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 wendyþ Gye faste away: He wolde not ȝelde hym þat day. Þer came knyȝtys on euery syde Yonge and of moche pryde. Line 6692

Line 6692 Wyth the helpe of þat cuntre They chasyd Gye grete plente. Gye rode faste thorow þat londe: A grete foreste there he fonde. Line 6696 Ofte he turned them hys [hys omitted in MS.] vysage And dud them grete owtrage. Many a wownde awey þey bere And many slayne eke in fere. Line 6700 ¶ Gye on hys stede rode faste: Fro þem all soon he paste. The erle and hys companye, Ageyne they went hastelye. Line 6704 He toke hys sone, that was dedde, And beryed hym in a holy stedde. All that day Gye dud ryde (He wolde not there abyde), Line 6708 Tyll hyt were on a nodur morne: He sawe Loreyn hym beforne. He knewe that cuntre: He wente to that cyte. Line 6712 All hys men þere he fonde, That were for hym sore dredeande. [folio 204a:2] All they made gode chere, When þey sawe Gye hole and fere. Line 6716 He tolde þem all, or he wolde blynne, What parell that he was ynne. Then they þankyd seynt Mychell, That he was delyuyrd so well. Line 6720 ¶ When he had a stownde dwellyd þare, Into Ynglonde wolde he fare. He toke leue of dewke Loyere And he hym bad on feyre manere Line 6724 Of hys tresure for to take And þat he schulde hyt not forsake. Of the tresure kepte he noght:

On odur thynge was hys þoght. Line 6728 To Tyrrye went Gyown And schewyd hym hys reson. 'Tyrrye,' he seyde, 'y wyl fare: Into Ynglonde y wyll ȝare Line 6732 For to see there my kynne To wyt, what state þat þey be ynne. I wot not, whethur þey be leueande, And therfore y wyll passe þe sande. Line 6736 Thys vii yere y sawe not thame: [MS. them.] For sothe, therfore y am to blame. Yf anythynge come to the, What some euyr that hyt bee, Line 6740 Sende to me for anythynge, And y wyll come wythowte lettynge. Now þou haste þy wyfe hende And all þy warre broght to an ende: Line 6744 Thyn enmyse, they be slone, For soþe, that y knowe, euerychone. In pese now ys all thy londe: Ther dar no man brynge þe warre on honde. Line 6748 Thou art holdyn of pryce, [y in pryce altered from some other letter in MS.] Therfore the wyll drede thyn enmyse. I schall the sende my messengere: Thou do also, my brodur dere. Line 6752 Myselfe wyll come to þe some day, [folio 204b:1] And þat schall be, when þat y may.' ¶ 'Syr,' seyde Tyrrye, 'gramercye! I am sorowfull, sekerlye. Line 6756 Thou haste me sauyd fro þe dedde In mony a dyuers stedde. Yf þou wylte now wende fro me Y not, whethur euer y schall þe see. Line 6760

Line 6760 Then schall myn enmyse [Perhaps we ought to read When myn enmyse schall.] wyt full wele, How we be departyd euery dele: The Almayns wyll geue me were, Wyth þer myght þey me wyll dere. Line 6764 They be of Otons kynne, And many a lande ys therynne. I schall be in grete stryfe Euyr, whyll that y haue lyfe. Line 6768 Yf we be togedur here, Me þar not drede on no manere. Yf ye wyll dwelle wyth me, Castels and cytees y schall geue þe Line 6772 (The beste, that in thys londe be, Schall be thyn, so mote y the) And dwelle wyth þe dewke Loyere: All Gormoyse ye schall haue here. Line 6776 I sey wyth my herte, god hyt wote, Schall y neuyr chalenge fote Of all Gormoyse eche a thynge, Not so moche, as a farthynge.' Line 6780 ¶ 'Tyrrye, bydde me no more: Hyt ys no saluynge for my sore. I desyre that londe fayne And for þy loue y wolde turne agayne. Line 6784 Yf hyt ne were for my lemman dere, I wolde not go fro the here. Togedur we wolde be, wythowte othynge, Tyll we came to endynge. Line 6788 Dere brodur, let be thy care: Y wyll come ageyne full ȝare.' They kyste togedur ryght thore And wepte wyth ther eyen sore. [folio 204b:2] Line 6792 Ther was none, when Gye dud goo, But he wepte wyth hys eyen twoo. ¶ Gye lepe on a softe palfray

And he wente forthe on hys way. Line 6796 The erle lefte stylle thare: For Gye he made moche care. Gye, forthe euyr dud he ryde, Tyll he came to the see syde. Line 6800 A schyppe he fonde and gode fare: Into Ynglonde he came ȝare. To Wynchestur he came ryght: The kynge was þere wyth myght. Line 6804 When he came to that cyte, Agenste hym came þe kynge free. All the men of that cuntre Preysed Gye for hys bewte. Line 6808 The kynge hym nome abowte þe halse And wyth yoye [h blotted out before yoye in MS.] he kyste hym alse. All men of hym had ferlye, That he had passed so, syr Gye. Line 6812 ¶ At the chesses vpon a day Gye wyth the kynge dud play. Then came knyghtys prekande: 'Syr,' they seyde, 'here tythande. Line 6816 A beste ys comen to the lande: Ther may no man agenste hym stande. He ys comyn fro Yrelande: Moche care he bryngyþ on hande. Line 6820 He sleyth bothe beste and man And all, that euer he fynde can. He ys a dredefull beste: Hys hedde ys black and wyth þe meste; Line 6824 Hys wombe ys black, hys rygg donne, Hys body ys gretter þen a tonne. Wyngys he hath on euery syde: Hys body ys longe and vnryde Line 6828 (Skales he hath all abowte: Of no wepon he þar not dowte),

Hys breste brode and black skynne. At hys mowthe a stede myght ynne. [folio 205a:1] Line 6832 Powes he hath, as a lyon. He ys an vgle, fowle dragon. Hys tayle ys grete and þerto longe. Ther ys no knyȝt halfe so stronge, Line 6836 Were he armed neuer so wele, But, and þe dragon hyt hym wele Wyth hys tayle a lytull mynte, But he schulde dye of that dynte.' Line 6840 ¶ When the kynge harde well, What they seyde, euery dell, He was in sorowe stronge: He myght not speke aftur longe. Line 6844 'Syr,' seyde Gye, 'let be thy thoght: Of þat beste drede the noght. I schall wende to that cuntre And, yf that beste fowndyn bee, Line 6848 I schall hym sloo wyth force and myght And come ageyne anon ryght.' 'Nay,' seyde the kynge to Gyown, 'Ye schall not wende owt of þys towne, Line 6852 But wyth yow an hundurd knyȝtys or two: All the sykerer may ye goo.' Gye hym answeryd hastelye: 'God forbede and seynt Marye, Line 6856 That for a beste all oonlye Men schulde brynge soche compenye.' ¶ Gye toke hys leue wythowten more, And to hys ynne he went thore. Line 6860 He hym dyght soone that day: To that beste he toke þe way. Hys felows wolde wyth hym wende: He wolde not let þem, so god me mende. Line 6864 Wolde he none let wyth hym goo, But syr Harrowde and odur twoo.

¶ When he þedur came, syr Gye, There he sawe the beste lye, Line 6868 Gye hym armed soone then: Sythen he comawndyd all hys men, [folio 205a:2] That none were so hardye To come to hym, þogh he schulde dye. Line 6872 Vndur an hylle went syr Gye, There as, he sawe, þe beste dud lye. Gye sate vpon hys stede: Of hym he had grete drede. Line 6876 He smote hym wyth hys spere faste: Hyt brake in pecys at the laste. So thyck was hys skynne, That he myȝt not thorow wynne. Line 6880 ¶ When the beste feled the dynte, Wyth hys hedde he dud mynte. To Gye he starte, as he wolde wede, And smote hym downe and hys stede. Line 6884 There was Gye stonyed sore: Soche a dynte had he neuer ore. Gye starte vp and lay not longe. 'God,' he seyde, 'of myght so stronge, Line 6888 That madyst bothe day and nyght And dyed on tre for synfull wyght And sauyd Sampson fro the lyon, Kepe me to day fro thys dragon.' Line 6892 ¶ Hys swyrde anon he drewe owte: To þat beste he starte full stowte. Before the hedde dud he smyte, But the swyrde wolde not byte. Line 6896 So grete wondur had Gye there, That no wepon myght hym dere. He was now in batell stronge: The dragon faght agenste hym longe. Line 6900 As Gye assayled hym in the place, Hym befelle auenturs case:

So nye Gye the beste wente, That wyth hys pawes he hym rente Line 6904 The pecys of hys hawberke, That was boþe stalworthe and starke. In aventure was Gye than: To a tre faste he ranne [folio 205b:1] Line 6908 To loke, yf he myght better fare, And for to defende hym thare. He on Gye faste dud bete And wyth hys tayle faste he dud hym smete Line 6912 Thorow þe schelde in a stownde, That Gye felle flat to þe grownde. ¶ Than there a lytull whyle Gye was in grete paryle: Line 6916 He foldyd hys tayle hym abowte, That he myght not on no syde owte. Hys tayle was grett and vnryde: He brake two rybbes in Gyes syde. Line 6920 Gye seyde: 'y am but dedde, But god sende me þe bettur redde.' He smote hym þere wyth all hys myght Aboue þe tayle in two full ryght. Line 6924 Wyth grete angwysche and wyth woo At þat tyme he wanne hym fro. Then perseyuyd Gye full wele, That no wepon made of stele Line 6928 Fro the tayle to the heuydde [MS. hedde.] Myght hym not þe lyfe haue reuydde. ¶ The beste hym felyd smetyn sore: He caste a crye and a rore. Line 6932 Thorow þat cuntre was the dynne: All myght here, þat was þerynne. Ther was no man, þat herde þat crye, But that they wente for to dye. Line 6936 Ȝyt ranne Gye abowte the tre:

He þoght, fro hym he wolde not fle. [fle written twice, but the first time blotted out.] Hys hawberke þere was all torente: Hys body was full nere schente. Line 6940 At the laste Gye hym bethoght, To smyte before hyt helpyþ noght. As the dragon was turnande, Gye had hys swyrde in hys hande: Line 6944 Euyn betwene the wyngys twoo He smote the body almoste a too. He felle downe and myght no more, [folio 205b:2] But beganne to crye and rore. Line 6948 Gye wythdrewe hym sone than [MS. then.] : For grete stynke he was nye slane. [MS. slayne.] He restyd hym vpon the playne: Of hys dede he was full fayne. Line 6952 ¶ When Gye had rested hym well, He rose and mett hym euery delle: Syxty fote was he longe. Therof men had wondur stronge: Line 6956 All, that came be the way, Wondurd on hym, þere he lay. The hedde of soone he schare. To the kynge a man hyt bare: Line 6960 To Ȝorke the hed dud he brynge And presentyd hyt to the kynge, And wyth a grete precessyowne They broght Gye to the towne. Line 6964 At Ȝorke the hed was hangyd þan: Theron lokyd many a man. ¶ He toke leue at þe kynge thare And to Walyngforde dud he fare. Line 6968 The kynge was then full blythe And thankyd god fele sythe. Longe was paste, wythowte lesynge,

Or he of hym harde more tythynge. Line 6972 Hys fadur was dedde longe gone: Odur heyre, [heyre and he omitted in MS.] bote he, [heyre and he omitted in MS.] was ther none. ¶ Gye callyd Harrowde on a day, That hym had seruyd aye: Line 6976 He gaue hym þe castell and þe towre And all hys londe wyth honowre. To euery knyght ferre and nere, Lesse and more, that wyth hym were, Line 6980 That had bene wyth hym in fyght, He gaue þem waryson full ryght. ¶ To Warwyk dud he wende And þere he fonde þe erle so hende, Line 6984 That honowred hym wyth hys myght: So dud all the londe, baron and knyght. [folio 206a:1] The erle dud hym honowre aye And wolde not leue hym an owre of a day: Line 6988 They went to þe wode and to þe ryvere To solace them on all manere. ¶ He tolde Felyce all hys wylle and lyfe, And, how he was bedyn ryche wyfe, Line 6992 Kyngys doghtur and emperowre, And wyth hur moche honowre: 'Of them all wolde y noght, For on yow was all my thoght.' Line 6996 ¶ 'Syr,' sche seyde, 'gramercye! I yow sey, sekerlye: For me þer hath be preyere Of kynge and dewke ferre and nere. Line 7000 Of them all wolde y nane: Ye had my loue wyth yow tane. I am yowrys (hyt ys skylle) To do wyth me at yowre wylle.' Line 7004 ¶ Gye hur kyste wyth yoye than: He was neuer so gladde a man.

He toke hys leue and home wente: Of myrthe and yoye was hys entente. Line 7008 He made yoye nyght and day, When he was seker of þat maye. ¶ Hyt happenyd, þe erle calde hys doghtere And resonyd hur on hys manere Line 7012 And seyde: 'doghtur, odur heyre haue y noon Nor neuer schall haue, but þe allone. Hyt were tyme, þou toke an husbonde Aftur my day to kepe my londe. Line 7016 Dewkys dyuers of farre cuntre Haue comen for to aske the: Of þem all wolde þou none. How longe schalt þou maydyn gone?' Line 7020 'Syr, y schall yow the sothe say Be the space of the thrydde day.' ¶ When the þrydde day was gone, The erle came ageyne anone. Line 7024 'Doghtur, now wyll y wytt, [folio 206a:2] Haste þou takyn þy cowncell ȝyt?' 'Syr,' sche seyde, 'blame me noght, Yf that y telle yow now my thoght. Line 7028 Hyt ys Gye, the nobull knyght, That y haue louyd wyth all my myght: Sertys, but yf he haue me, Weddyd schall y neuyr bee.' Line 7032 'Doghtur,' he seyde, 'for thy reson Haue þou goddys benyson, When þou desyrest soche a knyght, That may mayntene [MS. maytene.] my londe wyth ryȝt. Line 7036 I had leuyr, then thys cyte, That Gye wolde haue the. He hath forsakyn, be thys day, The loue of many a ryche maye, Line 7040 Dewkys doghtur and emperowre,

That were and are of grete valowre. Y schall wytt, so mote y the, Of hym wythynne þese dayes thre, Line 7044 What he wyll sey, trewlye, Whyll þou louest hym so specyallye.' ¶ Gye and he wente on a day To the wode them to play: Line 7048 Venyson they had plente. The erle callyd Gye in preuyte: 'Gye,' he seyde, 'y prey the here, Telle me þy wylle on all manere. Line 7052 What tyme wyll yow weddyd bee? I prey yow, leyne hyt not fro me.' 'Syr,' quod Gye, 'y schall the say, In all the worlde ys no maye, Line 7056 But oon, that euer y wyll wedde, And brynge hur vnto my bedde.' ¶ 'Gye,' he seyde, 'loke in a throwe: I haue a doghtur, þat ye well knowe. Line 7060 I haue no heyre, but hur, lyueande: Sche wyll be yowrys, y vndurstande. I geue hur the wyth herte free, [folio 206b:1] And lorde of my londe schalt þou bee.' Line 7064 To þe erle tho spake Gye And seyde: 'syr, for yowre profur gramercye! I had leuyr the body all bare Of yowre doghtur wythowten mare, Line 7068 Then þe doghtur of þe emperowre Wyth all hys londe and hys honowre.' ¶ The erle anone kyssed Gye And thankyd hym full curteslye: Line 7072 'Now wote y,' quod he, 'full well, That ye loue me, be seynt Mychell, That ye wyll my doghtur take And soche ladyes for to forsake. Line 7076 From hens be the seuynth day

Schall be the weddynge, yf y may: At Warwyk, myn owne cyte, There schall that ryche brydale bee. Line 7080 All the lordys of thys cuntre, At that brydale schall they be.' 'Syr,' quod Gye, 'y wyll fulfylle Yowre ordynaunce at yowre wylle.' Line 7084 ¶ Syr Gye tolde Harrowde euery dele, How the erle seyde, full wele. 'Harrowde, now may y synge, That y haue wonne that swetynge, Line 7088 That y trauelde fore day and nyght, And euer hur louyd wyth all my myght.' ¶ Now ys the weddynge ordeyned soone: There the brydale schulde be done, Line 7092 There came grete meyne, Lordys of many a cuntre, Dewkys, erlys and baronage, Knyghtys, squyers of grete lynage. Line 7096 The mayde was rychelye dyght And weddyd to Gye, þat nobull knyght. A ryche brydale was ordeyned thare: Hyt stode fowrtene nyghtys and mare. [folio 206b:2] Line 7100 There were mynstrels on all manere: Moche yoye there men myght here. Ther was none so lytull a grome, But þey had gyftys of syr Gyowne. Line 7104 He gaue them robes many oon: Golde nor syluyr he wantyd none. ¶ They partyd on the fyftenyth day: Euery man wente hys owne waye. Line 7108 Gye had of yoye hys fylle, When he had of Felyce hys wylle. Fyfty dayes and no mare Lasted hur [þer?] yoye wythowten care. Line 7112

Line 7112 ¶ Hyt felle on the furste nyght, When Gye laye wyth that wyght, He gate of hur a man chylde, That afturwarde was full mylde. Line 7116 ¶ For the gode, that god made, Fylle the cuppe and make vs glade.