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 ...

'Lordyngys,' seyde Gye, 'herkenyþ me, The ylke men, þat ye [MS. y.] yonder see, Ys the dewke of Cesoyne [MS. Cesyone.] And the erle of Coloyne. Line 1920 We may not passe, wytterlye: Wyth them ys grete cheualrye. They haue vs closed on euery parte: We may not passe wythowten hurte. [folio 173b:1] Line 1924 We muste nede oon of the two Othur to defende vs or to dethe go Better hyt ys in honowre to dye, Than to be takyn and hangyd hye. Line 1928 Therfore euery man be gode couenande Defende vs, whyll we may stande. Hyt schall turne to grete honowre Afturwarde in yche a stowre.' Line 1932 All þey seyde wyth oon couenande:

'Defende vs, whyll we may stande. Helpe hym euyr god, that ys bolde, Whyll he may stonde and wepon holde.' Line 1936 ¶ Now they wente in hye, Gye and hys companye. There beganne a grete batayle: Euery man odur faste can assayle. Line 1940 Or the battell endyd were, Many a stronge knyght dyed there. Gye smote the dewke Raynere: Of hys stede he dud hym bere. Line 1944 He hyt a nodur in a stownde, That he felle to the grownde: Thorow þe body he hym smote, He rose no more, wele y wote. Line 1948 Than he smote Waldynere Owt of hys schelde a quartere. From hys sadull downe he starte: I wot, Waldynere hyt dud smerte. Line 1952 Another knyght he sloo tyte Wyth hys swyrde, þat wolde byte. Then forthe came Gylmyne, The dewke Segwyns cosyn. Line 1956 The erle smote abowte faste, But Gye of hys hors hym caste. Gye peyned hym wele to do And all hys men dud also. Line 1960 Of þe Almayns þey haue tane, Many woundyd and many slane. [folio 173b:2] When he sawe dewke Raynere And the constabull Waldynere, Line 1964 How þer men were broght to grownde Wyth grete yre yn a stownde, Gye beganne to crye in hye: 'Ȝelde yowreselfe or ye dye.' Line 1968 Than he hyed full faste:

Them to sloo he was full preste. For noþyng þey wolde flee, And Gye faght full boldele. Line 1972 Of þer men he slewe many: To grownde þey wente sodenly. ¶ Then came dewke Raynere To mete wyth Gylmyn, þat was full fere. Line 1976 He hath hym smeten þorow þe syde And gaue hym a wounde longe and wyde. Gylmyn flewe at the laste On hys stede swythe faste. Line 1980 To dewke Segwyne he ys gone: The dewke hym knewe and þat anon. Hys herte was full sare, When he sye Gylmyn so fare. Line 1984 'Syr,' he seyde, 'ye do grete wronge, That ye dwelle here so longe. Go and helpe thy men tyte: They be in poynt to be scowmfyte.' Line 1988 ¶ When the dewke harde þe tythyng, That syr Gylmyne dud brynge, He smote þe stede wyth þe sporys And spared nother dyke nor forys [MS. forows.] Line 1992 And seyde: 'lordyngys, haue in yowre þoȝt, That owre men þus dye noght. Yf þey þus be [be omitted in MS.] slayne and tane, We bene dedde euery man.' Line 1996 Than þey wendyd [MS. wendyd a grete in þat case.] in þat case To helpe Gye a grete pase. ¶ Nowe came the dewke faste rydynge And the Almayns faste smytynge. [folio 174a:1] Line 2000 He smote a knyght in that tyde: Into the body hyt can glyde. Or he to Gye wanne,

He hedyd many a doghty man. Line 2004 Now þey be mette thare, To fyght þey were full ȝare Wyth the Almayns anon ryght Wyth scheldys, sperys and myght. Line 2008 They schett bothe sperys and dartes: Faste þey faght on bothe partes. Hawberkys þey brake and styffe scheldes And made to flye into þe feldus: Line 2012 Hondes and armes þey leuyd there, Fete, schankys, schelde and spere. Wele gode knyghtys many oon, In the felde þey were slone. Line 2016 They were ryche menys sonnes, All they were feyre gromes, That þedur came lose to wynne. Hyt was bothe grete shame and synne: Line 2020 There fadurs be not well lykynge, When þey harde of þat tythynge. ¶ Forþe þen came dewke Raynere. Slayne he hath Gawtere, Line 2024 That was to Gye a trewe frende Owtetakyn Harrawde þe hende. Gye hyt sawe and was woo: The dewke to smyte he can goo. Line 2028 He smote hym hye vppon þe crowne, That he felle fro hys hors downe. Gye dud, as an hardy knyght, And toke hym þere wyth strenkyþe of fyȝt. Line 2032 Than hys swyrde he owte hynte And gaue many an euyll dynte. Gye toke in that stowre An hundurd men of grete valowre. Line 2036 ¶ The dewke Segwyne þo stert owte On a gode stede and a stowte. [folio 174a:2] Syr Waldynere þere he dud smyte,

That he felle from hys hors tyte. Line 2040 He hath hym take wyth myght: Bothe were woundyd in þat fyght. Now be þe Lumbardes take be tale And þe Almayns slayne alle. Line 2044 The dewke and Gye dud þem chace: Of dedde men was full þe place. ¶ Tho came Tyrrye of Gormoyse Wyth grete pryde and moche noyse Line 2048 Wyth an hundurde of gode knyghtys, That were armed at all ryghtys. They were comyn wyth lawnce and spere For to helpe the Almayns there. Line 2052 As þe Almayns awey rode, Tyrrye þem mett, and þey abode. 'Lordyngys,' he seyde, 'wyll ye flee? Turne ageyne and stonde be me. Line 2056 Fyght ageyne yowre enmyse And let be yowre cowardyse, Or y schall telle the emperowre, That ye do hym þat dyshonowre. Line 2060 Yf ye haue be ferde afore hande, Turne ageyne: y wyll be yowre warante.' He made þem to turne ageyne þan: Newe batell they beganne. Line 2064 ¶ The dewke Segwyne came full faste: For noþynge wolde he be laste. To an Almayne tho he starte And smote hym streyght to þe harte. Line 2068 When Tyrrye sawe hym dedde, He cowde than no bettur redde, But to dewke Segwyn he caste A grete strook at the laste. Line 2072 The dewke hym turned on hys manere And faght ageyne wyth gode chere. They two faght togedur wele

Wyth gode swerdys, were made of stele. [folio 174b:1] Line 2076 Tho came Harrowde on hys stede, That was a gode knyght at euery nede. Wyth a swyrde oon he smote That he felle downe at hys fote. Line 2080 ¶ That sawe the erle Tyrrye, A gode knyght and an hardye. Harrawde to smyte sone he yede: He made hym to falle downe in þat stede. Line 2084 Aftur hys folke he dud crye: The Almayns come hastylye. The dewke Segwyne þey sorowe wroght And hys men to dethe broght. Line 2088 Wyth strenkyth þey were dreuyn ageyne, Many woundyd and many slayne. ¶ When he sawe, the dewke Segwyne, He was wrothe, be seynt Martyne, Line 2092 And all in hys wraþe seyde to Gye: 'Thys ys grete schame, wytterlye, When þus allone þat oon knyght Schulde vs do that onryght.' Line 2096 Gye hym answeryd, sawnce fayle: 'Turne ageyne, yf hym batayle. Hyt ys bettur slayne to be, Then cowardely awey to flee.' Line 2100 ¶ They leyde þe Almayns so vppon, That they gaf back euerychon. Ageynste þem rydyth Tyrrye And makyth many a man blody. Line 2104 When Tyrrye sawe syr Gye, He rode to hym, as knyght hardye. He wende Gye to haue slayne, But he was turned soone agayne. Line 2108 Betwene þem two was grete fyght: Gye hym turned, as an hardy knyght. They smote togedur so faste,

That there sperys all tobraste. Line 2112 Than þey toke þer bryght brondys And faght togedur wyth þer hondys. [folio 174b:2] Gye claue hys helme and hys schelde, That þe pecys lay in the felde. Line 2116 Tyrrye smote to Gye a stroke: As god wolde, hys swyrde broke. Sone Tyrrye turned hys stede And fledde faste, as he had nede: Line 2120 Full dere had that stroke be boght, Had he there dwellyd oght. The Almayns flewe wyth þer brondys Bryght drawen in ther hondys. Line 2124 ¶ The dewke Segwyne, for sothe y say, To þe cyte he toke þe waye. Syr Gye of Warwyk wyth hym ys gone And hys men euerychone. Line 2128 Dewkys, erlys and barons They broght wyth þem to þer prysouns. All, that in the cyte were, Thankyd god wyth gode chere. Line 2132 ¶ Now be þey to þer ynnes wente Euery man wyth gode entente And thankyd god in þat place, That had sente þem soche grace. Line 2136 The dewke ys went vnto hys towre: The prysoners he lokyd wyth moche honowre, The dewke Raynere of Sesoyne [MS. Sesyone.] And the erle Waldynere of Coloyne [MS. Coleyne.] Line 2140 And Gawter, the stewarde, That was a nobull man and a harde: He let serue them full tyte, Or he wolde any mossel byte. Line 2144 ¶ The dewke to hys systur can say, That was gente and a feyre maye:

'The ryche prysoners þou here take, Well at ese þou þem make: Line 2148 Of all þynge the dewke Raynere; For he ys me bothe leue and dere.' 'Syr,' sche seyde tho full ryght, 'I schall hym serue wyth all my myght.' Line 2152 ¶ The ryche emperowre Raynere Wottyth not of thys comberere. [folio 175a:1] He ne wyste of thys tythyng: He pleyed at þe chesses wyth a kynge. Line 2156 Tho came Tyrrye faste prekande And hys swerde brokyn in hys hande: Hys schelde was brokyn, y wene, In the fyght, there he had bene. Line 2160 The bryght helme was croked downe Vnto þe mydward of hys crowne. The blode ranne downe fro hys syde: He had grete woundys and wyde. Line 2164 ¶ 'Syr emperowre, vndurstande þys þynge: I schall þe telle newe tythynge. Thy barons, that were so wyght, Thou schalt þem neuer see wyth syght. Line 2168 Some be in the felde slane [MS. slayne.] And some vnto pryson tane. Takyn ys the dewke Raynere And of Coloyne [MS. Coleyne.] the erle Waldynere. Line 2172 The dewke Oton haþe a wounde wyde Wyth a spere thorow the syde: Of hys dethe he hath drede, He wenyth neuer to ryde on stede.' Line 2176 ¶ The emperowre harde full well, That Tyrrye seyde, euery dell. He ys so sory for that dede, That for sorowe hys herte dud blede. Line 2180 He haþe holdyn vp hys hande

And sworne be god all weldande, That he schall neuer yoyfull bee, Or he haue that cyte Line 2184 And also the traytowrs tane And wyth jugement þem slane. [MS. slayne.] ¶ He let the comyn belle rynge: Hys men came wythowte dwellynge. Line 2188 Sythen he partyd hys grete ooste: To fyght made þey grete boste. They ouyrspradde all þe feldys Wyth spere, hawberk and wyth scheldys. [folio 175a:2] Line 2192 To the cyte they be wente. Yonge Gayer þey haue sente Wyth fyve hundurde knyghtys wyght: They were redy for to fyght. Line 2196 Than the men of that cyte All the Almayns dud see. The cuntre of þem was made lyght Wyth scheldys and wyth helmes bryght. Line 2200 ¶ Then came the dewke Segwyne ryght [b blotted out before ryght in MS.] Armed on a rabett wyght [bryght blotted out before wyght in MS.] And seyde: 'Gye, gyf me þy cownceyle: Wyll we the yonder men assayle? Line 2204 Or we wyll the walles kepe: The sekyrlyar may we slepe.' 'Syr,' seyde Gye, 'y schall the saye Gode cowncell, yf y maye: Line 2208 An hundurde knyghtys we schall take And a sawte we schall þem make. Yonder y see stonde nere The emperowres sone Gayere Line 2212 And wyth hym grete companye of knyghtys Armed wele at all ryghtys. They be wente before the ooste

All for pryde and for boste. Line 2216 Yf we haue the wars syde, Into the cyte wyll we ryde.' ¶ Nowe be þey an hundurde bolde Wyght men and wele of tolde. Line 2220 They wente, wythowten fayle, Syr Gayer to assayle. Of all þe Almayns þey wyll be wreke: Of no corde wyll they speke. Line 2224 To fyght they begynne faste: Some were of þer horsys caste. Gye smote Gayer there: Of hys hors he dud hym bere. Line 2228 There he was take wyth myght and mayne. Hys men flewe to the ooste agayne: So were they chaced at the laste, [folio 175b:1] That ther hertys almoste braste. Line 2232 Some were woundyd and some tane And some scaped and some slane. [MS. slayne.] ¶ When the ooste sye ther men So faste toward them renne Line 2236 And wyste also, that Gayere Was takyn, wyth euyll chere They hastyd them swythe The dewke to brynge owt of lyue. Line 2240 Than beganne a grete fyght: Knyghtys many dyed ryght. Grete lore was thore, But the dewke had the more. Line 2244 He hath lorne many of hys men: They were awey ladde then. The dewke passed myles thre From hys men and hys cyte, Line 2248 But neuer the lees þey dud well, And so dud Gye, as haue y hele.

And wyth hym was Harrawte, In batell dud neuyr defawte. Line 2252 ¶ Then came prekynge Tyrrye, A bolde knyght and an hardye. He hath smetyn þe dewke Segwyne: Hys hors he made hym for to tyne. Line 2256 The dewke starte on fote: He sawe no nodur bote. He drewe hys swerde wyth myght And defendyd hym, as a knyght. Line 2260 Ther was no man, he myght come to, But full sone he wolde hym sloo. Tyrrye assayed the dewke than: He hym defendyd, as a man. Line 2264 The Almayns come on euery syde Wyth scheldys and speres vnryde. He ys woundyd ylle and sore: Men wende, he schulde lyue [MS. lye.] no more. Line 2268 ¶ When Gye sye hym haue care, Ther was none, þat he wold spare, [folio 175b:2] Nor none, that he myght reche, That had nede of odur leche. Line 2272 Than he smote a doghty knyght: Of hys hors he made hym to lyght. He had hym smetyn swythe sore, That he rose vp no more. Line 2276 Hys gode swerde he drewe owte And smote all, that stode abowte, To helpe þe dewke fro them away: Many a man he slewe that day. Line 2280 ¶ Than spake syr Gyowne: 'Dewke, herkyn to my resone. To the cyte wyll we fare: We may defende vs no mare. Line 2284 Fyve hundurd knyghtys be redy

To fyght wyth vs here in hye.' To the cyte be they gone, Gye and hys men euerychone. Line 2288 The knyghtys were bolde and hende: To the wallys can they wende. There þey wyll þemselfe defende, Tyll Jesu Cryste them helpe sende Line 2292 ¶ When þe emperowre of þys harde, How hys sone syr Gayer farde, To hys men can he say: 'Assembull yow thys ylke day. Line 2296 Wende yow forthe to þat cyte: All avaunsyd schall ye bee.' ¶ Now þey can forthe fare, To the cyte they come yare. Line 2300 They schette dartes and speres amonge Wyth abblasters, that were stronge. So þey schett wyth harowes small And sett laddurs to the walle. Line 2304 Wyth ingynes þey caste stones And breke the walles for þe nones. They defendyd þe towne wythynne: A stronge batayle they begynne. Line 2308 Of the Almayns there that day [folio 176a:1] Many bare the dethe away. ¶ The emperowre had sorowe and syght, [MS. syghed.] That he ne may be vengyd ryght. Line 2312 Euery day, wythowten fayle, He made hys men þe cyte to assayle, But the dewke, Gye and Harrawte Made mony a grete sawte, Line 2316 That ther enmyes had grete skathe. Therwyth þe emperowre was wrathe. ¶ Hyt was on a somers day, As y the sothe telle may: Line 2320

Line 2320 When the emperowre had ete And hys grete care forgete, He clepyd hys hunte to hym there And seyde, he wolde chace þe dere Line 2324 Erly in the morowtyde In the forest, þat was so wyde, Bothe at hartys and at hyndys And wylde bestys of odur kyndys, Line 2328 'Preuely that hyt be wroght, That þe dewke wytt hyt noght.' ¶ All harde thys a spye, That was nye, wytterlye. Line 2332 Owte of the courte ys he gone And to þe dewke went sone anone. He came rennyng all in hye To the dewke preuelye. Line 2336 'Syr dewke,' he seyde, 'vndurstande; For y schall telle the tythande. The ryche emperowre Raynere Schall to morowe chace þe dere Line 2340 In the foreste preuelye Wyth a lytull companye. Syr,' he seyde, 'y lye þe noght. Be hym, þat all þys worlde haþe wroght, Line 2344 Ye may to morne there, wytterlye, Take þem euerychone, sekurlye.' ¶ When he had hys errande sayde, The dewke on hym hys hande layde. [folio 176a:2] Line 2348 'Yf hyt be sothe, that thou seyste here, Thou schalt haue for thy labere An hundurd besawntys of golde To chere the wyth (for þou art oolde), Line 2352 And to dubbe the a knyght Ryght wythynne þys fowrtnyght. ¶ Gye and Harrawde, wyll ye here? Come to me euerychone here Line 2356

Line 2356 And Rofaran' (þat was an hardy man: Ther was none wysear in Almayn, Certenly, as y yow telle, For to geue gode cowncell). Line 2360 'Lordyngys, what ys yowre redde, All, þat be gedurd in þys stedde, Of owre lorde the emperowre, To whom we owe grete honowre? Line 2364 He schall in the mornynge Wende owte an huntynge But wyth a small compane: Thus hyt was tolde me. Line 2368 Nowe may we wythowte care Venge vs on hym thare.' ¶ 'Syr dewke,' seyde Gye, 'y schall þe saye The best cowncell, þat y maye. Line 2372 An hundurd knyghtys y schall take, That wyll wende for thy sake, And myselfe wyth them wende To the emperowre full hende. Line 2376 Y wyll hym prey on feyre manere To come and dyne wyth yow here, He and all hys companye: We schall þem serue rychelye. Line 2380 Y rede, ye dwelle here at hame: To take yowre lorde hyt were schame. Dyght thy pales nobullye: Loke, the mete be all redye. Line 2384 Yf he wyth loue wyll not bowe, He schall wyth awe, as y trowe. What wyth strenckyth and wyth game, Y schall þem brynge all same.' [folio 176b:1] Line 2388 ¶ Then seyde the dewke: 'ye sey wele. Ye schall wende, so haue y hele. An hundurd knyghtys bolde and kene

Schall wende wyth yow, yf mystur bene. [bene is evidently wrong, and therefore kene in the pre|ceding line is probably wrong. Qy. fre: be?] Line 2392 Ye schall wende to that foreste And kepe hym, þere ye may beste. I prey yow, let for nothynge, But that ye hys body brynge.' Line 2396 Gye hym armed swythe well Bothe in yron and in stele. He hyed on hys errande faste: Hys felows folowed hym at þe laste. Line 2400