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

WITH THAT come a Lombard ride, As a man of grete pride. Line 1360 'Guy,' quoth he, 'yelde the anone, Or ye bee dede euerychone. To the Duke Otes y haue the plighte, Thy body to bringe him anone righte.' The Lombard was hote withoute lette, Line 1365 And Guy him hath with harme grette; He ne spared for noo drede, That deed he felled him in the mede. 'By the trouth,' quoth Guy, 'that y shall my lemman yelde, Thou shalt not thy trouth to the Duke holde.' Line 1370 To another lombarde he smote anone, That thurgh the body his swerde gan goone: 'Nor thou, traitour, thou ne shall me lede To thy Duke that is so full of quede, Nor to his prisoun for the bee broughte.' [Caius MS. 107 page 44] Line 1375 Heraude smote to another and spared noughte, That thurgh the swerde glode: Deed he felled him withoute bode. Than come Toraude, a good knyghte: Swithe good he was in fighte. Line 1380 With a lombarde he so mette, And so well he his stroke besette, That the heed fro the body fleighe: He smote his shuldres alowe so neighe. With that come Vrry priking Line 1385 (A better knyght might noman fynde), To a lombarde he smote so, That thurgh the body his swerde gan goo: So he smote him, the sothe to sey, That deed he felled him in the wey; Line 1390 And than he seide: 'thou ne Otoun Ne shall vs bringe in-to your prison.' There might men see fighte begynne, Hedes clouen downe to the chynne.

All that Guy with his swerde toke, Line 1395 Sone anone his lif forsoke. Some he smote vpon the hode, That at the girdelstede the swerde abode; Some he smote thurgh the side, That they ne might neuere more goo nor ryde. Line 1400 Was there noon that might stonde The dynte that come oute of his honde. So mighti strokes ther were yiue, That the stronge shaftes all to-dryue. There was noon in that stede [Caius MS. 107 page 45] Line 1405 Bot of his lif he was adredde. With that come ride the Erle Lambard, A sterne knyght and a Lombard; Vrry he hath sleyne there, That forthoughte Guy whan he therof was ware: Line 1410 With the Erle lambard he did iousty, To awreke the deth of good Vrry. With suche an hete he smote him to, That all his armes auailled him not a sloo; Thurgh his herte the launce he bare, Line 1415 And adown he felled him dede there. With that cometh forth hugon, He was the Dukes Nieue Otoun: Knyght he was of grete mighte, Swithe hardy and good in fighte. Line 1420 Toraude there he hath felled, And to deth stiked him thurgh his sheelde. And whan heraude saw that cas, That Toraulde so foule sleyne was, For his deth he was sorye: Line 1425 Him to awreke he doth him hye. Neuere so sory he was, Toward hugon he made a chas. . . . . .

. . . . . Thurgh the body he him smote With so grete strength, god it wote, That there before the Lombardes all Of his hors he did him dede fall. Whan Danz Gauter that sighe Line 1435 (A knyght he was of herte highe), Ouere thwert [MS. thewert.] he smote to Heraude so [Caius MS. 107 page 46] That all his hauberk he rende thoo; Thurgh heraudes body the swerde yede, All they wende he had bee dede. Line 1440 Whan Guy sawe heraude felde, To-hewe his hauberk and his shelde (And of his hors felled he was As a dede man vpon the gras), And sawe the blode that ranne him fro, Line 1445 Wonder he thoughte, and seide thoo: 'Thou lordyng, to the y seye, His deth thou shalt full dere abeye! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And by him that made sone and mone, Thou shalt wite swithe sone That thou shalt it forgete nought Line 1455 That thou him hast to deth brought.' Guy with spores smote his stede, As a man that had grete nede. . . . . . . . . . . Than with all his mighte he smote him to, Full euen he karffe his herte in two. . . . . . . . . . . And ther in grene he felled him downe, Line 1465 And bade him Cristes malesoune,

For that he did heraude slee, And lete him on lyue bee.