The romance of Guy of Warwick. The first or 14th-century version.
Zupitza, Julius, ed. 1844-1895.
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'Sir Herhaud,' seyd þe douk Loer,
'Ichil þe make messanger:
To þerl Aubri þou schal go,
& Gij, & Tirri, & sigge hem so,
Þat ich wiþ hem acord wille
6605
Of alle þat þai cun to me telle.
Sir Tirri ichil mi douhter ȝiue,
& half mi lond while þat y liue.
Ichil þat þou wittnesse me
Þat þe loue ste[de]fast be.'
6610
'Sir,' quaþ Herhaud, 'ichil so
Alle mi miȝt do þer-to.'
Þe douke of-sent his prisouns alle,
& dede hem arme swiþe*. [One or two letters erased after swiþe.] snelle,
& hete hem þat þai failed nouȝt [C line 6305]
6615
Of þat þai hadde þider y-brouȝt.
'Forþ wiþ Herhaud ȝe schal gon,
Þe acord to make riȝt anon.'
Herhaud made him redi þo,
Riȝt into Gormoise he is y-go, [folio 143a:a] Page 354
6620
& wiþ him went alle þe kniȝtes,
Acord to make anon riȝtes.
Gij cam on a day fram hunting,
Þerl Amis, & Tirri þe ȝing,
& mo þan an hundred kniȝt,
6625
Wiþ swerd bigirt, y ȝou pliȝt.
Toward Gormoise þai ben y-go,
Bisiden hem þai loked þo;
So mani kniȝtes þai seye coming,
Of traisoun þai were dredeing.
6630
Þan seyd [of] þe Mountayn Amis,
'A gret ferd y se, y-wis.
Y not what folk it be:
Hiderward þai com, so þenkeþ me.'
Opon his gode stede he wond
6635
Wiþ swerd & spere in his hond.
Þiderward he is y-go,
To hem he com wel sone þo.
Þo he gan hem com neye
Herhaud of Ardern*. [The d altered from t.] þer he seye
6640
He oxed him whennes he come.
'Where is Gij?' he seyd anon.
'Sir,' quaþ he, 'ichil þe telle,
& lade þe to him wiþ gode wille.
Fram dere hunting y-comen he is:
6645
Biside þanne hulle ichim lete, y-wis.'
Quaþ Herhaud, 'felawes, wil we go.'
Wiþ sporres hij smiten her stedes þo:
Swiþe þai riden wiþ gret hy.
When þai seye Gij & sir Tirri,
6650
'God,' quaþ Gij, 'Herhaud y se
& alle min feren, so þenkeþ me:
Þai ben out of prisoun y-gon
Oþer quite-cleymed ichon.'
To kissen Herhaud þai hem do,*. [The d altered from t.] [C line 6349]
6655
Wel gret ioie þai maden þo.
Page 356
'Sir Tirri,' quaþ Herhaud þe fre,
'Gode conseyl y telle to þe.
Þe sent to grete þe douk Loer,
Whom ich loue wiþ hert cler:
6660
Worþschiped he haþ me miche,
And ouer alle oþer loued, sikerliche.
Wiþ þe he wil acorded be, [folio 143a:b]
And swiþe miche he loueþ þe.
Þou schalt his douhter spousi:
6665
Wiþ half his lond he wille þe feffi;
And wiþ þi fader he wil acordy,
And allso wiþ þe, sir Gij:
In alle maner to þi wille
He wille amende, for soþe y telle.
6670
Ichil þer-of his borwe be,
Þat he do wil as y sigge to þe.'
Alle þai bisouȝten sir Gij,
And so þai dede þerl Tirri,
Þat þai schuld wiþ him acordy,
6675
For he was michel to praisy.
So long þai bisouȝt him*. [Read hem?] so,
And wiþ hem Amis, þat þer was þo.
Þer of acord speken he,
Þat it schuld treuwe be.
6680
To þe cite þai ben y-gon,
& teld þerl Aubri anon
Hou þat Herhaud was y-come,
And hadde þe acord vnder-nome,
Þerl graunted raþe & snelle
6685
Þe acord to Herhaudes wille.
No soiournd þai nouȝt long þo, [C line 6383]
Bot riȝt to Loreyn þai ben y-go:
Þerl Aubri & Tirri his sone,
Gij & Herhaud ben*. [ben a little indistinct.] þider y-come,
6690
& of oþer kniȝtes mani also,
Þat bliþe were þider to go.
Page 358
Þerl Aubri, & Tirri his sone,
Gij, Herhaud, & Amis þider come.
Mani was þe gentil kniȝt
6695
Þat wiþ hem went þo riȝt.
To Loreyne þai ben comen, y-wis:
Þe douke hem vnderfeng*. [vnderfende MS.] wiþ blis.
Wiþ him þai were acorded alle,
& þe misdede forȝeuen snelle.
6700
Gret joie þai maden in þe cite
Þat hij so fair acorded be.
Þe douk ȝaf Tirri his douhter þo,
And half his lond wiþ hir also,
Bifor barouns & kniȝtes fre,
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Þat þer were of mani cuntre:
Bridal sone þai han y-hold: [folio 143b:a]
Of erls, & of barouns bold,
& of emperours, & of king
Nas neuer non so riche gestening.
6710
¶ Þe kniȝtes nomen her leue anon, [C line 6403]
Vnto her cuntres þai ben y-gon:
Sir Gij soiournd þare.
On a day he is þennes y-fare:
Þe douk Loer & mani a man
6715
In hunting þai were toward Braban;
On hunting went þerl Tirri
& mani in his compeynie.
Þai comen into a fair forest,
Þer þai fond a bore, a wilde best.
6720
Þai vncoupled her houndes →
alle,
& lete hem ern swiþ snelle.
Þe bore fleing swiþe he geþ,
An hundred he slouȝ and mo,
6725
Out of þat cuntre he is sone y-go.
Þe wisest hunt folweþ fast,
Huweþ & gredeþ wiþ gret blast.
Page 359
He ouer-ernnes dounes & cuntre,
6730
Þe brod lond, and þe valays:
Folwed he is ich weys.
Hij of-ernned her stedes þo,
Of him wondred kniȝtes, huntes also.
Oȝain turned, oþer ded were,
Wiþouten blod ←
houndes þre:
Into Braban folwed he.
Þer nas hunt no kniȝt non,
Seriaunt no sweyn no grom
6740
Þat wist widerward þe bore gan te,
Into whiche lond no what cuntre.
Gij him folwed on his stede,
Wiþ swerd in hond after he ȝede,
& wiþ horn oft bloweing,
6745
Þe bore swiþe driueing. [C line 6445]
Gij drof*. [A letter erased before d.] þat swine wiþ game & gle*. [The g altered from b.]
Right into Breteyne þan went he.
Into a forest þat*. [The t added above the line.] swine him ȝede,
Into a þicke hegges he gan him hede.
6750
Þer he stod at abay,*. [a bay MS.] [folio 143b:b]
& werd him while þat he may.
When Gij þat stern swine y sey
Adoun he lepe of his stede heye:
Wiþ boþe honden þat swerd he held,
6755
& cam to þe bore as a kniȝt beld.
Þat swine anon oȝain him com,
And Gij smertlich smot him anon,
Þat þe hert he clef euen atvo:
Alle ded he fel to grounde þo.
6760
He open[ed] þat swine & blewe priis.
Alon he was, him miȝt agriis:
Alto fer he was fram his kniȝt.
Bot on him þinke god almiȝt,
Page 360
Sone he worþ in a peril strong,
6765
Be it wiþ riȝt, be it wiþ wrong.
Þo Gij hadde opened þat swine snelle
He gan to blowe as y ȝou telle.
'Bi god,' quaþ þerl Florentin,
'Who mai þat be, for seyn Martin, [C line 6467]
6770
Þat ich here in mi forest blowe?
Hert oþer bore he haþ doun þrowe.'
He cleped to him a kniȝt ȝing,
His sone he was, a feir ȝongling.
'Sone,' he seyd, 'to hors þou go,
6775
& who so it be, bring him me to.'
'Sir, y graunt þat it be so.'
Anon he lepe on hors þo:
Into þe forest he is y-fare,
& Gij he fond ful sone þare.
6780
An staf he bar of holin tre:
Gret wo þer-wiþ wrouȝt he.
'Lording,' he seyd, 'who artow
In mi lordes forest is comen now
Wiþ-outen leue of mi lord?
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In iuel time þou come, at o word:
When þou hast y-nomen his swin
No leue haddestow of him.
Þat hors anon þou take to me,
Þer-on no schaltow ride, y telle þe.'
6790
'Leue frende,' quaþ Gij, 'þat nille y do.
Þat hors no tit þe, so mot y go.
Kniȝtes riȝt is it non
Þat he schuld fer o fot gon.
To þi wille ichil wende wiþ þe, [folio 144a:a]
6795
To seche þe waiis of þis cuntre.
Þis horn þou miȝt wele haue,
And tow wiþ loue it wille craue.'
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