Classic Poem

I ESUS : lord mickle of might,
tha t dyed ffor vs on the roode
to maintaine vs in all our right,
tha t loues true English blood.

ffor by a K nigh t I say my song,
was bold & ffull hardye;
S i r Robert Briuse wold fforth to ffight
in-to Ireland ouer the sea;

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

And he hath a Ladye to his daughter,
of ffashyon shee hath noe peere;
K night s & lordes they woed her both,
trusted to haue beene her peere.

S i r Cawline loues her best of one,
but nothing durst hee say
to discreeue his councell to noe man,
but deerlye loued this mayd.

till itt beffell vpon a day,
great dill to him was dight;
the maydens loue remoued his mind,
to care bed went the Knight;

& one while he spread his armes him ffroe,
& 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 S i r Cawline say

when our p ar ish masse tha t itt was done,
& 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 & wine? "

but then answered a curteous K nigh t
ffast wringinge his hands,

" S i r Cawlines sicke, & 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 & the baken bread,
and eene on the wine soe red,
& looke no day[n]tinesse ffor him to deare,
for ffull loth I wold him teene. "

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 soe cowardlye here!
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,
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;
& 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;
& 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,
& 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;
& S i r Cawlins gone to the mores soe broad,
ffor to wake there all night.

vnto midnight they Moone did rise,
he walked vp and downe,
& 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; "

& he spyed ene a litle him by,
a ffuryous King & a ffell,
& a ladye bright his brydle led,
tha t seemlye itt was to see;

& soe fast hee called vpon S i r Cawline,
" Oh man, I redd thee 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,
& the timber these 2 Children bore
soe soone in sunder slode,
ffor they tooke & 2 good swords,
& they Layden on good Loade.

but the Elridge K ing was mickle of might,
& stiffly to the ground did stand;
but S i r Cawline w i th an aukeward stroke
he brought him ffrom his hand,
I, & fflying ouer his head soe hye,
ffell downe of tha t Lay land:

& his lady stood a litle thereby,
ffast ringing her hands:
" for they maydens loue tha t you haue most meed,
smyte you my Lo r d no more,

" & heest neu er come vpon Eldrige [hill]
him to sport, gamon, or play,
& to meete noe man of middle earth,
& tha t liues on christs his lay. "

but he then vp, and tha t Eldryge K ing
sett him in his sadle againe,
& tha t Eldryge K ing & his Ladye
to their castle are they gone.

& hee tooke then vp & tha t Eldryge sword
as hard as any fflynt,
& soe he did those ringes 5,
harder then ffyer, and brent.

ffirst he p re sented to the K ing s daughter
they hand, & then they sword

" but a serrett buffett you haue him giuen,
the K ing & the crowne! " shee sayd.
" I, but 34 stripes
comen beside the rood. "

& a Gyant that was both stiffe [&] strong,
he lope now them amonge,
& vpon his squier 5 heads he bare,
vnmackley made was hee.

& he dranke then on the K ing s wine,
& hee put the cup in his sleeue;
& all the trembled & 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;
in, 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, & hee shall haue my broad Lands,
& keepe them well his liue;
I, and soe hee shall my daughter deere,
to be his weded wiffe. "

& 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 [a] ffray. "
" but away, away! " sayd the hend Soldan,
" thou tarryest mee here all day! "

but the hend Soldan & S i r Cawline
the ffought a sum m ers day:
now has hee slaine tha t hend Soldan,
& brought his 5 heads away.

& the K ing has betaken him his broade lands
& all his venison.

" but take you too & yo u r Lands [soe] broad,
& 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,
& vntill a garden did he goe
his Mattins ffor to say;
& tha t bespyed a ffalse steward —
a shames death tha t he might dye! —

& he lett a lyon out of a bande,
S i r Cawline ffor to teare;
& 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.

& the watchmen cryed vpon the walls
& sayd, " S i r Cawlines 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 & siluer bright,
& 15 sonnes this Ladye beere
to S i r Cawline the Knight.