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

Now he seyd: 'sir kniȝt fre, [C line 4337] Mi name [added above the line in the same hand.] y þe telle, & whennes y be.

Of Gormoise icham cleped Tirri, Þeld erls sone Aubri. Line 4570 Wiþ þe douke of Loreyne ichaue y-be. . . . . . A feir douhter þan hadde he: . . . . . Ouer alle oþer we loueden ous, Line 4575 & for loue treuþe pliȝten þus. For non oþer sche nold me lete, No y no loued [The d above the line in the same hand.] non bot þat swete In godes lawe, for soþe y-wis: Swiche a [A letter erased before a, and another after it.] treuþe bitvix ous is. Line 4580 Armes for hir loue y nam, & now y thouȝt to han went ham. Mi priis ichaue wide y-souȝt Fram stede to oþer, no wond y nouȝt. ¶ Þan come fram hir to me a sond [C line 4371] Line 4585 Þat brouȝt me miche sorwe an hond, Þat þe douke Otus of Paui Wald mi leman spousey, To wham ich was treuþe-pliȝt: Oisel was hir name ful riȝt; Line 4590 Þat bi letters sche sent to me, [folio 131b:a] & bi toknes þat wer so fre, Þat, ȝif ich hir habbe wold, Þat to hir comen y schold To on day þat was y-sett, Line 4595 Oþer sche worþ fro me fett. To hir ward y gan spede Wiþ þritti kniȝtes in mi ferred: Eueriche of ous his stede bistrode, & riden ous forþ wiþouten abode, Line 4600 Wher þe douke Otus was & his ferred Wiþ an hundred kniȝtes of gret pride, & wele to hundred of seriaunce Of Lombardy & of Fraunce,

For to spouse min owhen wiif, Line 4605 Þat y loued more þan mi liif. When y þat wist y sent hir to So priueliche so ich miȝt it do, Þat hij schuld come to me: For gret loue so dede sche; Line 4610 To me sche come þurch queyntise Doun of þe castel in selcouþe wise Bi on cable alle sleyeliche, Þat folk it no founde, sikerliche. Y sett hir on a mule amblinde, Line 4615 In þe way we dede ous rideinde. Ac þer ich dede gret child-hod, Þat alto long y þer a-bod. At our wending of þat cite Þe liȝt day we miȝten se: Line 4620 Þer we were y-knowen þo At a brigge as we hadde go. Þat ich for Oisel was y-come, Hir fader it was teld atte frome. Þurch þe cite þe crie was gradde [C line 4397] Line 4625 Þe maiden was oway ladde. Þer miȝt men se kniȝtes on hors wende, & me þai of-token at þe brugge ende. Þer we stronglich mett wiþ hem: Mani we slowen of her men. Line 4630 Alle þai slouȝ mine feren, Þat swiþe gode kniȝtes weren. Me þai come to nim snelle, Ac y nold no longer duelle: Ich toke mi leman on mi stede, [folio 131b:b] Line 4635 & ouer þat water wiþ hir ich ȝede. Alle þat day þai driuen me, Alle fort þai no miȝt for niȝt y-se. When y was passed þe riuer ariȝt In hert y was glad & liȝt: Line 4640

Line 4640 Þat water passi þai no durstin, Þan owayward turn þai mostin. In þis forest y come rideinde, [C line 4441] Bifor me mi leman ledeinde: Y no dred robours no thef non, Line 4645 Ac al siker ich wende forþ gon. What of wakeing, & of fasting, & eke þat oþer treueyling, Osleped swiþe sore ich was, & lay & slepe in þis plas. Line 4650 Þan com fiftene outlawes strong Wiþ her men, & here me afong. Alle slepende þai wounded me. Anon riȝt nomen he Mi leman, & þai han hir ladde fro me. Line 4655 Now, sir, take þerof pite: Bi þe treuþe þou hast me pliȝt, Socour mi leman ȝif þou miȝt, &, when þat ich dede be, Do me birij, ich bidde þe. Line 4660 To þat hulle þou wende anon: [C line 4471] Þou hem findes þer ichon. & ȝif þat þou so miȝti be, Þatow may hem alle sle, Winne þou miȝt a maiden fre: Line 4665 In þe warld may non feirer be. & ȝete y may þe more telle: Mi stede þai han, þat is so snelle, Þat wiþ strengþe in Peyneme ich wan Of Solagimis, þe sone soudan. Line 4670 Þer-fore men han y-boden me .Xv. castels, & touns, & riche cite, [s erased after cite.] And .xv. somers of siluer & of gold, Ac for an hundred ȝiuen ichit nold. Now þou hast, sir, alle y-her [s erased after cite.] , Line 4675 Hou ich am bitreyd & amerd.

Take mi scheld, & mi hauberk of stiel & mi swerd, þat biteþ wel, & mine armes ich am in diȝt [folio 132a:a] (For ich þe se man of miche miȝt), Line 4680 To quite þi treuþe þou hast y-pliȝt.' Þan stode þer sir Gij vp-riȝt: [C line 4491] Wel depe in hert he haþ y-siȝt. Grete pite he haþ of þat kniȝt: He knewe Tirri for his frende, Line 4685 Þat lay þer in hard bende. 'Sir,' he seyd, 'bi treuþe mine Þat ich haue pliȝt in hond þine, Euen forþ mi miȝt ich-il help þe: More miȝt þou nouȝt oxi me.' Line 4690 Wiþ þat haþ Gij his brond y-nome, & his hauberk atte frome, His scheld, & his oþer wede, & to þe hulle in gret periil he ȝede. A loge stonden þer he seye, Line 4695 & þer wiþ-outen a gode stede & heye, Þat was to a bouȝ y-teyd. Gij þeron his talent leyd: Sterneliche prikeing he come, His swerd he drouȝ out anon. Line 4700 He aliȝt, & seyd at his cominge: 'Þeues, ȝe be ded, wiþouten lesinge. [C line 4507] Awarid worþ ȝe ichon, Boþe ȝour flessche & ȝour bon. Whi slouȝ ȝe þat ich kniȝt? Line 4705 Alle ȝe schul die anon riȝt. & ȝif ani so hardi be, Þat hennes stir toward me, Ich [i underdotted after I.] wille ȝou for soþe say He bes þe first þat schal day.' Line 4710 An Almaunde he arauȝt: His heued of at þe first drauȝt.

Ar ani of hem hem were miȝt, Alle he hem slouȝ, y ȝou pliȝt. Þo he hadde hem slaun ichon, Line 4715 He lepe opon his stede anon. Comen he is to þat mayde, Wel sweteliche to hir he seyde, 'Na more sori þou no be, Ac arise vp, & com wiþ me: Line 4720 To þi leman y bringe þe sket Vnder þe þorn þer þou him let.' Opon a mule sche warþ anon, [folio 132a:b] To þe hawe-þorn þai ben y-gon, [C line 4525] Ac þai no haue nouȝt þe kniȝt y-founde: Line 4725 Y-ladde he was owai þat stounde. Þo he fond him nouȝt, he was sori; For he wend wel sikerli Þat lyouns him hadde to-drawe. He loked adoun vnder þe wode schawe, Line 4730 If he ouȝt y-herd loude or heye: Of hors traces hy þer seye. ¶ Þat maiden he lete þare, & after swiþe he is y-fare. So fast he rode, þat he com neye Line 4735 Four kniȝtes he þer seye. Gij of-toke sone þat ferrede, & seye þan kn[i]ȝt wiþ hem lede. Gij, [j altered from þ.] þat heye rode on his stede, Ȝernne he bad ȝif he miȝt spede. Line 4740 To þe kniȝtes sir Gij him sade: 'Lordinges, þilke lord þat ȝou made, & þe niȝt & þe briȝt day, Ȝou do worþschipe so wele he may. Ȝif it be ȝour wille speke wiþ me: Line 4745 To mi speche vnder-stond ȝe. Lordinges, ich haue mi treuþe y-pliȝt To him þat ȝe lede, þ[i]lke kniȝt,

Þat biri y schal his bodi: Mi treuþe y him pliȝt, sikerly. Line 4750 Al for loue ich ȝou biseche His bodi þat ȝe me biteche.' Þat o kniȝt went to him ward, [C line 4553] Þat was þe douke Otus steward, Þat hadde y-passed þe riuere Line 4755 In a bot þat he fond þere, & seyd to Gij, 'who artow? Als a fole comen artow now. Comestow now to aski riȝt To haue þe bodi of our kniȝt, Line 4760 For his fere we nim þe snelle, To þe douke Otous lede we þe wille, & ȝe schul boþe demed be, & heye hong on galwe tre.'