By this Report the onely Linguist liuing Had beene with Phelice for to make her glad Such fame and glory to her Louer giuing As neuer greater any Worthy â—ad Tels all the deedes of wonder he hath done From the first action that his hand begun Phelice impatient of his wished sight Speeds towards Lincolne like light Salmacis Where ioyfully she entertaines her Knight With Iunoes kinde imbrace and Venus kisse Guy with requitall makes his gladnes knowne And in his armes he now inioyes his owne Forgetfull Loue and too too slowe quoth she I fear'd thou didst not minde thy dearest friend What seeke a Dragon ere thou looke for me And hazard life before thou come or send To know if I remaine in happy state Some jealous woman would suppose 't were hate But sure I doe not though I speake my heart And wish I had bin first thou saw'st on shore Guy welcome to thy Phelice now thou art Thou neuer shalt goe forth a Fighting more No thou hast fought too much thy lookes bewray Sterne countenance hath stolne thy smiles away But Loue will learne thee loue to change thy face And frame it as at first when I did chuse it Thou hast almost forgotten to imbrace I like that well it seemes thou did'st not vse it In Forraigne parts abroad where thou hast bin But that lost lesson thou must new begin I will quoth he deere Loue and ply my Booke And kisse my Lesson on thy Corall lip Tell me but onely when I am mistooke In reading rashly if I ouer-skip Or be too negligent in taking paine Why turne me backe to conne my geere againe But Lady one exception I will make What line soeuer you doe put me to The Horne-booke of all other I le forsake For willingly I would not haue to doe With that Crosse-rowe crosse vnto many when Women doe teach it vnto Married men Kinde Sir quoth she content I le neuer chuse it It fits two sorts a Curtezan a Childe Once as the latter simply I did vse it But for the other rather be beguilde Then to deceiue the second Horn-booke's naught Teach it not me and it shall ne're be taught Guy smil'd and said come let vs Warwicke see Of all the world the place that I loue best Because it had the bringing vp of thee And there first with thy Beauty I was blest I loue the Castle and the Garden ground Where e'rst thy Venus-face alone I found Let 's hasten on to heare this Sacred voyce I Guy take Phelice to my wedded wife And thou repeate I likewise am thy choyse Till Death depart vs euen so long as Life And then the next will bee God giue vs Ioy And send thy Fathers Heyre agallant Boy The Marriage is Solemnized But after Forty dayes Guy Pennance vowes and Pilgrim like From England goes his wayes Canto 10. THe happy Day that Louers long expect Is now attayn'd to giue desire rest And all the honours Hymen can effect He franke bestowes to grace the wedding Feast For Athelstone and his renowned Queene At this great Nuptiall in their pompe were seene The Nobles rich and costly in Attire With worthy Knights and Gentlemen beside Ladyes of Honour as their Loues require Attend vpon the beautious faire fac'd Bride There wanted nothing wit of man could finde To please the eye or to content the minde Maskes midnight-Reuels Tilt and Turnament Acting of ancient Stories stately showes Banquets might giue great Iupiter content Where cuppes of Nector plentious ouer-flowes Aboundant all thinges with a plentious hand As if a King himselfe should feast a Land Soone after all these thinges were consummate Earle Rohand Phelice worthy Father dyes And to his Sonne bequeathes the whole estate Of Earledomes Lordships all his Land is Guyes Who is created Earle of Warwicke then In Honours rancke with Englands Noble-men But in the glory of this high applaud Enioying all that did partake delight When euery tongue his Fame and Fortunes laude Himselfe conuerts his sun-shine dayes to night Bethinking what the world may iust be thought And deeming all but vaine that he had sought Oft would hee sit and meditate alone In looking backe what steps his youth had trod Then to himselfe with sighes and grieuous grone Cry pardon me thou iust incensed God I haue done nothing for to purchase Grace But spent my time about a Womans face For Beauty bloody through the world I ran In pride of heart preferring Phelice feature For Beauty I haue ended many a man Hating all other for one mortall Creature For Beauty I haue pawn'd my vtmost power But for my sinnes not spent one weeping hower My Nunquam sera I will now begin And vowe to spend the remnant of my dayes In contrite Pennance for my former sinne That God may pardon all the erring wayes Which flesh and blood vainely deceiued by Vnto the world I will goe learne to dye Let me be censur'd euen as mortals please I le please my God in all things may be done Ambitious pride hath beene my youths disease I le teach age meeknes ere my Glasse bee runne And change my choyse wealth beauty world farwel To purchase Heauen I would passe thorow Hell Phelice perceiues his melancholy state And comming to him doth most mildely woo My Lord quoth shee why are you chang'd of late As I share ioy let mee beare sorrow too If I in ought haue mou'd you to offence I will with teares performe due recompence No my deare Loue quoth Guy no cause in thee T is with my selfe I discontented striue By light of Grace my Natures faults I see That am as dead although I seeme aliue Phelice my sinnes my countlesse sinnes appeare Crying Repent thy guilty Conscience cleere I must deale with thee as Bauarus delt A Prince of Rome with Sygunda his Wife Who from a deepe impression hee felt Vow'd Chastity perpetuall all his life Entreating thee euen as thou lou'st my soule To pardon me not vrging my controule Hast thou not heard what Ethelfrida did A Christian woman sometime Englands Queene Is Edelthrudis acte of Chaste life hid A Princesse likewise rare and matchlesse seene The first with Childe no more of lust would taste The second caus'd two Husbands both liue chaste And canst not thou the Phoenix of a Realme By immitation winne immortall praise Leauing thy vertues an admired Theme To the succeeding Age of Yron dayes I know thou canst thy greater part 's Diuine Where most is Carnall 't will to flesh incline Thou didst procure although I doe excuse it My pride by Conquests to attaine thy Loue God gaue mee Valour I did vaine abuse it My heart and thoughts aspired farre aboue The Crownes and Scepters of most potent Kings I held their Diadems inferiour thinges But now I gather in a totall somme Such follies and condemne them all to dye A man of other fashion I le become Some better Trauailes for my soule to try Not as before in Armour on my Steed But in a
actiue cariage danger to preuent Quoth Colbrond English-man wilt thou forbeare And sue for mercy let the Fight alone Villaine quoth Guy I scorne thy Coward feare I le haue thy Life or it shall cost mine owne Wee le neuer part till one be soundly sped The King hath ventur'd England on my Head For twenty Denmarkes if they might be found And all the wealth that on the Ocean swimmes I will not yeeld an inch of English ground Thou shalt finde mettall in these aged limmes Although thy bodyes height be more then mine I haue a heart bigger by oddes then thine Thinke on thy ancient grand-fire Gogmagog Whom Corâ—neus delt withall at Douer How that same Lubber like a timber-log Was by the worthy Brittaine tumbled ouer For his bolde Challenge he had such a checke There was no Surgeon could amend his necke Thou art deceiu'd in me poore silly sot I am vntaught to bend submissions knees Holde me no Christian if I fayle a iot And for the world that tytle I le not leese Betake thee to thy tooles honour thy King Vpon thy man-hood lyes a mighty thing And thus I doe encounter thee afresh With that he lent him such a powerfull stroke It made wide rupture in the Gyants flesh And did his furious Choller much prouoke Laying about him in most cruell rage Till the next wound did all his heate asswage It was so mortall that it brought him downe To lye and groane vpon the bloody ground Forthwith a showte was heard from out the Towne That all the Sky did Eccho to the sound Great ioy was made by euery English heart And all the Danes with extreame griefe depart King Athelstone sent for his Champion then To doe him Honour for his famous deede Who was receiued by the Clergie men With all solemnity for such high meede Embraced by the Nobles and renown'd With Martiall musicke Drum and Trumpets sound But little pleasure Guy conceiues herein Refusing Iewels costly Ornaments Saying with these he out of loue hath bin For many yeares by true experiments Onely thankes God that blest him with an hower To free his Countrey from inuading power And so intreates that hee may passe vnknowne To liue where pouerty regards not weahh And be beholden to the helpe of none Seeing the world but now and then by stealth For true Content doth such a Treasure bring It makes the Begger richer then the King With true Content saith hee I will abide In homely Cottage free from all resout For I haue found Content cannot be spide To make abode within a Monarchs Court No there 's ambition pride and enuy seene And fawning flatt'ry stepping still betweene Yet gentle Palmer said the King agree Where euer thou resoluest to remaine Acquaint thy Name in priuate vnto me And this is all thy Sou'raigne will obtaine Tell me but who thou art I will conceale it As I am Englands King I le not reueale it Why then quoth he your Grace shall vnderstand I am your Subiect Guy of Warwicke named That haue these many yeares not seene your Land But bin where Youth by auncient Age is tamed Yea where experience taught me wit dread Prince The world of many follyes to conuince And now am come to bring my bones to Graue Within the Kingdome where I first tooke life Yet shall no Creature else the notice haue Of my arriuall not my dearest Wife Till sicknes come and doth my Death foretell Then I le acquaint her with my last farewell The King with ioy embrac'd him in his armes And with great admiration answers thus Most worthy Earle freer of Englands harmes It grieues my soule thou wilt not liue with vs Oh were thy resolutions thoughts but now That my perswasions might preuent thy Vow But 't is too late they are growne ripe I see Thou art too setled in determination Well Honourable man yet this ioyes mee Thou bringest thy bones vnto thy dearest Nation Where Monuments of thy great deeds shall last Till after Ages of the world be past In Warwicke Castle shall thy Sword be kept To witnes to the world what thou hast bin And least forgetfull time should intercept A President I present will begin The Castle-keeper shall receiue a fee To keepe thy Sword in memory of thee Thy Armour likewise and the martiall Speare That did thee seruice in thy high designes Shall be preserued very carefull there That all such men as haue distrustfull mindes May thinke if from a truth this did not grow A King would scorne to cousen people so And in thy Chappell distant thence a mile A bone shall hang of that most cruell Beast Which neare to Couentrey remain'd long while Whose Rib by measure is sixe foote at least Destroying many that did passe that way Vntill thy man-hood did the Saluage slay That by tradition men may speake and tell This was Guyes Armour this his massie Blade These bones of murdering Beasts which men did quell And this the Tombe wherein his Corpes was layde This the true Picture of his shape at length And this the Speare did oft expresse his strength For sure I holde it an vngratefull thing When thou by Natures course in dust shalt lye No Memory should cause some Muse to sing The Worthinesse of matchles English Guy Thy Countrey-men would proue too farre vnkinde When out of sight they leaue thee out of minde This said in humble duty wondr'ous meeke Guy reuerenceth the King and so departs Some solitary den or Caue to seeke Which he vnto his mansion house conuerts And so liues poorely in the hollow ground Making his meate of rootes and hearbes he found Sometimes he would to Warwicke Castle goe And craue an Almes at his deere Ladyes hand Who vnto Pilgrims did more bounty show Then any Noble woman in the Land And she would aske all Palmers that came there If at the Holy Land they neuer were Or in their trauels if they had not seene An English-man was Lord of that same Tower Who many yeares away from thence had beene A Knight ne're conquer'd yet by humane power But there 's a Tyrant whom I onely feare They call him Death that murders euery where If he haue met him O my dearest Lord I neuer shall behold thy face againe Till that same Monster doe asmuch afford Vnto my heart and so release all paine Which gracious Heauens grant if Guy be dead Vpon this earth let me no longer treade Thus did he often heare his Wife enquire With deep complaints from extream passions flowing Yet by no meanes would grant her kinde desire The comfort of a hopefull word bestowing But looke vpon her as his heart would breake Then turne away for feare his tongue would speake And so depart with weeping to his Cell Setting a dead-mans Head before his eyes Saying with thee I shortly come to dwell This sinfull Flesh I constantly despise My soule is weary of so bad a guest And doth desire to bee at home in rest My feeble limbes weakenes
in conceipt more fast then he What place quoth she can rest to me afford That Pilgrim like hath thus forsaken me Oh sad laments my soule your burden beares To thinke deere Guy remembers me in teares Me thinkes he sits now by a Riuers side And swels the water with his weeping eyes Me thinkes that Phelice Phelice lowde he cry'd And charged Eccho beare it through the Skyes Then rising vp he runnes with might and maine Saying sweet Eccho bring my Loue againe Then comes he to a Cypresse Tree and sayes Syluanus this was once the louely Boy Whom thou for feature to the Cloudes didst praise But heer 's thy sencelesse and transformed ioy T is nothing now but boughes and leaues and Tree And made to wither as all Beauties be And then me thinkes he sits him sadly downe And on his bending knee his elbow stayes With head in hand saying farewell Renowne Vanish vaine pleasures of my youthfull dayes My true Repentance doe you all displace A happy end brings sinfull soules to Grace Ah worthy man that thus canst mortifie The rebell Flesh to conquer Adams Nature And for the gaining of Eternitie Dost liue on Earth as if no earthly Creature Dead and aliue olde and new borne againe True valiant George that hath the Deuill slaine As thy aduice was when thou did'st depart That I should liue a Vestall virgins life Although when I was Mayde by louers arte Thou did'st perswade me to become a Wife I vow by Heauens and all the powers Diuine To keepe my thoughts as constant chaste as thine My Beauty I will blemish all I may With teares and sighes and dolefull lamentation By abstinence I will attaiue the way To ouercome the force of sinnes temptation This sentence I haue often read and seene A womans Chastity is vertues Queene Ceres and Bacchus I will carefull shun Foes to Diana friends to Venus euer Vnto licentious life they teach vs run And with sobriety assotiate neuer Spare dyet shall become my dayly fare The soule thriues best to keepe the body bare The Courtly ornaments I wore of late In honour of King Athelstones faire Queene Euen all those Iewels and those Robes of state Wherein so often I was glorious seene Shall with their price and value now supply Those naked poore that in the streets doe lye The Golde and Siluer that I doe possesse About good workes shall all imployed be The purchase of eternall happinesse Is of all wealth most precious vnto me All that in want to Warwicke Castle come And craue reliefe I will affoord them some For hault and Lame and Blinde I will prouide Some Hospitall with Land to be maintained For Widowes and poore Fatherlesse beside That their necessities may be sustayned For young beginners their estates to raise And for repayring of decay'd High-wayes This I account to be the Heau'nly thrift Lay vp your Treasure where it cannot rust And giue the Riches we receiue by guift As each good Steward is inioyn'd he must That after this short stinted life's decay We may haue life and euerlasting day Reiected world thus doe I take my leaue With thee and all thinges thou dost most esteeme Thy showes are snares and all thy hopes deceiue Thy goodnesse is but onely good to seeme Of thy false pleasures I as much haue seene As shee that beares the title of a Queene Oh that I were in such vnknowne disguise Attending on my Guy where ere he be As once the kinde Sulpitia did deuise Her Lentulus in banishment to see Or Hipsicraca-like in mans attire Following her exil'd King through Loues desire T would something ease my sorrow wounded-heart So to deuide the burthen of vnrest For where affliction takes afflictions part In hard extreames some comfort is exprest Misery is more easie to abide When friend with friend their crosses doe deuide But all in vaine I wish would God I were Or thus or thus it naught auailes my woe Though straying thoughts doe wander here and there My poore weake body knowes not where to goe Vnto the Holy Land I heard him say God send me thither at my dying day I will about my Vowes and see them pay'd To doe the good that Charity requires When grace to workes of vertue doth perswade T is blessednesse to further such desires And while on earth I doe a sinner dwell I le striue to please my God with liuing well In this resolue that life shee entertaines Performing all the course she had propounded And such seuerity therein explaines Her sexe with wonder rest amaz'd confounded To see so rare a Beauty rich high-borne Holde all worlds pleasures in contempt and scorne For no perswading friend that she would heare Which motion'd company or recreation Vnto their speech she would not lend an eare That sought to alter her determination But such as came and of compassion spake She did releeue for blessed Iesus sake Her wandring Lord from Land to Land repaires To seeke out places Pilgrims doe frequent By carefull yeares turn'd into siluer hayres Exceeding chang'd with griefe and languishment For sorrow giues a man more ancient looke Then elder time which lesser cares hath tooke His olde acquaintance in those Forraigne parts That had before most worthy actions seene Right bolde aduentures of his long deserts Had lost Sir Guy as he had neuer beene Those that in Armour knew his martiall face Did not expect him in a Fryers case Amongst the rest to whome he had bin knowne He met Earle Terry banish'd to exile Each vnto other being strangers growne Through sorrow which the sences doth beguile They had forgot that ere they saw each other Yet Guy was Terryes Terry Guyes sworne Brother Hauing related how their trauailes grewe One's voluntary tother 's by constraint In taking leaue with curtesies adew Oh English-man said Terry sighing faint I had a friend a Countrey-man of thine Was Iustice Champion to great wrongs of mine Tyrannie to the face he durst defie And stampe his foote vpon Oppressions necke Tell me deare friend hast thou not heard of Guy That had a hand to helpe a Sword to checke I haue quoth he and knowne him many yeares Guy Warwickes Earle is one of Englands peeres What is thy Name Terry quoth he I hight Greater by Birth then Fortunes make me seeme Terry said he I vow to doe thee right In what I may my poore good-will esteeme To humane thoughts my Nature doth agree Thou lou'st my friend I must of force loue thee Direct me to the man exil'd thee thus I le take thy part as farre as strength extends If Guy himselfe were heere to ioyne with vs He could but say I le venture life with friends And be assured though I simple bee I oft haue had as good successe as hee Terry with louing thankes his loue requites And brings him to his foe whom he defies And valiant with the aduerse Champion fights Till mortall wounded at his feete he dyes Yet 't was a man suppos'd of matchlesse worth