Life, 1888-04-19 · page 5 of 18
Life — April 19, 1888 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Sir Knowble & Prick Ladyke" - Analysis This page presents an old English ballad about a knight named Monclaire and his tragic romance. The illustrated narrative (top) depicts a medieval tale where Monclaire loses his legs in battle while fighting Turks, yet his lady love eventually marries another within a year—though she grieves his memory. Below are two brief humorous anecdotes ("Sure Sign of Insanity" and "An Overpowering Load") that appear unrelated to the ballad. These are simple joke sections typical of Life magazine's satirical format. The page functions primarily as literary/entertainment content rather than political satire. The ballad's romantic tragedy and the accompanying jokes represent Life's mix of classical references and everyday humor aimed at educated readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: +R Olds Gnglishe +Ballade - +R) SURE SIGN OF INSANITY. AGLEY: Jones won ten thousand dollars in a lottery some time ago, and now his relations are trying to make out that he is insane. GAGLEY: He must be if he was fool enough to tell them anything about his luck. AN OVERPOWERING LOAD. IREMAN: I tell you she was a daisy. I carried her down stairs. She weighed about 200 pounds. HUSBAND: Of course she fainted ? FIREMAN: No, but I did. +® BFiskes + ONCLAIRE was a knighte of much renowne, Famed for the valor of many a deed ; His eyes were blue and his haire was browne, And his legs hung over a mylke-whyte steed. So brave he looked and so firme he rode, Yt he won ye-heart of ye lady faere, And when he called at her sire’s abode, She gave him-a locke of her auburne haire. He pressed ye locke to his rubye lyps And vowed for y¢ lady he fain woulde die ; Then he laide his fingers against his hyps— He made her a bow and he saide ‘ Good-bye !” He hied him off to the holy lande, To slaughter y¢ Turke with his trusty lance: He carried an axe in his stronge right hand ; He was covered with armor, except y¢ pants. Alas, for his calves were guarded not ! So when he foughte on ye desert strande, His knees were strucke with—I know not what, And his legs, cut off, lay on y¢ sande. They carried his trunke to ye faere lady : She gazed on ye wrecke, but she shed no teare. The bryde of a crypple she woulde not be— She wedded another within a yeare. Monclaire he pined in his lonely cell— For in his heart there was mickle paine— For five long yeares, when, strange to tell, His feet and his legs grew out againe ! To ye lady this wondrous thing was tolde : She sighed for ye gallant who kissed her haire ; She thought of her husband so fat and olde ; She wished she had married ye brave Monclaire. But ye doughtye knighte proved stern and proude ; His love for y¢ fickle dame was dead. They met on yé streete 'mid y busy crowde, But he kept his bonnet upon his head. Ye lady pined and sickened with grief, ‘Till she faine woulde call on ye leach’s art ; But his medicine brought her no relief, And she died at last of a broken hearte. Monclaire lived on to a good old age, With no regret for ye lady faere ; At times his bosom would swell with rage, As he gazed on y¢ locke of her auburne haire. comicbooks.com