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Though it seems a tremendous drop from the mythical phoenix of Arabia and its dissolution in fragrant spices to the old Dun Cow in Warwickshire, yet the latter proved herself, if legends may be credited, a foe fully worthy of the prowess of a right knightly arm, and as deserving of our notice as the dragon-slaying of that valiant brother star of chivalry St. George himself. Sir Guy of Warwick takes a high place amongst the famous ancient champions, and Dugdale and other good authorities hold that the stories connected with his name are not wholly apocryphal, though doubtless the monks and other early chroniclers drew the long bow at a venture sometimes. Dugdale, in his " Warwickshire," A.D. 1730, writes-" Of his particular adventures, lest what I say should be suspected for fabulous, I will onely instance that combat betwixt him and the Danish champion, Colebrand, whom some (to magnifie our noble Guy the more) report to' have been a giant. The storie whereof, however it may
be thought fictitious by some, forasmuch as there be those that make a question whether there was ever really such a man, yet those that are more considerate will neither doubt the one nor the other, inasmuch as it hath been so usual with our ancient Historians, for the encouragement of after ages unto bold attempts, to set forth the exploits of worthy men with the highest encomiums possible ; and therefore, should we be for that cause so conceited as to explode it, all history of those times might as well be vilified.* And having said thus much to encounter with the prejudicate fancies of some and the wayward opinions of others, I come to the story." We do not ourselves propose to come to the story," though it is all duly set down in Dugdale; though if the fact of Guy's Danish antagonist being a giant could be fully substantiated, he might perhaps claim a place in our pages. The date of the combat seems to have been the year 929. The exploits of Guy were long held in high favour not only in England but abroad ; we find a French version dated 1525, and the British hero is referred to in a Spanish romance which was written almost a hundred years before this. Chaucer evidently knew the story well, for he tells us that
" Men speken of romances of price, Of Horne Childe and Ippotis, Of Bevis and Sir Guy ; " while Shakespeare, in " King Henry VIII.," makes one of his characters say, " I am not Samson, nor Sir Guy, nor Colbrand, to mow them down before me." |