And Nicholl was then a Cornish man, A little beside Bohide-a, And he mande forth a good blacke barke, With fifty good oares on a side-a. 20 "Run up, my boy, unto the maine top, And looke what thou canst spie-a:" "Who ho! who ho! a goodly ship I do see, I trow it be John Dory-a." They hoist their sailes, both top and top, 25 The meisseine and all was tride-a; And every man stood to his lot, Whatever should betide-a. The roring cannons then were plide, And dub-a-dub went the drumme-a; 30 The braying trumpets lowd they cride, To courage both all and some-a. The grapling-hooks were brought at length, The browne bill and the sword-a; John Dory at length, for all his strength, 35 Was clapt fast under board-a. SIR EGLAMORE. Courage Crowned with Conquest: Or, a brief relation how that valiant knight and heroick champion, Sir Eglamore, bravely fought with, and manfully slew, a terrible huge great monstrous dragon. To a pleasant new tune. This ballad is found in _The Melancholie Knight_, by Samuel Rowlands, 1615; in the _Antidote to Melancholy_, 1661; in _Merry Drollery Complete_, 1661; in Dryden's _Miscellany Poems_, iv. 104; in the "Bagford and Roxburghe collections of Ballads," &c. (Chappell.) The various editions differ considerably. The following is from Ritson's _Ancient Songs_, (ed. 1790,) p. 211, where it was reprinted from a black-letter copy dated 1672. Sir Eglamore, that valiant knight, _With his fa, la, lanctre down dilie_, He fetcht his sword and he went to fight, _With his fa, la, lanctre, &c._ As he went over hill and dale, All cloathed in his coat of male, _With his fa, la, lanctre, &c._ A huge great dragon leapt out of his den, 5 Which had killed the Lord knows how many men; But when he saw Sir Eglamore, Good lack had ye seen how this dragon did roare! This dragon he had a plaguy hide, Which could both sword and spear abide; 10 He could not enter with hacks and cuts, Which vext the knight to the very hearts blood and guts. All the trees in the wood did shake, Stars did tremble, and men did quake; But had ye seen how the birds lay peeping, 15 'Twould have made a mans heart to fall a-weeping. But it was too late to fear, For now it was come to fight dog, fight bear; And as a yawning he did fall, He thrust his sword in, hilt and all. 20 But now as the knight in choler did burn, He owed the dragon a shrewd good turn: In at his mouth his sword he bent, The hilt appeared at his fundament.