University of Virginia Library

Now haþ Gij michel to done:
To a tre he went him sone;
Þer he wille bateyle abide
Of þat best, what schaunce so bitide.
Þat best bisides him it went,
& wiþ his teyle a strok him sent:
On þe scheld he smot him an heye,
Þat euen ato it to-fleye,
Al-so it were wiþ a swerd broun.
Well neye Gij him fel adoun.
Wiþ his taile he bigirt sir Gij,
& him þrest so strongli,
Þat þre ribbes he brac atvo;
& Gij wiþ strengþe smot him þo:
Atvo he him karf smartliche,
& deliuerd him seluen manliche.
Bi þe nauel he carf him ato,
& wiþ a gret pine deliuerd him fro.
Gij him perceyued in þat stounde
Þat neuer more þurch wepen y-grounde
Þat fram þe nauel vp-ward so
No slouȝ him man neuer mo.
Þo þat best hirt him feled,
Swiþe loude he grad & ȝeled,
Þat alle þat cuntre dined þere,
& als wide as men herd his bere,
Nis man in þe werld þat wer þer neye
Þat him no miȝt agrise þat it seye.
To a tre þan drouȝt him sir Gij,
& werd him wele for þe maistri.
His hauberk was to-rent tofore
As a clout þat were al to-tore.
Stalworþli sir Gij þer fauȝt,
Ac wele he seye it gained him nauȝt
To smite on the bodi bifore:
He no miȝt him sle no no man bore.
Also þat best him went aboute,
Gij him biþouȝt he was in doute:
Bineþen þe wenge he him smot:
Þurch þat bodi þat swerd bot.
Þurch þe bodi he him carf atvo:
Ded he fel to grounde þo.
He grad & ȝelled swiþe loude,
Þat it schilled into þe cloude.
Gij wiþ-drouȝ him þer-fro anon:
For stink þat of þe bodi come
Neye þat bodi he no durste.
After þat he ȝede him to reste.
When þat best þer ded lay,
For soþe y ȝou telle may,
Þritti fote meten it was
Þer it lay in þat plas.
Þe folk of þe cuntre it mette
Þer it lay wonderliche grete.
Þat heued he bar þe bodi fro,
And wiþ þat Gij forþ went þo.
He come to his feren, apliȝt,
Þat for him bad to god almiȝt.
To Warwike he is y-went,
Wiþ þat heued he made þe king present.
Þe king was bliþe & of glad chere
For þat he seye Gij hole & fere.
At Warwik þai henge þe heued anon:
Mani man wondred þer-apon.