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 ...

Nowe sorowede Gye nyght and daye, That he ne wyste, what he do may. Line 192 He ys full of sorowe and care: Full longe ne may he wele fare. Ofte he began to syke and wepe. He wakenyd ofte, when he schulde slepe: Line 196 On nyght, when odur men had reste, Then was hys sorowe all preste. When odur lye, þen wyll he stonde: For sorowe þen wryngyþ he hys honde. Line 200 Loue hath geuyn hym soche a wounde, That he may not wele stonde. Ofte seyde Gye: 'allas, allas,' That euyr he borne was. Line 204 Hys sorowe hym lastyd day and nyght All that ylke fowrtnyght.

Gye ys moche bemoonyd of all In þe Erlys cowrte and in þe Kyngys halle; Line 208 For he was wonte there to serue Before the Erle hys mete to carve. All, þat þere were, boþe moost and leeste Of Gye they had a grete breste. Line 212 ¶ When þe feste was broght to ende And lordyngys can home wende, Gye then to cowrte came, A carefull and a sory man. Line 216 Before the mayde felle Gye adowne And seyde: 'for þy loue y muste dye soone.' The mayde lokyd on Gye full grymme And wele wrothely answeryd hym: Line 220 'Art thou not Seqwardes sone Gye? Who made the so folehardye For to assaye me of loue? [folio 162b:1] Be Iesu, that syttyth aboue, Line 224 And y þys my fadur telle vnto, For þys worde he wyll the sloo, Soone that þou schalt be drawe, On galowse hangyd, and þat ys lawe. Line 228 On grete folye þou the bethoght, When þou me of loue besoght. Neuer dud man me that vylenye To assaye me of folye. Line 232 Wende hens owt of my syght, Or þou schalt dye, my trowþe y plyȝt.' ¶ When Gye these wordys harde, To hys inne soone he farde. Line 236 Now begynnyth hys sorowe newe: Ther louyd neuer man ȝyt so trewe. Nyght and day he ys in sorowe, Late on euyn, ȝarly on morowe. Line 240 For loue now may he haue no reste: Ofte he desyryd, hys hert schulde breste.

Into a chaumbur he ys gone: Ther wyste [Qu. was] no man, but he allone. Line 244 There he felle in swownyng downe: The chaumbur was hys grete prisowne. ¶ When þe Erle wyste of þe state of Gye, For hym he was sorye: Line 248 He sende to hym lechys fele Of hys sekenes hym to hele. Out of þem all wyste þer none, What sekenes was hym vppon. Line 252 The leche was wyse and ware And askyd hym of hys fare. Gye answeryd at that case Not as the sothe was: Line 256 'In my hed comyth a colde blode, That makyþ me to qwake, as y were wode. Aftur comyth a stronge hete, That makyth my body for to swete: [folio 162b:2] Line 260 All y brenne boone and hyde Also hote, as any glede. Thys ys my lyfe nyght and daye: For payne reste y ne maye.' Line 264 The lecheys cowde hym helpe noȝt, To Iesu they haue hym betaght. Gye leuyd stylle there In sorowe and care, as he was eere. Line 268 ¶ Hyt befelle vppon a daye, Gye to the castell toke þe way. As he romeyd all abowte, He lokyd on a towre wythowte: Line 272 Therynne was þe maydyn hende, That Gye louyd wythowten mynde. 'Therinne,' he seyde, 'ys þat maye, For whom y morne boþe nyȝt and day.' Line 276 Wyth þat worde hys body can bowe,

Downe he felle þere in a swowe. He rent hys cloþe, he drewe hys here, Ofte he felle in swownyng there. Line 280 For loue he waxyd almoste wode: For wo he swett and caste blode. ¶ Of swownyng he rose vp than: For sorowe he waxe pale and wan Line 284 And seyde: 'ȝyt schall y oonys prove For to wynne þat maydenys loue. Sche may do me no more woo, Then telle hur lorde and do me sloo. Line 288 Then schall me falle grete honour to, That y for hur to deþe was do. Yf y therfore schall dye to daye, Y wyll hur of loue praye.' Line 292 Sore he wept and sore he syght: To the castell he hym dyght. ¶ As he in the garden wonde, Felyce, þat lady, there he fonde: Line 296 There sche was almoost allone, Ther was wyth hur maydyns but oon. [folio 163a:1] When Gye Felyce there sye, To hur he ranne all in hye. Line 300 He felle before hur downe on hys kne And seyde: 'Felyce, haue merce on me. I am to blame now wyth skylle: I am come hedur agenste þy wylle. Line 304 I may not slepe nyght nor day: So thy loue byndyth me aye. On nyghtys, when odur men slepe, Thou makyst me full sore to wepe. Line 308 When þy lorde wottyth euery dell, That y loue the so well, Therfore he wyll do me slee: That schall to me grete worschyp be, Line 312 Yf any man may synge or rede,

That y was for þe done to dede, That men may say be many a day, That y was slayne for soche a maye.' Line 316 ¶ When Gye had these wordys seyde, To the grownde he hym leyde. Sche rewyd then on Gyes payne: When sche sawe hym in swownyng layne, Line 320 Sche bad hur maydyn in þat stownde Arere vp Gye fro the grounde. The maydyn ȝede to Gye thoo And toke hym in hur armes two. Line 324 To Felyce than sche broght Gye. Felyce seyde to hym: 'þou doyst folye. Who gaue the thys ylke redde, That þou for my loue woldest be dedde? Line 328 Soone schalt þou to dethe be doo.' 'God grawnt,' quod Gye, 'þat hyt be soo, That men myȝt saye be ony way, That y was slayne for soche a maye.' Line 332 Then seyde þe maye, þat toke vp Gye, To Felyce, hur ladye: 'Yf my fadur were kyng or knyght, Erle or emperowre of myght, [folio 163a:2] Line 336 And he were man poreste And y maydyn feyreste, And he louyd me so derne, Y myght not hym loue werne.' Line 340 ¶ Felyce spake to Gye anone: 'For thy loue y wyll now done, Ther ys no maydyn in þys londe Nor no lady, y vndurstonde, Line 344 That þou wylt haue to thy wyfe, But þou schalt haue hur, wythowtyn stryfe.' Gye answeryd Felyce there: 'Ys hyt no better, þen hyt was eere. Line 348 Other, then the, kepe y none:

For the y wyll my lyfe forgoon.' ¶ When Gye had seyde thys reson, Therwythall he felle downe. Line 352 Felyce on Gye began to loke And in hur armes hym vp toke. 'Gye,' sche seyde, 'be nowe stylle. Here me, yf hyt be yowre wylle. Line 356 Knyghtys and erlys y haue forsake, That wolde me to wyfe take. And y loued now a yong [take blotted out before knaue in MS.] knaue, How schulde y my worschyp save? Line 360 When þou art dubbed a knyght And proued well in euery fyght, Then, for sothe, hyght y the, That þou schalt haue þe loue of me.' Line 364 When thys harde Gyeowne, For yoye in swownyng he felle adowne. Felyce spake to hym wyth mowthe And comefortyd hym, as sche well cowthe. Line 368 He rose vp fro swownyng And toke leue at þe maydyn ȝyng. Owt of þe ȝarde he went aryght, To hys inne he well sone hym dyght. Line 372 There he was to þe secunde daye, [folio 163b:1] That hys sekenes went awaye. ¶ When Gye had couyrde hys estate, To þe erlys court he toke þe gate. Line 376 Well feyre Gye the Erle grett, Before hym on hys kneys he hym sett. 'Syr,' he seyde, 'y prey the, That þou knyght dubbe me. Line 380 Yf þou wylt me þe ordur yeue, I wyll the serue, whyll þat y leue.' The Erle grauntyd hym hys boone And seyde: 'þou schalt be dubbed soone.' Line 384

Line 384 ¶ Forthe then yede hym Gye And chase to hym squyers twenty. Into a chaumbur þey be goon, There þey schulde be dubbed ychone. Line 388 Kyrtyls they had oon of sylke Also whyte, as any mylke. Of gode sylke and of purpull palle Mantels above they caste all. Line 392 Hosys þey had vppon, but no schone; Barefote they were euerychone. But garlondys þey had of precyous stones And perlys ryche for the noones. Line 396 When þey were þus ycledde, To a chaumbur the Erle hym yede. A squyer broght newe brondys: They toke þe poyntys in þer hondys. Line 400 They hangyd on euery swyrde hylte A peyre of sporys newe gylte. Before þe awter þey knelyd ychone, Vnto mydnyght were all goone. Line 404 The Erle come anon ryghtys And wyth hym two odur knyghtys. The Erle seyde: 'lordyngys dere, At thys nede helpe vs here.' Line 408 The knyghtys, þat were hende, Knelyd to the awters ende. [folio 163b:2] The Erle, that was the thrydde, Began all in the mydde. Line 412 At the furste to Gye he come, Of the swyrde þe spurres he nome. He set the spurres on hys fote And knelyd before hym, y wote, Line 416 And wyth the swyrde he hym gyrte Ryght abowte at hys herte And smote hym on þe neck a lytull weyȝt And bad hym become a good knyȝt. Line 420

Line 420 There were hys felowes euerychon Dubbed knyghtys be oon and oon. ¶ The Erle at morne a feste made: There were feele lordyngys glade. Line 424 When þe knyghtys had etyn And at þe borde longe setyn, Vp they rose euerychone: To þe chaumbur be þey goone. Line 428 Gye hym went anon ryght To Felyce, that swete wyght. He seyde: 'lemman, for thy sake Knyghtys ordur haue y take: Line 432 For þe y am dubbyd knyght. Do nowe, as þou me hyght.' 'Gye,' sche seyde, 'what wylt þou done? Ȝyt haste þou not wonnen þy schone. Line 436 Of a gode knyghtys mystere Hyt ys the furste manere Wyth some odur gode knyght Odur to juste or to fyght. Line 440 Goo and do thy cheualrye And þen þou schalt lye me bye: Then þou shalt haue þe loue of me And at þy wylle my body shall be.' Line 444 ¶ Gye toke hys leue of þat maye And to þe halle he toke þe waye. The Erle he fonde in the halle [folio 164a:1] And on hys kneys he can down falle. Line 448 'Syr,' he seyde, 'gyf me leeue For to go myselfe to preue. I wyll fare to odur [d blotted out before odur in MS.] londe Dedes of armes for to fonde.' Line 452 The Erle spake to Gye stylle: 'Gye,' he seyde, 'take all þy wylle.' Gye toke hys leue þere in þe halle

And went owt fro þem all. Line 456 ¶ He wente to hys ynne warde: There was hys fadur Seqwarde. Well sone he set hym on hys kne And seyde: 'fadur, lysten to mee. Line 460 For sothe, fadur, y yow telle, Noo lengur wyll y here dwelle. Fadur, yf thy wylle bee, Y wyll wende ouyr the see: Line 464 I wyll preue, sauns fayle, Of turnement and batayle.' 'Sone,' he seyde, 'þou art full ȝynge For to preue of soche thynge. Line 468 Ȝyt haste thou no myght To turnament nor to fyght. Lenge at home, pur charyte, Leve soon, y prey the, Line 472 Tyll þou can more skylle.' 'Syr,' he seyde, 'that y do nylle.' 'Sone,' seyde he, 'sythe þou wylt soo, Thou schalt not allone goo. Line 476 Of my tresure take thy fylle; For hyt ys þyn all at þy wylle.' He gaue hym tresure gret plente And betoke hym knyghtys three, Line 480 Harrawde, Toralde and Vrrye, And betoke þem hys sone Gye, That they schulde hym kepe wyth þer myght; For þey were bothe hardy and wyght. Line 484 ¶ Gye toke hys fadurs beneson [folio 164a:2] And went forthe of the towne. They harde of a gode schyppe: All iiii theryn they lepe. Line 488 They drewe sayle, þe wynde was gode, Thay yede into the salte flode. They sayled forthe wythowten ore:

The syght of Ynglonde loste þey þore. Line 492