Guy of Warwick
The Legend of Sir Guy of Warwicke
“Was Ever Man”
Performed by Juliana la Badele
Who & When
Richard Jones received Jan 5th, 1591-92. At the time it was titled “A plesante songe of the valiant acts of Guy Warwicke, to the tune Was ever man so lost in love.” It is also found in the Bagford Collection on page 19. There is no record of who originally wrote it. (1)
What
The performance piece is a ballad set to music, and I will be singing it. There are 35 couplets, and each pair makes a set, plus one extra. I will only be performing 6 verses.
The story follows a knight, Sir Guy, and his quest to prove himself to the fair Phillis. He accomplishes many feats – from slaying dragons to defeating giants – and wins her hand. However, he promptly sets out again to fight “For Jesus Christ my Saviours sake.”, and finally grows sick in a cave. His lady wife, Phillis, attends him in his last moments, and a statue of him is erected Warwicke.
See next Pages for a Copy of the Lyrics.
Where
The song is relatively famous, and is mentioned in a great deal of other works, from the Bagford Collection to Child.
Sir Guy is a well known and well written figure, who appears in William of Nassyngton's stories published in 1480, and aswell Puttenhams “Art of Poetry” in 1589. (2)
How
Puttenhams “Art of Poetry” around the same time specifically remarks on the stories of Sir Guy being accompanied by the harp, so for this piece I've decided to produce it in the same style.
The songs of Sir Guy were traditionally performed at Christmas and at weddings, and were presented to both the upper and lower classes. (4)
The specific rendition I am playing is the 1700's interpretation from a Robin Hood Ballad Opera called “Sir Guy”.
The sheet music is not the original, as no original music was found by me. However, as the song was played by harp, I decided to play it on the harp using the oldest melody attributed to it, even if that was something from the 1700's. Probably for a kingdom level performance, I would simply play the harp delicately and speak the verses that I choose.
Why
I love this story, it has beautiful music, and it's something I've wanted to challenge myself with. I love that Phelis, or Felice, means 'Happiness', and I love the sense of adventure that is found in the story. Sir Guy defeats a Dun Cow, Dragons, Giants, Boars, and Infidels, and he represents the heroic art of chivarly.
Something that keeps the dream alive today.
I intend to record this song for my new CD. It will feature only the mighty deeds against cow, dragon and lion and the death scene.
I intend to record this song for my new CD. It will feature only the mighty deeds against cow, dragon and lion and the death scene.
Lyrics
Was ever knight for ladyes sake
Soe tost in love, as I, Sir Guy,
For Phelis fayre, that lady bright
As ever man beheld with eye?
She gave me leave myself to try,
The valiant knight with sheeld and speare,
Ere that her love shee wold grant me;
Which made mee venture far and neare.
Then proved I a baron bold,
In deeds of armes the doughtyest knight
That in those dayes in England was,
With sword and speare in feild to fight.
An English man I was by birthe:
In faith of Christ a christyan true:
The wicked lawes of infidells
I sought by prowesse to subdue.
'Nine' hundred twenty yeere and odde
After our Saviour Christ his birth,
When King Athelstone wore the crowne,
I lived heere upon the earth.
Sometime I was of Warwicke erle,
And, as I sayd, of very truth
A ladyes love did me constraine
To seeke strange ventures in my youth;
To win me fame by feates of armes
In strange and sundry heathen lands;
Where I atchieved for her sake
Right dangerous conquests with my hands.
For first I sayled to Normandye,
And there I stoutlye wan in fight
The emperours daughter of Almaine,
From manye a vallyant worthye knight.
Then passed I the seas to Greece,
To helpe the emperour in his right,
Against the mightye souldans hoaste
Of puissant Persians for to fight:
Where I did slay of Sarazens,
And heathen pagans, manye a man;
And slew the souldans cozen deere,
Who had to name doughtye Coldran.
Eskeldered, a famous knight,
To death likewise I did pursue;
And Elmayne, King of Tyre, alsoe,
Most terrible in fight to viewe.
I went into the souldans hoast,
To death likewise I did pursue;
And Elmayne, King of Tyre, alsoe,
Most terrible in fight to viewe.
I went into the souldans hoast,
Being thither on embassage sent,
And brought his head awaye with mee;
I having slaine him in his tent.
There was a dragon in that land
Most fiercelye mett me by the waye,
As hee a lyon did pursue,
Which I myself did alsoe slay.
Then soon I past the seas from Greece,
And came to Pavye land aright;
Where I the Duke of Pavye killed,
His hainous treason to requite.
To England then I came with speede,
To wedd faire Phelis, lady bright;
For love of whome I travelled farr
To try my manhood and my might.
But when I had espoused her,
I stayd with her but fortye dayes,
Ere that I left this ladye faire,
And went from her beyond the seas.
All cladd in gray, in pilgrim sort,
My voyage from her I did take
Unto the blessed Holy Land,
For Jesus Christ my Saviours sake.
Where I Erle Jonas did redeeme,
And all his sonnes, which were fifteene,
Who with the cruell Sarazens
In prisons for long time had beene.
I slew the giant Amarant
In battel fiercelye hand to hand,
And doughty Barknard killed I,
A treacherous knight of Pavye land.
Then I to England came againe,
And here with Colbronde fell I fought;
An ugly gyant, which the Danes
Had for their champion hither brought.
I overcame him in the field,
And slewe him soone right valliantlye;
Wherebye this land I did redeeme
From Danish tribute utterlye.
And afterwards I offered upp
The use of weapons solemnlye
At Winchester, whereas I fought,
In sight of manye farr and nye.
'But first,' near Windsor, I did slaye
A bore of passing might and strength;
Whose like in England never was
For hugenesse both in bredth and length.
Some of his bones in Warwicke yett
Within the castle there doe lye;
One of his sheeld-bones to this day
Hangs in the citye of Coventrye.
On Dunsmore heath I alsoe slewe
A monstrous wyld and cruell beast,
Calld the Dun-cow of Dunsmore heath;
Which manye people had opprest.
Some of her bones in Warwicke yett
Still for a monument doe lye,
And there exposed to lookers viewe,
As wonderous strange, they may espye.
A dragon in Northumberland
I alsoe did in fight destroye,
Which did bothe man and beast oppresse,
And all the countrye sore annoye.
At length to Warwicke I did come,
Like pilgrim poore and was not knowne;
And there I lived a hermitts life
A mile and more out of the towne.
Where with my hands I hewed a house
Out of a craggy rocke of stone,
And lived like a palmer poore
WIthin that cave myself alone;
And daylye came to begg my bread
Of Phelis att my castle gate;
Not knowne unto my loved wiffe,
Who dailye mourned for her mate.
Till att the last I fell sore sicke,
Yea, sicke soe sore that I must dye;
I sent to her a ring of golde
By which shee knewe me presentlye.
Then shee repairing to the cave,
Before that I gave up the ghost,
Herself closd up my dying eyes;
My Phelis faire, whom I lovd most.
Thus dreadful death did me arrest,
To bring my corpes unto the grave,
And like a palmer dyed I,
Whereby I sought my soule to save.
My body that endured this toyle,
Though now it be consumed to mold,
My statue, faire engraven in stone,
In Warwicke still you may behold. (6)
Bibliography
http://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/94698144
William (of Nassyngton), by William of Nassington.
Puttenhams “Art of Peotry”, 1589
Dr. King's “Dialogues of the Dead” (Vol. i., p. 153)
The Dublin University Magazine: A Literary and Political Journal, pg 199
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