich,
but they cold find but few such,
for the Erle rydeth w i th such a route
of Lor d s & knights hardye & stout.
there was in tha t same time
a curtoous k nigh t called S i r Grime;
& of Garwicke Lo rd was hee;
he was a wise man and a wittye
soe there was in tha t same place
a young K nigh t men called Egace,
but his name was S i r Eger,
for he was but a poore bachlour,
for his elder brother was liuande,
& gouerned all his fathers Land
Egar was large of blood & bone,
but broad Lands had hee none,
but euermore he wan the hono u r
through worshipp of his bright armour;
& for loue tha t he was soe well taught,
euer he Iusted & hee fought;
& because he was soe well proued,
the Erles daughter shee him Loued.
they Ladye granted her good will,
her father sented there soone till,
he was glad tha t shee wold,
tha t shee wold in hart fold
for to take vntill her fere
a baru[n] or else a bacheleere.
these K nigh ts S i r Egar & S i r Grime,
they were fellowes good & fine;
they were nothing sib of blood,
but they were sworne Bretheren good;
they keeped a chamber together att home;
better loue Loved there never none.
Vpon a time Egar he wold forth fare
to win him worshippe, as he did ere,
wherby tha t he might praysed bee
aboue all knights of high degree.
soe hee came home vpon a night,
sore wounded, & ill was he dight:
his kniffe was forth, his sheath was gone,
his scaberd by his thigh was done,
a truncheon of a speare hee bore,
& other weapons he bare noe more.
on his bed side he sett him downe,
he siked sore, & fell in swoone.
S i r Grime of Garwicke shortlye rose,
& ran to S i r Egar, and said, " alas,
for thee, Egar, my hart is woe
tha t euer I were soe farr thee froe!
for when wee p ar ted att yonder yate
thou was a mightye man, & milde of state;
& well thou seemed, soe god me speede,
to proue thy manhood on a steede;
& now thou art both pale and greene,
& in strong battell thou hast beene;
thou hast beene in strong battell,
it was neu er litle tha t made thee fayle. "
" Now as it hath behappned mee,
god, let it neu er behappen thee
Nor noe other curteous K nigh t
tha t eu er goeth to the feild to fight,
for to win worshipp as I haue done!
I haue bought it deare & lost it soone!
for other Lo rd s haue biddn att home,
& saued their bodyes forth of shame,
& kepeed their manhood faire & cleane!
well broked my loue before mine eyen,
& I am hurt & wounded sore,
& manhood is lost for eu er -more. "
then said Grime to S i r Egar,
" ye greeue you more then meete were;
for tha t man was neuer soe well cladd,
nor yett soe doughtye in armes dread,
but in battell place he may be distayned.
why shold his manhood be reproued,
or his Ladye or his loue repine? "
then said Egar, " lett be, S i r Grime!
for fairer armour then I had,
was neu er Cristian K nigh t in cladd;
I had a body tha t seemed well to doe,
& weapons tha t well longed therto;
well I trusted my Noble steed,
soe tha t I did my good rich weed;
& well I trusted my Noble brand;
the best of all I trusted my hart & my hand!
I heard tell of a venterous K nigh t
tha t kept a fforbidden countrye bath day & night,
& a fresh Iland by the sea
where castles were w i th towers hye.
ou er the riuer were ryding frythes 2,
& soone I chose to the one of tho;
in short while had I rydden
in tha t Land that was fforbidden,
but I heard mouing in the greete
as itt had beene of a steeds feete.
My horsse gladedd w i th tha t cheere,
cast vp his head & was a steere,
he groped together as he wold haue runen:
I hearkned when more din had comen;
I looked on the way nye before,
& see a K nigh t come on a sowre;
red was his sheild, red was his speare,
& all of fresh gold shone his geere;
&, by the death tha t I must thole,
my steed seemed to his but a fole;
his speare tha t was both great & long,
faire on his brest he cold itt honge;
& I mine in my rest can folde.
I gaue my horsse what head he wold,
our steeds brought vs together soone:
alas, tha t meeting I may mone!
ffor through coate armour & acton,
through brest plate & Habergion,
through all my armour lesse & more,
Cleane through the body he me bore;
& I still in my sadle sate,
my good spere on his brest I brake.
the 2 d time he came againe,
he fayled of me, & my steede he has slaine.
then I gott vpp deliuerlye,
not halfe soe soone as need had I;
I thought to haue wrocken my steeds bane,
but tha t great outrage my selfe hath tane;
I drew a sword of Mettle bright,
& egerlye I sought vnto tha t K nigh t;
I stroke at him w i th all my maine,
I failed of him, & his steed has slaine.
when hee see tha t itt was soe,
to counter on ffoote he was full throe;
hee drew a sword, a worthy weapon;
the first dint tha t on me did happen,
throug all my armour, lesse and more,
7 inches into the sholder he me shore;
& I hitt him w i th whole pith
aboue the girdle, tha t he groned w i th,
& w i th tha t stroke I cold him lett
whiles another shortlye on him I sett,
& well I wott I had him gotten,
but w i th tha t stroke my sword was broken
then I drew a kniffe, — I had noe other,
the w hi ch I had of my owne borne brother, —
& he another out of sheath hath tane,
& neere hand together are we gone:
first he wounded me in the face;
my eyen were safe, tha t was my grace;
then I hitt him vpon the head,
tha t in his helme my blade I leade.
god! lett neu er K nigh t soe woe be gon
as I was when all my false weapons were done!
yett w i th the haft tha t was left in my hand,
fast vpon his face I dange
tha t the blood sprang out from vnder the steele:
he lost some teeth, tha t wott I weele.
My Habergion tha t was of Millaine fine, —
first my fathers and then was mine,
& itt had beene in many a thrust,
& neu er a naile of itt wold burst; —
my acton was of Paris worke,
saued me noe more than did my sarke,
for his sword was of Noble steele,
he strake hard — and it lasted weele —
through all my armour more & lesse,
and neuer ceaced but in the fleshe.
then, sore foughten, I waxed wearye,
for blood as drye as any tree;
I fought soe long, I ffell in swoone,
till betweene his hands I fell downe.
when I came to my-selfe, my steed was away;
I looked on the Land where he lay;
my steed lay slaine a litle me froe,
& his head backe striken in tow
then I was ware of a runing strand,
& thither I crope on foot & hand,
& from my eyen I washt the blood; —
all was away shold have done me good; —
then I looked on my right hand;
my litle fingar was lackand.
then I went further on the greene
where more strong battells hadden beene;
a slaine K night & spoyled lay,
his litle fingar was away;
& by tha t K night I might well see
tha t one man had delt both w i th him & me.
then of a sadled horsse I gatt a sight,
& by him lay a slaine K night ;
his steede was both good & fine,
but not halfe soe good as mine
all tha t day did I ryde
till itt was in the euen tide;
the Moone shone fayre, the starres cast light;
then of a castle I gott a sight,
of a Castle & of a towne,
& by an arbour side I light downe;
& there I saw fast me by
The fairest bower tha t euer saw I
a little while I tarryed there,
and a lady came forth of a fresh Arbor;
shee came forth of tha t garden greene,
& in that bower faine wold haue beene;
shee was cladd in scarlett redd,
& all of fresh gold shone her heade,
her rud was red as rose in raine,
a fairer creature was neu er seene
me-thought her coming did me good,
& straight upon my feete I stoode.
" Good S i r, " q uo th shee, " what causes you here to lenge?
for ye had meetter of great easmend;
& heere beside is a castle wight,
& there be leeches of great sleight,
cuning men w i th for to deale,
& wonderous good happ haue for to heale;
& there is the gentlest L ady att will
tha t eu er man came in misery till;
therefore I cou n cell you thither to wend,
for yee had neede of great easmend. "
" Lady, " said Egar, " as itt be happened mee,
I irke to come in any companye.
I beseeche you, Lady faire and sweete,
helpe tha t I were sounded w i th one sleepe,
& some Easment for me and my hackney. "
" S i r, " sayd shee, " I will doe the best I may
S i r, sith I am first tha t w i th you mett,
I wold yo u r neede were the better bett. "
then a faire maid, shee tooke my steede,
& into a stable shee did him leade,
& into a chamber both faire & light
I was led betweene 2 Ladyes bright.
all my bloodye armour of me was done,
the Lady searched my wounds full soone,
shee gaue me drinke for to restore,
for neere hand was I bled before;
there was neu er alle nor wine
came to mee in soe good a time;
a siluer bason she cam m anded soone,
& warme water therin to be done;
the Ladye Loue-some vnde[r] line,
w i th her white hands shee did wash mine,
& when shee saw my right hand bare,
alas! my shame is much the more!
the gloue was whole, the hand was nomen,
therby shee might well see I was ou er comen;
& shee p er ceiued tha t I thought shame;
therfore shee would not aske me my name,
nor att tha t word shee sayd noe more,
but all good easments I had there
then till a bed I was brought;
I sleeped neu er halfe soe soft;
the Ladye fayre of Hew & hyde,
shee sate downe by the bedside;
shee a laid a souter vpon her knee,
theron she plaid full louesomlye,
& yett for all her sweet playinge,
oftimes shee had full still mourninge;
& her 2 maydens sweetlye sange,
& oft the weeped, & their hands wrange;
but I heard neu er soe sweet playinge,
& eu er amongst, soe sore siking.
in the night shee came to me oft,
& asked me whether I wold ought;
but alwayes I said her Nay
till it drew neerr to the breake of day;
then all my bloodye tents out shee drew,
againe shee tented my wounds anew:
wott yee well itt was noe threede,
the tents tha t into my wounds yeede,
they were neither of lake nor Line,
but they were silke both good & fine;
twise the tenting of my wounds
cost tha t Ladye 20 pounds,
w i thout spices and salues tha t did me ease,
& drinkes tha t did my body well please;
& then shee gaue me drinke in a horne;
neu er since the time tha t I was borne
such a draught I neu er gatt;
w i th her hand shee held me after thatt
the drinke shee gaue mee was grasse greene;
soone in my wounds itt was seene;
the blood was away, the drinke was there,
& all was soft tha t erst was sore;
& methought I was able to run and stand,
& to haue taken a new battell in hand;
the birds sange in the greene Arbor,
I gate on foote and was on steere.
the Ladye came to me where I lay,
these were the words shee to me did say,
" I rede you tarry a day or towe
till you be in better plight to goe; "
but I longed soe sore to be at home
tha t I would needlye take leaue to gone.
shee gaue me 2 shirts of raines in fere,
put them next my body; I haue them here;
& my owne shee did abone,
& my bloudye armour on me hath done,
saue my heauy habergion; shee was afrayd
lest they wold haue mad my wounds to bleede;
tha t Ladye w i th her milke white hand,
to the rason of my saddell shee it bound
w i th 2 bottels of rich wine,
& therof haue I liued eu er sinne.
I sayd, " a! deare good Madam, how may this be?
the coningest leeche in this land be yee;
for all my wounds lesse or more,
of them I feele noe kind of sore
as I had neu er beene wounded w i th sword nor speare,
nor neu er weapon had done mee deere. "
" wold god, " said shee, " tha t itt were soe!
but I know well for a day or 2
froe tha t loue make you once agast,
yo u r oyntments may noe longer last.
sith you will not abyde w i th mee,
lett yo u r Ladye in yo u r countrye
doe to yo u r wounds as I wold haue done;
then they will soft and heale full soone. "
one thing did my hart great greeffe,
I had nothing tha t Ladye to giue;
but my golden beades forth I drew,
tha t were of fine gold fresh and new.
shee wold not receiue them at my hand,
but on her bedside I lett them liggand;
I tooke leaue of tha t Ladye bright,
& homewards rid both day & Night.
I fared full well all tha t while
till I came home w i thin 2 mile;
then all my wounds wrought att once
as kniues had beene beaten thorrow my bones;
out of my sadle I fell tha t fraye;
when I came to my selfe, my steed was away
thus haue I beene in this ffarr countrye,
such a venterous K night mett w i th mee,
Men called him S i r Gray Steele;
I assayed him, & he ffended weele.