Classic Poem

W HITHIN the Grecyan land some time did dwell
an Emperour, whose name did ffar excell;
he tooke to wiffe the Lady B[e]llefaunt,
the only sister to the Kinge of ffrance,
w i th whome he liued in pleasure & delight
vntill tha t ffortune came to worke them spight.
ffor w i thin the court a bishoppe there did rest,
the w hi ch the Emperour held in great request;
his enuious hart itt was soe sore enfflamed
vpon the Empresse, tha t gallant dame,
tha t he wold p er swade her many a wile
her husbands marriage bed for to defile.
but shee denyed tha t vnchast request,
as to her honor did beseeme her best;
w hi ch when the Bishopp saw, away he went
vntou the Emperour w i th a fell intent,
& then most ffalselye her he did accuse,
how tha t shee wold his marryage bed abuse;
& thervpon he swore the same to proue,
w hi ch made her husbands loue in wrath to proue
then the Emperour went to her with speed,
ffor to accuse her of this shamefull deede.
and when shee saw how shee was betrayd,
her inocency shee began to pleade;
but then her husband wold not heare her speake,
w hi ch made her hart w i th sorrow like to breake;
but straight the Emperour he gaue com m and
tha t shee shold be banished out of his land
but when tha t shee ffrom them did goe,
before them all shee did reccount her woe,
& said tha t shee was banished wrongffullye;
& soe shee went w i th sorrow like to dye.
now is shee gone, but w i th one Squier alone,
vnto her brother in ffrance to make her Mone.
And being come w i thin the realme of ffrance,
O there beffell a very heauy chance!
ffor as shee trauelled through a wild fforrest,
the labor of Childhood did her sore oppresse,
& more & more her paines increased still
tha t shee was fforced to rest against her will
now att the length her trauell came to end,
ffor the Lo rd 2 children did her send,
the w hi ch were ffaire & p ro p er boyes indeed,
w hi ch made her hart w i th Ioy for to exceede.
but now behold how ffortune gan to Lower,
& turned her Ioy to greefe w i thin an hower!
ffor why, shee saw an vgly beare as then,
the w hi ch was come fforthe of some lothesome den;
& when the beare did see her in tha t place,
he made towards her w i th an Egar pace,
& ffrom her tooke one of her children small,
a sight to greeue the mothers hart w i th-all
but when shee saw her child soe borne away,
shee Laid the other downe, & did not stay,
& ffollowed itt as ffast as euer shee might;
but all in vaine! of itt shee lost the sight
but soe itt chanced, att tha t verry tyde
the K ing of ffrance did there a hunting ryde;
& in the fforrest as he rode vp and downe,
the other child he ffound vpon the ground.
& when he saw the child to be soe faire,
to take itt vp he bade his men take care,
& keepe itt well as tho itt were his owne,
vntill the ffather of the child where knowne.
the Empresse returned there backe againe,
when as shee saw the beare w i thin his den;
but when shee saw her other sonne was lost,
her hart w i th sorrow then was like to burst.
then downe shee sate her with a heauy hart,
& wishes death to ease her of her smart;
shee wrong her hands w i th many a sigh full deepe
tha t wold haue made a fflyntye hart to weepe.
then shee dep ar ted from tha t woefull place,
& fforth of ffrance shee went away apace;
ffor why, as yett shee wold not there be knowen
vntill some newes of her young sonnes were shone.
but shee beheld a Castle ffaire & stronge, —
shee had not trauelled ffrom tha t place not Long, —
wheratt shee knocket, some succour for to find.
but itt ffell out contrary to her mind;
ffor why, w i th-in tha t castle dwelt as then
a monstrous gyant, ffeared of all men,
who tooke this Ladye into his prison strong,
& there he kept her ffast in prison long.
but when he saw her lookes to be soe sadd,
& hauing knowen what sorrowes she had had,
he kept her close, but he hurt her not;
& soe shee liued in prison long, god wott.
the child the w hi ch the beare had borne away,
amongst her younge ones was brought vp alway,
& soe brought vp vntill att length as then
he there became a monstrous huge wild man,
& [d]aylye ranged about the fforrest wilde,
& did destroy man, woman, beast and child,
& all things else w hi ch by his den did passe,
w hi ch to the country great annoyance was.
the other child w hi ch they K ing had ffound,
he christened was, & valentine was his name;
& when he grew to be of ripe yeeres,
he was beloued both of K ing and peeres;
in ffeates off armes he did himselfe advance,
tha t none like him there cold be ffond in ffrance;
& ffor tha t same, the K ing did dub him Knight;
he allwaies was soe vallyant in his fight.
then to the court did many pore men come
to show what hurt the wild man there had done;
but when the K ing did heare the moane they made,
he sent fforth men the monster to inuade;
but all in vaine; ffor why, hee crusht them soe
tha t none of them w i th-in his reach durst goe.
Then valentine vnto the K ing did sue
tha t he might goe the Monster to subdue.
then fforthe he went the Monster ffor to see,
whom he saw come bearing a younge oke tree;
& when the wild man of him had a sight,
he went vnto him & cast him downe right.
& when he saw his strenght cold not p re vaile,
he praid to god his purpose might not ffayle;
then a poinard p re sently he drew out,
& peirct his side, wherwith the blood gusht out
but when the wild man did behold his blood,
he quicklye brought him ffrom his ffuryous mood;
then ffrom the fforrest both together went
towards the Emperour, & w i th ffull intent
of [him] desired leaue by sea to sayle
into an Ile tha t Lyeth in Portingall,
wheras the hard w i th-in a Castle was
a Ladye ffaire tha t kept a head of brasse,
the w hi ch cold tell of any questyon asket.
& thither came braue valentine att Last;
& when tha t they to the castle came,
they thought ffor to haue entered the same;
but itt ffell out not vnto their mind,
because the porters there were much vnkind;
ffor why, the ffound 2 gyants att the gate,
w i th [w]home they ffought or they cold in theratt.
then went they vpp wheras they head did stand;
& by itt sate the bewtyous Claramande,
whom, when the noble valentine did see,
he swore his hart ffor euer there shold bee.
then did shee speake vnto the head of brasse,
& bade itt tell whose sonne valentine was,
& whom the wild man there shold bee.
to whom the head gaue answer p re sentlye:
" ffirst be it knowen, he is thy brother deere,
& you are both sonnes to the Grecyan peere;
& yo u r mother wrongffullye banished was,
& you were both borne in a wild fforrest;
& tha t by a beare vrsin was nurst vpp,
& valentine by his vnckles court;
& yo u r mother lyeth in prison stronge
w i th K ing fferagus, where shee hath beene long.
alsoe I say, looke vnder vrsines tounge;
there shall you ffind a string both bigg & stronge;
cut tha t in tow, & then his speech shall breake;
& this is all; & I noe more can speake. "
then vrsin to his speeche restored was hee,
& valentine had C LAREMONDE soe ffree.
soe al together on their Iourney went
towards their mother being in prison pent;
& soe they came vnto the place att Last
wheras their mother was in prison ffast;
& him they slew tha t did their mother keepe,
& soe they brought her out of prison deepe.
& when tha t they were al together come,
vnto their mother they then made them knowne;
w hi ch when shee saw her owne sonnes sett her ffree,
no ioye to her there might compared bee.
then p re sentlye they purpose to take read,
into the Land of greece to hye w i th speed
& when tha t they had many a storme ore past,
they did arriue w i th-in tha t Land att last;
then on their Iourney towards they court they went,
& to the Emperour a messenger they sent,
to tell him ffreinds of his were comen vpon land,
& did intreat some ffavor att his hand.
when the Emperour was come vnto them there,
& knew the woman to be his wiffe most deere,
& tha t the other 2 were his owne deare sonnes,
he then bewailed their happ w i th bitter moanes,
ffirst tha t because his wiffe was wronge exilde,
& ffor the greeffe when as shee traueled w i th child.
& soe att lenght, in spight of ffortunes happ,
they liued in ioy, & ffeared noe after clappe.