The romance of Guy of Warwick. The second or 15th-century version. Edited from the paper ms. Ff. 2. 38. in the University Library, Cambridge, by Dr. Julius Zupitza ...

Now hath Gye, as y say, Toward the sowdan take þe way. Line 3636 He ne stynte nor he ne blanne, Or he to the sowdan came. As he rode vp and downe, He knewe þe sowdans pavelowne. Line 3640 An egull of golde þeron was bryght And a stone, that gaue grete lyght, That men myght see all the nyght, [folio 184b:1] As hyt had be the sonne [MS. somer] bryght. Line 3644 ¶ When he came to the pavelowne, In he wente, be my crowne. He fonde the sowdan at hys mete And wyth hym xv kyngys grete Line 3648 And odur men of grete valowre, And all þey seruyd the sowdan þore. Forthe than starte syr Gyowne

And schewyd sone hys resowne: Line 3652 'That ylke kynge, þat syttyþ in heuyn, That made þe erthe and þe planettys seuyn And in the see the sturgone, Yeue the, syr sowdan, hys malysone Line 3656 And all, that y hereynne see, That beleue in Mahowndys poste. ¶ Thys worde sendyth þe the emperowre, That ys a man of grete valowre, Line 3660 Thorow whom the sarsyns were tane, Many woundyd and many slane. He bad, þou schuldest not dwelle longe In hys londe to do hym wronge. Line 3664 Yf ye chalenge oght wyth ryght, He byddyth the sende forthe a knyght, That wyll sone for the fyght; And, yf owres be slayne wyth force and myȝt, Line 3668 He wyll the geue trewage be yere And serue the, as hys lorde dere; And, yf hys knyght thorow grace Ouercome yowrys in the place, Line 3672 Thou schalt delyuyr hys londe rathe And restore hym ageyne hys skathe. Wyth the emperowre, y the say, Of thys thynge thou take a day. Line 3676 And, yf that þou wylte not thys, Telle me, what thy talente ys. Here y am for my lordys sake: Yf ony wyll the batell take, Line 3680 I wyll defende my lordys londe, [ho blotted out before londe in MS.] Whyll y leue, wyth myn honde.' [folio 184b:2] ¶ þen seyde þe sowdan: 'what art þou, That comes into my courte nowe? Line 3684 Ther was neuer [k blotted out before neuer in MS.] knyght nor squyere,

That durste speke so to me ere.' Gye seyde: 'y schall the saye My name, or y wende awaye. Line 3688 I wyll þe nor no nodur beswyke. Y am Gye of Warwyke.' ¶ 'Art thou,' he seyde, 'þat ylke page, That hast done me all þe owtrage? Line 3692 Thou slewe my cosyn Coldrane: Hys hedde thou smote of allone. I schall neuyr ete bredde To day, or þat þou be dedde. Line 3696 Thy lorde the louyd nothynge, When he comawndyd þe þys message to brynge. Now y schall vengyd [g in vengyd has not quite its regular form.] bee: Thou schalt be hongyd on a tree.' Line 3700 ¶ He comawndyd, he schulde be tane And in a pytte caste allone. When he had etyn and made hym at ese, He thoght Gye for to sese. Line 3704 Abowte Gye was grete thronge. 'God wott,' quod he, 'y stonde to longe.' There he faryd, as he wolde wede: Wyth hys spurrys he stroke hys stede. Line 3708 'Sowdan,' he seyde, 'þou schalt abye Furste of all thys companye.' He smote the sowdan wyth hys sworde, That the hedde trendyld on þe borde. Line 3712 The hedde he toke in hys honde: Owte of þe pales dud he wonde. He smote of many a hevydde [MS. hedde.] Of þem, þat wolde haue hyt fro hym revydde. Line 3716 The hedde wyth strenckyþ awey he bare And knytt hyt in hys lappe thare. ¶ Faste he pryckyd þorowe þe ooste On hys stede, þat moche coste. Line 3720

Line 3720 The sarsyns hyed þem full faste Aftur Gye, when he was paste. Gye to take they were preste: [folio 185a:1] Many a man dud hys beste. Line 3724 Gye rode to a roche of stone: The paynyms folowde hym euerychone. Ofte he turned them ageyne: Many of them hath he slayne. Line 3728 Ther was neuer ȝyt man on grounde, That durste agenste so many stonde.