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 ...

There beganne a stronge batayle: Eyther other faste dud assayle. Line 9348 They smote togedur on helmes bryght, And there beganne a stronge fyght. They brake bothe sterop and paytrelle And all the harnes of ther sadelle. Line 9352 Ther styffe hawberkys wolde not ryue. Of ther stedys þey dud downe dryue. They stode on fote bothe, But soone þey began to waxe wrothe. Line 9356 On þer stedys they lepe stowte: Nayther had of odur dowte. Then þey drewe þer swyrdys stronge [folio 221b:1] And faght togedur swythe longe. Line 9360 The cantels of ther scheldes Flewe into the feldes. ¶ Gye was armed well thore, But Barrarde had wel more: Line 9364 He had two helmes styfe and bryght And two hawberkys for drede of fyght Rychelye sett wyth precyus stones All abowte for the nones. Line 9368 They seyde abowte euery man, That Gye was no ȝerthely man: He was no man ȝerthelye, He was an aungell, sekerlye. Line 9372 Whedur of them was hardear, Ther wyste no man, þat was thare. ¶ All, þat were in þat cyte, wythowten fayle, Came to see that batayle: Line 9376 Men, women and chylder also And freres and nonnes thedur dud goo. Lesse and more in that cyte Came that batell for to see, Line 9380 But all oonlye syr Tyrrye In a churche was preuelye

To god preyng, þat he wolde here And hym to helpe in hys mystere. Line 9384 ¶ In came a preste syngynge And fonde Tyrrye there lyyng. 'Pylgryme,' seyde the preste than, 'I trowe, thou art a holy man. Line 9388 Wherefore wylt þou not ȝonder goo To see þe fyght of knyghtys twoo? A pylgryme ys the oon knyght And for erle Tyrrye doyth he fyght.' Line 9392 'Who ys þe pylgryme?' quod erle Tyrrye. 'I wot not,' quod he, 'sekerlye. He ys doghty in the felde: Brokyn he hath þe dewkys schelde.' Line 9396 ¶ Tho vp rose Tyrrye anon [folio 221b:2] And to the batell can he gone. He had grete drede of knowynge: That made hym to loke drowpynge. Line 9400 Soone he knewe Barrarde: He bledde full sore and full harde. He had yoye wythowten care, When he sawe Barrarde euyll fare: Line 9404 Euyr the pylgryme hym sayled faste. Then quod Tyrrye at the laste: 'Thys ys not the palmere, That be þe wey was my fere. Line 9408 Hyt ys a bolde man and a wyght: He semeth to be a nobull knyght. He semed leene and febull in syght, Hongre and olde and euyll dyght: Line 9412 Now ys he whyte and noþyng wanne. I wene, he be no ȝerthely man. When y hym see, y thynke on Gye: He ys lyke hym, wytterlye. Line 9416 Yf Gye were not dedde, y wolde say, That hyt were he, be thys day.'

Then for Gye he wepyd sore. To churche he turned wythowten more. Line 9420 Ofte he preyed god that day To helpe hym, as he well may. ¶ The batell lasted swythe longe Fro morowe vnto euynsonge. Line 9424 They wolde not let of ther fyght, Tyll hyt came to the nyght. Whan they lackyd lyght [MS. syght. Cf. the Caius MS. p. 225:

For they lakkyd the lyght of the daye.

] of day, They wyste not, what þey myȝt say. Line 9428 Messengerys were sente: To the emperowre they wente. They tolde hym, þat hyt was nyght, They myght see no more to fyght. Line 9432 ¶ The emperowre clepyd in þat stowre Fowre barons of grete honowre. 'Lordyngys,' he seyde, 'take Barrarde nowe And kepe hym, as ye mowe [folio 222a:1] Line 9436 As in yow y affye, Ȝylde hym to me ȝerly, And y schall kepe my pylgryme wele, Tyll hyt be day, so haue y hele. Line 9440 Then schall they togedur goo: Men schall see of them twoo, Whether schall haue the vyctorye Thorow helpe of seynt Marye.' Line 9444 ¶ They toke Barrarde, þe nobull knyght, And kept hym, as they myght, And the emperowre toke syr Gye And kepyd hym tendurlye. Line 9448 The dewke Barrarde, þe fals gloton, Bethoght hym of a treson. Fowre cosyns, that he hadde, Preuely he them badde, Line 9452

Line 9452 That they schulde to þe courte goo The pylgryme þere for to sloo. They were armed and that anon And came to þe courte euerychon. Line 9456 Forthe they yede full preuelye, Tyll þey came þere, as was syr Gye. Gye lay in a lofte bedde Wyth golde cloþys well yspredde. Line 9460 Hys kepears were faste slepeande, And euery man on þe bedde leyd hande. The bedde they toke vp thare And to the see they hyt bare. Line 9464 But euyr slepyd syr Gye: God of hym haue mercye! They caste the bedde into þe see: But god helpe, drowned had he bee. Line 9468 Hyt was caste wyth a wawe Vp a whyle and downe a thrawe. ¶ Gye wakyd at the laste And hys hedde vp he caste. Line 9472 He sawe þe sterres bryght schynande: [folio 222a:2] On no syde sawe he no lande, But brode watur all abowte. Therfore he had grete dowte. Line 9476 'God,' he seyde, 'all weldande, That stabulde boþe watur and lande, Who hath done to me þys dede? Lorde, y faght for no mede, Line 9480 For golde nor syluyr, þou doyst knowe, But for my trewe felowe To delyuyr hym of paryle, That hath be in exsyle. Line 9484 Some tyme he was a doghty knyght And now he ys a wrechyd wyght. Ageyne Barrarde y toke the fyght For to haue getyn Tyrrye hys ryght. Line 9488

Line 9488 Yf y had that traytowr slayne, Tyrrye [The first y in Tyrrye altered from h in MS.] schulde haue hys lande agayne. I am but dedde, well y wote: Thorow me he getyth [y in getyth altered from h in MS.] no bote. Line 9492 And all ys [Part of h blotted out before ys.] thorowe Barrart: God let hym neuer of blysse haue part.' ¶ Wyth that came a fyscher In a bote Gye full nere. Line 9496 What he was, he bad hym say, And whethyr he leuyd on goddys lay. Vp he heuyd hys hedde, Gye, And cryed the fyscher mercye. Line 9500 'My frende,' he seyde, 'haue no drede: I leue in god, so he me spede. Knowest þou oght of a fyght Betwene a pylgryme and a knyght?' Line 9504 'Ȝysse,' quod the fyscher, 'y sawe hyt, The batell, to the darke nyght. The emperowre parted them late And made to kepe þem, wele y wate.' Line 9508 'I am,' quod Gye, 'the pylgryme, That faght þen agenste hym. We were partyd ȝystur nyght: [folio 222b:1] We no lenger myght see to fyght. Line 9512 Into a chaumbur was y broght: Of no treson y ne thoght. Ynto a bedde was y done: I was wery and slepyd soone. Line 9516 Now am y here, but y not, howe. My dere frende, helpe me now. For thy trewthe and thy lewte Haue thou some mercy of me.' Line 9520 ¶ The fyscher for hym was sorye

And toke hym into hys bote hym bye And ledde hym home þat ylke nyght And kepte hym wele wyth all hys myght. Line 9524 ¶ The emperowre rose well ȝerlye And masse he harde in grete hye. Sythen he came into hys halle And wyth hym hys barons all. Line 9528 He bad brynge to hym Barrardyne And afturwarde hys pylgryme. Fowre barons forthe dud wende And broght þe dewke, as men hende. Line 9532 To the emperowre they dud say, That the pylgryme was away: Bothe was awey he and hys bedde. The knyghtys, þat stale hym, were fledde. [

Corrupt. Cf. the Caius MS. p. 230:

And hys wardeyns were all fled.] Line 9536 Ther wyste no man, where he was done. The emperowre was wrothe sone And sware be god and seynt Marye, That they schulde be hangyd hye, Line 9540 That had betrayed hys pylgryme And hys wardens, be seynt Martyne. Tho he spake wyth grete yre To the dewke, that stowte syre. Line 9544 'Dewke,' he seyde, 'wythowte stryfe, Brynge hym forthe vpon þy lyfe, That þou haste takyn in þy kepeyng, Or y schall juge the for to hynge. Line 9548 Dede or quyck brynge hym to me: Thou haste hym slayne, wele y see.' [folio 222b:2] ¶ Barrarde starte vp, wythowten dowte, As man, þat was boþe styffe and stowte. Line 9552 'Syr,' he seyde, 'now fynde y wele, That men me tolde euery dele. I haue serued yow, as ye knowe,

And kept yowre lande to yowre prowe: Line 9556 Wolde ye now thus juge me? Ye schall not so, so mote y the. Yf here be any man so hardye, That dar hyt proue and byde þerby, Line 9560 I schall hym wyth my swyrde so smyte, That hys hedde schall of tyte. And ye, that haue þus juged me, Y schall yow teche, so mote y the: Line 9564 Wynde y schall to Lumbardye And gedur my power, hardelye, And thorow þy lande come ageyne, And all, þat y fynde, schall be slayne. Line 9568 I schall dystroye the euery dele And all thy londe, so haue y hele.' ¶ The emperowre harde þys wele And knewe hys maners euery dele. Line 9572 He beganne to waxe wrothe And often sware then hys othe, Yf he went, he schulde be slane, [MS. slayne.] And he myght hym fynde or tane. Line 9576 ¶ Then came forthe the fyschere And sayde to the emperere: 'Syr, y prey yow pur charyte, Here me, yf yowre wylle bee. Line 9580 Of that pylgryme y can sey Where he ys, be thys day.' 'My frende,' seyde the emperowre, 'Saye me, so god geue þe honowre. Line 9584 Thou schalt haue, be he not dedde, An hundurd besawntes of golde redde.' ¶ Tho seyde þe fyscher: 'herkyn me trewlye; For, syr, y wyll not to yow lye. Line 9588 To nyght late was y gone On þe see to fysche allone. [folio 223a:1]

I fonde a lofte bedde fletynge And therin a knyght lygynge. Line 9592 Y askyd hym, what he was, And he me tolde in that case, That he was that pylgryme, That faght wyth dewke Barrardyne. Line 9596 Y leyde hym in my bote wythynne And ladde hym home to myn ynne And haue kepyd hym þys nyght. Sende aftur hym anon ryght.' Line 9600 'My frende,' seyde the emperowre, 'Thou schalt haue grete honowre.' ¶ Aftur þe pylgryme sone he sente, And he came at hys comawndement. Line 9604 Hastelye, wythowten fayle, They were do to batayle. ¶ Now togedur can they goo: They dalte strokys many tho Line 9608 And wyth þer swyrdys þere of stele They smetyn togedur wele. Hyt was wonder for to see: A stronger fyght myght none bee. Line 9612 They faght tyll vnderne of þe day: 'Thys ys grete wonder,' they can say. ¶ The dewke was full of felonye And smote Gye wyth envye Line 9616 And repulde hys face and hys chynne And of hys cheke all the skynne. Downe [e in Downe illegible in consequence of an ink-blot.] be þe schoulder þe stroke dud glyde: Hyt brake many a mayle vnryde. Line 9620 Of þe schelde brake a quartere, Os he wolde [

MS. schulde. Cf. the Caius MS. p. 233:

As he wold draw hys swerd nere.] take hys swyrde hym nere. Gye felle also skete Bothe on hondys and on fete. Line 9624

Line 9624 ¶ Gye starte vp, as sparke of fyre, And smote Barrarde wyth grete yre. He smote hym on þe helme so there, That awey flewe a quartere [folio 223a:2] Line 9628 And of hys odur helme [

MS. schelde. Cf. the Caius MS. p. 233:

As on that other helme wythall.] wythall, And made hym to þe grownde falle. Wyth hys swyrde he smote also Bothe hys hawberkys quyte in two, Line 9632 Hys arme and hys schoulder bothe Fro the body, wythowten othe: Thorow hys bowels also hyt yode, Two fote into þe grounde hyt glode. Line 9636 Downe he felle to the grownde And dyed in a lytull stownde. All the men, that stode besyde, Had wonder of that stroke vnryde Line 9640 And seyde, no man in ȝerthe lyueande Myght smyte soche a stroke wyth hande. ¶ On the ȝorthe Gye set hym downe And seyde: 'Barrarde, false felowne, Line 9644 Nowe art thou here forlorne. A lack, that euer þou was borne! A boldear knyght was neuer lyueande Nor a doghtyar of hys hande: Line 9648 Yf thou a false traytowr ne were, In all þys worlde had not be þy pere.' All, that euer abowte hym stode, Sayde, he was of sarsyns [sarsyns, at least, corrupt. See the note.] blode. Line 9652