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

XX
ANCIENT SONGS
fenfual pleafure ; and detains him from the purfuit of
honour.
Part VII.
Maid Ellen by chance gets an opportunity of fpeaking
to him ; and upbraids him with his vice and folly :
he is filled with remorfe, and efcapes the fame evening.
At length he arrives at the city and caftle of Sinadone :
Is given to underftand that he muft challenge the conftable
of the caftle to iingle combat, before he can be
received as a gueft. They juft: the conflable is wonted
: Sir Lybius is feafted in the caftle : he declares his
intention of delivering their lady ; and inquires the
particulars of her hiilory. " Two Necromancers
have built a fine palace by forcery, and there keep her
inchanted, till (he will Surrender her duchy to them,
and yield to fuch bafe conditions as they would impofe."
Part VIII.
Early on the morrow Sir Lybius fets out for the inchanted
palace. He alights in the court : enters the
hall : the wonders of which are described in ftrong
Gothic painting. He fits down at the high table : on
a fudden all the lights are quenched : it thunders, and
lightens ; the palace makes ; the walls fall in pieces
about his ears. He is difmayed and confounded : but
prefently hears horfes neigh, and is challenged to
finele combat by the forcerers. He gets to his iteed : a
battle enfues, with various turns of fortune : he lofes
his weapon : but gets a fvvord from one of the Necromancers,
and wounds the other with it : the edge of
the fword being fecretly poifoned, the wound proves
mortal.
P A R T IX.
He goes up to the furviving forcerer, who is carried
away from him by inchantment : at length he finds
him, and cuts off his head: He returns to the palace
to deliver the lady : but cannot find her ; as he is lamenting,
a window opens, through which enters a
horrible