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

Tho they commyn to the hall The emperour and hys men all, Line 9455 The which a-non to mete yode, And euer sir Gye before hym stode. 'Pylgrym,' quod the Emperoure, 'Tell me, I pray the par amoure, [Caius MS. 107 page 217] Where were thou born & in what contre? Line 9460 Thow semyst well travellyd to be.' 'Sir,' quod Gye, 'ye may vndyrstond That I haue be in meny a londe, In ierusalem and in surrey, In constantyne the noble, for-soth, was I.' Line 9465 'Pylgrym,' he seyd, 'be thy lewte, What seyth men ther of me?' 'Sir,' he seyd, 'ye shall here: Both shame & also harme in all manere, When ye thorough false counceyle Line 9470 Of the steward, that may not avayle, Hath banesshyd terry, the noble knyȝt, And meny an other with-owt ryght; Therfor ye havyth, sir, a shame, And in this land much blame. Line 9475

Line 9475 Ye do your-selfe gret dyshonoure To leve so well that losyngoure.' When duke berrard herd what Gye seyd, He be-gan vp to brayde. He faryd as a wod man, Line 9480 And he wold have smytten Gye than, But men hym held that stodyn bye, That he dyd no harme to Gye. He seyd, 'thow lyest, false treytour: I was neuer losyngoure. Line 9485 Yf hyt ne were for dyshonoure Of my lord the Emperoure, I shuld shake thy berd so sore, Thy teth shuld fall owte the be-fore. [Caius MS. 107 page 218] Thow art a trowant swyth stronge: Line 9490 Thys lyf hast thow led full longe. Yf I the fynd with-owt the towne, I shall the caste in my presone. This VII yere ne gettyst thow a-weye, Ne shall wyt whether hit be nyȝt or daye. Line 9495 So shall men tech glotouns For to myssey gentill barouns.' 'Sir,' quod Gye, 'yt ys yee? Ȝe owght a gentil man to be. I saw yow neuer are,' quod sir Gye; Line 9500 'Ye semeth a bold man and a hardye. To do a pore man velonye Hyt were shame to yow, sekerlye. Hyt shuld yow torne to gret owtrage: Sir, ye beth so hye of lynage. Line 9505

Line 9505 I seyd none other thyng Here vnto my lord the kyng, But with synne and vnryght Ye have dystroyed terry the knyȝt, And chasyd hym owte of this land, Line 9510 For that ye beryth hym wrong on hand, That your cosyn shuld be dede Thorough hym and thorough hys rede: Ofte I have herd trewlye ¹[That he was nothynge geltye.' Line 9515 Then spake þe dewke wyth yre, 'Be god, that made water and fyre,]¹ [1_1 These three lines, wanting in the Caius MS., are taken from the MS. in the University Library, Cambridge, ll. 9234-6.] That thow were that ilke knyȝt That durst for sir terry fyght!' Gye answeryd with-owte more Line 9520 (He saw the Duke agrevyd sore), He seyd, 'yf my lord the emperoure wyll [Caius MS. 107 page 219] Fyndyn [Fyndyth MS.] me that longith tyll, Lo me here, sir, all redye To take the bateyle for sir terrye. Line 9525 He slew neuer the Duke Otoun, The false Duke, that wyked glotoune.' Quod Gye to the emperoure, 'Have here my wed, for your honoure: With hym, for-soth, wyll I fyght, Line 9530 And help sir terry in hys ryght.' The Emperoure with mornyng chere Toke the wed of Gye there. He seyd, 'pylgrym, so god the save, All that the nedyth thow shalt have.' Line 9535 With that he began to sygh sore, So dyd all that there wore.

Vp stert berrard, the gret syre, As man that was full of tene and Ire. 'Pylgryme,' he seyd, 'thow arte full stowte, Line 9540 Prowd, and bold, with-owte dowte, When thow haste wagid thys bateyle; For I the sey, with-owt fayle, The devyll the bad do this dede. Thow haste hym seruyd: thys ys thi mede. Line 9545 The grace of god be me berevyd But I smyte of thy he[v]ed.' 'Sir Emperoure,' quod Gyoun, 'Herkyn here to my reasoun: Here ys no man that knoweth me; Line 9550 Com I am from fer contree. Armoure have I none redye [Caius MS. 107 page 220] Ne gold where-with to bye. As ye beth man of much myght, To helpe the pore thorough ryght, Line 9555 And at ned to do hym socoure Hit ys to yow gret honoure.' To-fore the Emperoure they stod ychone, Both her weddus he toke anone. Sethen he commaundyd hem anone ryȝt Line 9560 Erly on the morrow to be dyght. He wyll algate the bateyle see: [see] be do MS.] He bad erlych it shuld be. [be so MS.] The Duke yod home full swyth Full of wrath and vnblyth. Line 9565 The emperoure clepyd hys dowȝter dere, And bad her in all manere She shuld kepe the pylgrym well, And arme hym both in Iren and stele. She dyd as her fader her bad, Line 9570 And into chamber she hym lad. She wold hym cloth & bathe wele,

But therof wold he neuer a dele. He bad her for god all-myȝt To arme hym well at all ryght. Line 9575 All the men of that Cyte Had wonder what yt myȝt be That durst ayenst the duke fyȝte: They prayed for hym both day and nyȝt, That god shuld geve the pylgrym grace Line 9580 To slee the Duke in the place. Full Erly rose the Emperoure, [Caius MS. 107 page 221] And herd masse with grete honoure. To hys paleyse ys he gone With hys barounus euery-chone. Line 9585 All redy was the Duke berrard As stowte as a lyon other lyberd, Armyd vpon a stede: To the court men Gon hym lede. I wote the mayd for-yate nought, Line 9590 To arme the pylgrym was all her thought: She dyd [hym] have a well good stede, That seker was at euery nede. Hys good swerd for-yate he nought: Hyt was full prevyly to hym brought; Line 9595 He dyd hyt fett from sir terry, That no man saw, full prevylye. Therof he had gret mystere, As ye shall afterward here. Well she armyd hym that may Line 9600 In all maner that he couth say. She brought hym to the emperoure,

That was a man of gret honoure. All the men that [The second t added in another ink.] sye sir Gye Of hym they had gret ferlye; Line 9605 For he was so feyre and wyght, When he was armyd at hys ryght. All they sware be seynt Richere That was not the pore palmere That toke the bateyle for to fyȝte: Line 9610 He semyd well a dowȝty knyght.' 'Lordyngis,' quod the Emperoure, [Caius MS. 107 page 222] 'Herkenyth to me par amoure. These two knyȝtis, that stondyth here, They beth men of grete powere: Line 9615 A bateyle they have wagid here, Well ye wote in whate manere. Thys pylgrym, that stondyth me bye, Shall defende the Erle terrye Of felony and of treasoun, Line 9620 And of the dukis deth Otown Ayenst this Duke sir berrard, That hath hym apechyd full harde Of Otown hys cosyn ys deth, That he was slayne thorow terry ys reth. Line 9625 Now shall ye see this bateyle Hastyly with-owten fayle.' All they seyd at on assent, 'We wyll hyt se with good entent.' Oppon an hyll be-syd the Cite Line 9630 Ther was the bateyle ordeyned to be. The boke was brought hem be-forne: When they had her othes sworne, To the hyll gan they gone, And to-gedyr smote anone. Line 9635 Ther be-gan a gret bateyle: Eyther gan other fast assayle.