They rolled and grappled on the ground, But brutal force and savage strength Then binding straight the conquered foe He ties him to his horse's tail, And leads him o'er the plain. To Court, his hairy captive soon With loss of blood and loss of strength, The Savage tamer grew, And to Sir Valentine became A servant tried and true. * And 'cause with Bears + he erst was bred, Ursine they call his name,— A name which unto future times * Similar to this was the case of the Giant Ascapart, who after being subdued, became a most zealous and trusty servant to Sir Bevis-See the old Romance of Bevis of Hampton. Two ancient figures of these worthies are to be seen painted on the Bar Gate at Southampton.-ED. + Ursus, a bear,-Lat. Orson is derived, in the same manner, from Ours,-Fr. G VALENTINE AND URSINE. PART II. In high renown with prince and peer, It chanced, the King upon a day peer, And there came lords and dainty dames, Amid their cups, that freely flowed, A youthful knight taxed Valentine The foul reproach, so grossly urged, And straight he vowed he ne'er would rest Then bidding King and Peers adieu, Early one summer's day, With faithful Ursine by his side, From court he took his way. Over hill and valley, moss and moor, Beyond it rose a castle fair, All built of marble stone, The battlements were gilt with gold, Beneath the bridge, with strange device This quickly found the youthful pair, The jingling sound bedeaft their ears, * A lake that served for a moat to a castle.-Dr. PERCY. +"The circumstance of the Bridge of Bells is taken from the old metrical legend of Sir Beves, and has also been copied in the Seven Champions. The original lines are 'Over the dyke a bridge there lay, That man and beeste might passe away, Right as the Romans (romance) tells, That there might no man passe in, But all they rang with a gyn.' " Dr. PERCY Gyn is probably engine; i. e. the machinery which caused the bells to sound. Quick, at the sound, the castle gates Now yield you, caitiffs, to my will, Vain boaster! said the youthful knight, Then putting spurs unto his steed, Mad and outrageous with the pain, It haply missed; and now the knight As when a large and monstrous oak Unceasing axes hew, So fast around the giant's limbs The blows quick darting flew. As when the boughs with hideous fall Did on the champion rush. A fearful blow, alas! there came, Then smiling forth a hideous grin, But ere it fell, two thundering blows From Ursine's knotty club they came, Down sunk the Giant, gaping wide, Quickly, Sir Valentine revived, And now to search the castle walls The blood and bones of murdered knights They found where'er they came; At length, within a lonely cell, They saw a mournful Dame. Her gentle eyes were dim with tears, Her doleful tale to know. Alas! young knight, she weeping said, Condole my wretched fate; A childless mother here you see, A wife without a mate. |