"He feign'd remorse, and piteous beg'i "With treason, villainy, and wrong, "He hid a slave within my bed, My lord, possest with rage, condemn'd "But, 'cause I then was great with child, At length my life he spar'd: But bad me instant quit the realme, "Forth on my journey I depart, And tow'rds my brother's distant court, goe, "Long time thro' sundry foreign lands We slowly pace along : At length, within a forest wild, I fell in labour strong. "And while the knight for succour sought, And left me there forlorn, My childbed pains so fast increast, Two lovely boys were born. "The eldest fair, and smooth, as snow That tips the mountain hoar: The younger's little body rough With hairs was cover'd o'er. "But here afresh begin my woes : To shield my eldest from the cold, "A prowling bear burst from the wood, And seiz' my younger son; Affection lent my weakness wings, "But all forewearied, weak, and spent, And there beneath the greenwood shade "At length the knight brought me relief, And while in search we wander'd far, Who ruthless slew my trusty knight, And bare me off with him. "But charm'd by heav'n, or else my griefs, He offer'd me no wrong; Save that within these lonely walls I've been immur'd so long." Now, surely, said the youthful knight, Wife to the Grecian Emperor : For in your royal brother's court If so, know your accuser's dead, And long your lord hath sought you out, And when no tidings he could learn He vow'd thenceforth within his court Now heaven is kind; the lady said; And dropt a joyful tear : Shall I once more behold my lord? But madam, said sir Valentine, And knelt upon his knee : Know you the cloak what wrapt your babe, And pulling forth the cloak of gold, But by his pious care reviv'd, But who's this hairy youth? she said: Madam, this youth with bears was bred, And rear'd within their den. But recollect ye any mark To know your son again? Upon his little side, quoth she, Then clasping both her newfound sons She bath'd their cheeks with tears: And soon towards her brother's court Her joyful course she steers. What pen can paint king Pepin's joy, Who came in late with all his peers, To fetch her home to Greece; Where many happy years they reign'd In perfect love and peace. To them sir Ursine did succeed This ballad is taken from Percy's 'Reliques.' 'It can. not be denied,' says the Doctor, 'but that a great part of it is modern.' 'It may be safely denied, however,' says Ritson, Ancient Songs and Ballads,' i. xxxi.) that the least part of it is ancient. The freader will probably agree with the critic, particularly as no mention is made by Dr. Percy of its existing, in any shape or form, in his Folio MS. The incidents,' he says, are chiefly taken from the old storybook of the Seven Champions of Christendom,' written by 'one Richard Johnson, who lived in the reigns of Elizabeth and James; which, though now the plaything of children, was formerly in high repute.' As to St. George himself, whose martial history is allowed to be apocryphal,' his very existence has been doubted. The reader who desires to investigate the matter, may consult Pettingal's 'Dissertation on the Origin of the Equestrian Figure of the George and of the Garter,' London, 1753; and Milner's "Historical and Critical Enquiry into the Existence and Character of Saint George,' &c., London 192. Distressed ladies to relieve In Coventry some time did dwell He had to wife a princely dame, For thirty nights no sooner sleep She dreamt a dragon fierce and fell All woe-begone, and sad was she; In vaine she strove; her tender lord, And when to him the fearful cause With kindest speech he strove to heal Be comforted, my lady dear, And for this foul and fearful dream, That causeth all thy woe, Trust me I'll travel far away |