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 ...

My name ys erle Tyrrye. I was ryche, syr, sekerlye: Line 8820 Now am y a wreche and a caytyfe, Me forthynkyth, þat y haue lyfe. All Loren was to me sworne: In that londe y was borne. Line 8824 I had a felowe, þat hyght Gyown: Sythen god suffurde hys pascioun, Was neuer, þen he, a trewer borne. To be hys fere y haue sworne: Line 8828 A trewer man was neuer beforne. In Warwyke þere was he borne. We were felows trewtheplyght: We louyd well, hyt was ryght. Line 8832 Twyes he sauyd me fro the dyeng: He louyd me ouyr all other þynge;

Tyll hyt befelle, that syr Gye, That was my felowe trewlye, Line 8836 Slewe the dewke of Payuye: He had done hym velenye. Amonge hys knyghtys euerychone Gye hym slewe and passed anon Line 8840 And broght my lemman wyth hym [Perhaps we ought to read wyth hym my lemman. The Caius MS. p. 205, has, He brought from hym his leman dere.] dere, That y louyd on all manere. ¶ That dewke had a cosyne, That ys preuyd a felle hyne: Line 8844 Barrarde ys hys ryght name. Lorde god geue hym moche schame. He was then but a squyere And serued the emperere. Line 8848 The emperowre louyd hym wele And gaue hym Payuye euery dele. Thys ylke Barrarde tho beganne For to be a prowde man, [folio 218a:2] Line 8852 So prowde and so felle, That no man myght be hym dwelle. In þe worlde ys none hys pere, None so stalworthe nor none so fere. Line 8856 Men drede hym more allone, Then an hundurd knyghtys echone. Yf any man were armed wele Odur in yron or in stele, Line 8860 And he hyt hym in the felde, But he kepte hym wyth hys schelde, Wyth þe myght of hys swyrde dynte The hed schulde of, or hyt stynte. Line 8864 Thou harde neuer speke of soche a knyght: In all þys worlde þer ys none so wyght Nor none so stronge in thys lande, But, and he hyt hym wyth hys hande, Line 8868

Line 8868 He wolde breke hys neck in two Wyth oon dynte wythowten moo. Barrarde ys so felle a page And so stowte of hys corage, Line 8872 Ther ys no knyght in all þys londe Nor none so wyght of hys honde, And Barrarde were wroþe, þogh he were stowte, When he sawe hym loke abowte, Line 8876 But for feere he schulde quake And flee awey for hys sake. He ys wyght of hys honde And sore dredde þorow þe londe. Line 8880 Steward hym made þe emperowre And gaue hym feys to hys honowre. Men drede hym more allone, Then hys barons euerychone. Line 8884 Yf ther be dewke or erle in lande, But þey be to hym boweande, The steward wyll anone ryse And dystroye hym on all wyse: Line 8888 He schulde anone wyth hym be slane Or ellys to pryson sone be tane. Men drede hym moche þe more; [folio 218b:1] For, yf a pore man þer wore, Line 8892 And Barrarde hym louyd wyth herte fre, He myght be of moche poste. Dewke, erle or nobull knyght, Were he neuyr so ryche a wyght, Line 8896 Thogh he were prynce or kynge, And he [MS. þey.] greuyd hym anythynge, He wolde hym brynge vnto the grownde And make hym pore in schorte stownde. Line 8900 ¶ Hyt befelle, that the emperowre Helde a cowncell of grete valowre Of erlys, dewkys and barons

And to me he made somons, Line 8904 And thedur y wente wyth grete meyne: An hundurd knyghtys came wyth me. When y came before the kynge, Barrarde me askyd of soche thynge Line 8908 And seyde, Oton þorow my meyne Was broght to dethe, sekerlye. ¶ Forthe y starte full hardelye To defende me of felonye Line 8912 And ȝaue my gloue before þe kynge To fyght wythowten dwellynge Agenste hym and all odur men, That cowde oght sey agenste me þen. [MS. þan.] Line 8916 The emperowre hyt toke full ryght And set a day, when we schulde fyght. At that cowncell fonde y no man, That durste be my borowe than, Line 8920 For drede of the dewke Barrarde. The emperowre þen helde me harde. I was louyd more, then he, But he was drad in that cuntre. Line 8924 All my frendys dysseyuyd me: Ther durste not oon my borowe bee. I was sory at the laste: All dud me fayle, that y dud aske. Line 8928 Thorow cowncell of Barrarde I was then bestadde harde. [MS. harde bestadde. See the note.] [folio 218b:2] The emperowre put me at hys wylle In hys pryson for to spylle. Line 8932 He sesyd then my londe soone: He wolde my wyfe þen haue fordone, But sche hyed awey on hur stede, I wot not, whodur, so god me rede. Line 8936 ¶ When y was in pryson thare, Nyght and day y was in care.

Thorow me he wened to wynne Gye of Warwyke wyth some gynne. Line 8940 Were he vengyd vpon Gyown Wyth some maner of treson, Soone þen aftur schulde y be dedde: For me schulde go no golde redde. Line 8944 Yn that pryson was y longe And suffurde there peynes stronge. I sawe neuer there no lyght No more, þen hyt had be nyght. Line 8948 Y ete neuyr there my fylle Nor spake neuer þere wyth men [

MS. me. Cf. the Caius MS. p. 209:

Spake i neuer ther wyth man my fyll.] at wylle. ¶ My frendes came at the laste And preyed þe emperowre for me faste Line 8952 And gaue hym gyftes grete ynowe And to Barrard they dud also, That y myȝt wende fro pryson Thorowe thys condycyon, Line 8956 That y schulde wende to seke Gyown To euery lande and euery towne: I schulde not reste day nor nyght, Tyll y had fonde þat gentyll knyght, Line 8960 And brynge hym to the emperowre To defende hym, as a traytowre, Of that grete owtrage Before all hys baronage Line 8964 And to defende me that day Of þynge, þat men wolde to me say. ¶ Then y wente wyth grete care And in mony a londe haue y fare. Line 8968 I haue soght Gye in fere [Corrupt. See the note.] [folio 219a:1] Thorow Inglonde far and nere. When y came þere and fonde hym noght,

Then on Harrowde was all my thoght; Line 8972 And bothe were gone fro that lande, And that was wyckyd tythande. Men seyde, Harrowde bothe nyght and day Soght hys lordys sone, that was away, Line 8976 And Gye was in exsyle wente. Then me þoght, þat y was schente. Ther was no man, there y dud goo, That cowde telle me of þem two. Line 8980 And sythen haue y soght Gye þe fre In mony a straunge cuntre And y fonde neuer man be þe way, That oght of Gye cowde say. Line 8984 I can not thynke, but he ys dedde, And therfore sorowfull ys my redde.' Therwythall he wepyd sare: He was full of sorowe and care. Line 8988 ¶ When Gye sye Tyrrye, þe knyght, That was so doghty and so wyght, That he louyd so trewlye, He lokyd on hym soberlye. Line 8992 He was pore for þe nones, He had noþynge to hylle hys bones: Hys lymmes were bare and euyll beseyn, That some tyme were clad in scarlet in greyne. Line 8996 For dole Gye felle to the grownde: Ofte he swowned in that stownde. When Tyrrye hym sye falle to grownde, He toke hym vp in that stownde. Line 9000 Tyrrye seyde: 'be of gode harte. Me þynkyth, þys euyll holdyþ þe smarte. Telle me, yf hyt be thy wylle, How longe ye haue had thys euyll. Line 9004 Hyt [MS. Hys.] ys the fallynge euyll ryght, Therfore y hate hyt wyth my myght.'

'Hyt ys,' quod Gye, 'longe not agone, Sythe of thys euyll y had none.' [folio 219a:2] Line 9008 ¶ Tho seyde Tyrrye vnto Gye than: 'Hyt ys greuawnce to euery man. To day twelfmonyth, for soþe, hyt was Sythe y for Gye toke the pase, Line 9012 And sythen y dwellyd neuer a day, There y on the nyght laye. I haue bene ay trauelande, What be see and be lande. Line 9016 Hyt was me tolde wythowte fayle, At Spyre [

MS. sypurs. Cf. the Caius MS. p. 211:

At Spire ther shuld be a gret counceyle.] schulde be a cownsayle Of the emperowre Raynere, And all hys baronage schall be þere: Line 9020 Ther ys none in that cuntre, But he schall at þat cowncell bee. Hyt [MS. Ȝyt.] ys my terme daye To come, yf any happe be may Line 9024 To brynge Gye in my hande, Yf that he were lyueande. Yf y fynde hym nowhare, I may not come in þat lande no mare. Line 9028 Yf y come, y schall be dedde, And therfore y can no redde, Whedur y schall take þe wey fro þen Or ellys thedur turne ageyne.' Line 9032 ¶ Gye hym harde all sorowande: Vnnethe myȝt he vpryght stande. 'Lorde,' he seyde, 'of myght stronge, Why haue y leuyd þus so longe, Line 9036 That y see hym thus euyll dyght And thus pore a nobull knyght. A trewar felowe, þen he was oon,

Was neuer made of flesche and boon. Line 9040 Hangyd be y thys ylke daye, But y venge hym, and y maye [Corrupt. See the note.] Now may y speke my fylle: I haue my spyrytes somewhat at wylle. [Corrupt. See the note.] Line 9044 But y reue Barrarde hys lyfe Odur wyth swyrde or wyth knyfe And venge Tyrrye, my gode felowe, [folio 219b:1] God let neuer me of gode knowe.' Line 9048 Then spake Gye to syr Tyrrye: 'Pylgryme, be not sorye. Hyt may the helpe nothynge Sorowe to make or mornynge. Line 9052 No man may wete, be my hode, That we wyll proue for any gode [Seems corrupt. See the note.] . We wyll drawe nerehande, That we may here tythande, Line 9056 That we may the better bee.' 'Syr,' seyde Tyrrye, 'so schall hyt be.' ¶ They toke the wey to the cyte, And a sory man was Tyrrye. Line 9060 Gye goyth Tyrrye comfortynge, But in hys harte he made morenyng. Gye to wepe forbare nothynge, When he sawe Tyrrye so faste wepynge: Line 9064 He couyrde hys face wyth hys slaveyne, That Tyrrye schulde not knowe hys peyne. They were gone but myles thre In the way to that cyte: Line 9068 'Lorde,' seyde Tyrrye, 'what schall y do? Heuynes ys comen me too. But y slepe here a whyle, I dye, or y haue gone a myle.' Line 9072 'Syr,' seyde Gye, 'lye down stylle

A throwe and slepe all þy fylle. I schall for þe loue of the At thy hedde reste me.' Line 9076 'Syr,' seyde Tyrrye, 'gramercye! Thou doyst to me grete curtesye.' ¶ Now lythe Tyrrye on þe grownde And slepyd but a lytull stownde. Line 9080 Also faste as Tyrrye dud slepe, Also faste can Gye wepe. As Tyrrye lay in slomerynge, Owt of hys mowþe wente a þynge Line 9084 Also whyte, as any armyne. Gye lokyd theron wele and fyne. [folio 219b:2] To an hylle went hyt than And in at an hole hyt ranne. Line 9088 Hyt dwellyd not longe, os y yow say: Ageyn hyt came soon þat same day. In at þe mowthe dud hyt goo, There as hyt came froo. Line 9092 When Gye had þat syght sene, He had wondur, what hyt myȝt mene. [mene altered from men in MS. Cf. 8400.] ¶ Tyrrye wakenyd soone thore: Vp he rose and sykyd sore. Line 9096 'A, lorde,' he seyde, 'heuyn kynge, I haue a grete wonderynge. Me þoght, y was on a hylle gone And y fonde þere a roche of stone: Line 9100 Full hyt was of golde redde, And there lay a dragon dedde. A bryght swyrde be hym lay: Ther ys none bettur in þe worlde þys day. Line 9104 Also me thoght, that syr Gye Was here be me, full sekerlye, And my hed in hys armes lay: Me þoght, my sorowe was away.' Line 9108

Line 9108 Tho seyde Gye: 'my dere frende, Thorow þe grace of god so hende Schalt þou wynne þorow Gyown All thy londe, castell and towne. Line 9112 We schall fare wele þys ylke day: To spyr þe gate take we þe way [Corrupt. See the note.] But furste y rede, þat we abyde, And we wyll wende to þe hylle besyde, Line 9116 There, þou þoght, þat þat tresure laye. Yf that we hyt fynde maye, Hyt may vs helpe on all manere, And therof we haue mystere.' Line 9120 'I graunte,' quod Tyrrye, 'be þys day: Goo we þedur wythowte ony more delaye.' ¶ To the hylle þey came hastelye And fonde the hole, certenlye, Line 9124 As Tyrrye had thoght beforehande: The tresure, þe swyrde þere þey fonde. [folio 220a:1] The swyrde was styffe ynoghe: Owte of þe scheþe Gye hyt droghe. Line 9128 'God of heuyn,' seyde Gye than, 'Was ther neuyr crysten man, That had any soche bronde. Y trowe, hyt came fro far londe.' Line 9132 The poynte was couyrde euery dele Wyth bryght golde gayly wele. Of þat swyrde was Gye fayne: He put hyt into þe skabarde agayne, Line 9136 And sythen he seyde to Tyrrye: 'That tresure, þat þou seyst there lye, Take hyt vnto thy poste; For þe swyrde schall byde wyth me.' Line 9140 Tho seyde Tyrrye: 'at yowre wylle. Of tresure haue y my fylle. Ther ys so moche dole in my thoght,

That of no tresure yf y noght. Line 9144 To that cyte wyll we gone: Me þynkyth, we be to longe fro home.' ¶ 'I graunte,' in haste seyde syr Gye: Bothe they wente forthe in hye. Line 9148 Then wenyd Tyrrye knowen to haue be Of some man, þat hym had see. When they came to that cyte, A sory man was erle Tyrrye. Line 9152 They were harbarowde at þe townes ende And aftur mete dud they sende. ¶ Gye rose vp, full hardelye, And lefte hys swyrde wyth Tyrrye. Line 9156 He hyed faste to the towre To speke wyth the emperowre. The emperowre fro the churche come, Gye hym kepyd sone and anon; Line 9160 And Gye hym grett hendelye, As a man, that cowde of curtesye. 'God saue [he blotted out before þe in MS.] þe,' he seyde, 'syr emperowre. Ye be a man of grete valowre, Line 9164 And y am pore and of far cuntre: [folio 220a:2] I aske the gode for charyte. Of yowre helpe y haue mystere, As ye may se, in all manere.' Line 9168 The emperowre answeryd: 'gladlye I wyll þe helpe, be seynt Marye. To the pales come wyth me: Thou schalt haue mete to plese þe.' Line 9172 ¶ When þey were comen to þe halle, The emperowre and hys meyne all, The lordys to the mete yode, And Gye there before þem stode. Line 9176 'Pylgryme,' seyde the emperowre, 'Telle me, y prey þe pur amowre.

Thou semeste trauelde for to be: Where were þou borne and in what cuntre?' Line 9180 'Syr,' he seyde, 'ye schall vndurstande, That y haue be in mony a lande: In Jerusalem and in Surrye And in Costantyne þe nobull, sekerlye.' Line 9184 ¶ 'Pylgryme,' he seyde, 'be thy lewte, What sey men þere of me?' 'Syr,' he seyde, 'ye schall here: Schame and skathe on all manere, Line 9188 When ye thorow wyckyd cownceyle Of yowre steward, þat may [may in the same hand over myȝt blotted out.] not avayle, That ye [For That ye we ought perhaps to read Haue. Cf. the Caius MS. p. 217, Hath banesshyd Terry, the noble knyȝt.] banysched Tyrrye, þe knyȝt, And many odur wythowten ryght. Line 9192 Therfore of þe ys spokyn schame And in euery londe moche blame. Ye do yowreselfe moche dyshonowre To leue soche a losengeowre.' Line 9196 ¶ Barrarde harde, that Gye sayde, And he beganne to geue a brayde. He fared, as a wode man, And wolde haue smeten Gye than, Line 9200 But he hym helde, þat stode hym bye, That he dud Gye no vylanye. He seyde: 'thou lyest, traytowre. Yf hyt were not for the dyshonowre [folio 220b:1] Line 9204 Of my lorde, the emperowre, Thou schuldyst haue a scharpe schowre. I schulde schake þy berde so sore, That thy tethe schulde falle me before Line 9208 Thou art a lyar and þat a stronge: Thys lyfe haste þou vsyd longe. If y the fynde wythowte þe towne,

I schall þe caste in stronge presowne. Line 9212 Thys vii yere þou schalt not passe away: Thou schalt not wytt, when hyt ys day. Men schall so chastyse soche glotons For to myssaye gentyll barons.' Line 9216 ¶ 'A, gode syr,' seyde Gye, 'what be ye? [Corrupt. See the note.] A nobull baron ye seme to bee. I sawe yow neuer are, syr, verelye: Ye seme bothe bolde and hardye. Line 9220 To do a pylgryme skathe vtterlye To yow hyt were grete vylenye. Hyt wolde yow turne to muche owtrage, When ye be of so grete lynage. Line 9224 I seyde here no nodur thynge (Y take recorde of the kynge), But wyth synne and vnryght That ye had dysheryted Tyrrye þe knyȝt Line 9228 And chased hym fro hys londe, Becawse ye bere hym wronge on honde, That yowre cosyn schulde be dedde Thorowe hym and hys redde. Line 9232 Ofte harde y sey, wytterlye, That he was nothynge geltye.' ¶ Then spake þe dewke wyth yre: 'Be [Be added in the margin by the same hand.] god, that made water and fyre, Line 9236 Ȝyf þou were that same knyght, That durste for Tyrrye take þe fyght!' Tho Gye answeryd wythowten more (He sawe þe dewke greuyd sore): Line 9240 'Lo, here ys my gloue all redye For to fyght for erle Tyrrye, That he neuer [neuer omitted in MS. Cf. line 9332, and the Caius MS. p. 219: He slew neuer the duke Otoun.] slewe þe dewke Oton, [folio 220b:2]

That was þe felle and false gloton.' [Probably corrupt. See the note.] Line 9244 Gye seyde to the emperowre: 'Take here my wedde, for your honowre; For wyth hym wyll y fyght To helpe Tyrrye in hys ryght.' Line 9248 ¶ Tho vp start then that syre, That was full of farvente yre. 'Pylgryme,' he seyde, 'þou art stowte And bolde þerto, wythowten dowte, Line 9252 Whyll þat þou wageyst þys batayle. I am seker, wythowten fayle, The deuell hath bedyn the And hedur he hath broght þe Line 9256 For to do þys same dede, And y schall quyte the thy mede. The grace of god be fro me reuyd, But y smyte of soone thy heuydde.' [MS. hedde.] Line 9260 ¶ 'Syr emperowre,' seyde Gyown, 'Herkyn to my reson. Comen y am fro far cuntre: Here ys no man, þat knowyth me. Line 9264 Armer haue y none redye Nor no syluyr none wyth to bye. Ye muste for þe ordur of knyght Helpe the pore in hys ryght Line 9268 And in hys mystere do hym socowre: Hyt ys mekyll for yowre honowre.' ¶ To the emperowre be þey gane: Bothe þer weddys hath he tane, Line 9272 And syþen he comawndyd þem full ryȝt, [t in ryȝt all but illegible in MS.] Ȝerly that þey schulde be dyght. He wyll hymselfe the batell see And bad, ȝerlye þat hyt schulde bee. Line 9276

Line 9276 ¶ The dewke hym hyed þo full swyþe: He þoȝt in þe morne to make some vnblyþe. The emperowre clepyd hys doghtur dere And bad hur on all manere, Line 9280 That sche schulde kepe þe pylgryme wele And arme hym boþe in yron and stele. [After this line follows the catchword To a chaumbur sche in another hand.] To a chaumbur sche hym ladde [folio 221a:1] And dud, as hur fadur hur badde. Line 9284 He preyed hur for godys loue of myght To arme hym well at all ryght. ¶ All men, that dud hym see, Had wondur and grete pyte, Line 9288 That he durste agenste Barrarde fyght. They preyed to god full of myght, That he schulde geue þe pylgryme grace To ouercome Barrarde in the place. Line 9292 ¶ Ȝerly rose the emperowre And masse he herde wyth honowre. To hys pales he ys gone And hys barons euerychone, Line 9296 And redy was there Barrarde Also ferse, as any lybarde, Armed on a gode stede. To the courte þey dud hym lede. Line 9300 The maydyn then forgate noght: To arme þe pylgryme was hur thoght. Sche cawsyd hym to haue a stede, That seker was at euery nede. Line 9304 Hys swyrde þen forgate he noght: Queyntlye hyt was wroght. He fett hyt fro Tyrrye, That no man wyste, sekerlye. Line 9308 Therof had he mystere, As ye may afturwarde here.

¶ When sche had armed hym wele, þat maye, On all manere, that he cowde saye, Line 9312 Sche broght hym before þe emperowre. He was of grete bewte and valowre All, that lokyd on syr Gye, Of hym they had farlye. Line 9316 He was a semely knyght, When he was armed ryght. All swere be seynt Rychere, Hyt was neuyr the palmere, [folio 221a:2] Line 9320 That toke þe batell wyth Barrarde to fyght; For he semed a doghty knyght. ¶ 'Lordyngys,' seyde the emperowre, 'All, that be at thys honowre, Line 9324 Thes two knyghtys, þat stonden here, Be men of grete powere. A batell they haue waged here, Ye wote all, on what manere. Line 9328 Thys pylgryme, þat stondyth me bye, Wyll defende erle Tyrrye Of felonye and treson, That he neuer slewe þe dewke Oton, Line 9332 Agenste the dewke Barrarde, That ys a champyon felle and harde For hys cosyns dedde, That he was slayne þorow hys redde. Line 9336 We schall see at thys batayle, Who hath þe wronge, wythowten fayle.' The lordys seyde: 'we assente, We graunte to hyt wyth gode entente.' Line 9340 ¶ They wente þedur, þe batell shulde bee, On an hylle besyde the cyte. The boke was broght þem before And, when þey had þer othes swore, Line 9344 To the hylle dud they gone And smeten togedur and that anon.