Reliques of ancient English poetry: consisting of old heroic ballads ...

xiv AN C I E N T SONGS
Lyon foj, in which his encounter with a lion makes a
very mining figure. I fhall give a large extract from
this poem, as a fpecimen of the manner of thefe old
rhapfodifts, and to fhew that they did not in their fic-
tions negle£t the proper means to produce the ends, as
was afterwards done in fo childiih a manner in the
profe books of Chivalry.
The poet tells us, that Richard in his return from
the Holy Land having been difcovered in the habit of
" a palmer in Almayne," and apprehended as a fpy,
was by the king thrown into prifon. Wardrewe, the
king's fon, hearing of Richard's great ftrength, de-
fires the jailor to let him have a fight of his prifoners.
Richard being the foremoft, Wardrewe afks him, " if
*' he dare Hand a buffet from his hand ? " and that on
the morrow he {Hall return him another. Richard confents,
and receives a blow that ftaggers him. On the
morrow, having previoufly waxed his hands, he waits
his antagonift's arrival. Wardrewe accordingly, proceeds
the flory, " held forth as a trewe man," and Richard
gave him fuch a blow on the cheek, as broke his
jaw-bone, and killed him on the fpot. The king, to
revenge the death of his fon, orders, by the advice of
one Eldrede, that a Lion kept purpofely from food,
ihall be turned locfe upon Richard. But the king's
daughter having fallen in love with him, tells him of
her father's refolution, and at his requefl procures him
foity ells of white filk " kerchers;
1"
fcription of the Combat begins,
and here the de-
The kever-chefes (p) he toke on honde,
And aboute his arme he wonde j
And
{o) Dr. Grey has {hewn that the fame ftory is alluded to in
Kartell's Chronicle : As it was doubtlefs originally had from the
Romance, this is proof that the old metrical Romances throw light
on our firll writers in profe : many of our ancient Hiftarians have recorded
the fictions of Romance.
(p)
word, viz.
i. e, Handkerchiefs.
i( Couvre le chef."
Here we have the etymology of the