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 ...

Gye rose vp at the laste: To courte went he full faste. Line 4036

Line 4036 All had yoye, þat þere ware, [MS. were.] þat he was couyrde of hys care. Wyth hym came hys lyone, Thorow whome felle treson. [folio 187a:1] Line 4040 Tho bad the emperowre grete, That Gye schulde dwelle at mete, To do hym some solace; For þorow hym he delyuerd was. Line 4044 The lyon went thorow þe pales And of hym spake all the Gregyes And of the boldenes of Gyowne, How he slewe the dragon. Line 4048 The steward had grete envye: He þoght, þe lyon schulde abye. ¶ Aftur mete a longe owre Gye went wyth the emperowre: Line 4052 The lyon went in that palees Meryly and in feyre pese. In the garden ageyne þe sonne He laye to slepe, as he was wonne. Line 4056 Gye went and laye to slepe: Of the lyon toke he no kepe. In a soler [MS. seler.] stode the stewarde At a wyndowe to loke owtwarde. Line 4060 He þoght to sloo hym wyth hys hande, As that he laye slepande. He wolde venge hym [on blotted out before hym in MS.] on syr Gye: He was a traytowre, verelye. Line 4064 In hys honde he toke a spere: Thorow the lyon he can hyt bere. The lyon vp starte wythowten more, But he was woundyd passynge sore. Line 4068 That sawe a maydyn in hur bowre And cryed on Morgadowre

And seyde: 'þou haste done grete wronge. Thou schalt hyt fynde, or hyt be longe. Line 4072 When Gye wottyth, þat he ys slayne, He wyll hym venge wyth grete mayn.' ¶ The lyon ranne forþe into þe strete: Hys bowels trayled at hys fete. Line 4076 Also faste, as he myght renne, He came home to Gyes ynne. In hys chaumbur he hym fonde On hys bedde slepande. [folio 187a:2] Line 4080 He came before Gyowne: At hys fete he felle downe. Hys fete he lykkyd wyth mornynge: Hyt was a tokyn of loueynge. Line 4084 ¶ When Gye hym sawe woundyd þore, For hys lyon he wepyd sore. 'God,' he seyde, 'of mekyll myght, Who hath do me þys vnryght? Line 4088 Now he hath my lyon slane, All my yoye ys fro me tane. Be god, that dyed on a tre, I wolde not for thys feyre cyte, Line 4092 What some euyr that he bee, That hath thus betrayed me.' ¶ Wyth that he sawe before hys eye Hys lyon gode there dye. Line 4096 He seyde: 'now haue y care: Ther was noþyng, y louyd mare. Thou art dedde in thys place: To venge me gode geue me grace. Line 4100 Yf y wyste, who had the slane, Sone schulde y be hys bane. In all þys lande ys none so wyght, Dewke, erle, baron nor knyght, Line 4104 But my lorde the emperowre, But y schall slee that traytowre.'

¶ He toke hys swyrde abowte hys swyre: To the cyte he came wyth yre. Line 4108 A knyght sawe, þat he was wrothe, And seyde: 'who dud yow lothe? He askyd thorow the halle: 'Lordyngys, y prey yow all, Line 4112 Yf any wote, he wyll me saye, Who slewe my gode lyon þys day. Y schall hym geue ryche mede And be hys man in euery stede. Line 4116 Thys þynge schall be hys [MS. þer.] medys: XV hawkys and XV stedys And an hundurd besawntys of golde: [folio 187b:1] Therfore he schall to me be beholde.' Line 4120 They seyde all, sekerlye: 'We can not telle yow, syr Gye.' ¶ Sythen he went fro the halle: Knyghtys and squyers he askyd all. Line 4124 Fro chaumber to chaumber Gye went: At the laste he mett þe maydyn gente. Sche askyd tho Gyone, Who had slayne hys lyone. [Apparently corrupt. See the note.] Line 4128 Sche was not fayne, wytterlye: 'I sye hym smetyn þorow þe body.' 'Now,' quod Gye, 'my dere lemman, Telle me sone: spare for no man. Line 4132 I schall geue the golde schynande And serue from fote to hande.' The maydyn seyde: 'Morgadowre Hath the done thys dyshonowre. Line 4136 I sye hym smyte hym sore: I wote, he myght leue no more.' ¶ When Gye herde speke of þat felon, That had slayne hys lyone, Line 4140 Owt of þe chaumbur hyed Gye.

To seke þe steward he was besye. Into a chaumbur can he gone: He fonde the steward þere anon. Line 4144 He pleyde at chesses wyth hys cosyn, When he sye Gye loke so grymme. Then seyde Gye: 'traytowre, þou be drawe. Why haste þou my lyone [MS. lemman.] slawe? Line 4148 Thou haste wyth the no reson For to do me thys treson. Defende þe now, as a knyght: I wyll þe smyte wyth all my myght.' Line 4152 He drewe hys swyrde: or he stynte, Hys hedde he smote of at a dynte. ¶ When hys cosyn sye that dede, For wo, he þoght, hys herte wolde blede Line 4156 He starte on a nodur parte And in hys honde he hent a darte. [folio 187b:2] Gye hym kept and dud hym harme: He smote of hys ryght arme. Line 4160 Tho he cryed: 'Gye, gramercye,' And he went fro hym in hye. ¶ Comen he ys to the emperowre: 'Syr,' he seyde, 'for yowre honowre Line 4164 I haue the seruyd wyth my powere: Hyt ys me quytt on euyll manere, Whyll y haue lorne be treson In yowre court my gode lyon. Line 4168 Yowre steward slewe hym in grete yre: I haue quyt hym wele hys hyre. For euer he hath hys waryson: Schall he neuer more do treson. Line 4172 Who wyll be yowre seruande, When ye may hym not warande, Nor a straunge man yn yowre cyte, But he haue harme and vylene? Line 4176

Line 4176 I wyll wende to my cuntre: Y desyre there for to bee. To see my frendys y wolde be blyþe: I wyll haste me thedur swythe. Line 4180 Yf any man wyll yow dere Odur in pees or in were, Do me to wyt anon ryght: I schall yow helpe wyth all my myȝt.' Line 4184 ¶ When the emperowre sye Gye, That he was wrothe and drerye: 'Syr Gye,' he seyde, 'for goddys mercy, Yf any man haue done yow velany, Line 4188 Take thyselfe vengeawnce: I hyt grawnte, so haue y chawnce. Let be youre frendys in your cuntre: To morowe schall yow weddyd bee.' Line 4192 ¶ Gye seyde: 'syr, y thynke, noght. Wyfe to take ys not my thoght. Yf y had weddyd þy doghtur dere And ye had made me lorde here, Line 4196 Yowre men wolde among þem saye And oftesythe make deraye, [folio 188a:1] That ye had made the emperowre But of a pore bachelowre, Line 4200 And that hyt were a grete dysperage To the and all thy baronage. Bettur hyt ys to wende wyth honowre, Then to dwelle here wyth grete dolowre. Line 4204 Therfore y sey yow, syr emperere: [MS. Empere.] I wyll wende on all manere. Haue gode day, now wyll y fare: God yow schelde fro sorowe and care.' Line 4208 ¶ When the emperowre harde hys wylle, That he wolde not dwelle stylle, Wyth hys eyen he wepyd sore

And all þe men, that þere wore. Line 4212 Fyfte somers and fyfte stedys He badde Gye to hys medeys, But he had wonne before ynowe Of þe sarsyns, that he had slowe. Line 4216 ¶ The emperowre dud, as a lorde hende, To Gyes men, when þey schulde wende: He gaue them golde for Gyes sake As moche, as they wolde take. Line 4220 All they seyde, the emperowre Was a man of grete valowre. ¶ Knyghtys and squyers, þat þere ware, All dud wepe, when Gye dud fare. Line 4224 Wyueys, maydenys and chylder also All þey weped, when he schulde goo: Whyll he was in that lande, Ther wolde no man brynge warre on honde. Line 4228 ¶ The emperowre syr Harrowde calde And askyd hym, yf he dwelle wolde Wyth hym in that cyte, And a ryche man schulde he bee: Line 4232 He schulde hym geue, sekurlye, Of all þat lande þe feyrest lady. 'Syr,' seyde Harrowde, 'gramercy. Wytt ye wele, y am wyth Gye: Line 4236 Hym schall y neuyr fayle [folio 188a:2] For no ryches, þat may avayle.' ¶ Now ys Gye in the see: God saue hym for hys pyte Line 4240 And all hys feyre companye. Faste they sayled, wytterlye. So longe þe wynde haþ þem dreuyn: At Almayne they be vp reuyn. Line 4244 To the emperowre þey come swythe: For Gyes comyng he was blythe. The emperowre honowred Gye

And all hys feyre companye. Line 4248 When Gye a stownde had dwellyd þare, To hys cuntre wolde he fare. They hyed on ther way faste: They come to Loren at the laste. Line 4252 They were resseyuyd nobullye For ther grete cheualrye. ¶ Hyt was in may on a daye, When euery fowle makyth hys laye: Line 4256 Thorow a foreste as þey dud ryde (A feyre cyte was besyde), Wyth grete loue Gye badde hys men Wende vnto the cyte then Line 4260 To take þer innes, þere þey dud knowe; For þere he wolde be a throwe To here fowles merely synge And see feyre flowres [MS. fowles.] sprynge. Line 4264 ¶ Hys men haue the wey tane: In the forest Gye ys allane. As he lay myrthe to here, Hys þoght chaungyd and hys chere. Line 4268 Forthe he went in that foreste: There was many a wylde beste. As he wente in that solace, He harde besyde at a place Line 4272 A grete mornyng of a man: Thedurwarde he drew hym than. Vndur an [hande, as it seems, blotted out after an in MS.] hawþorne tree he fande A man lyeng sore bledande. [folio 188b:1] Line 4276 He thoght, he was a gentyll knyght, That had be woundyd at some fyght. He behelde hym, wytterlye: He had of hym grete farlye. Line 4280 Feyre and grete and moche he was:

Gye had wondur of that case And seyde, be Mary of heuyn quene, A fayrer man had he not sene. Line 4284 Hys berde was longe, as a spanne: Hys vysage was boþe pale and wanne For the blode, that he had bledde, And for þe woundys, that he hedde. [MS. hadde.] Line 4288 Hys eyen were black, hys vysage brade, Longe forhede and wele made. Feyre and longe was he thore: A godelyar man was none bore. Line 4292 In a robe of scarlet was he cladde. Thorow þe body a wounde he hadde. Hosyd and schode he was ryght: He semyd wele to be a knyght. Line 4296 Hys neck was feyre, whyte and longe. Hys fyngers were boþe grete and stronge. Hys schouldurs thyck, hys breste brade. On euery syde he was wele made Line 4300 And gyrde wyth a swyrde of stele. Hys schylde laye at hys hedde wele. ¶ Gye behelde and had pyte And askyd hym: 'pur charyte, Line 4304 Knyght,' he seyde, 'what ys þy name? Where were þou borne? who dud þe shame? Say to me anon ryght. Wyth þat couenande y schall þe plyght, Line 4308 Of me schalt thou haue no skathe, But y schall helpe the as rathe.' ¶ 'Syr knyght,' he seyde, 'aske me no mare; For y haue so moche care. Line 4312 I may not telle, be my crowne, To no wyght my chesowne. Yf y rehersyd now my care, [folio 188b:2] Then schulde y haue moche mare. Line 4316

Line 4316 Wende ye hens, syr, y the pray; For wyt ye not of me to day, But yf ye wyll graunt me a þyng, That y schall say, wythowte lesynge, Line 4320 And yowre trowthe to me plyght To day me to helpe wyth all your myȝt, And y schall telle þe all my case, Fro whens y came and what y was Line 4324 And who me haþe woundyd sore Thorowe chawnce and wyckyd lore: Ellys y schall yow neuer saye, Thowe ye wolde helpe me þys day.' Line 4328 ¶ Gye thoght in hys herte ryght, Whedur he wolde be trowþeplyght. But he was in soche atyre, That for to wyt he had desyre. Line 4332 'Syr knyght,' he seyde, 'in þy ryght The to helpe my trowþe y plyȝt, So þat þou wylte the sothe saye, Who hath done þe all þys deraye.' Line 4336 ¶ Then seyde to hym þe woundyd man: 'I schall þe telle, syr, as y can. I was the erlys sone Awbrye Of Gormoyse, syr, sekurlye. Line 4340 Wyth þe dewke Lorayne [MS. lowan.] y was: I seruyd hym in many a case. He had a doghtur, a feyre wyght: In all þe worlde ys none so bryȝt. Line 4344 Y louyd hur wythowte fayntyse: So dud she me on all kyns wyse. Sche behett to loue me than Before ony odur erthely man. Line 4348 For hur loue y made me knyght: Owt of my cuntre y me dyght Farre into vncowthe londe

Dedes of armes for to fonde Line 4352 In Frawnce and in Burgoyne, In Almayne and in Sesoyne. [MS. sysayne.] [folio 189a:1] Ther was no justes nor turnament In all the lande, where y wente, Line 4356 But y had the beste of all. On me soche pryse þere dud falle. ¶ Sythen harde y speke beyonde þe see Of warre in a farre cuntre. Line 4360 The sarsyns, þat were so many and stronge, In Rome had bene and warryd longe. They had dystroyed that [in blotted out before that in MS.] cuntre And moche of all crystyante. Line 4364 Thedur y went lose to wynne And slewe many a sarsyne. I was preysed for doghty of hande, As for the beste in all þat lande. Line 4368 There y [MS. he.] slewe a paynym kynge And broght the warre to endynge. ¶ Then came swythe to me a sonde, That broght me wyckyd tythande, Line 4372 How the dewke Oton of Payuye Wolde do me grete vylenye. He schulde on the syxte daye Wedde Ozelde, that feyre maye, Line 4376 And bad, þat y schulde come swythe To helpe þat maye, or sche were wyfe, And at þat tyme redy be thare To feche hur or neuyr mare. Line 4380 ¶ Thedur y toke the wey than And wyth me went many a man. Nyght nor day restyd we noght, Tyll we were to þe cyte broght. Line 4384 There was wyth the dewke Oton

Many a knyght and many a gode baron. They were redy at that weddynge Wythowte any more dwellynge Line 4388 Toward the churche for to be wedde: Betwene two lordys sche was ledde. Faste y prekyd in that thronge, Tyll y myght that lady fonge. Line 4392 Wyth hur sone there y mette: [folio 189a:2] I toke hur wythowten lett. Y sett hur on hors myn me behynde: I rode awey, as dothe þe wynde. Line 4396 ¶ Thorow the cyte rose grete crye, That Ozelde wente wyth Tyrrye. Than armed was many a knyght And on hors full sone dyght. Line 4400 All they chacyd me at the laste And my dethe they sworen faste. I kepte them full hardlye: So dud many of my companye. Line 4404 Then was there a grete fyght: Many of myn þey dud vnryght. At the laste y was lefte allone, And all my men fro me were slone. Line 4408 When y sye my men so dedde, Full of sorowe was my redde. Y was nye [y blotted out before nye in MS.] owte of my wytte. Many of them sore y hytt Line 4412 And slewe þere in a lytull stownde Twenty men vppon the grownde. In þe worlde, y went, þer was no knyght, But syr Gye, that ys so wyght, Line 4416 That schulde haue done so wele allone, But yf that he had be slone. ¶ Then sye y come many and thycke

Of [Of before Lorens omitted in MS.] Lorens and of Lumbardes wycke. Line 4420 All þey sayled me, euery man: I myght not defende me than. Y toke my lemman me behynde And rode forthe, as the wynde. Line 4424 They chasyd me that ylke day: Fro the stedde y wanne away. Tyll hyt came to darke nyght, Euyn they folowed me ryght. Line 4428 All þat londe thorowe y rode, Tyll y came to a watur brode. Schyppe myght y there fynde none. They chasyd me þedur euerychone. Line 4432 Brode and depe the watur was, And odur wey myght y not passe. [folio 189b:1] I hastyd me vpon my stede, That was gode at euery nede: Line 4436 The watur y toke and passyd wele Wyth goddys grace euery dele. Forthe y wente a gode pase: Ther durste no man come, þere y was. Line 4440 ¶ Hedur y came to thys foreste Wyth my lemman, y louyd beste. I wente, none had be in þys wode, That wolde haue done me, but gode. Line 4444 What for wakyng and for fastynge, What for trauell and for fyghtynge, I restyd me on thys grownde And [MS. A.] felle aslepe in a stownde Line 4448 And tyed my hors tyll a tre: My lemman sate before me. Then came theuys fyftene, Bolde men and eke kene. Line 4452 All slepynge þey woundyd me:

I am dedde, as thou mayste see. Sythen þey toke Ozelde, þat maye, And my stede and wente awaye. Line 4456 ¶ I haue þe tolde now all my lyfe, How y haue bene in mekyll stryfe. Of the dethe geue y noght: On þat maye ys all my thoght. Line 4460 Of þe þeuys she getyþ grete shame. God venge me for hys holy name. Thou haste harde now my care: I wot, y may leue no mare. Line 4464 Yn goddys name y conyure the, That þy trowþe þou plyght to me: As soone, as þat y am dedde, Thou bere me to some gode stedde, Line 4468 To churche or to abbaye, Or y be any wylde bestus praye. To þe ȝondur hylle, loke, þat þou fare, And þe theuys þou schalt fynde þare. Line 4472 Yf þou myght þem confownde And þe theuys brynge to grownde, [folio 189b:2] Thou mayste wynne to þyn honde The fayrest maydyn in þys londe Line 4476 And also the beste stede, That euer knyght rode on at nede: Y wan hym in paynym londe Owt of a sarsyns honde. Line 4480 For hym men bydde me at a tyme Fyftene castels of stone and lyme And xv cytees, þe beste on molde, And also many horsys chargyd wyth golde: Line 4484 All þat me badde a sarsyn kynge. He was tryste in all fowndynge. My schylde and spere here thou take And helpe þe maydyn for my sake. Line 4488 Thynke on þy trowthe and do þy myght:

God the helpe in my ryght.'