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

Tho com forth the fysshere: He seyd, 'sir Emperoure, wyll ye here? Heryth me, yf youre wyll be, Line 9900 Sir,' he seyd, 'for charyte. Of that pylgryme I can yow seye: I wote where he ys, by thys daye.' 'My frend,' quod the Emperoure, 'Sey me, so god yeve the honoure, Line 9905 And thow shalt have, be myn hede, An hundryth besauntis of gold rede.' 'Sir,' he seyd, 'full trewly I shall yow sey now in hye. To-nyȝt well late was I gone Line 9910 Vnto the see to fysch a-lone. I found a-lofte a bed fletyng, [Caius MS. 107 page 232] And a knyȝt therin lyggyng.

I askyd hym what he was, And he me told all the case, Line 9915 How he was that pylgryme That fought with sir barrardyne. I leyd hym my bote with-ynne, And lad hym home to myn Inne. I hym kept all thys nyȝt: Line 9920 Sendyth for hym a-non ryght.' 'My frend,' quod the Emperoure, 'For hym shall thou [haue] much honoure.' For the pylgryme tho he sent: He come to hys commaundment Line 9925 Hastyly, with-owten fayle, And was arayed to that bateyle. Now be-gyn they to-gedyr to fyght: They daltyn strokis anone ryght. With swerdys, that were so good of stele, Line 9930 They smote on helmys ryght well. Hit was wondre to se thoo The fyght that was be-twene hem two. They fought tyll vnderne of the day: All had wonder that hyt saye. Line 9935 The Duke was full of felonye: He smote to Gye with grete envye; He hyt hym on the helme full stoute, And fellyd the floures all abowȝte. He brake the sercle evyn in two, Line 9940 He brake the good hawberke also. He replid hys face and his chyn, [Caius MS. 107 page 233] And of hys ryght cheke all the skyn. Adowne be hys shuldre the stroke gan glyd, And brake many a mayle be-syde, Line 9945

Line 9945 But in hys Flessh com hit nought: The grace of god was in hys thought. Out of the shyld he brake a quartere, As he wold draw hys swerd nere. There fell to ground sir Gye skete Line 9950 Both an handys and on fete. Vp he sterte with-owte blame: Of that dede hym thought shame. He sterte forth as spekyll on fyre, And smote the Duke with gret Ire Line 9955 Vppon the helme, that was so clere (He smote a-wey a good quartere); As on that other helme with-all, That to the ground can he fall, And the here with all the face Line 9960 Fell ryght downe vnto the place. With hys swerd he smote tho Hys good hawberke evyn in two. The Ryght Arme and the shuldre also He smote there the body fro. Line 9965 He carfe hys bowellys and hys hyd: In-to the erth the swerd can glyde. Tho was he all at the grownd, He dyed in a lytill stounde. All the men that therby stode Line 9970 Spekyn that stroke much goode, And seyd there was no man levand [Caius MS. 107 page 234] That myȝt yeve a gretter stroke with hand. Vppon the Erth Gye sett hym downe, And seyd, 'a, thow Duke fellown, Line 9975 Now nere-hand a[r]t thow for-lorne. Alas the tyme that thow were boren! A bolder knyȝt was neuer lyvand, Ne neuer dowȝtyer man of hand. Ne haddist thow be traytour, be seynt Richere, Line 9980 In all the world ne had bene thy pere.'

By the corse he reste a whyle, Well the mountanaunce of a myle. All that abowte gan stond Seyd he was a knyȝt of fe[i]r[y]-land. Line 9985 Now ys Gye to the Emperoure gon And to hys barouns euery-chone, And askyd yf terry shuld be quyte Of all perell and all dyspyte. All they seyd with on voyse, Line 9990 'Yea, be hym that dyed on crose. All shall be for-yeve hym here Be leve of yow, sir Emperere.' 'Sir Emperoure,' quod sir Gye, 'Have mercy on the Erle terrye. Line 9995 I have defendyd that felony Ryght here be-fore your eye. Me thynkyth he shuld be quyte with ryght, When that I for hym dyd fyȝte.' The Emperoure answeryd full tyte, Line 10000 'He oweth well for to be quyte. All I forge the Erle terry [Caius MS. 107 page 235] Myn evyll wyll and myn envye. I shall delyuer hym all hys land With all the honoure into hys hand: Line 10005 Yf I wyste where he were, I wold delyuer hym full yare.' Gye hym answeryd, 'par mafaye, Ye shall hym see, yf that I maye.' 'My frend,' he seyd, 'full hastylye Line 10010 I byd the wend, and seke terry.' Of he dyd hys armoure bryght: The Emperoure wold hym fayer dyȝt In Rich Robys two or thre, And make hym on of hys meyne, Line 10015 But therof wold be not thoo, But hys slaveyne and no mo.

He went the Cite all abowte, And sowght terry with-owt dowȝt. At the laste he hym fande Line 10020 At the church hys bedys byddand. 'A-ryse vp,' quod Gye, 'for cherite: The Emperoure hath sent after the.' Vp he held hys hede terry: 'Lord god,' he seyd, 'mercy! Line 10025 In whome may any man trowe, Other to tell hys cowncell now? Thow semyst well trew to bee, And now haste thow be-wrayed me. He wyll me slee, or I ete mete: Line 10030 For me shalt thow have yeftis grete. Thow shalt me be-tray, & do me shame: [Caius MS. 107 page 236] Alas that I the told my name! I wend thow haddyst bene good & trew. So well-a-way that I the knewe! Line 10035 I wyll go and wend with the: I may not fle, full well I se. Yf I dye hyt ys thorow the: God now have mercy on me!'

Notes

• The l of wold added above the line.
• Gyes MS.
• So MS. = for|geve.