Classic Poem

The Sixth Part.

He came to a forrest a priuye way,
& leaueth his steed & his palfray;
& when he had soe doone,
he went to his chamber right soone,
& priuylye knocked on the dore,
[&] Palyas his brother stood on the flore.
Palyas was neu er more glad & blyth
when he see his brother come home aliue.
" how fareth S i r Egar? " S i r Grime can say
" the better tha t you haue sped on yo u r Iourney. "
" rise, S i r Egar, & arme thee weele
both in Iron & in steele,
& goe into yonder forreste free,
& Pallyas my Brother shall goe w i th thee;
& there thou shalt find S i r Gray-steeles steed,
& much more of his golden weede;
there thou shalt find his chaine of gold,
his sadle harnesse full fayre to behold,
w i th other more of his golden geere;
in all this land is none such to weare.
to-morrow when the sunn shineth bright,
Looke thou gett into thy Ladyes sight,
& looke thou as strange to her bee
as shee in times past hath been to thee;
for & thou doe not as shee hath done before,
thou shalst loose my loue for eu er more. "
then forth went Egar & Pallyas
where the steeds & steuen was.
a scarlett Mantle Grime hath tane;
to the Erles chamber hee his gone
w i th still Mourning & sighing sore,
" alas! slaine is my brother S i r Egar!
for 7 dayes are comen and gone
sith he p ro mised me to bee att home;
he rode forth wounded verry sore;
alas! my sorrow is much the more!
thy great pride of thy daughter free
made him in this great p er ill to bee;
alas tha t eu er shee was borne!
the best K nigh t tha t eu er was in this world is forlorne! "
Gryme vpon his way can goe;
the Erle & the Countesse were full woe;
then they bowned them both more & lesse
to the parish church to hear a Masse.
when the Masse was all done,
to the pallace the went full soone.
one looked betwene him & the sunn,
sais, " methinkes I see tow armed K nigh ts come. "
another sayd, " Nay indeed,
it is an armed K nigh t ryding, and leads a steede. "
& when they K nigh t came them neere,
all wist it was S i r Egar;
but Gryme was the first man
tha t eu er welcomed S i r Egar home.
the Erle tooke Egars hand in his,
the cou n tesse cold him comlye Kisse;
his own Lady winglaine wold haue done soe;
he turned his backe & rode her froe,
& said, " p ar ting is a priuye payne,
but old freinds cannott be called againe!
for the great kindnesse I haue found att thee,
fforgotten shalt thou neu er bee. "
he turned his steede in tha t tyde,
& said to Garnwicke he wold ryde.
the Lady sooned when he did goe;
the Erle & the Countesse were full woe;
the Erle p ro fered Gryme 40 li : of Land,
of florences tha t were fayre & round,
for to gett the good will of Egar his daughter to:
I hope tha t was ethe to doe.
Grime went forth on his way,
& faire words to Egar [can he say:]
" abyde & speake a word w i th mee,
Brother, " he said, " for Charitye. "
Egar sayd, " here I am at yo u r will;
whatere you com m and, Ile fulfil. "
a squier tooke his steeds tow,
& to a stable can he goe.
Gryme tooke Egar by the hand,
to their owne chamber they went Leadand,
& all his armour of hath done,
& laid it downe where he put it on.
Gryme feitched forth tow robes in tha t stond,
the worse was worth 400 li :
the were all of beaten gold begon:
he put the better Egar on;
then was Egar the seemlyest man
tha t was in all Christendon n e.
Gryme tooke him by the hand,
to the palace the yode Leadand:
a rich dinner there Men might see,
Meate & drinke there was plentye; —
certaine sooth if I shold say,
he was meate fellow w i th the Ladye gay; —
& when the dinner was all done,
Grime tooke the Erle to councell soone:
" as my Lo rd Egar is the K nigh t
tha t winneth the worshipp in euery fight,
& if hee shall haue yo u r daughter free,
att yo u r owne will I haue gotten him to bee;
I read anon tha t it were done. "
the Erle & the Countesse accorded soone;
the Erle sent forth his messenger
to great L ord s both far & neere,
tha t they shold come by the 15 day
to the marryage of his daughter gay.
& there S i r Egar, tha t Noble K nigh t,
Marryed winglayne, tha t La dye Bright.
the feast it Lasted fortye dayes,
w i th L ord s & Ladyes in royall arrayes;
& at the 40 dayes end,
eu er ye man to his owne home wend,
eche man home into his countrye;
soe did Egar, Grime, & Pallyas, all 3,
they neu er stinted nor blan,
to Earle Gares Land till the came.
the Erle wist he wold be there,
he mett them w i th a royal fere,
w i th a 100 K nigh ts in royall array
mett Egar & Grime in the way,
w i th much myrth of Minstrelsye,
& welcomed them into tha t countrye;
& there S i r Gryme, tha t Noble K nigh t,
marryed Loosepine, tha t Ladye bright.
why was shee called Loospaine?
a better Leeche was none certaine
a royall wedding was made there,
as good as was the other before;
& when 5 dayes done did hee,
Egar desired all the Erles meanye
to ryde w i th him into Gray-steeles Land,
to resigne all into his brothers hand.
they chose Pallyas to be their Capt ain wight;
the Erle dubd him, and made a K nigh t,
& by councell of Lo rd s w i th him did bee,
hee gaue him a 100 li . of fee.
then wold they noe longer abyde,
but into Gray-steeles Land can they ryde;
they brake his p ar kes & killed his deere,
rasen his hauens & shipps soe Cleere;
They tooken townes & castles of stone.
Gray-steele had neu er a child but one
tha t was a daughter fayre & free;
vntill tha t castle shee did flee;
Egar tooke tha t Lady, as I vnderstand,
& brought her into Earle Gares land.
when tha t Ladye the Earle did see,
shee kneeled downe vpon her knee,
& said, " if my father were a tyrant & yo u r enemye,
neu er take my Land froe me. "
the Erle sayd, " for thy curtesye
all the better the matter may bee:
for to weld thy Land & thee
choose thee any K nigh t tha t thou he[r]e see. "
amongst all tha t there was
shee chose vnto Pallyas.
glad & blythe was Baron & K nigh t,
soe were Egar & Gryme tha t were soe wight;
& there S i r Pallyas, tha t Noble K nigh t,
marryed Emyas tha t was soe bright.
a royall wedding was made thore,
as good as was the other before.
I neu er wist man tha t proued soe weele
as did S i r Grine vpon S i r Gray-steele,
for he gate to his brother S i r Egar
an Erles Land & a ladye faire;
he gate himselfe an Erles lande,
the fairest Lady tha t was Liuande;
he gate his brother Pallyas
a barrons daughter & a Barronage.
Winglaine bare to S i r Egar
10 children tha t were fayre;
10 of them were sonnes wight,
& 5, daughters fayre in sight.
& Loosepine bare to S i r Grime
10 children in short time;
7 of them sonnes was,
& 3 were daughters faire of face.
Emyeas bare to Sir Pallyas
3 Children in short spacee;
2 of them sonnes were,
the 3 was a daughter faire and cleere;
after, shee was marryed to a K nigh t
tha t proued both hardye & wight.
there was noe man in noe countrye
tha t durst displease those brethren 3:
for 2 of them were Erles free,
the 3 d . was a Barron in his countrye;
& thus they liued & made an end
to the blisse of heauen their soules bringe!
I pray Jesus tha t wee soe may
bring vs the blisse tha t Lasteth Aye!