The romance of Guy of Warwick. The first or 14th-century version.

Þer cam an angel fram heuen liȝt, & seyd to þe king ful riȝt Þurch grace of godes sond. He seyd, 'king Aþel-ston, slepestow? Hider me sent þe king Iesu Line 5 To comfort þe to fond. To-morwe go to þe norþ ȝate ful swiþe: A pilgrim þou schalt se com biliue, When þou hast a while stond.

Bid him for seynt Charite Line 10 Þat he take þe batayl for þe, & he it wil nim on hond.'

¶ Þan was þe king glad & bliþe. [C line 10087] A-morwe he ros vp ful swiþe, & went to þe gate ful riȝt; Tvay erls went wiþ him þo, & tvay bischopes dede also. Line 5 Þe weder was fair & briȝt. Opon þe day about prime Þe king seiȝe cum þe pilgrim. Bi þe sclauayn he him pliȝt: 'Pilgrim,' he seyd, 'y pray þe, Line 10 To court wende þou hom wiþ me, [folio 163b:a] & ostel þer al niȝt.'

¶ 'Be stille, sir,' seyd þe pilgrim: 'It is nouȝt ȝete time to take min in, Al-so god me rede.' Þe king him bisouȝt þo, & þe lordinges dede also: Line 5 To court wiþ hem he ȝede. 'Pilgrim,' quaþ þe king, 'par charite, Ȝif it be þi wil, vnderstond to me: Y schal schewe þe al our nede. Þe king of Danmark wiþ gret wrong Line 10 Þurch a geaunt, þat is so strong, Wil strou al our þede.

¶ & whe han taken of him batayle, On what maner, saunfayle, Y schal now tellen þe. Þurch þe bodi of a kniȝt, Oȝains þat geaunt to hold fiȝt, Line 5 Schal þis lond aquite be.

&, pilgrim, for him þat dyed on rode, & þat for ous schadde his blod, To bigge ous alle fre, Take þe batayle now on hond, Line 10 & saue ous þe riȝt of Inglond, For seynt Charite.'

¶ 'Do way, leue sir,' seyd Gij. 'Icham an old man, a feble bodi: Mi strengþe is fro me fare.' Þe king fel on knes to grounde, & crid him merci in þat stounde, Line 5 Ȝif it his wille ware, & þe barouns dede also: O knes þai fellen alle þo Wiþ sorwe & sikeing sare. Sir Gij biheld þe lordinges allc, Line 10 & whiche sorwe hem was bi-falle: Sir Gij hadde of hem care.

¶ Sir Gij tok vp þe king anon, & bad þe lordinges euerichon Þat þai schuld vp stond, & seyd, 'for god in trinite & for to make Inglond fre, Line 5 Þe batayle y nim on hond.' Þan was þe king ful glad & bliþe, [folio 163b:b] & þonked Gij a þousend siþe [C line 10127] & Iesu Cristes sond. To þe king of Danmark he sent þan, Line 10 & seyd he hadde founden a man To fiȝt for Inglond.

¶ Þe Danismen busked hem ȝare Into batayle for to fare: To fiȝt þai war wel fawe. & Gij was armed swiþe wel In a gode hauberk of stiel Line 5 Wrouȝt of þe best lawe. An helme he hadde of michel miȝt With a ce[r]cle of gold, þat schon briȝt, Wiþ precious stones on rawe. In þe frunt stode a char-bukel ston: Line 10 As briȝt as ani sonne it schon Þat glemes vnder schawe.

¶ On þat helme stode a flour: Wrouȝt it was of diuers colour; Mirie it was to b[i]hold. Trust & trewe was his ventayle, Gloues, & gambisoun, & hosen of mayle Line 5 As gode kniȝt haue scholde. Girt he was wiþ a gode brond Wele kerueand, bi-forn his hond A targe listed wiþ gold, Portreyd wiþ þre kinges corn, Line 10 Þat present god when he was born: Mirier was non on mold.

¶ & a swift ernand stede Al wrin þai dede him lede: His tire it was ful gay.

Sir Gij opon þat stede wond Wiþ a gode glaiue in hond, Line 5 & priked him forþ his way, &, when he com to þe plas Þer þe batayl loked was, Gij liȝt wiþ-outen delay, & fel on knes doun in þat stede, Line 10 & to god he bad his bede, He schuld ben his help þat day.

¶ 'Lord,' seyd Gij, 'þat rered Lazeroun, & for man þoled passioun, & on þe rode gan blede, [folio 164a:a] Þat saued Sussan fram þe feloun, & halp Daniel fram þe lyoun, Line 5 To-day wisse me & rede: Astow art miȝti heuen king, To-day graunt me þi blisseing, & help me at þis nede. &, leuedi Mari ful of miȝt, Line 10 To-day saue Inglondes riȝt, & leue me wele to spede.'

Notes

• akniȝt MS.
• Oȝains altered from Oȝanss.
• Added above the line.
• Another god erased in MS.
• ¶ here by mistake in MS.