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

Reinbroun dorste nouȝt pasy: Wiþ is spere a gan [agan MS.] it prouy, How dep hit was beside. He þouȝte on is fader fot hot: Þe stede in þe side a smot, Line 5 & in he gan to ride. Ouer is helm þe water is gon: He nolde haue be þer for eiȝte non; Swich aunter him gan betide. Er he vp of þe water ferde, Line 10 A fond it was þretti mete ȝerde: So dep he gan doun glide.

¶ Þanne he þouȝte on Iesu Crist: His hors was wel swiþe trist, & quikliche swam to londe: His fet fastnede on þe grounde. Reinbroun was glad in þat stounde, Line 5 And þankede gode[s] sonde. In-to þe pales he him dede: He [be]helde þe est[r]es of þat stede; For no man a nolde wonde. Ac wimman ne man fand he non þere [folio 173a:a] Line 10 Þat wiþ him speke or confort bere Naiþer sitte ne stonde.

¶ And þar-of war a is. Into a chaumber a goþ, y-wis: A knight a seȝ al-one. A grette him wiþ wordes fre, & seide, 'sire, god wiþ þe be, Line 5 Þat sit an heȝ in trone. Sire,' a sede, 'tel þow me Ȝif þis pales þin owen be: Ich bidde þe a bone. &, ȝif þow ert her in prisoun diȝt, Line 10 Tel hit me, so wel þow miȝt: To me now make þe mone.'

¶ Amis answerde to Reinbroun, [C line 11459] 'In Almayne ich was a baroun, And now icham for-lore. Ich was driue out wiþ a feloun, And now y lye her in prisoun: Line 5 Allas þat ich was bore! Of þis paleis inam no lord. Ich telle þe a soþe word Wiþoute oþ iswore: Hit is a kniȝtes of fayri, Line 10 And al þis forest her-by, A sterne man y-kore.

¶ Þis paleys is of swiche miȝt, Her schel no man elde, apliȝt, Be he her neuer so longe. Þei he wer her a þosand ȝer, In is heued schel hore non her, Line 5 Ne non elde fonge.' Reinbroun seide, 'ert þow Amis, Þerl of Montayne of gret pris? Þow singest a reuly songe. Now ichaue fonde þe, Line 10 Þow schelt wende now wiþ me Out of þe paines stronge.'

¶ Amis seide, [Another seide erased.] 'spek nouȝt so: Of þe me wondreþ, so mot y go, Þat þow ert hider y-come. Siþe þis world ferst began, In þis paleis ne [s n in l. 5, and er i no in l. 6 a] com noman, Line 5 Boute ȝif a wer i-nome, [s n in l. 5, and er i no in l. 6 a] Boute ȝif þe lord him hider ladde, [folio 173a:b] Oþer of him sum leue hadde: Nis non so hardi gome. How miȝtest þow lede me, Line 10 Whan þow miȝt nouȝt saue þe? Ich telle þe at þe frome.'

¶ Reinbroun seide, 'drede nouȝt þe; Þar-fore schel hit nouȝt lete be. Go we anon riȝt. Ȝif eni man so hardi were Þat vs wolde at-helde here, Line 5 His deþ wer y-diȝt: Swich a strok ich him ȝeue wolde, Þat is heued lese a scholde, Be grace of god almiȝt. Þei he wer te bataile boun Line 10 Ase sterne alse eni lyoun, Wiþ him ich wile fiȝt.'

¶ Amis seide, 'let now be: Swiche stringþe mai nouȝt helpe þe Aȝenes sire Gayere; For noþing ne schel him dere Wiþ no wepne þat man may bere, Line 5 Naiþer stel ne yre; Ac, ȝif þow wilt ouercome him, Þat ilche swerd to þe nym Þat hangeþ a þe pylere.' Reinbroun braide it out anon riȝt: Line 10 Þe chaumber was al ful of liȝt Þat schon swiþe clere.