IX. SIR LANCELOT DU LAKE. THIS ballad is quoted in Shakespeare's second Part of "Henry IV." A. ii. The subject of it is taken from the ancient romance of K. Arthur (commonly called "Morte Arthur") being a poetical translation of Chap. cviii, cix, cx, in Pt. 1st, as they stand in Ed. 1634, 4to. In the older Editions the Chapters are differently numbered.-This song is given from a printed copy, corrected in part by a fragment in the editor's folio MS. In the same play of 2 Hen. IV. Silence hums a scrap of one of the old ballads of Robin Hood. It is taken from the following stanza of "Robin Hood and the Pindar of Wakefield." "All this beheard three wighty yeomen, Twas Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John: That ballad may be found on every stall, and therefore is not here reprinted. WHEN Arthur first in court began, And was approved king, By force of armes great victorys wanne, And conquest home did bring. Then into England straight he came With fifty good and able Knights, that resorted unto him, And were of his round table : And he had justs and turnaments, Wherin some knights did farr excell But one Sir Lancelot du Lake, Who was approved well, He for his deeds and feats of armes, All others did excell. 5 10 15 When he had rested him a while, In play, and game, and sportt, He armed rode in a forrest wide, Who told him of adventures great, "Such wold I find," quoth Lancelott: "For that cause came I hither." "Thou seemst," quoth shee, "a knight full good, And I will bring thee thither, Wheras a mighty knight doth dwell, That now is of great fame: Therfore tell me what wight thou art, "My name is Lancelot du Lake." 20 25 30 Here dwelles a knight who never was 35 Who has in prison threescore knights Knights of king Arthurs court they be, She brought him to a river side, And also to a tree, Whereon a copper bason hung, And many shields to see. He struck soe hard, the bason broke ; Who drove a horse before him fast, 40 45 V. 29. "Where" is often used by our old writers for "whereas :" here it is just the contrary. V. 18, to sportt. MS. "Sir knight," then sayd Sir Lancelòtt, For, as I understand, thou hast, "If thou be of the Table Round," "Both thee and all thy fellowship I utterly defye." "That's over much," quoth Lancelott tho, They sett their speares unto their steeds, They coucht theire speares, (their horses ran, Their horsses backes brake under them, 50 55 65 70 To avoyd their horsses they made haste They tooke them to their shields full fast, With mighty strokes most eagerlye They wounded were, and bled full sore, And tell to me what I shall aske." 66 Say on," quoth Lancelot tho. "Thou art," quoth Tarquine, "the best knight That ever I did know; 75 80 And like a knight, that I did hate : I will deliver all the rest, And eke accord with thee." "That is well said," quoth Lancelott; What knight is that thou hatest thus ? "His name is Lancelot du Lake, He slew my brother deere ; Him I suspect of all the rest: I would I had him here." "Thy wish thou hast, but yet unknowne, 85 90 95 Now knight of Arthurs Table Round; 100 And I desire thee do thy worst." If thou be Lancelot du Lake, Then welcome shalt thou bee: For now defye I thee." They buckled then together so, Like unto wild boares rashing; * And with their swords and shields they ran 105 110 * "Rashing seems to be the old hunting term to express the stroke made by the wild-boar with his fangs. "To rase "has apparently a meaning something similar. See Mr. Steevens's Note on "K. Lear," A. iii. sc. vii. (Ed. 1793, Vol. xiv. p. 193.) where the quartos read, "Nor thy fierce sister In his anointed flesh rash boarish fangs." So in "K. Richard III." A. iii. sc. ii. (Vol. x. p. 567, 583.) "He dreamt To night the Boar had rased off his helm." The ground besprinkled was with blood: For he gave backe for wearinesse, And lowe did beare his shield. This soone Sir Lancelot espyde, He pull'd him downe upon his knee, Forthwith he strucke his necke in two, And, when he had soe done, From prison threescore knights and four 115 120 X. CORYDON'S FAREWELL TO PHILLIS, -is an attempt to paint a lover's irresolution, but so poorly executed, that it would not have been admitted into this collection, if it had not been quoted in Shakespeare's "TwelfthNight," A. ii. sc. iii.-It is found in a little ancient miscellany, intitled, "The Golden Garland of Princely Delights," 12mo. bl. let. In the same scene of the Twelfth-Night, Sir Toby sings a scrap of an old ballad, which is preserved in the Pepys Collection [Vol. i. pp. 33, 496.], but as it is not only a poor dull performance, but also very long, it will be sufficient here to give the first stanza : If this song of CORYDON, &c. has not more merit, it is at least an evil of less magnitude. |