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

Ac when þemperour wist atte frome Þat Gij of Warwike was y-come, Line 2870 Tvay erls he dede after him go, & loueliche he bad hem com him to. & sir Gij him goþ to þemperour fre: 'Welcome, sir Gij,' þan seyd he. 'Of þine help gret nede haue we. Line 2875 Michel ich haue herd speke of þe.

Mine men ben sleyn in þis tide, & mi lond destrud in ich a side: [MS. aside] Al bot þis ich selue cite Destrud & brent hauen he. Line 2880 Fourti þousand þai [originally þai þai, but the second þai crossed out.] slowe on a day Of mine men, as ich ȝou telle may. Mine men þai slowe, mi sone also, Wharfore, leue frende, y bede þe to, Ȝif þou miȝt me of hem wreke, Line 2885 & þe felouns out of mi lond do reke, Mine feyr [MS. feyir with the i underdotted.] douhter þou schalt habbe, & half mi lond, wiþ-outen gabbe.' [C line 2800] Þan answerd anon sir Gij, 'Sir,' he seyd, 'gramercij! Line 2890 & y þe sigge, bi mi leute, Þat treweliche ichil serue þe Al þe while þat ich wiþ þe be: [folio 122a:a] Þerof, sir, þou miȝt leue me.' At þemperour he toke leue anon, Line 2895 Vnto his in he gan to gon. Noyse & cri he herd in þat cite: He gan oxy what it miȝt be. He hem oxed what it were, & what was al þat noise þere. Line 2900 So mani kniȝtes he seye to armes go, So mani seriaunce steye to kernels þo. 'Sir,' quaþ a burieys, 'bi seyn Martin, It beþ þe liþer Sarrazin: It is þe amiral Costdram, Line 2905 Þe nevou of þe riche soudan. So strong he is, & of so gret miȝt, In world y wene no better kniȝt; For þer nis man no kniȝt non Þat wiþ wretþe dar loken him on. Line 2910 His armes alle avenimed beþ: [C line 2824] Þat venim is strong so þe deþ:

In þis world nis [MS. is] man þat he take miȝt Þat he ne [MS. omits ne] schuld dye anon riȝt. Þat oþer day he dede ous sorwe anouȝ Line 2915 Of þemperour sone þat he slouȝ, Þat was [was at end of line in MS.] so gode and stalworþ kniȝt, Þat opon hem had ȝeuen mani fiȝt. In þis cite so gode kniȝt was non, Þat with wretþe durst loke him on. Line 2920 Comen he is wiþ grete cheualrie, [cleualrie MS.] & wiþ him þe riche king of Turkye Wiþ an hundred Turkes strong: Beþ non better in non lond.' ¶ & when sir Gij herd þis Line 2925 Þat his ost seyd to him, y-wis, To his felawes he seyd anon, 'To armes,' he seyd, 'euerichon! [C line 2836] Þe Sarrazins we willen agast. For godes loue, smiteþ on fast!' Line 2930 Hastiliche y-armed hij beþ, Opon her stedes as foule þai fleþ. Forþ þai went & on hem smite Wiþ her swerdes þat wil wel bite. Gij to þe amiral smot so, Line 2935 Scheld no hauberk nas him worþ a slo: Þurch þe body he ȝaf him wounde, [folio 122a:b] & dede he feld him on þe grounde. Sir Gij his gode swerd out drouȝ, Þat heued fram þe bodi he slouȝ. Line 2940 To þemperour he it haþ y-sent, Þat wel glad was of þat present. ¶ Herhaud smot þe king of Turkie (Was non feller into [nto MS.] Surrie): Þurch þe bodi he him smot, Line 2945 Ded he feld him doun fot hot. Wiþ þat com Tebaud prikeinde, In Fraunce y-bore, a kniȝt wel kinde:

Wiþ swiche strengþe he smot Helmadan, Al was nouȝt worþ he hadde opan. Line 2950 Þurch his bodi þe launce glod; Ded he fel wiþ-outen a-bod. Gauter come prikeing anon riȝt, Of Almayne a wel gode kniȝt. Heteliche he smot Redmadan Line 2955 (Ȝe no haue herd speke of no swiche man): [C line 2856] Þe bodi atvo he haþ to-deled, Þat he fel doun in þe feld. Wiþ þat come sir Morgadour, Þat was steward wiþ þemperour. Line 2960 Kniȝt he was gode & hardi, Ac traitour he was, ful of envie. He smot vnto a Sarrazin, No halp him nouȝt his Apolin. Now þai smitte togider comonliche, Line 2965 & fiȝt þai agin ardiliche. Þer men miȝt se Gij smite, & þe Sarrazins heuedes of strike, & wiþ him Herhaud also: Boþe þai strengþed hem wele to do. Line 2970 Þe Sarrazins þai strengþed hem for to sle, To-hewen, & iuel to bise. Þe Sarrazins hem ȝeld gret fiȝt, For strong þai ben, & of gret miȝt. Wiþ þat come Esclandar prikeinde, Line 2975 A Sarrazin & of foule kinde, Þe kinges sone of Birrie, Strong he was for þe maistrie. Dan Tebaud he felled þo, Þurch þe bodi he dede þe launce go; Line 2980 & seþþe he slouȝ a Freyns kniȝt, [folio 122b:a] In Bleyues he was born ariȝt. Romiraunt com forþ snelle, A Sarrazin a strong wiþ elle,

Y-slawe he haþ dan Guinman, Line 2985 A strong kniȝt he was & an Aleman. Wiþ þat come forþ an amireld, A Sarrazin of wicked erd, Dan Gauter he haþ y-slawe, & gode Gilmin his felawe. Line 2990 When Herhaud þat of-seye þo, In his hert him was ful wo; An amiral he smot so, Ded he feld him an hast [MS. anhast] þo, & mani anoþer he haþ aqueld, Line 2995 & adoun feld in þe feld. Sone so Esclandar y-seye þis, To awreke þe amiral lef him is. To Herhaud he smot heteliche, & he him mett hardiliche; Line 3000 Heteliche þai smiten togider þo, Þat of her hors þai fellen bo. Seþþen þai drouȝ her brondes of stiel, & smiten togider hard & wel, To-hewe hauberk & scheldes also, Line 3005 Gode bodis þai ben boþe to. Of her helmes þe flours gan fle, So heteliche togider smiten he. Herhaud goþ him driueand fast, His heued to smiten of on hast. [C line 2900] Line 3010 Ac so gret socour him com þer, An hundred Turkes & her pouer; Herhaud þai gin alle asaile, & neye hadde slain him in þat bataile, No hadde Gij [Gij added over the line.] þat y-seye, þat was sorij; Line 3015 Hastiliche he com him to socourey. His gode brond þan drouȝ he, Þe heued of a Sarrazin he dede of fle, & anoþer he dede also; Þe þridde to deþ he dede do. Line 3020

Line 3020 Herhaud he socourd in þat nede, & dede him lepe opon his stede. Þe Sarrazins anon gun þai mete, Mani on þer her liif þai lete, Mani on þer dyed in aiþer [MS. inaiÞer] side, [folio 122b:b] Line 3025 Ac þe Sarrazins wers gan bi-tide. Sir Gij & alle his feren, Þe Griffouns þat gode weren, Han ouer-comen & aqueld; To-hewen þai leyen in the feld. Line 3030 Toward her ost þai ben fleinge, & Gij hem after fast folweinge; Ar hij þe doun were ouer gon, Y-slawe hij ben & to-hewen ichon. Esclandar is oway fleinde, Line 3035 Ouer þe dounes fast erninde, & al to-broken [MS. alto broken] his scheld is, His helme al to-dassched [MS. alto dassched] , y-wis. [C line 2926] Gij it of-þouȝt when he it seye, Þat he so liȝteliche oway fleye: Line 3040 'Esclandar,' seyd Gij, 'wende oȝain to me, & forsoþe al siker þou be; Drede þe of no noþer þan of me, Ones to iusti ich oxi of þe.' Esclandar seyd, 'artow Gij? Line 3045 Ich þe defende sikerly. Bi Mahoun þat ich leue opon, Neuer no schal ich oway gon, No neuer schal y bliþe be, Til ich þat heued binim þe; Line 3050 Bihoten ich it haue a maiden of pris, Þe soudans douhter þat wel fair is.' Her steden þai turned snelle, [C line 2943] & to-gider þai smiten wiþ gode wille; Esclandar first smot Gij Line 3055 Þurch þe scheld as kniȝt hardi;

Gij smot him anon riȝt, Scheld no hauberk halp him no wiȝt; He smot him þurch at þat chaunce Þurch þe bodi wiþ his launce. Line 3060 Esclandar fleye forþ a wel gode pas, Sir Gij of-toke him nouȝt, þerfor wo him was; To his felawes he is y-go, Riȝt to þe cite he ȝede him þo. Þe Sarrazins were ouer-come, Line 3065 Þerfore þai were bliþe, all and some. Þemperour of-sent Gij him to, & miche honour he haþ him do. 'Gij,' quaþ he, 'þou art me dere, [folio 123a:a] Þou schalt bileue wiþ me here: Line 3070 Mi feir douhter, þat is of pris, Ichil þe ȝiue to spouse y-wis; Þou schalt ben emperour after me, Þou art a kniȝt of gret bounte. Al þo þat ben to me serueinde, Line 3075 Ichil þai be to þe boweinde.' 'Gramerci,' seyd sir Gij anon; 'A fair ȝift is þis now on.' Þe steward come forþ bliue, More treytour nas non oliue; Line 3080 His name was hoten Morgadour, God ȝif him euel auentour! Toward Gij he bar gret [a dot over the t in gret.] ond, & seþþe he died þurch his hond. Quaþ Morgadour, 'sir, þat wil wele be, Line 3085 For Gij is curteys, gentil, & fre; When he schal þi douhter spousy, Riȝt is þat we him onoury.' Ac what so he seyd bifor Gij þo, Ȝif he may, to deþ he wille him do. [C line 2972] Line 3090