The romance of Guy of Warwick. The first or 14th-century version.

                                
                                  Mine men ben sleyn in þis tide,
                                
                                  & mi lond destrud in ich a side: [MS. aside] 
                                
                                  Al bot þis ich selue cite
                                
                                  Destrud & brent hauen he.
                                  Line 2880 
                                
                                  Fourti þousand þai [originally þai þai, but the second þai crossed out.]  slowe on a day
                                
                                  Of mine men, as ich ȝou telle may.
                                
                                  Mine men þai slowe, mi sone also,
                                
                                  Wharfore, leue frende, y bede þe to,
                                
                                  Ȝif þou miȝt me of hem wreke,
                                  Line 2885 
                                
                                  & þe felouns out of mi lond do reke,
                                
                                  Mine feyr [MS. feyir with the i underdotted.]  douhter þou schalt habbe,
                                
                                  & half mi lond, wiþ-outen gabbe.' [C line 2800] 
                                
                                  Þan answerd anon sir Gij,
                                
                                  'Sir,' he seyd, 'gramercij!
                                  Line 2890 
                                
                                  & y þe sigge, bi mi leute,
                                
                                  Þat treweliche ichil serue þe
                                
                                  Al þe while þat ich wiþ þe be: [folio 122a:a] 
                                
                                  Þerof, sir, þou miȝt leue me.'
                                
                                  At þemperour he toke leue anon,
                                  Line 2895 
                                
                                  Vnto his in he gan to gon.
                                
                                  Noyse & cri he herd in þat cite:
                                
                                  He gan oxy what it miȝt be.
                                
                                  He hem oxed what it were,
                                
                                  & what was al þat noise þere.
                                  Line 2900 
                                
                                  So mani kniȝtes he seye to armes go,
                                
                                  So mani seriaunce steye to kernels þo.
                                
                                  'Sir,' quaþ a burieys, 'bi seyn Martin,
                                
                                  It beþ þe liþer Sarrazin:
                                
                                  It is þe amiral Costdram,
                                  Line 2905 
                                
                                  Þe nevou of þe riche soudan.
                                
                                  So strong he is, & of so gret miȝt,
                                
                                  In world y wene no better kniȝt;
                                
                                  For þer nis man no kniȝt non
                                
                                  Þat wiþ wretþe dar loken him on.
                                  Line 2910 
                                
                                  His armes alle avenimed beþ: [C line 2824] 
                                
                                  Þat venim is strong so þe deþ:

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Title: The romance of Guy of Warwick. The first or 14th-century version.
Canvas: Page 168
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner, & co., limited,; 1883, 1887, 1891.
Subject terms: Guy of Warwick (Legendary character)

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2638.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/aha2638.0001.001/89:2

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Full citation: "The romance of Guy of Warwick. The first or 14th-century version." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2638.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 23, 2025.

The romance of Guy of Warwick. The first or 14th-century version.

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