 | Guy of Warwick |  |
233
Now went Gij forþ in his wayToward þe see so swiþe he may;
For Tirri he siked sare.
Into schip he went biliue:
Ouer þe se he gan driue;
Into Inglond he gan fare.
Þe lond folk he axed anon
After king Aþelston,
In what cuntre he ware.
‘At Winchester, verrament,
& after his barouns he haþ sent
Boþe lasse & mare.
234
Erls, barouns, & bischopes,Kniȝtes, priours, & abbotes
At Winchester þai ben ichon,
& han puruayd, wiþ-outen lesing,
Þre days to ben in fasting,
To biseke god in tron
He sende hem þurch his swet sond
A man þat were douhti of hond
Oȝain Colbrond to gon.
Þer is þe king & þe barnage, y-wis,
For doute of her enemis,
Þat wayt hem for to slon.
235
For sir Anlaf, þe king of Danmark,Wiþ a nost store & stark
Into Inglond is come,
Wiþ fiften þousend kniȝtes of pris:
Alle þis lond þai stroyen, y-wis,
& mani a toun han nome.
A geaunt he haþ brouȝt wiþ him
578
Colbrond hat þat gome.
For him is al Inglond forlore
Bot godes help be bi-fore,
Þat socour sende hem some.
236
To þe king he haþ sent his sondFor to ȝeld him al Inglond,
& ȝif him trowage out-riȝt;
Ȝif he no wil nouȝt, finde a baroun,
A geaunt oþer a champioun,
Oȝain Colbrond to fiȝt.
& þer-of þai han taken a day,
Ac our king non finde may:
Erl, baroun, no kniȝt,
No squier, no seriaunt non
Oȝain þe geaunt dar gon:
So grim he is of siȝt.’
237
Þan seyd sir Gij, ‘whare i[s] Herhaud,Þat in his time was so bald?
& þai answerd ful swiþe,
‘To seche Gyes sone he is fare,
Þat marchaunce hadde stollen þare:
For him he was vnbliþe.’
‘& where is þerl Rohaut of pris?’
& þai answerd, ‘dede he is,
A gode while is go siþe;
& Feliis, his douhter, is his air:
So gode a leuedi no so fair,
Y-wis, nis non oliue.’
580
238
Gij went to Winchester a ful gode pas,Þer þe king þat time was,
To held his parlement.
Þe barouns weren in þe halle:
Þe king seyd, ‘lordinges alle,
Mine men ȝe ben, verrament.
Þerfore ich ax, wiþ-outen fayl,
Of þis Danis folk, wil ous aseyl.
Ich biseche ȝou wiþ gode entent,
For godes loue y pray ȝou,
Gode conseyl ȝiue me now,
Or elles we ben al schent.
239
For þe king of Danmark wiþ wrongWiþ his geaunt, þat is so strong,
He wil ous al schende.
Þerfore ich axi ȝou ichon,
What rede is best for to don?
Oȝaines hem for to wende?
Ȝif he ouercom ous in batayle
He wil slen ous alle, saunfeyle,
& strouen al our kende:
Þan schal Inglond euermo
Liue in þraldom & in wo
Vnto þe warldes ende.
582
240
Þerfore ich axi ȝou now riȝtȜif ȝe knowe our ani kniȝt
Þat is so stout & bold
Þat þe batayle dar take an hond,
To fiȝt oȝain Col-brond:
Half mi lond haue he schold
Wiþ alle þe borwes þat liþ þer-to
To him & to his aires euer-mo,
To haue ȝiue he wold.’
[S]til seten erls & barouns,
As men hadde schauen her crounes:
Nouȝt on answere nold.
241
‘Allas,’ seyd þe king, ‘þat y was born:Al mi ioie it is forlorn;
Wel wo is me oliue.
Now in al mi lond nis no kniȝt
Oȝains a geant to hold fiȝt:
Mine hert wil breken on fiue.
Allas, of Warwike sir Gij,
Y no hadde ȝeuen þe half mi lond frely,
To hold wiþouten striue!
Wele were me þan bifalle,
Ac, certes, now þe Danis men alle
To sorwe þai schul me driue.’
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242
When it was niȝt to bedde þai ȝede:Þe king for sorwe & for drede
Wiþ teres wett his lere.
Of al þat niȝt he slepe riȝt nouȝt,
Bot euer Iesu he bisouȝt,
Þat was him leue & dere,
He schuld him sende þurch his sond
A man to fiȝt wiþ Colbrond,
Ȝif it is wille were;
& Iesus Crist ful of miȝt
He sent him a noble kniȝt,
As ȝe may forward here.
| Guy of Warwick | |