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 ys to the emperowre gone And to þe barons euerychone And askyd, yf Tyrrye myȝt be quyte And [As the context is, And cannot be right. But of. the Caius MS. p. 234, Of all perell and all dyspyte.] of all chalengeys tyte, Line 9656

Line 9656 And all cryed wyth oon voyce: 'Ye, be the holy croys, [MS. cros.] All schall be forgeuyn here Wyth the wylle of owre emperere.' [MS. Empere.] Line 9660 The emperowre answeryd also tyte: 'I graunte well, that he be quyte. All forgeue y here Tyrrye My euyll wylle and my malycolye. Line 9664 Y schall delyuyr hym all hys lande And all þe honowre into hys hande. [folio 223b:1] And y wyste, where he wore, Y schulde delyuyr hym lesse and more.' Line 9668 Gye answeryd: 'yf y may, Ye schall hym see thys ylke day.' 'My frende,' he seyde, 'hastelye Go seke me erle Tyrrye.' Line 9672 ¶ He wente all the cyte abowte And soght Tyrrye wythynne and owte. At the laste he dud hym fynde In a churche faste prayinge. Line 9676 'Ryse vp,' seyde Gye, 'pur charyte, The emperowre hath sende aftur þe.' ¶ Vp he helde hys hedde, Tyrrye, And seyde: 'lorde Iesu Cryste, þy mercy! Line 9680 In whome may any man trowe For to telle hys cowncell nowe? Thou semed trewe for to bee And now þou haste bewryed me: Line 9684 To the emperowre þou haste tolde And to Barrarde, that ys so bolde. Now muste y dye, or y ete mete: Thou haste takyn gyftes grete. Line 9688 Thou haste me betrayed and do me schame. Allas, þat euer thou knewe my name. I wende, þou haddyst be full trewe:

Wele away, that y the knewe! Line 9692 Y schall wende now wyth the: Yf y dye, thou arte gylte. Me thynkyth lothe to wende wyth þe. God of me haue pyte.' Line 9696 ¶ Tho seyde Gye: 'Tyrrye, make gode chere. Thou schalt now newe tythyngys here: The dewke Barrarde, he ys dedde (Of hys councell y can no redde) Line 9700 Thorow a pylgryme, hardelye, That the defendyd of felonye.' ¶ When þey before þe emperowre came, [folio 223b:2] Ȝyt had Tyrrye drede of blame. Line 9704 To the emperowre spake Gye: 'Lo, here ys erle Tyrrye.' Tho seyde Tyrrye: 'thus am y: Longe haue y be thus drerye. Line 9708 Y haue be in sorowe stronge: Thys odur halfe yere me þoȝt to longe. Y had neuyr reste a day, But in wo trauelde aye Line 9712 To seke Gye, yf he myȝt be fownde, Far in many an vncowthe londe. In Ynglonde there harde y say, There he was borne and norysched ay, Line 9716 He was wente in exsyle: Therfore the londe was in paryle. And now here y saye, the pylgryme (Haue he goddys beneson and myn), Line 9720 That hath þe dewke Barrard schent: Y weene, god hym hedur sente.' And tho on kneys felle Tyrrye And seyde: 'emperowre, mercye!' Line 9724 ¶ Dewkys, erlys grete plente, That were curtes men and free, Downe þey felle and þat anon:

For Tyrrye they preyed euerychon. Line 9728 The teerys fro þe emperowre yede þo. 'Tyrrye, gentyll baron,' seyde he thoo, 'Thou haste had grete trauayle. Gentyll knyght, wythowte fayle, Line 9732 Of thy gode y haue plente: To day wyll y cese the In all þy lande, castell and towre. Ȝyt schalt þou haue more honowre: Line 9736 Y make þe steward of my londe. Y hyt the geue vnto thy honde.' All they seyde at oon crye: 'Syr emperowre, gramercye!' Line 9740 The emperowre then kyste Tyrrye [After this line 9746 is written, but struck out again.] [folio 224a:1] And forgaue hym hys malycolye. Dewkes and erles euerychone Kyste Tyrrye and that anone. Line 9744 ¶ The emperowre seyde to Tyrrye: 'Say me now, for þe loue of me, What man ys the pylgryme? Ys he thy brodur or of thy kynne, Line 9748 That faght wyth Barrarde so hardelye To defende the of felonye? I went, ther had be no knyght That wyth Barrarde durste take þe fyght. Line 9752 'Syr,' seyde Tyrrye, 'as y trowe, And be the feyth, y haue to yow, Thys pylgryme sawe y neuer are, But be þe way, as y dud fare, Line 9756 Nor neuer wyste or now ryght, That for me he had tane þe fyght, And now y wote wyth glad mode: God, that dyed on the rode, Line 9760 Ȝelde hym hys mede, wythowte fayle. He hath me delyuyrde of trauayle.'

¶ The emperowre full curteslye Into a chaumbur ladde Tyrrye Line 9764 And cloþed hym in a ryche mantell Lynydde wyth gode sendell And gaue hym stedys two or thre, The beste in all that cuntre. Line 9768 He went to Gormoyse hastelye And wyth hym he ladde godde syr Gye. ¶ To that cyte came Tyrrye: He was resseyuyd worschypfully. Line 9772 The pylgryme wyth hym he broght: That hyt was Gye, wyste he noght. Hys cowntes soght he thorow þe londe And at the laste he hur fonde, Line 9776 There sche was hydde for grete dowte Of Barrard, þe steward, þat was so stowte. ¶ Now ys Tyrrye bolde and wyght [folio 224b:1] And in all þat londe moost of myght. Line 9780 He wolde not forgete in no manere The tresure in the hye rochere, That þey fonde betwene them twoo Be the way, as þey dud goo. Line 9784 Vnto Gormoyse he dud hyt brynge: There was mony a ryche thynge. He gaue hyt vnto syr Gye, But he wolde none, verelye. Line 9788 Of golde nor syluer roght he noght: To serue god was all hys thoght. Tho seyde Gye: 'geue some to pore menys hande And wyth the remlawnt store thy lande.' Line 9792 ¶ On a day Gye hym bethoght: Lenger wolde he dwelle noght. He toke hys leue at erle Tyrrye And spake to hym full drerelye: Line 9796 'Syr, wyth thy leue now wyll y fare. Wyth þe may y dwelle no mare.

Y bydde the, yf thy wylle bee, That on the way thou lede me. Line 9800 Soche thynge may þou here say, That þou schalt haue wonder to day. Looke, þat no man come wyth the.' 'Nay,' seyde Tyrrye, 'so mote y the.' Line 9804 Tyrrye lepe on a mewle awmblande And thorow the cyte wente prekande: Ther myght no man wyth hym goo, But hyt were themselfe twoo. Line 9808 ¶ When þey were paste but a myle, They set them downe þere a whyle. Tho seyde Gye to Tyrrye: 'herkyn me now. Ye knowe not me, as y trowe. Line 9812 Yf ye vndurstode wele, Ye oght to knowe me some dele. May ye not Gye knowe, That was some tyme yowre felowe, Line 9816 That slewe for yow þe dewke Oton And delyuyrd yow of pryson? [folio 224b:2] Furste y fonde yow woundyd sare Yn the foreste, as y can fare, Line 9820 And slewe for þe theuys fyftene And wanne þy lemman bryght and schene And the fro fowre knyghtys wanne And slewe them euerychane Line 9824 And on [MS. ouer. But cf. the Caius MS. p. 241, And on my horse led the a stounde.] my hors led þe a stownde And helyd the of thy wounde And sythen soyorned wyth þy fader dere And halpe the on all manere Line 9828 And now slewe Barrarde wyth my honde, That chasyd the owt of thy londe. Thys ys Gye, that thou seyst here: Thou oghtyste to knowe me on all manere.' Line 9832

Line 9832 ¶ When Tyrrye sye Gye, hys harte wolde breke: Not a worde myght he speke. To grownde soone felle he than: More sorowe, þen he had, had neuer no man. Line 9836 'Gye,' he seyde, 'my dere felowe, Wherefore myght y the not knowe? Allas, that euyr y bode thys day! Myn eyen were blynde, so may y say. Line 9840 Y myght haue sene and knowen full ryght, That ye were Gye, þat nobull knyght, Be yowre strenkyth and be yowre myght And be yowre strokys, that were so wyght. Line 9844 Who schulde haue be on lyue so stronge, That durste agenste Barrard stonde so longe, But yf hyt were yow, syr Gye? Therfore of me haue mercye. Line 9848 Y aske yow mercye, Gye, nowe, That y dud mysknowe yow.' ¶ Downe he felle to Gyes fete And full sore dud he grete. Line 9852 Hys legges were bare euery dele, That were some tyme cloþed [MS. cloþe. But cf. the Caius MS. p. 242, That som tyme were clothed well.] well. Therfore he wepyd and wrange hys hande: In thys worlde was none lyueande, Line 9856 That myght them boþe haue see, [folio 224b:2] But þey wolde haue had pyte. ¶ Gye had grete moornynge: He myght not a worde forþe brynge. Line 9860 Gye toke vp erle Tyrrye And kyste hym full tendurlye. But þey had so grete moornynge, They felle bothe in swownynge. Line 9864 Then seyde Gye: 'my felowe dere, Now wyll y wende: þou schalt byde here.

I þe beteche god almyght: He þe kepe bothe day and nyght. Line 9868 Y haue a chylde be my wyfe: He wyll be a man, yf he haue lyfe. Yf he haue to the mystere, Helpe hym wyth thy powere.' Line 9872 ¶ 'My brodur,' seyde Tyrrye than, 'For hym, that thys worlde wan, Dwelle here stylle wyth me And my trowthe y plyght þe, Line 9876 All, þat in þe worlde myn ys, Halfe schall be thyne, so haue y blys, Whyll that y leue maye. Y prey þe, sey not þerto nay. Line 9880 And yf þou wylt not so do, Whome wyth þe then wyll y goo; For leuyr me ys wyth þe to be, Than here in woo for to dree; Line 9884 For y had leuyr to wende wyth þe, Then all þe gode in crystyante.' ¶ Tho seyde Gye: 'so schalt þou noȝt. In ydull þou ocapyest þy thoȝt. Line 9888 Ageyne þou schalt go wyth ryght And serue þy lorde wyth þy myght. Be not prowde, y the rede, And serue þy lorde wele at hys nede. Line 9892 I wyll go: þou schalt byde here. Y the betake to goddys powere.' ¶ At þat partynge grete sorow þey made. Togedur þey kyste: þey were not glade. [folio 225a:1] Line 9896 All wepynge they went in twoo And sye neyþer odyr neuer aftur moo. The erle ageyne wente soone anon: Into hys chaumbur he wente whome. Line 9900 Thre dayes myȝt he nodur ete nor drynke: Hyt wolde not in hys body synke.

When the cowntas sye thoo, That hyt was Gye, that was agoo, Line 9904 Sche bemoonyd hym swyþe stronge And hur lorde sche blamed amonge And seyde: 'yf ye wyth loue ne holde hym myȝt, Ye schulde wyth strenkyþ haue do yowre myȝt.' Line 9908 ¶ Now Gye goyth forthe full sorye And ofte he thynkyþ of Tyrrye. So longe he went in hys jurnayse Thorowe many vncowthe cuntrayse, Line 9912 Tyll he came to Whytesande And ryued into Ynglande. There he askyd of many a oon, Where he myght fynde kynge Adelston, Line 9916 And þey seyde to hym: 'at Wynchestur, But twenty myle fro Chychestur. Grete ooste he begynneth þedur to bede (For he had neuyr more nede) Line 9920 Of dewkes, erles and barowns And ryche lordys of many townes, All, that may wyth harnes spede: Ther was neuer ȝyt more nede. Line 9924 Byschoppes, archedekyns and abbottys, Wyse men of the churche and no sottys, [MS. suttes.] At Wynchestur be euerychone, The moost parte of the relygyown. Line 9928 They haue sende thorow Ynglande To yonge and olde, y vnderstande, That þey schulde faste dayes thre And nyght and day in preyers bee, Line 9932 That god them sende soche a man, That wyll and may, dar and can [folio 225a:2] Thorow helpe of god almyght For Ynglondes sake in batell fyght Line 9936 Wyth the gyawnt Collebrande

And hym to stroye wyth hys hande. ¶ For the kynge of Denmarke, A felle man and eke a starke, Line 9940 He ys comen into thys lande And grete warre haþ broȝt vs on hande. The londe he stroyeth and cuntrayse And brennyth townes and abbayes. Line 9944 A champyon he haþ broght wyth hym Of Awfryke a felle man and a grymme: More he ys dowted in fyghtes, Then an hundurd armed knyghtes. Line 9948 Men sey, he hyght Collebrande: A strongar man ys none lyueande. The kyng of Denmarke to owre kyng haþ sente, Wherethorow [thorow omitted in MS.] he holdyþ hym nere schente, Line 9952 That he ȝylde vp Ynglande Hastelye vnto hys hande And hys man become and trewþe plyght And trewage hym ȝelde euery yere be ryght Line 9956 And, but yf that he graunt wylle To parforme all hys wylle, Or ellys that he wyll fynde a knyght, That may and dar mayntene hys ryght Line 9960 Agenste the kynge of Denmarke, A sterne man and a starke, And to fyght wyth Collebrande, Yf þat he dar hyt take on hande, Line 9964 And therto sett a certen day Or ellys lose [ro blotted out before lose in MS.] hys ryght for ay; And to haue an answere in þys case He hath grauntyd a serten space. Line 9968 ¶ But, we vndurstande, kynge Adelston Amonge hys knyghtys may fynde none, That the batell dar vndurtake

For no preyar, that he can make. [folio 225b:1] Line 9972 The gyawnt ys so stronge of myght, That þer dar none wyth hym fyght; Wherefore we deme, wythowten fayle, Thys londe wyll be loste wythowte batayle.' Line 9976 ¶ 'Where ys,' quod Gye, 'gode Harrawte, That in nede made neuer defawte?' They answeryd hym and that anon: 'He ys owte of thys londe gone Line 9980 To seke Reynbowrne, Gyes sone, That marchandys haue awey nome.' Gye wepyd then for grete pyte And sykyd sore, sekerlye, Line 9984 And seyde: 'what doyþ þe erles doghtur, þe cowntas?' They answeryd: 'neuer a bettur woman was. Woman borne neuyr none dud So moche godenes in a stedde. Line 9988 Pore men sche fedyþ and makyþ abbeyse And makyth brygges and cawsayse And preyeth to god to lende hur þat day To see hur lorde Gye verraye, Line 9992 Quyck or dedde may þey hym fynde: He ys euyr in hur mynde.' ¶ Toward Wynchestur wente syr Gye: No man knewe hym, sekerlye. Line 9996 Hyt was at þe byrþe of seynt Iohan: At Wynchestur was kynge Adelston And also all hys baronye, But none, þat he myght on affye. Line 10000 He calde then soone hys cowncell vnto: 'What ys beste,' he seyde, 'to doo? Lordys, y prey yow, vndurstonde, And also erles and barons of my londe: Line 10004 Agenste the Danes we muste vs were, That they may not vs dere. Cowncell of yow y wolde craue,

Yf hyt so were, y myght hyt haue, Line 10008 What were beste for to done Agenste the thefe and fendys sone, That men calle Collebrande, That þynkyth to stroye all my lande? [folio 225b:2] Line 10012 So hath he promysed hys lorde, þe kyng: He þynkyþ hyt sewre on all þyng; Whereþorowe moche ys þe kyngys pryde, Wherefore we may þe warse abyde. Line 10016 But we ȝelde hym trewage, He wyll do vs moche owtrage And dystroye my castels and my townes Boþe be dales and be downes, Line 10020 To [MS. The,] polle my wodeys and forestys downe And let my game forthe gone. Yf that here be any knyght, That wyth Collebrande dar fyght, Line 10024 Halfe my londe y wolde geue To hys mede, whyll y may leue.' ¶ All they sate stone stylle: A worde þey spake nodur gode nor ylle. Line 10028 Nodur erle nor knyȝt, þat was þere, Durste speke a worde for pewre fere. 'A,' quod þe kyng at the fryste, [MS. fyrste.] 'Lorde, in whome may y tryste, Line 10032 When none of yow for my sake The batayle wyth hym dar vndurtake? A, syr Gye, thou gentyl knyght, And Harrowde, þy felowe so wyȝt, Line 10036 Yf y had holdyn other of yow, Wele at ese had y be nowe. Yf that y had done so wele Of my londe the halfen dele Line 10040 To haue geuyn to Gye wyth moche honour, Then had y be sekyr of socowre.

In proverbe hyt ys seyde full ȝare: Mony for þe lesse forgoyþ þe mare. Line 10044 Yf y had Gye so moche betaght, Of myn enmyes y had not roght.' ¶ Vp rose then the dewke of Kente And to the kynge seyde hys entente: Line 10048 'Syr kynge, þou muste sende þy sonde Far into vncowthe londe [folio 226a:1] To euery towne þorow and thorowe Bothe in cyte and in borowe Line 10052 All, that may armes bere, Swyrde, axe, schelde or spere, To come to þe at a day certeyne, And þat þey stande not þerageyne; Line 10056 For of the þey schall haue More wageys, þen þey wyll craue. Wyth þe kynge þen we schall fyght And hym ouercome wyth goddys myght. Line 10060 I haue now my cowncell sayde: Yf hyt be wele, y am well payde.' Wyth that they parted euerychone: Odur cowncell was ther none. Line 10064 ¶ The kynge at nyght to bedde was broȝt In cloþys of golde rychely wroght. All that nyght he lay and wakyde And to Iesu hys preyer maked, Line 10068 That he wolde sende hym soche a man, That of þe batayle he myght tryste on; And god forgate hym nothynge: As he was in slepeynge, Line 10072 An aungell he sende to hym full euyn Hym to cowmfort wyth mery steuyn, And seyde: 'kynge, slepyste thou? The sendyth worde the kynge Iesu: Line 10076 To morne, when þat hyt ys day, Take thou the redy way

And go vnto the northe gate And loke, whome þou fyndyst þerate. Line 10080 A pylgryme þou schalt there mete. On goddys halfe thou hym grete And anon þou schalt hym lede wyth the And pray hym pur charyte, Line 10084 That he the batell for the take In goddys name and for hys sake.' ¶ Wyth þat þe aungell wente hym froo: The kynge was blythe thoo. Line 10088 Tho ȝerly he rose and that anon [folio 226a:2] And to þe northe gate can he gone. Two erles wyth hym lad he And the byschoppe of that cyte. Line 10092 Vnto mydmorne stode they, And many a pore man came þat wey. Amonge þem he sye a pylgryme: Well sone he knewe hym. Line 10096 The kynge hys hande on hym layde And swythely to hym sayde: 'Pylgryme, pur charyte, Dwelle a whyle here wyth me.' Line 10100 'Let me stonde,' seyde he, 'Wyth yow to goo [Part of h blotted out before goo in MS.] hyt lykyth not me. Pore y am and hungry stronge: Here ye tarye me to longe.' Line 10104 ¶ 'Pylgryme,' he seyde, 'we byd pur charyte For grete nede, we schewe to the, Ageyne the kynge of Denmarke, That ys a sterne man and a starke, Line 10108 That þou þe batell wylt vndertake. Y schall þe sey, for what sake. Thorow þe strenkyþ of a knyght Lese y schall my realme be ryght Line 10112 Agenste the gyawnt Collebrande:

Ther ys none so stronge in all þys lande. For hys loue y bydde the, That syttyth aboue in trynyte, Line 10116 Thou thys batell for hys sake Agenste Collebrande þat þou take.' ¶ Who so had the kynge beholde And hys barons, þat were so bolde, Line 10120 Betterlye wepte they euerychone. 'Syr,' quod Gye and that anon, 'For goddys loue in trynyte And, for yow all beseche me, Line 10124 Thys batelle y vndurtake: For no feer y schall hyt slake.' ¶ Owre kynge þankyd hym wyth gode wylle [folio 226b:1] And to þe kynge of Denmarke sende a bylle, Line 10128 How þat oon had takyn on hande For to fyght wyth Collebrande. And the day was ysett Of the batell wythowten lett Line 10132 In a place, where þey schulde bee Yn an yle wythynne the see. Who was gladde, but kynge Adelston And hys lordys euerychone, Line 10136 That the pylgryme wolde take on hande For to fyght wyth Collebrande And wyth the grace of god almyght To delyuyr ther enmyes wyth ryght? Line 10140 ¶ The kynge comawndyd and that anon To hys armerars euerychone, That they schulde purvey armewre [MS. armowre.] Of the beste and moost sewre Line 10144 For hys champyon, the pylgryme, In peyne of lyfe, lyth and lymme. Ynto euery place they sende and gone But mete armowre fonde þey none. Line 10148

Line 10148 ¶ When Gye sye, ther cowde non be fownde, To þe kynge he went in that stownde. 'Syr,' he seyde, 'be goddys myght, Y harde sey, ther was a knyght Line 10152 Some tyme dwellyng in Warwyk towne Large and longe from fote to crowne, And, but hys armowre wyll serue me, Y trowe, in Ynglonde none ther bee; Line 10156 Wherefore y rede yow, be my lyfe, Sende for hyt to Gyes wyfe.' As he seyde, so dud the kynge, And sche hyt sende wythowte grucchynge. Line 10160 When hyt was comyn, they hyt assayed: Hyt was mete, þey were wele payde. Sche had hyt kept, þat lady hende, [folio 226b:2] That hyt was not peyred before nor behynde. Line 10164