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

Hyt was in a somers daye, Line 10360 Kyng athelstone at wynchester laye. He clepyd all hys baronage, [Caius MS. 107 page 247] Erle, baroun, knyȝt, and page: 'Lordyngis,' he seyd, 'herken to me, All that trew & feyth-full be. Line 10365 I byd yow yeve me som cownceyle That may all thys lond avayle, How I may best defend my ryght, Ayenst the danys for to fyght. The kyng awlof ys stowt & kene Line 10370 (Ther ys none so stowȝt, I wene) For that thefe colbrond; Hys tryst ys all in the Geande. He wyll vs chase owt of thys land, And slee all that commyn to hys hand. Line 10375 Lordyngis,' he seyd, 'purvey yowe: Hit ys for your aldre prowe. Oure beth the Rych cytees, The brod land, the large sees: All ys oure more and lesse. Line 10380 Tymbyr on your gret Richesse,

On your chyldern, and your wyves, And most on your owen lyves: Yf yow hyt lose thorow yll fare, Ye bene shent for euer mare. Line 10385 Yet I aske yow ryght Yf ye know eny knyȝte That ys so boold & so wyght That dare ayenst thys Geaunt fyȝt: He shall have my lande Line 10390 Trewly seasonyd into hys hande And to hys eyers for euermore: [Caius MS. 107 page 248] That shall he wyn therfore.' They stode all styll, and lokyd down, As a man had shavyn ther crown. Line 10395 'God,' he seyd, 'and seynt marie, That I am carefull and sorye, When I may not a knyȝt Find with a nother to fyȝt! O,' he seyd, 'sir Gye the wyght Line 10400 And sir herrawd, þe douȝty knyȝt, Had I bene so ware and so wyse, And holdyn yow in my servyse, And yeven yow the thryd parte of my lond Other halfen deale in your hond, Line 10405 Ye wold have quyt me my mede: Than durst I not this Geaunt drede. He ys not wyse, be myn hood, That levyth hys frend for any good, Hys hownd other hys hawke so dere, Line 10410 Hys horse other hys good squyer: Thouȝ he myȝt not quyte þe fyrst day, Yet do hym not awey; For are the VII yere wynne he may All hys costage in on daye. Line 10415

Line 10415 Had I yoven Gye so gret plente, That he had dwellyd in thys contre, He wold have quyt me full well All my traveyle euery-deale. Full bold be these danys, Line 10420 And gret cowardys the Englyssh, When I may not fynd a knyȝt [Caius MS. 107 page 249] That dare with another fyght.' 'Syr kyng,' quod the erle of Kent, 'I wyll yow saye all myn entent: Line 10425 Do yow somown thorouȝ all your land, That they be redy at your hand: All shull they be well dyȝt, And ayen the danys fyȝt. Thorouȝ goddys grace we shull hem slone: Line 10430 Other cowncell gett ye none.' Kyng athelstone lay that nyȝt In hys bed well I-dyȝt: All that nyȝt he lay wakand, And euer to god fast byddand Line 10435 That he wold hym send a man That durst do the bateyle than. And god of hevyn for-yate hym nouȝt: As he lay in grettest thouȝt, An angell come to hym full ryȝt, Line 10440 And spake to hym from hevyn bryȝt: 'Sir kyng,' he seyd, 'slepyst thow? To the me sent my lord Iesu: He bad the aryse vp full erlye, And to the church thow wend in hye. Line 10445 A pylgrym shalt thow fynd thare: Take hym home with the full yare. Byd hym for love and charyte,

And for god, that dyed on tre, That he for the take the bateyle, Line 10450 And so he wyll, with-owten fayle.' With that the angell went awaye: [Caius MS. 107 page 250] The kyng gan wake, hyt was nere daye. He was a ryght Ioyfull man, For he had such tydyngis than. Line 10455 Sone to the church gan he goon With hys barons euerychone, And with hym two bysshoppus of the lond: To pryme of the day gan they stond. With that there come pore men Line 10460 To the church ix or ten: Among hem come a pylgryme. The kyng toke hym by the slaveyne, And seyd to hym in fayre manere, 'Come home with me, my frend dere. Line 10465 Be not afferd for no thyng: Thou shalt have good gestenyng.' 'Sir,' quod Gye, 'lett me stond styll: Yet to herborow have I no wyll. Here I go my mete byddand: Line 10470 Ryght late I com into thys land.' The kyng seyd, 'com with me: Full well at ease shall thow be.' The kyng and he to chambre went, After hys barons he hath sent. Line 10475 'Pylgrym,' he seyd, 'for charyte And for hys love that dyed on tree, Helpe me now in this mystere With thy strenght and thi powere. A bateyle with danys have we tane: Line 10480 Fyght for vs, or we be slayne.