 | Guy of Warwick |  |
243
Þer cam an angel fram heuen liȝt,& seyd to þe king ful riȝt
Þurch grace of godes sond.
He seyd, ‘king Aþel-ston, slepestow?
Hider me sent þe king Iesu
To comfort þe to fond.
To-morwe go to þe norþ ȝate ful swiþe:
A pilgrim þou schalt se com biliue,
When þou hast a while stond.
586
Þat he take þe batayl for þe,
& he it wil nim on hond.’
244
Þan was þe king glad & bliþe.A-morwe he ros vp ful swiþe,
& went to þe gate ful riȝt;
Tvay erls went wiþ him þo,
& tvay bischopes dede also.
Þe weder was fair & briȝt.
Opon þe day about prime
Þe king seiȝe cum þe pilgrim.
Bi þe sclauayn he him pliȝt:
‘Pilgrim,’ he seyd, ‘y pray þe,
To court wende þou hom wiþ me,
& ostel þer al niȝt.’
245
‘Be stille, sir,’ seyd þe pilgrim:‘It is nouȝt ȝete time to take min in,
Al-so god me rede.’
Þe king him bisouȝt þo,
& þe lordinges dede also:
To court wiþ hem he ȝede.
‘Pilgrim,’ quaþ þe king, ‘par charite,
Ȝif it be þi wil, vnderstond to me:
Y schal schewe þe al our nede.
Þe king of Danmark wiþ gret wrong
Þurch a geaunt, þat is so strong,
Wil strou al our þede.
246
& whe han taken of him batayle,On what maner, saunfayle,
Y schal now tellen þe.
Þurch þe bodi of a kniȝt,
Oȝains þat geaunt to hold fiȝt,
Schal þis lond aquite be.
588
& þat for ous schadde his blod,
To bigge ous alle fre,
Take þe batayle now on hond,
& saue ous þe riȝt of Inglond,
For seynt Charite.’
247
‘Do way, leue sir,’ seyd Gij.‘Icham an old man, a feble bodi:
Mi strengþe is fro me fare.’
Þe king fel on knes to grounde,
& crid him merci in þat stounde,
Ȝif it his wille ware,
& þe barouns dede also:
O knes þai fellen alle þo
Wiþ sorwe & sikeing sare.
Sir Gij biheld þe lordinges alle,
& whiche sorwe hem was bi-falle:
Sir Gij hadde of hem care.
248
Sir Gij tok vp þe king anon,& bad þe lordinges euerichon
Þat þai schuld vp stond,
& seyd, ‘for god in trinite
& for to make Inglond fre,
Þe batayle y nim on hond.’
Þan was þe king ful glad & bliþe,
& þonked Gij a þousend siþe
& Iesu Cristes sond.
To þe king of Danmark he sent þan,
& seyd he hadde founden a man
To fiȝt for Inglond.
590
249
Þe Danismen busked hem ȝareInto batayle for to fare:
To fiȝt þai war wel fawe.
& Gij was armed swiþe wel
In a gode hauberk of stiel
Wrouȝt of þe best lawe.
An helme he hadde of michel miȝt
With a ce[r]cle of gold, þat schon briȝt,
Wiþ precious stones on rawe.
In þe frunt stode a char-bukel ston:
As briȝt as ani sonne it schon
Þat glemes vnder schawe.
250
On þat helme stode a flour:Wrouȝt it was of diuers colour;
Mirie it was to b[i]hold.
Trust & trewe was his ventayle,
Gloues, & gambisoun, & hosen of mayle
As gode kniȝt haue scholde.
Girt he was wiþ a gode brond
Wele kerueand, bi-forn his hond
A targe listed wiþ gold,
Portreyd wiþ þre kinges corn,
Þat present god when he was born:
Mirier was non on mold.
251
& a swift ernand stedeAl wrin þai dede him lede:
His tire it was ful gay.
592
Wiþ a gode glaiue in hond,
& priked him forþ his way,
&, when he com to þe plas
Þer þe batayl loked was,
Gij liȝt wiþ-outen delay,
& fel on knes doun in þat stede,
& to god he bad his bede,
He schuld ben his help þat day.
252
‘Lord,’ seyd Gij, ‘þat rered Lazeroun,& for man þoled passioun,
& on þe rode gan blede,
Þat saued Sussan fram þe feloun,
& halp Daniel fram þe lyoun,
To-day wisse me & rede:
Astow art miȝti heuen king,
To-day graunt me þi blisseing,
& help me at þis nede.
&, leuedi Mari ful of miȝt,
To-day saue Inglondes riȝt,
& leue me wele to spede.’
| Guy of Warwick | |