University of Virginia Library

Of þe douk ichil ȝou telle,
& þan of Gij, ȝif ȝe wille.
Þe douk of-sent his barnage in hast,
Þat þai com to him riȝt fast
Into þe cite of Pauie,
Alle þe Lombardes of Lombardie.
When þe time it comen was,
Þe douk was bliþe & glad in þat cas.
To þe maiden he come swiþe,
As he þat was glad & bliþe,
And seyd, ‘leman, glad make þe;
Today þou schalt y-spoused be.’
‘Sir,’ sche seyd, ‘wiþ gode wille
Alle þine hest ichil fulfille.’
He schred hir swiþe wele, y-wis
Wiþ riche cloþes alle of pris;
He sette hir on a palfrey, þat ȝongling,
Better no bistrode neuer no king.
Riche anouȝ þat atire was
Of gold & siluer: no noþer þer nas.
Toward a chirche went hye;
Wiþ ioie he wend hir to spousi.

Gij armed him wel richeliche
Alto his wille stalworþliche
Wiþ armes þe maiden him had bitouȝt,
Þat were þe douke to present brouȝt.
His gode stede he bi-strod,
And of-tok hem wiþ-outen abod.

‘Douk Otus, vnder-stond to me:
No go no forþer, ich hot þe.
Vnder-stond þe of þat traisoun
Þat þou dest to sir Gyoun,
Also he com fram Boneuent:
Ȝete is mi hert þer-fore in turment;
& seþþen þou dest me a gret traisoun,
Þo þou Tirri dest in þi prisoun.

Icham Gij þat to þe speke:
Ȝete today y þenk to ben awreke.’
Þurch þe bodi he smot him anon
Bifor þe Lombardes euerichon,
And swore bi god, heuen king,
Ȝif him neyed ani þing,
Þat heued he schuld þer forgon.
To þat maiden he cam anon,
Bitven his armes þe maiden he nam,
& sett hir biforn him: oway he ran.
Swiþe owaiward þan rod he:
Þe noise aros in þat cite.
Wiþ gret strengþe þai driuen Gi:
He paseþ hem: oȝain went hij.
Oȝain þai went to þat bodi riȝt,
Ac a child-ȝong man, apliȝt,
Þat was þe doukes kinseman
(Berard was his riȝt nam),
Alle on he folwed sir Gij
(He no hadde felawe no frend him bi)
Wiþ scheld & spere opon his stede:
A gode kniȝt he was at nede.
He folwed Gij fif mile,
Þat Gij fore in a litel while.
‘Gij,’ he seyd, ‘turn oȝe,
So help þe Crist, & iuste wiþ me.’
Gij turned him wel an hast,
For he no was nouȝt of him agast.
Þe maiden he to grounde sett,
& diȝt his armes wiþ-outen lett,
& went to him wiþ gret miȝt,
& he to him anon riȝt.

Þe ȝong man smot first Gij
Þurch þe scheld, sikerli:
He carf þe brini þat newe was,
Nouȝt worþ a botoun it nas.
Gij of þat strok wonder haþ.
Anoþer strok sir Gij him ȝaf:
Gij anon smot þat ȝong man,
Þurch his scheld anon it ran,
& þurch þe scholder he ȝaf him wounde,
Þat hors & man it fel to grounde.
& when þe ȝongman was y-falle
Vp he stert sone wiþ-alle.
Anon his swerd he haþ out drawe,
His hors he wold habbe y-slawe.
‘Hors,’ he seyd, ‘acursed þou be,
When þou no miȝt vp-hold me.
Þat þou dye it is riȝt,
Seþþen þou in þe has no miȝt.
Gij,’ quaþ Berard, ‘wende to me,
& of þine hauberk vnarmi þe:
So long forþ wenten he,
Þat hij come to þat cite
Of Mounteyne, þat feir was:
So þai went [in] wiþ ioie & solas.
When he into þe halle come,
Amis him knew riȝt anon.
When he him seye þan seyd he,
‘Sir Gij, welcom mot þou be.’
When sir Tirri Gij y-seþ
& Oisel, þat him was so lef,
Michel ioie he made Gij þo,
Þat maiden he nam in his armes to.
‘Gij,’ he seyd, ‘welcome þou be.
Þat þus asembled now be we!
Nold god & our leuedi
Þat mi lef be schent of hir bodi.’
Þai kisten hem togider anon,
For ioie þai wepen euerichon.