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 ...

That ylke day þey rode faste. Sone they sye at þe laste Besyde þem a [a added over the line.] feyre playne: Therof was þe dewke fayne. Line 5428 He bad them all downe lyght To reste þer horsys a lytull wyght. Hyt was hote that ylke day, As they had redyn aftur þe way. Line 5432 Sone, when þey lyght downe,

Vp rose dewke Otown. ¶ 'Herkyn,' he seyde, 'owre companye Of Loren and of Payuye: Line 5436 All, þat euer now be here On þe dewkys halfe Loyere, I comawnde yow, wythowte more Take the trayturs, that be þore, Line 5440 And loke, that ye them bynde [folio 196a:1] All ther handys þem behynde. We schall them to Loreyn brynge And dampne þem on galowse to hynge. Line 5444 He, that spareth any of alle, In the same jugement he schall falle.' ¶ The Lumbardes starte vp full bolde As thycke, as schepe do in folde, Line 5448 And wyth them knyghtys of Loreyne, That of the dede were fayne. Tyrre was besett abowte: They helde hym in, he myȝt not owte. Line 5452 They toke Tyrre at that fyght And also syr Harrowde the wyght. ¶ 'Dewke Loyer,' seyde Gyowne, 'Why haue ye do thys treson? Line 5456 I helde yow for a gode knyght, Tyll hyt was nowe ryght. Were we not kyste [e in kyste and n in barons gone (worm-hole).] and made at oon Before the barons [e in kyste and n in barons gone (worm-hole).] euerychone? Line 5460 Ye haue trowed dewke Oton, That euer was lefe to doo treson. Had ye neuer thys thynge wroght, But be Otons avyse and thoght.' Line 5464 Grete dole had dewke Loyere: He myght not speke a worde there. He rode owte at the oon syde: For dole he myght no lenger abyde. Line 5468

Line 5468 ¶ Than starte forthe a gode knyght, A bolde man and a wyght. Be the mantell toke he Gye Wyth grete yre, wytterlye, Line 5472 That the lace brake in thre: Many a man hyt can see. Gye hym turned sone hote And wyth hys fyste he hym smote. Line 5476 He rose no more for to fyght, For sothe, as y the behyght. They assayled faste syr Gye, The Lumbardes, wyth grete trecherye, [folio 196a:2] Line 5480 That hys robe of sendell Was reuyn in pecys euery delle. Euery man a pece hente: All the robe was torente. Line 5484 Gye wyth strenkyth dud vp lepe And fellyd mony on a hepe. Hys stede sone he bestrode And lepe on hym, as he were wode. Line 5488 He smote the stede in the syde: Forthe of the place dud he ryde. ¶ When he hym sye, the dewke Oton, That syr Gye was so gone, Line 5492 Lowde he cryed to hys meyne: 'Lepe on yowre stedys: what do ye? And faste ye [part of h blotted out before ye in MS.] haste aftur Gye. For goddys loue, be redye: Line 5496 Yf he passe, y am schente. Hym to take do yowre entente. Be god, þat made boþe nyght and day, Yf he fro yow passe away, Line 5500 I schall yow sloo wyth myn hande All, that be of my lande; And he, þat bryngyth hym quyck or dedde,

He schall haue golde redde Line 5504 And odur ryches, y yow say, All my lande aftur my day.' ¶ Aftur Gye rode many a knyght, Two hundurde wele ydyght. Line 5508 They chasyd Gye, he flewe allone: Wepon had he neuer oone. Hym to slee or to take All abowte hym dud they schake. Line 5512 Forthe starte oon of that lande Wyth helme on hedde and spere in hande. To Gye he rode wyth dyspyte: Thorow þe body he wolde hym smyte, Line 5516 But god wolde not, þat he had skathe. Gye bare hys spere downe rathe: Betwene hys arme and hys syde [folio 196b:1] The spere awey feyre dud glyde. Line 5520 Hyt carue hys skynne in manere: He thoght, hyt came a lytull to nere. Gye hym turned, as he had nede: He smote hym downe of hys stede. Line 5524 Fro hym passyd tho syr Gye: A nodur came full hastelye. He bare a swerde [MS. spere.] wele growne: Be Gyes syde þe stroke felle downe Line 5528 Into the sadull a large fote. Gye flewe faste: god hyt wote. ¶ They hym folowed swythe faste. Gye lokyd besyde hym at þe laste: Line 5532 A polle he sawe a man bere. He rode to hym in feyre manere: 'Geue me that powle, dere frende, And, as y am a knyght hende, Line 5536 I schall the quyte thys ylke day Also sone as euyr y maye

And he answeryd: 'hende knyght, Ye schall hyt haue anon ryght. Line 5540 Well y see thy traueyle: [MS. trauell.] God the helpe, þat wyll not fayle.' In hys hande he toke the polle And hym defendyd, be my nolle. Line 5544 The furste man, [part of h blotted out before man in MS.] he mett þore, Wyth [Wythe originally in MS., but e is erased.] the polle he stroke sore: He smote hys necke euyn in two And toke þe stede and can goo, Line 5548 Tyll he came to that man: 'Haue thys stede,' quod Gye than; 'Take thys for thy gode dede: God quyte the thy mede.' Line 5552 'Knyght,' he seyde, 'gramercye!' Vp he lepe and went in hye, And forthe wente syr Gyowne: He spared nodur felde nor towne. Line 5556 Ther was neuer ȝyt no knyght, [folio 196b:2] That defendyd hym so in fyght. When he had nede in the fyght, He hym defendyd, as a knyght, Line 5560 Tyl he came to a watur brode: In he wente and ouyr he rode. Ther durste [r of durste added over the line.] none aftur hym þere passe, For the watur so stronge was. Line 5564 Ageyne they turned euerychone Vnto the dewke Oton. That Gye was passyd so allone, He blamed hys men euerychone. Line 5568 ¶ 'Syr dewke Loyere,' seyde Oton, 'He ys paste, that false felon. To Payue now let vs dyght

To wedde Ozelde, þat maye bryght. Line 5572 Tyrrye and Harrowde schall wende wyth me: In my pryson schall [sc of schall gone (worm-hole).] they bee (They schall haue [u of haue gone (worm-hole).] no harme for me, But as ye thynke, so mote y the), Line 5576 Tyll that ye wyll do yowre wylle Of þem bothe, as hyt ys skylle. The todur knyghtys take wyth yow And kepe þem for yowre own prowe.' Line 5580 ¶ 'Dewke Oton,' quod Loyere, 'Hyt schall not be so, be seynt Rogere. Take the erle Tyrrye wyth the And, yf þou wylt haue þe loue of me, Line 5584 Kepe hym to hys honowre, For he ys a knyght of grete valowre. Kepe hym wele, for hyt ys skylle, Tyll y wytt, what y do wylle. Line 5588 Harrowde, wende wyth me to towne: I schall the put in my pryson. That ye kepe hym, wyll y noght: Thou woldyst hym sloo, hyt ys þy þoght.' Line 5592 There þey kyssed and toke ther leue: Ther was none of þem, þat wolde odur greue. ¶ To Loren wente dewke Loyere [folio 197a:1] And wyth hym Harrowde wyth euyll chere. Line 5596 The dewke Oton to Payuye wente: He toke wyth hym that maydyn gente, So he dud the erle Tyrrye, That was a man full sorye. Line 5600 Wyth a thonge þe dewke dud hym bynde Bothe hys handes hym behynde. He set hym on a bare palfrey And led hym vnto Payuye. Line 5604 When Ozelde sye hym so dyght, Of hur hors sche felle downe ryght.

Sche swownyd then ofte for woo: Sche þoȝt, hur herte wolde breke in two. Line 5608 ¶ When the dewke lokyd on that maye, He can to hur sone saye: 'Woman,' quod he, 'art thou madde, When thou for an harlat ladde Line 5612 Makyste dole in soche manere? I the swere be seynt Rogere: Make þou dole, that y may see, And y schall hym slee before þy nye. Line 5616 Dere lemman, be gladde and blythe. We schall come to Payuye swythe: There schalt þou weddyd bee And wele at ese þou schalt hym see. Line 5620 I schall hym serue on all manere, Yf thou wylt make gode chere.' ¶ 'God yow ȝelde,' quod that maye; 'But of oon thynge y wolde yow pray: Line 5624 That xl dayes ye wolde hyt respyte. Ye may me not moche wyte: Be that y schall be redy in bowre, That ye may me wedde wyth honowre.' Line 5628 'I graunte the þat, my swete maye.' Wyth þat to Payue he toke þe waye, But sche thoght a nodur þynge: Or he schulde abowte þe spowsage brynge, Line 5632 Sche wolde in hur bowre allone Wyth a knyfe hurselfe slone. [folio 197a:2] Sche had cowmforte of a thynge, That Gye was paste wythowte hurtynge. Line 5636 Sche hopyd thorow Gyes cowncell To haue helpe be some wyle And, that Tyrre hur lemman Thorow hym fro prison schulde be tane. Line 5640 ¶ Wyth that to Payuye were þey broght. The dewke Oton forgate noght,

He dud Tyrrye in hys pryson In a pytt depe there downe. Line 5644 Whyll þat he in pryson laye, He myȝt not wytt, when hyt was daye. Mete nor drynke had he nane. Gye sone bethoght hym than: Line 5648 He made [e written over the line.] sorowe nyght and day For Tyrrye, that in pryson laye. ¶ Of Gye to speke ys my redde, That god had sauyd fro the dedde. Line 5652 When he was paste þe watur vnryde, He lokyd abowte on euery syde. He sawe, he was there allone: Felowe had he there none. Line 5656 He þoght on hys felows gode And for sorowe he waxe nere wode. 'Lorde,' he seyde, 'how schall y fare? Y am full of sorowe and care. Line 5660 I haue lorne gode Harrawte And syr Tyrrye, wythowte defawte. Wele y wot, þey schall be slane, Wythowte othe, now þey be tane. Line 5664 Allas,' he seyde, 'dewke Loyere, How myȝtyst þou do on þys manere? As for the dewke Oton, He hath done euyr treson: Line 5668 But for cawse of hys fauowre Thou schalt be holde a traytowre. Lorde, how schall y wyth þe emperowre fare? Amonge þem may y come no mare. [folio 197b:1] Line 5672 When y came to thys cuntre, He sende me knyȝtys gode and free To helpe me, when mystere ware, And þey be now in grete care. Line 5676 Now haue y not so lytull a grome

To holde my hors, where þat y come. Allas,' he seyde, 'for Tyrrye! We be departyd, sekerlye. Line 5680 I trowe, y schall the neuer see: My lyfe y schall lose for the. And Oton schall haue Ozell, Yf sche hur kepe neuer so well. Line 5684 Fro the dethe schall y not flee, Tyll that y avengyd bee.' ¶ All that day Gye dud ryde Thorow þe lande, þat was vnryde. Line 5688 At the laste he sye nerehande A castell be a watur stande. There he þoght to dwelle all nyght, For no forther he ne myght. Line 5692 At the gate he fonde a knyght: He was curtes and wele dyght. Be hym stode knyghtys thre: He hym beþoght, whych lorde schulde be. Line 5696 'Knyght,' quod Gye, 'god the see, That for vs dyed vpon a [a added over the line.] tree. I am a knyght of farre cuntre: I aske harbowre for charyte.' Line 5700 The lorde answeryd on feyre manere: 'Syr, ye schall be welcome here.' He made oon hys hors to stabull lede, 'And kepe hym, as myn owne stede.' Line 5704 ¶ The lorde was curtes þerewythall And ledde Gye to the halle. He toke a mantell of ryche colowre And caste on Gye for hys honowre. Line 5708 Then seyde the lorde vnto syr Gye: 'Syr, y the beseche specyallye, [folio 197b:2] Telle me, what ys thy name, Who þou art and fro whens þou came.' Line 5712

Line 5712 Then seyde Gye: 'y schall þe say, Syth that ye me so feyre pray. Gye of Warwyk men clepe me: I am knowyn in many a cuntre.' Line 5716 'I kenne þe wele for a knyght hende: Some tyme þou were my frende. Y was then yowre squyere: Ye louyd me wyth yowre powere. Line 5720 Ye made me knyght wyth yowre hande And ledde me sythen to many a [MS. to my.] lande To justes and to bordys: [MS. bordes.] Then was y of grete pryce. Line 5724 Sythen toke y wyfe, as ye may see, Ames de la Mowntayn, so mote y thee.' ¶ Also sone as Gye hyt wyste, Well hartelye he hym kyste. Line 5728 Then seyde Ames: 'where haue ye gone In thys londe [e in londe gone (worm-hole).] thus allone? Me þynkyth, þat ye haue had tene, As ye had yn grete batayle bene. Line 5732 Where be all yowre meyne, And syr Harrawde, where ys hee?' Then seyde Gye: 'y schall the telle All my case, how hyt felle.' Line 5736 There he tolde lesse and more, How he fonde Tyrrye sore And how þat he broght hym home To helpe hys fadur fro schome Line 5740 And how þat þey were betrayedde echeon At a parlement, that they had tane, And how he was paste away Wyth angwysche that ylke day Line 5744 And how Harrowde and Tyrrye Were takyn to pryson, sekerlye,

'And wyth þem fyue hundurde knyȝtys bolde: All, y wote, they be in holde, Line 5748 I wot not, whedur qwyck or dedde: Therfore sory ys my redde.' [folio 198a:1] ¶ When Gye had tolde euery dele Of hys wo and of hys wele, Line 5752 Then seyde Ames: 'syr, a whyle be stylle And here me, yf hyt be thy wylle. I haue nodur castell nor towre In thys londe wyth honowre, Line 5756 But they schall be at thy wylle And my men lowde and stylle. Fyue hundurd knyghtys may y brynge To helpe yow in all thynge. Line 5760 Wyth my strenkyth and my meyne, That be in thys cuntre, We schall wrath þe dewke Oton And stroye hys castels and hys towne. Line 5764 Wele schall ye vengyd bee On the dewke and hys meyne. We schall neuer fro hys lande gone, Or that he be takyn and slone.' Line 5768 ¶ 'Syr,' seyde Gye, 'gramercye! Hyt were to longe, wytterlye, For to gedur ooste so stronge: The vengeawnce wolde dwelle to longe. Line 5772 I schall sone vengyd bee: Fro the dethe y wyll not flee.' Gye syxe dayes was thare: Euyr he had sorowe and care. Line 5776 Ames cowmfortyd hym well þan, For hym he was a sory man. Ames wolde wyth hym wende: 'Do wey,' seyde Gye, 'my dere frende.' Line 5780 Ames ys stylle, Gye toke the waye: For hym bad Ames ofte that day,

That god, for hys grete grace, Schylde hym fro schame in þat place. Line 5784 ¶ Now ys Gye to Payuye towne: He þoght to do schame to Otown. He smeryd hym, or he came there, Hys vysage and hys yelowe here Line 5788 Wyth a black oyntmente, [folio 198a:2] That he was black and beschente. Ther was none so wyse a man, That cowde Gye knowe than. Line 5792 At Payuye he fonde dewke Oton: Herke, how he shewyd hys reson ¶ 'Syr dewke,' he seyde, 'god [q blotted out before god in MS.] the see: A ryche man thou art of poste. Line 5796 Comyn y am fro ferre cuntre Day and nyght to seke the. I haue þe broght þe beste stede, That euer knyght rode on at nede. Line 5800 Furste hym wanne a sarsyn, Sythen y had hym of my cosyn. Ther ys none in þys worlde so wyght Lyon nor swalowe nor fowle in flyght: Line 5804 Yf a dromande were seylande, He wolde passe hym be the lande. In the see the grete brymme He wyll sone ouyr swymme. Line 5808 Yf ye leue not, that y say, I wyll hyt preue thys ylke day. He hath an euyll manere: Ther ys no man, þat comeþ hym nere, Line 5812 He wyll hym slee day or nyght, But yf that y kepe hym myght.' ¶ Then seyde Oton: 'gramercye! Hyt ys a feyre gyfte, wytterlye. Line 5816 Thou schalt dwelle wyth thy stede:

Golde and syluyr schall be þy mede. I haue mystere of soche a stede For to ryde on at my nede. Line 5820 Of myn enmyse y haue tane A grete parte, but oon ys gane. God, that dyed on a tre, Geue, he were in my poste: Line 5824 Hys lyfe dayes were awaye; He schulde be hongyd ȝyt to day.' ¶ 'Syr,' quod Gye, 'for the trynyte, What traytur may that bee?' [folio 198b:1] Line 5828 'My frende,' he seyde, 'be thys day, Gye he hyght, wythowte delaye, Of Warwyk, that thefe stronge: He wyll do me mekyll wronge.' Line 5832 'Syr, full wele know y Gye: God wolde, that he stode me bye. He slewe my brodur ones in fyght: I wolde be vengyd, yf y myght. Line 5836 Knowe ye not oon Tyrrye? That ys my dedlye enmye: He slewe my brodur, þat was me dere, Hyt ys not gone ȝyt halfe a yere. Line 5840 God let me neuyr dye in lande, Or y may venge me wyth my hande.' ¶ 'My frende,' seyde dewke Oton, 'I haue hym in my pryson. Line 5844 Y wyll, that þou kepe Tyrrye And do hym schame and vylanye.' 'Syr,' he seyde, 'gramercye! I schall yow sey, wytterlye: Line 5848 Y schall hym kepe ȝerlye and late. I trowe sone to chaunge hys state.' He gaue hym the keyes there And made hym hys geylere. Line 5852 The dewke askyd, what he hyght,

And he seyde . . . . . [So in MS.: a name, but not the right, or something to the same effect, is missing. See the note.] The dewke comawndyd, he shulde haue A feyre chaumbur and a knaue. Line 5856 Lytull wyste dewke Oton, Who schulde kepe hys pryson. ¶ For seynt Thomas loue of Cawnturberye, Fylle the cuppe and make vs mery. Line 5860