Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. TN the ancient Metrical Romance of ‘ Syr Tryamoure, ’ a greyhound plays an important part. King Anulas of Arragon and his lovely Queen Margarete
She was as treue as steele, and sweete
made grete mone For chyldren together had they none. The king therefore vowed to take the cross; and departed for the
hethenlond. The last night, his queen conceived, and on his return was great with child. During his absence, however, Sir Marrocke, the steward, made false and traitorous love to her, and being repulsed, revenge entered into his heart. He infused his rancorous venom into the weak mind of her husband, who, rashly believing her unfaithful, banished her, allowing only an aged knight and kinsman, Sir Roger, to accompany her.
Forth they wente in nombrc thre, Syr Roger, the queue, and the grehounde truely.‘ Sir Marrocke, with a company of his own men, waylaid them in a wood. Sir Roger, powerfully aided by his dog, made a stout defence and slew many
So sore he dede than smyte. Truely his grehounde that was so good Dyde helpe his maister and by him stode Full hytterly he gan byte. The queen hid herself in the forest, and the brave knight after a gallant defence, fell, slain foully by Sir Marrocke, who stabbed him in the back. In vain the traitor sought his hapless prey, and finally, after thrusting her defender’s dead body through, departed with the remainder of his band.
There passed but foure a wave: Than the queue was ful wo And whan she sawe that they were go She made sorowe and crye Than she rose and wennte agayne To Syr Roger and founde hym slaync. His grehounde by his fete dyde lye Alas she sayde that I was borne My true knight now haue I Ionic They haue hym here slayne Full pyteously she made her mone And sayd nowe must I go…
