Sir Eglamore
According to Popular Music of the Olden Time (William Chapell, 1859), this is something of a parody on the knightly virtues. The date is approximately 1615.
Sir Eglamore, that valiant knight Fa, la, lanky down dilly He took his sword, and went to fight Fa, la, lanky down dilly And as he rode o'er hill and dale All arm'd upon his shirt of mail, Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly. A dragon came out of his den Fa, la, lanky down dilly Had slain, God knows how many men: Fa, la, lanky down dilly When he espied Sir Eglamore Oh! If you had but heard him roar Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly. Then the trees began to shake Fa, la, lanky down dilly The Knight did tremble, horse did quake Fa, la, lanky down dilly The birds betake them all to peeping It would have made you fall a weeping Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly. But now it is vain to fear Fa, la, lanky down dilly For it must be fight dog, fight bear Fa, la, lanky down dilly To it they go, and ifercely fight A live-long day, from morn till night Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly. The dragon had a plaguey hide Fa, la, lanky down dilly And could the sharpest steel abide Fa, la, lanky down dilly No sword would enter him with cuts Which vext the Knight unto the guts Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly. But as in choler he did burn Fa, la, lanky down dilly He watched the Dragon a good turn Fa, la, lanky down dilly And as a y awning he did fall He thrust the sword in, hilt and all Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly. Thenlike a coward he did fly Fa, la, lanky down dilly Unto his den that was hard by, Fa, la, lanky down dilly And there he lay all night and roar'd The knight was sorry for his sword Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly. The sword, that was a right good blade Fa, la, lanky down dilly As ever Turk or Spaniard made, Fa, la, lanky down dilly I for my part do forsake it And he that will fetch it, let him take it Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly. When all was done, to the alehouse he went Fa, la, lanky down dilly And by and by his two-pence he spent; Fa, la, lanky down dilly For he was so hot with tugging with the Dragon That nothing could quench him but a whole flagon Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly. Now God preserve our King and Queen Fa, la, lanky down dilly And eke in London may be seen Fa, la, lanky down dilly As many knights, and as many more, And all so good as Sir Eglamore Fa la la, fa la la, Fa la, lanky down dilly.
