University of Virginia Library

Now to tel of Gij ichaue y-þouȝt
Hou god him haþ fram deþ y-brouȝt.
When he was passed þat water sternne
He loked about him wel ȝernne,
Of his felawes him vnderstode:
Wel neye he was for sorwe wode.
‘God,’ he seyd, ‘what schal y do?
Weri wreche, whider may y go?
Ichaue forlorn þe gode Tirri
& Herhaud, for wham icham sori.
Amow, sir douk Loer,
Hou miȝtestow dreye þe bismer,
Þat þe fals douk Otoun
Dede bifor þe þat traisoun?
For traitour þou worst euer i-held
When þou comest in place or feld.
Lord,’ he seyd, ‘what may y do?
Into whiche lond may y go?
An arnemorwe no þing y no dred me:
Þo ich went out of þat cite
Wiþ me ich hadde an hundred kniȝtes
To mi wille for me in fiȝtes,
& now y no haue a grom to held mi stede.
Þat so miche me miȝt help at nede,
For me þai ben y-slawe ichon,
Oþer in peine in prisoun don.
A, mi dere frende sir Tirri,
For our departing icham sori.
No schal y þe se neuer eft mo?
For þe ichil mi liif in periil do,
Þat y schal his body smite ato
Þat þus þis traisoun haþ ous do,
& so ichil awreke þe:
Dye ichil bot it so be.’
Gij rode forþ in his way
Alle þat iche self day,
So long þat he a castel seye
Opon a roche stode an heye.
He þouȝt to herberwe þare;
For he no miȝt no ferþer fare.
Also he to þe gates come
A ȝong kniȝt he fond þer anon.
Michel he was, hende, & fre:
Feren he hadde wiþ him þre.
Gij sey bi his semblaunt anon
Þat he was lord ouer hem ichon.
‘Sir,’ quaþ Gij, ‘vnderstond to me.
Þe lord, þat made me and te,
Þe loke ȝif þi wille be,
And miche blisse he ȝif þe.
A kniȝt icham deswarre,
Þat in y bid par charite.’

Þe lord answerd sweteliche,
‘Þou it schalt haue, bleþeliche.’
He dede vnder-fong his stede þo,
Bi his own he dede it do.
Bi þe riȝt hond he toke sir Gij,
& went into his halle on hey.
A mantel of silk he of-sent on hast,
& about him he dede it cast.
Wonderliche þai bihelden him alle
Kniȝtes þat weren in þe halle;
For he was michel & wele y-sett.
Þai him bihelden wele þe bett.
Þe lord wiþ þat to him sede,
‘Ich þe bidde for loue-rede
Þat þi name telle þou me,
& nouȝt forhole it no be.’
Gij answerd wel sweteliche,
‘Mi name y þe telle, sikerliche:
Gij of Warwike mi name is.
Iuel ich am acumbred, y-wis.’
When þe lord herd þat,
Þat it was Gij þat to him spac,
‘Sir,’ he seyd, ‘welcome ȝe be:
In ȝour owhen herberwe ȝe.
Ful welcome artow to me,
& ful wele y knowe þe.
Ich auȝt þe loue, so moti gon:
Wel michel gode þou hast me don.
Þo ich þe serued þou louedest me:
Armes ich vnderfenge of þe,
And þou me sendest ner & fer
To turnamens & to wer,
So þat gret word sprong of me,
Þo y went hom to mi cuntre.
Amis of Mounteyn mi name it is:
Wele ouȝt ȝe me knowe, y-wis.’
When Gij him seye he knewe þe kniȝt,
He kist him þer anon riȝt.
‘Sir,’ quaþ Amis, ‘when comestow,
Þatow gost alle on now?
It semeþ wele, so þenkeþ me,
Fram gret periil aschaped be ȝe.
Whare his Herhaud, þi kniȝt so fre?
Alle þine kniȝtes where ben he?’
‘Ich-il þe telle,’ þan seyd sir Gij.
‘Now vnder-stond ich am sori.’
Þan teld he him al þat cas,
Hou þerl Tirri wounded was,
& hou he hadde y-heled his wounde,
& socurd his fader, & ost him founde,
& hou he passed him self vnnome,
& hou þai were þurch traisoun ouer-come,
& hou his felawes weren y-nome,
& hou þat he was þider y-come,
& hou Tirri was y-nomen þo
& þe gode Herhaud also,
& wiþ hem fif hundred kniȝtes,
Orped men & gode in fiȝtes.
‘Y not ȝif þai be liues or dede:
Al ich hem sey nimen & lede.’
When Gij hadde y-teld þat cas,
Hou iuel him bifallen was,
‘Suffre awhile, sir,’ quaþ he.
‘Ȝif it is þi wille listen to me.
Ich haue castels & cites strong
Mani and fele in mi lond:
Alle ichil bitake þe,
Mine kniȝtes ichil of-sende to me:
Fif hundred ich of-sende may,
Þat schal do þi wille niȝt and day.
Alle þat to min erldom falleþ y wil it be
To þine wille so schal com to þe.
Wende we wille to þe douk Otoun,
And bring him to destruccioun.
His londes we schul þurch-ernne,
& his castels felle, & his tounes bernne,
& so þou miȝt awreke be,
His londes destru, him seluen sle.
Of werre no swike wille we,
Al what he a-slawe be.’