 | Guy of Warwick |  |
When Gij herd Felice so speke,
He tok his leue and gan out reke;
At hir leue he tok anon,
& to his fader he gan to gon,
& seyd, ‘fader, vnder-stond me:
Icham newe dobbed as ȝe may se,
Ouer þe se ichil now fare
To win priis & los þare.’
His fader him answerd sone,
‘Sone, god leue þe wele to done!
& als michel as þe nede be,
Sone, schaltow haue wiþ þe.’
He tok his leue and gan out reke;
At hir leue he tok anon,
& to his fader he gan to gon,
& seyd, ‘fader, vnder-stond me:
Icham newe dobbed as ȝe may se,
Ouer þe se ichil now fare
To win priis & los þare.’
His fader him answerd sone,
‘Sone, god leue þe wele to done!
& als michel as þe nede be,
Sone, schaltow haue wiþ þe.’
Suward cleped Herhaud to him,
& seyd, ‘Herhaud, frende min,
Wiþ Gi mi sone schaltow wende;
In gode stede mot ȝe lende.
Þou schalt kepe mi sone Gij,
For he is mi sone & tow mi norri.
& seyd, ‘Herhaud, frende min,
Wiþ Gi mi sone schaltow wende;
In gode stede mot ȝe lende.
Þou schalt kepe mi sone Gij,
For he is mi sone & tow mi norri.
Loke, Herhaud, þat tow him kepe;
& þine felawes þat ben ȝepe,
Boþe Torold & sir Vrri,
On ȝou y trust sikerli;
& wiþ Herhaud schul ȝe go
To kepe mi sone from care & wo.’
& hii answerd sone anon,
‘Hastiliche, sir, wil we wiþ him gon.’
Þai weren boþe strong kniȝtes,
Bold and hardi in ich fiȝtes.
Gij tok wiþ him what he wold
Boþe of siluer & of gold.
To þe se þai ben now y-come,
& seyled ouer atte frome.
Þai comen in-to Normondye,
Knight-schippe þai sechen on heye;
In Ron Gij takeþ his herberwe
Wiþ þe richest man of þe borwe;
Mete & drink þai hadde anouȝ,
Nas þer non þat it wiþ-drouȝ.
& þine felawes þat ben ȝepe,
Boþe Torold & sir Vrri,
On ȝou y trust sikerli;
& wiþ Herhaud schul ȝe go
To kepe mi sone from care & wo.’
& hii answerd sone anon,
‘Hastiliche, sir, wil we wiþ him gon.’
Þai weren boþe strong kniȝtes,
Bold and hardi in ich fiȝtes.
Gij tok wiþ him what he wold
Boþe of siluer & of gold.
46
& seyled ouer atte frome.
Þai comen in-to Normondye,
Knight-schippe þai sechen on heye;
In Ron Gij takeþ his herberwe
Wiþ þe richest man of þe borwe;
Mete & drink þai hadde anouȝ,
Nas þer non þat it wiþ-drouȝ.
Sir Gij his ost cleped him to,
& him bi-gan to frein þo,
& asked him wher þe turnament schuld be,
So mani scheldes þan seye he.
His ost seyd, ‘sir, wite ȝe nouȝt
Of þis turnament þat is biþouȝt?’
‘No,’ seyd Gij, ‘bi mine wite,
Y no herd þer-of neuer ȝete.’
His ost him answerd snelle,
‘Of þat turnament y schal ȝou telle:
It schal be for a maiden of pris,
Þemperours douhter sche is;
A turnament he haþ don grede,
A swiþe michel & vn-rede.
Þer nis no kniȝt in Speyne,
Al to þe se of Breteyne,
Þat ouȝt y-told wiþ be,
Þer men schal his miȝt se.
He þat best doþ þat day,
Þer he schal winne þat play.
Of euerich londe þider com kniȝtes,
Þat strong ben & bold in fiȝtes;
For who that is gode & snelle,
As ichaue herd oþer men telle,
Who þat þer be of mest miȝt,
Grete worþschipe he winneþ, apliȝt.
& him bi-gan to frein þo,
& asked him wher þe turnament schuld be,
So mani scheldes þan seye he.
His ost seyd, ‘sir, wite ȝe nouȝt
Of þis turnament þat is biþouȝt?’
‘No,’ seyd Gij, ‘bi mine wite,
Y no herd þer-of neuer ȝete.’
His ost him answerd snelle,
‘Of þat turnament y schal ȝou telle:
It schal be for a maiden of pris,
Þemperours douhter sche is;
A turnament he haþ don grede,
A swiþe michel & vn-rede.
Þer nis no kniȝt in Speyne,
Al to þe se of Breteyne,
Þat ouȝt y-told wiþ be,
Þer men schal his miȝt se.
He þat best doþ þat day,
Þer he schal winne þat play.
Of euerich londe þider com kniȝtes,
Þat strong ben & bold in fiȝtes;
For who that is gode & snelle,
As ichaue herd oþer men telle,
Who þat þer be of mest miȝt,
Grete worþschipe he winneþ, apliȝt.
48
For þe maiden y spac of er,
Is þemperours douhter Reyner;
He schal bring to þe turment þat day
(Wele is him þat it winne may)
A ger-fauk þat is milke white
(To him nis nowhare his liche),
& a stede of gret bounte
(He no schuld be ȝouen for a cuntre).
& tvai grehoundes þat white ben
(Swiche no haþ men nowhare y-sen).
& who so winneþ þe turnament al
Bi aiþer half, þe priis have schal,
Þe gerfauk & þe gode stede
Boþe he schal haue to mede,
& þe tvay grehoundes þat gode beþ
He schal haue þat þer best deþ,
& þe maiden þat is so fre,
Bot he haue a fairer in his cuntre.’
Is þemperours douhter Reyner;
He schal bring to þe turment þat day
(Wele is him þat it winne may)
A ger-fauk þat is milke white
(To him nis nowhare his liche),
& a stede of gret bounte
(He no schuld be ȝouen for a cuntre).
& tvai grehoundes þat white ben
(Swiche no haþ men nowhare y-sen).
& who so winneþ þe turnament al
Bi aiþer half, þe priis have schal,
Þe gerfauk & þe gode stede
Boþe he schal haue to mede,
& þe tvay grehoundes þat gode beþ
He schal haue þat þer best deþ,
& þe maiden þat is so fre,
Bot he haue a fairer in his cuntre.’
When sir Gij herd þat tiding,
Glad he was wiþ-outen lesing;
Sir Gij seyd to his fere,
‘In gode time come we here:
To morwe, so sone so it is day,
We wil wenden in our way.’
Sir [Gij] his ost a palfrey ȝaf þo,
For þe tiding he teld him to.
Anon amorwe wel erliche
Þai don hem in her wai sikerliche.
Glad he was wiþ-outen lesing;
Sir Gij seyd to his fere,
‘In gode time come we here:
To morwe, so sone so it is day,
We wil wenden in our way.’
Sir [Gij] his ost a palfrey ȝaf þo,
For þe tiding he teld him to.
Anon amorwe wel erliche
Þai don hem in her wai sikerliche.
Of rideing wil þai neuer stent
To þai com to þe turnament.
& when þai wer þider y-come,
Þai seye þer mani douȝti gome:
Bi feldes & bi riuers ridinde
Mani a kniȝt þai seye cominde.
& when þai were þider y-come,
To þe turnament þai went al & some;
Out of þe rengge þai gun hem diȝt,
Þe barouns þat were of miche miȝt.
Þan oxed anon sir Gij
To þe barouns þat oned him bi:
‘What is he, þat ich kniȝt,
Þat out of þe renge haþ him diȝt,
Wiþ þo armes briþt & schene?’
Hii answerd anon: ‘y wene,
It is a kniȝt of miche priis,
Douhti he is bi Seyn Deniis;
Out of þe rengge he haþ him diȝt,
Ȝif he miȝt finden ani kniȝt
Þat wiþ him wald iusti;
Þer-to he makeþ him redi.’
Oȝaines sir Gij þer come Gayer,
To iuste wiþ him he drouȝ him ner;
He rode to him as a gode kniȝt,
He semed a man of miche miȝt.
To þai com to þe turnament.
& when þai wer þider y-come,
Þai seye þer mani douȝti gome:
Bi feldes & bi riuers ridinde
Mani a kniȝt þai seye cominde.
50
To þe turnament þai went al & some;
Out of þe rengge þai gun hem diȝt,
Þe barouns þat were of miche miȝt.
Þan oxed anon sir Gij
To þe barouns þat oned him bi:
‘What is he, þat ich kniȝt,
Þat out of þe renge haþ him diȝt,
Wiþ þo armes briþt & schene?’
Hii answerd anon: ‘y wene,
It is a kniȝt of miche priis,
Douhti he is bi Seyn Deniis;
Out of þe rengge he haþ him diȝt,
Ȝif he miȝt finden ani kniȝt
Þat wiþ him wald iusti;
Þer-to he makeþ him redi.’
Oȝaines sir Gij þer come Gayer,
To iuste wiþ him he drouȝ him ner;
He rode to him as a gode kniȝt,
He semed a man of miche miȝt.
Gaier smot sir Gij bifore
& þurch þe scheld him haþ i-bore;
Þe launce brak, þat was wele wrouȝt,
Þe hauberk was gode & failed nouȝt.
Gij afterward Gaier smot,
To grounde he feld him fot hot,
Þe stede toke bi the reyn,
& lepe vp wiþ gret meyn.
Now ginneþ þe turnamint:
Ich smit on oþer wel gode dint;
Þai smiten togider for soþ, y pliȝt,
Eueriche to nim oþer dede his miȝt.
Wel mani kniȝtes Gij wan þat day,
Of þe maistri he wan þat play;
So mani helmes he to-drof,
Þat mani man wonderd þer-of:
Sat he neuer so wel no so fast,
Þat he no feld him sone on hast.
Þe douke Otus of Pauie
To Gij he hadde envie;
Wiþ him he wald iusti,
It turned him to vilani.
Þe douke come prikiand on his stede
Þat certeyne was, and gode at nede,
& sir Gij on anoþer al-so;
Gode kniȝtes þai weren bo.
Gij þurch þe scholder him smot,
& feld him to grounde fot hot.
& þurch þe scheld him haþ i-bore;
Þe launce brak, þat was wele wrouȝt,
Þe hauberk was gode & failed nouȝt.
Gij afterward Gaier smot,
To grounde he feld him fot hot,
Þe stede toke bi the reyn,
& lepe vp wiþ gret meyn.
Now ginneþ þe turnamint:
Ich smit on oþer wel gode dint;
Þai smiten togider for soþ, y pliȝt,
Eueriche to nim oþer dede his miȝt.
Wel mani kniȝtes Gij wan þat day,
Of þe maistri he wan þat play;
52
Þat mani man wonderd þer-of:
Sat he neuer so wel no so fast,
Þat he no feld him sone on hast.
Þe douke Otus of Pauie
To Gij he hadde envie;
Wiþ him he wald iusti,
It turned him to vilani.
Þe douke come prikiand on his stede
Þat certeyne was, and gode at nede,
& sir Gij on anoþer al-so;
Gode kniȝtes þai weren bo.
Gij þurch þe scholder him smot,
& feld him to grounde fot hot.
Þe douke Reyner seye þat cas
Of Sessoine: wel modi he was.
He come als swiþe as he miȝt driue,
Gij to smite he heyed bliue,
& seyd to him: ‘in iuel stounde
Ȝaf þou þe douke Otous wounde.
To wroþer hele iuste þou wiþ him.
He is mi germain cosyn:
Icham þe douke Reyner þat to þe speke;
Icham y-comen him to awreke:
Turn þe and iuste wiþ me.’
‘Bleþeliche,’ quod Gij, ‘bi my leute.’
Of Sessoine: wel modi he was.
He come als swiþe as he miȝt driue,
Gij to smite he heyed bliue,
& seyd to him: ‘in iuel stounde
Ȝaf þou þe douke Otous wounde.
To wroþer hele iuste þou wiþ him.
He is mi germain cosyn:
Icham þe douke Reyner þat to þe speke;
Icham y-comen him to awreke:
Turn þe and iuste wiþ me.’
‘Bleþeliche,’ quod Gij, ‘bi my leute.’
| Guy of Warwick | |