University of Virginia Library

Sir Tirri spac to Gij þo,
‘For godes loue, hennes þou go.
Hou come þou hider, sir Gij?
Þine hider-com wil me harmi.
Ȝif þe douk wite þat þou it be
Þis ich day he wil sle þe.
Leuer me were al-on to day
Þan wite þe ded, soþe to say.
Þerfore, sir, hennes þou go;
For godes loue, sir, do now so.’
Als þai togider speken þis
A Lombard it of-herd, y-wis,
Wiþ his fest he me smot,
Þerfore ichim suwed, god it wot,
& smot him so þou miȝt se.
Þe gilt, sir, for-ȝiue þou me.
Soþe to sigge in þis stede,
For þine anour ich it dede,
Þat oþer bi him y-warned be
To fede þi prisoun wiþ-outen þe.’
Þe douk gret oþ swore þo,
Þat ȝif he oþer-loker had do
He worþ to-drawe, oþer an-hong,
Or oþer schames deþ to afong;
‘Ac now forȝiuen it þe be.’
Gij him þonked on his kne.
Sone so þe niȝt him come,
Gij into þe cite nome:
Mete anouȝ he bouȝt þere,
And to Tirri he gan it bere.
Þus he dede y not hou long,
Michel he slaked his pine strong,
Alle his bendes doþ oway,
And slakeþ his pine so michel so he may.
Into a chaumber he goþ on a day,
Þerin he fond þat fair may,
Þat biment hir strongliche
For hir leman sche loued so miche.
Gij seyd to hir, ‘maiden fre,
Wele þou owest to knowe me:
Gij of Warwike mi name is,
Icham þi lemanes felawe, y-wis.
In þis maner y-comen icham,
For y nold be knowen of no man,
And for to deliuer þi leman
Þat ich michel gode an.’
When þe maiden herd þis,
Þat it was Gij, for soþe y-wis,
For blisse sche fel aswon adoun,
And vp hir toke þe gode Gyoun.
‘Maiden,’ he seyd, ‘lete now be:
Wiltow now schende me?
Ȝif ani me perceiue miȝt
Ich were y-honged anon riȝt.’
‘Merci, sir Gij,’ seyd þat may,
‘Now wiþin þe þridde day
To him spoused schal y be;
Ac o þing ich haue biþouȝt me,
Þat ichil mi-selue sle
Þat day þat y schal spoused be.’
Gij seyd, ‘no do nouȝt so,
Ac alle his wille þou schalt do,
And ar he to þe chirche come
Y schal mete him atte frome:
His heued fro þe bodi schal fle,
& lede y schal þe forþ wiþ me.’