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 ...

As he come fro a turnement, That was besyde Bonement, Line 920 He was greuyd swythe sore Of a wounde, þat he had thore. Then bethoght hym the dewke Oton, A grete traytur and a felon, Line 924 He louyd syr Gye nothynge: He sye hym woundyd at þat justynge. When Oton the sothe harde, That syr Gye not wele farde, Line 928 He clepyd to hym erle Lambart, A herde knyght and of gode harte, And wyth hym knyghtys fyftene, All bolde men and keene. Line 932 To the pase he bad them ryde, There syr Gye schulde wende besyde. 'Lordyngys,' seyde the dewke Oton, 'Herkyn all to my reson. Line 936 Ȝe be my men to me plyght, Ye be holdyn to do my ryght, And to do my comawndement, In what stede ye be sente. Line 940 Goyth belyue and venge mee Of Gye and hys felows three, That ys enturd into my londe: He wyll me brynge warre on honde. Line 944 He ys woundyd swythe sore, Loke, that he dedde wore. [folio 167a:2] Ye schall be sworne on bokeys gode, That ye schall wende to the wode Line 948 And kepe that pase ferre and nere, That he passe not on no manere. Ye schall brynge hys owne corse And sloo hys men all wyth force. Line 952

Line 952 I schall hym caste in my pryson: For hym schall go no rawnsome. Wyth paynes stronge he schall be dedde: Ther schall be no nodur redde.' Line 956 ¶ 'Syr,' they seyde, 'wyth gode wylle Yowre comawndement we schall fulfylle.' Then þey armed them wele Bothe in yron and in steele. Line 960 To the pase they conne ryde And hyt besett on euery syde. Gye ne wyste of that skathe, That schulde come to hym so rathe. Line 964 ¶ Now Gye came faste rydynge On a mewle wele awmbelynge. He had gret angwysche of hys wounde: Allas, þat he was not hole and sownde. Line 968 To passe þe watur he went full rathe, But furste he had grete skathe. Then he harde horsys neye, Helmes he sawe bryght on hye. Line 972 'Harrawde,' he seyde, 'here ys treson. We be all dedde, be my crowne.' Of the mewle he downe starte And toke hys stede wyth gode herte. Line 976 All hys harnes he toke well ryght And arrayed hym, as a doghty [MS. a doghty a.] knyght, And seyde to hys felows all: 'Fyght faste, or we downe falle. Line 980 Euery man, that ys of myght, Dyght hys body for to fyght. And, yf y may, so mote y the, He schall forþynk, þat comyth to me.' Line 984 ¶ Then seyde Harrawde, þat gode knyght: 'Wende hens: ye may not fyght. [folio 167b:1] He schall forþynk, þat comyth to vs,

I swere be swete Ihesus; Line 988 For we schall kepe thys passage, Thogh we be take wyth gret owtrage. Bettur hyt ys, þat we dyed all, Than ye amonge vs schulde mysfalle.' Line 992 Gye answeryd anon ryght, As a bolde man and a wyght: 'And all ye dyed, yf hyt so bee, For all þys worlde wolde y not flee.' Line 996 ¶ Wyth that starte vp a Lumbarde: I wott, he was a cowarde. 'Gye,' he seyde, 'ȝylde the to me: Be my hedde, hyt schall so bee. Line 1000 I haue sworne to dewke Oton To brynge the to hys pryson, Or thou the water passed wore.' Gye hym hytt and smote sore Line 1004 Thorowe the body wyth the spere, That hys fete myght not hym bere. Another he mett all in hye And he hym smote, wytturly. Line 1008 The hedde wythowte lettynge Flewe of wyth that strykynge. ¶ Forthe then came syr Harrawt, To the thrydde he made asawte. Line 1012 He smote hym þorow wyth hys bronde: The herte blode ranne on honde. Then come prekyng syr Toralde, An hardy knyght and a bolde. Line 1016 A Lumbarde there he mett, That the wey hym had besett, Or he ouyr the watur went. A grete stroke he had hym lente, Line 1020 That the crowne wyth the heuydde [MS. hedde.] Vppon the sonde þere was leuydde.

Forthe then come syr Vrry: Ther was fewe there so hardy. Line 1024 Slayne he hath a doghty knyght, For he wolde mayntene vnryght. ¶ Nowe begynneth newe batayle: [folio 167b:2] Echon odur faste can assayle Line 1028 Wyth grete strokys vpon scheldys, That þe pecys flewe in the feldys. Of the helmes feyre and bryght There was a rewfull syght. Line 1032 Forthe came the erle Lambarde, An hardy knyght and an harde. Vrry the gode he hath slone And let hym lye and forthe ys gone. Line 1036 When Harrawde sawe þat ylke dede, He ranne to Lambarde a gode spede. He smote hym þorow wyth hys spere: Vrryes dethe he venged there. Line 1040 Then came forthe Hewchon, That was cosyn to dewke Oton. He was an hardy knyght And in euery place stronge and wyght, Line 1044 Toralde now hath he slayne, Therof was not Harrawde fayne. He sawe Toralde falle to grownde: He þoght to venge hym in a stownde. Line 1048 Hym to venge he þoght wele hate: [MS. late.] Hewchon on þe crowne he smate. To the gyrdull stede hyt wode, That dud Harrawde moche gode. Line 1052 When syr Gayer sawe that dede, That was an hardy knyght at nede, Harrawde he mett and hym dud smyte Wyth a swerde, þat wolde wele byte, Line 1056 Thorow þe body in a stownde,

That syr Harrawde felle to grownde. When Gye sawe them dedde all, From hys stede he had nere falle. Line 1060 For sorowe he waxe nere wode: He was so wrothe in hys mode. Gye smote oon of Lumbardye, He rose no more, wytturlye: Line 1064 He clafe hys body in twoo: The ton syde from þe todur can goo. [folio 168a:1] ¶ Gye ys now euyll befalle: Lorne he hath hys felows all. Line 1068 He can syke and sore grone: He wyste not, to whom to make hys moone. All were slayne of þem, but two, And they abowte syr Gye can goo. Line 1072 Gye smote oon of tho Hys rygge bone euyn in twoo. Tho start forthe Segwarde, A full felle Lumbarde. Line 1076 'Gye,' he seyde, 'ȝylde the; For hyt so full wele may bee. I see, þou mayst no lenger stonde For to fyght wyth thyn honde. Line 1080 I see now thy gode schelde: The pecys lye in the felde, Thy helme on that odur syde. Blody be þy wowndys wyde. Line 1084 I may see well be thy chere, Fyght mayste thou no lengere. I schall þe brynge to dewke Oton: He schall þe caste in hys pryson.' Line 1088 ¶ 'Nay,' seyde Gye, 'so mote y thryue, Neuer, whyll y am on lyue. Ne schall y wyth the dewke carpe, The whyle y haue spere so scharpe Line 1092 And whyll y haue so moche force

In my hondys and my corse. The whyle y may defende me, Schall y neuyr ȝylde me to the.' Line 1096 ¶ Segwarde smote then Gye, As knyght bolde and hardye. On the helme he smote syr Gye: In fowre pecys hyt went, wytturly. Line 1100 Wyth the grace of heuyn kynge Hymselfe had no hurtynge. When Gye hym felyd smeten sore, To ȝylde hyt hym he was yore. Line 1104 He start to hym wyth gret force And hyt hym egurly on the corce. The schoulder fro the body well [folio 168a:2] He smote of euery dell. Line 1108 Segwarde fledde faste awey From syr Gye wyth grete derey. Gye hym sone turned ageyne To hys felows, þat were slayne. Line 1112 Segwarde prekyth to Payuye All wowndyd and blody. ¶ As the dewke came from huntynge And odur men oolde and ȝynge, Line 1116 He sawe a knyght rydynge: Hys ryght arme was mysfarynge. The dewke stode stylle and hym beþoght To here, what tydyngys he had broght: Line 1120 'Hyt semeth well a woundyd man.' Segwarde hym hyed faste than. 'Sey,' quod the dewke, 'art þou wrathe? Who hath done the that skathe? Line 1124 Where ys Gye? ys he tane? And hys men, be they slane?' [MS. slayne.] ¶ Segwarde seyde: 'y wyll the say Also moche of Gye, as y may. Line 1128

Line 1128 At the ryver we hym mett And we hym all abowte sett. We slewe all of hys men, But hymselfe skapyd then. Line 1132 My felows be slayne to grownde And y myselfe bere dedly wounde.' 'Where ys he, syr Hewchon?' 'Dedde,' seyde Segwarde, 'be my crowne.' Line 1136 'And the erle Lambarde the goode?' 'I lefte hym sprawlyng in hys blode.' When þe dewke harde hym so sey, 'Allas,' he seyde, 'and wele awey Line 1140 For my men, that be spylte: All hyt ys my nowne gylte.' ¶ Now ys Gye comen there, As hys men slayne were. Line 1144 'Allas,' seyde Gye, 'þat y was borre, My gode men þat þus be lorne.' In the stedd, þere Gye stode, [folio 168b:1] He sawe the bodyes [Something blotted out before bodyes in MS.] lye in blode. Line 1148 When he sawe þe bodyes colde Of þe knyghtys, þat were so bolde, 'Allas,' he seyde, 'and wele away, That euer y wakenyd on þys day. Line 1152 Jesu Cryste, what ys my redde? For my loue þese men be dedde. Sory wordys were me lente, To serue Felyce when y was sente. Line 1156 Felyce,' he seyde, 'for thy sake To vs ys comen moche wrake, And all for the loue of the Dedde be here knyghtys thre. Line 1160 They were þe beste in euery londe, That myght bere [s blotted out before bere in MS.] spere on honde.

Me þynkyth,' he seyde, 'y am a fole, When y to a woman make soche dole. Line 1164 I am not þe furste nodur þe laste, That þorowe a woman downe ys caste; Nothur be two, nothur be three, All wyse men be ware be me. Line 1168 Here haue y loste Harrowde, a nobull knyȝt, That was bolde bothe day and nyght. Who schall me helpe, when y haue drede? Thou were redy in all my nede. Line 1172 I may not on no manere Parte fro the, thou art my fere. Y wolde, y were dedde and leyde on beere: Allas,' he seyde, 'þat hyt so were! Line 1176 Hangyd be the Lumbardes, That be so fowle cowardes, That y ne were wyth the slone! Why haue þey lefte me allone? Line 1180 ¶ A,' he seyde, 'erle Rohawte, Of thy cowncell y haue defawte. Had y restyd a whyle wyth the And aftur that passyd the see, Line 1184 Soche sorowe vndur a wode syde For noþyng schulde haue me betyde. [folio 168b:2] He, þat wyll not hys fadur here Nodur þe cowncell of hys modur dere, Line 1188 Hyt schall hym nothynge avayle. I haue hyt preuyd, wythowten fayle, For þe sorowe and for the care Of my felows, þat now dedde are, Line 1192 And for my wounde, þat ys so wyde, Well depe on euery syde.' ¶ To þe erthe he felle downe And smete in a grete swowne. Line 1196 When he rose of swownynge, He began hys hondys to wrynge.

Of hys felows, þat were dedde, Then cowde he no nodur redde, Line 1200 But toke hys hors sone anon And to an hermytage he can goon. 'Ermyte,' he seyde, 'come wyth me (Thys horse of pryce y geue the) Line 1204 And take vp bodyes tweyne, That in þe wode lye slayne, And bery þem wyth moche honowre; For þey were of grete valowre.' Line 1208 'Syr,' he seyde, 'y come ryght nowe. Go before, y wyll sewe yow.' Gye hath hym þe bodyes tane Of Toralde and of Vrry than. Line 1212 Sythen he ys lopen on hys stede: He wyth hym Harrawde dud lede. ¶ Gye wendyþ now from þat place, There he had a febull grace. Line 1216 The body of Harrawde wyth hym he bare And lefte the odur corsys thare. He went to an abbey, That was a lytull besyde þe wey. Line 1220 The abbot sone he fonde there And spake to hym on hys manere: 'God, þat dyed on a tree, Sur,' he seyde, 'saue the. Line 1224 I the bydde pur charyte In the name of the trynyte, [folio 169a:1] That þou take thys body here And bery hyt on all manere. Line 1228 He was to day a doghty knyght And ryght now was slayne in fyght. God wyll ȝylde the thy mede And y schall, when y may spede.' Line 1232 'Syr,' he seyde, 'wyth full gode chere Schall y bery thys body here.

Syr,' he seyde, 'what ys þy name? Telle þou me and, fro whens þou came.' Line 1236 'I am a knyght of straunge lande. To day, as y come rydande, There theuys come [MS. to me.] syxtene, Bolde men and also kene. Line 1240 Lefte y am myselfe allone: All my felows haue þey slone. I myselfe haue woundys wyde, Well depe in the ryght syde.' Line 1244 Gye turned fro the abbey And hyed faste on hys wey. To an ermyte [MS. ermytage.] he can wende, That þerebefore had be hys frende. Line 1248 There he had helyd hys wounde Well sone in a lytull stounde. The dewke Oton was full woo, That syr Gye was passyd soo. Line 1252 ¶ The abbot had grete pyte Of þat knyght feyre and free. He let bere hym yn sone: In a chaumbur was he done. Line 1256 Whyll he in the chaumbur laye, Ther come oon of that abbaye, A man, þat was gode and trewe: Of all wowndys, for soþe, he knewe. Line 1260 There he knelyd, wytturly, And lokyd hys woundys and see þem bye, That he had no dedly wounde. He seyde: 'y schall in a lytull stownde Line 1264 Make thys knyght hole and fere.' Therto he dud hys powere [folio 169a:2] And, as he seyde, so dud he, As ye schall here aftur of me. Line 1268 ¶ Now ys Gye hole of hys sare

And aftur broght owt of hys care. The ermyte he yaue gode day And to Pole he toke the way. Line 1272 There he went to the kynge, That had grete yoye of hys comyng. Syluyr and golde he had hym sente: Thereof had Gye no talente. Line 1276 So had Gye taryed thore, That all hym louyd, þat þere wore, And of euery justynge Wyth hym ys lefte the preysynge. Line 1280 ¶ Leue of þe kynge Gye toke anon And to Sesoyne [MS. Sesyone.] ys he gone To the nobull dewke Raynere, And he welcomyd hym wyth gode chere. Line 1284 So longe he hath hawntyd bordys, That of armes he bare the prys. He hym bethoght on a daye, That he wolde wende away: Line 1288 To hys contre wolde he fare. He wolde not longe dwelle thare. ¶ Now ys he went fro [MS. to.] Sesoyne, [MS. Sesyone.] Comen he ys to Burgoyne Line 1292 To dewke Myllon, that was þan: Of Gye he was a yoyfull man. All hys castels and all the lande He dud take Gye in hys hande. Line 1296 Thorow the londe he wan þe prys Of justynge and of bordys. Now ys Gye loueyd well Thorow all þe londe euery dele. Line 1300 Was þer nodur lorde nor knyght Nor squyer, that had any myght: He gaue þem armes to be knyght Thorow þer strenkyþ and þer myght. Line 1304

Line 1304 So well he had there hym spedde, [folio 169b:1] That ladyes wolde be to hym wedde; But none of all wolde he haue For noght, þat þey myght craue. Line 1308 For all þe sorowe, was hym befalle, Ȝyt louyd he Felyce moste of all. What for gyftys, what for larges, What for bewte, what for proves, Line 1312 Ther was no knyght beyonde þe see, That was so moche preysed, as hee. ¶ On huntyng Gye went on a day, He mett a palmer be the way. Line 1316 He clepyd to hym the palmere And spake to hym on hys manere: 'Gode man,' seyde Gye, 'telle þou me, Fro whens þou came and fro what cuntre.' Line 1320 'Fro Lumbardy comyn y am. There haue y tholed moche schame: There loste y my lorde dere, That was a knyght of gret powere. Line 1324 The dewke Oton of Payuye Desseyuyd vs thorow trecherye. God, that dyed on a tre, Let hym neuer forgeuyn bee. Line 1328 On þys manere wyll y wende Allwey to my lyueys ende. I wyll bydde for hym well faste, All þe whyle my lyfe may laste.' Line 1332 ¶ 'Who was thy lorde,' seyde Gye, 'That þou loueyst so trewlye?' 'Gye he hyght of Warwyke: In all þys worlde ys none hym lyke.' Line 1336 Gye began to syke sore. When þe palmer had seyde thore, 'Gode man,' he seyde, 'what ys þy name? So god þe schylde fro synne and schame.' Line 1340

Line 1340 'Harrawde,' he seyde, 'men clepe me Of Ardurne in that cuntre.' ¶ When Gye harde þat, also smerte Downe of hys stede sone he sterte. Line 1344 He toke hym in hys armes twoo, Owt of the stedde wolde he not goo. [folio 169b:2] He kyssyd hym an hundurde sythe: Neuyr before was he so blythe. Line 1348 Wyth hys eyen he wepyd sore For yoye, that he stode thore, And seyde, 'syr Harrowde, þou seye me, why That þou knowyst not syr Gye.' Line 1352 Then he myght no lenger stonde, But in swowne he felle to grownde. Ther was yoye wythowte care: Ayther askyd other of hys fare. Line 1356 ¶ Nowe be they bothe two sett: They haue grete yoye, þat þey be mett. Than Gye all hath to hym seyde, How he hym on hys hors leyde; Line 1360 Vnto an abbey how he hym bare, For þat he schulde be beryed thare. For nothynge wolde he late, [MS. lett.] But ylke tolde odur of þer state. Line 1364 Now begynneth Harowde to spelle And of hys sorowe he can hym telle, How he was helyd of hys wownde And made bothe hole and sownde Line 1368 Be a monke of that abbey, As ye haue herde me before sey, And how he went to many a londe Gye to seke, yf he myght be [be omitted in MS.] fonde. Line 1372 ¶ Now be they horsyd bothe thare And to the cyte dud they fare.

Gye dud hym bathe full well And clothyd hym newe euery dell Line 1376 Wyth ryche robys of grete prys Furryd wele wyth veire and grys. When he was so well cladde, To dewke Myllon he hym ladde Line 1380 And he hym tolde euery delle, How ther wo was turned to wele.