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

When Gij herd Felice so speke, [C line 445] He tok his leue and gan out reke; Line 750 At hir leue he tok anon, & to his fader he gan to gon, & seyd, 'fader, vnder-stond me: Icham newe dobbed as ȝe may se, Ouer þe se ichil now fare Line 755 To win priis & los þare.' His fader him answerd sone, 'Sone, god leue þe wele to done! [C line 475] & als michel as þe nede be, Sone, schaltow haue wiþ þe.' Line 760 . . . . . . . . . . ¶ Suward cleped Herhaud to him, & seyd, 'Herhaud, frende min, Wiþ Gi mi sone schaltow wende; Line 765 In gode stede mot ȝe lende. Þou schalt kepe mi sone Gij, For he is mi sone & tow mi norri. . . . . . . . . . . Loke, Herhaud, þat tow him kepe; & þine felawes þat ben ȝepe, Boþe Torold & sir Vrri, On ȝou y trust sikerli; & wiþ Herhaud schul ȝe go Line 775 To kepe mi sone from care & wo.' & hii answerd sone anon, 'Hastiliche, sir, wil we wiþ him gon.' Þai weren boþe strong kniȝtes, Bold and hardi in ich fiȝtes. [altered to fiȝttes in MS.] Line 780 Gij tok wiþ him what he wold [C line 485] Boþe of siluer & of gold.

To þe se þai ben now y-come, [folio 111b:1] & seyled ouer atte frome. [C line 500] Þai comen in-to Normondye, Line 785 Knight-schippe þai sechen on heye; In Ron Gij takeþ his herberwe Wiþ þe richest man of þe borwe; Mete & drink þai hadde anouȝ, Nas þer non þat it wiþ-drouȝ. Line 790 . . . . . . . . . . Sir Gij his ost cleped him to, & him bi-gan to frein þo, & asked him wher þe turnament schuld be, Line 795 So mani scheldes þan seye he. His ost seyd, 'sir, wite ȝe nouȝt [C line 511] Of þis turnament þat is biþouȝt?' 'No,' seyd Gij, 'bi mine wite, Y no herd þer-of neuer ȝete.' Line 800 His ost him answerd snelle, 'Of þat turnament y schal ȝou telle: It schal be for a maiden of pris, Þemperours douhter sche is; A turnament he haþ don grede, Line 805 A swiþe michel & vn-rede. Þer nis no kniȝt in Speyne, [C line 521] Al to þe se of Breteyne, Þat ouȝt y-told wiþ be, Þer men schal his miȝt se. Line 810 He þat best doþ þat day, Þer he schal winne þat play. Of euerich londe þider com kniȝtes, Þat strong ben & bold in fiȝtes; For who that is gode & snelle, Line 815 As ichaue herd oþer men telle, Who þat þer be of mest miȝt, Grete worþschipe he winneþ, apliȝt.

For þe maiden y spac of er, Is þemperours douhter Reyner; Line 820 He schal bring to þe turment þat day (Wele is him þat it winne may) A ger-fauk þat is milke white [C line 537] (To him nis nowhare his liche), & a stede of gret bounte Line 825 (He no schuld be ȝouen for a cuntre). & tvai grehoundes þat white ben (Swiche no haþ men nowhare y-sen). & who so winneþ þe turnament al [folio 111b:2] Bi aiþer half, þe priis have schal, Line 830 Þe gerfauk & þe gode stede Boþe he schal haue to mede, & þe tvay grehoundes þat gode beþ He schal haue þat þer best deþ, & þe maiden þat is so fre, Line 835 Bot he haue a fairer in his cuntre.' ¶ When sir Gij herd þat tiding, [C line 549] Glad he was wiþ-outen lesing; Sir Gij seyd to his fere, 'In gode time come we here: Line 840 To morwe, so sone so it is day, We wil wenden in our way.' Sir [Gij] his ost a palfrey ȝaf þo, For þe tiding he teld him to. Anon amorwe wel erliche Line 845 Þai don hem in her wai sikerliche. . . . . . . . . . . Of rideing wil þai neuer stent To þai com to þe turnament. Line 850 & when þai wer þider y-come, Þai seye þer mani douȝti gome: Bi feldes & bi riuers ridinde Mani a kniȝt þai seye cominde.

& when þai were þider y-come, Line 855 To þe turnament þai went al & some; Out of þe rengge þai gun hem diȝt, Þe barouns þat were of miche miȝt. Þan oxed anon sir Gij To þe barouns þat oned [read houed?] him bi: Line 860 'What is he, þat ich kniȝt, [C line 570] Þat out of þe renge haþ him diȝt, Wiþ þo armes briȝt & schene?' Hii answerd anon: 'y wene, It is a kniȝt of miche priis, Line 865 Douhti he is bi Seyn Deniis; Out of þe rengge he haþ him diȝt, Ȝif he miȝt finden ani kniȝt Þat wiþ him wald iusti; Þer-to he makeþ him redi.' Line 870 Oȝaines sir Gij þer come Gayer, To iuste wiþ him he drouȝ him ner; He rode to him as a gode kniȝt, He semed a man [MS. aman] of miche miȝt. . . . . . . . . . . Gaier smot sir Gij bifore [folio 112a:1] & þurch þe scheld [MS. þescheld] him haþ i-bore; Þe launce brak, þat was wele wrouȝt, Þe hauberk was gode & failed nouȝt. Line 880 Gij afterward Gaier smot, To grounde he feld him fot hot, Þe stede toke bi the reyn, & lepe vp wiþ gret meyn. Now ginneþ þe turnamint: [C line 582] Line 885 Ich smit on oþer wel gode dint; Þai smiten togider for soþ, y pliȝt, Eueriche to nim oþer dede his miȝt. Wel mani kniȝtes Gij wan þat day, Of þe maistri he wan þat play; Line 890

Line 890 So mani helmes he to-drof, Þat mani man wonderd þer-of: Sat he neuer so wel no so fast, Þat he no feld him sone on hast. Þe douke Otus of Pauie Line 895 To Gij he hadde envie; Wiþ him he wald iusti, It turned him to vilani. Þe douke come prikiand on his stede Þat certeyne was, and gode at nede, Line 900 & sir Gij on anoþer al-so; Gode kniȝtes þai weren bo. Gij þurch þe scholder him smot, [C line 603] & feld him to grounde fot hot. ¶ Þe douke Reyner seye þat cas Line 905 Of Sessione: wel modi he was. He come als swiþe as he miȝt driue, Gij to smite he heyed bliue, & seyd to him: 'in iuel stounde Ȝaf þou þe douke Otous wounde. Line 910 To wroþer hele iuste þou wiþ him. He is mi germain cosyn: Icham þe douke Reyner þat to þe speke; Icham y-comen him to awreke: Turn þe and iuste wiþ me.' Line 915 'Bleþeliche,' quod Gij, 'bi my leute.'