 | Guy of Warwick |  |
As ichaue seyd, loke ye don,
& goþ and asaileþ hem anon.’
Herhaud ginneþ hem to asaily.
Þat fiȝt he wil comenci.
Of þe douk Otus Herhaud is vnder-nome
In þe alder first scheltrome;
His fo he is euen forþ his miȝt,
For he it haþ deserued þurch riȝt.
Herhaud him seyd, ‘Otus of Pauie,
Understond tow of þat felonie
Þat tow in Lombardi ous dedest,
When þou mi lord betreydest.
Wele we schul þer-of awreke be,
Ȝif god wil, er þe sonne doun te.’
& goþ and asaileþ hem anon.’
Herhaud ginneþ hem to asaily.
Þat fiȝt he wil comenci.
Of þe douk Otus Herhaud is vnder-nome
In þe alder first scheltrome;
His fo he is euen forþ his miȝt,
For he it haþ deserued þurch riȝt.
120
Understond tow of þat felonie
Þat tow in Lombardi ous dedest,
When þou mi lord betreydest.
Wele we schul þer-of awreke be,
Ȝif god wil, er þe sonne doun te.’
Otus answerd, ‘þou lexst on me,
& þat y schal sone kiþe þe;
Gret scorn is here so y go,
Y warn þe icham þi fo.’
Togider þai smiten wiþ gode wille,
Þat boþe of her hors adoun felle;
& after þai drouȝ her swerdes newe,
Wiþ gret envie to-gider þai hewe.
Þe douk him wereþ miȝtliche,
Herhaud him asaileþ strongliche;
Þurch þe feld he goþ him driueinde.
Wiþ þat com his folk prikeinde,
& her lord rescuweþ þere;
& þat y schal sone kiþe þe;
Gret scorn is here so y go,
Y warn þe icham þi fo.’
Togider þai smiten wiþ gode wille,
Þat boþe of her hors adoun felle;
& after þai drouȝ her swerdes newe,
Wiþ gret envie to-gider þai hewe.
Þe douk him wereþ miȝtliche,
Herhaud him asaileþ strongliche;
Þurch þe feld he goþ him driueinde.
Wiþ þat com his folk prikeinde,
& her lord rescuweþ þere;
121
[_]
The Caius MS has been followed from lines 2032–2207, owing to missing leaves in the Auchinleck MS.
And heraude to take they angry were:
Bot heraude vpon him werred strongly.
With that cometh his folke hastely:
With strength they bee forthe goo,
And heraude they broughte on hors thoo.
Than gan they to-geder smyte:
Noon spared other bot a lite.
Bot heraude vpon him werred strongly.
With that cometh his folke hastely:
With strength they bee forthe goo,
And heraude they broughte on hors thoo.
Than gan they to-geder smyte:
Noon spared other bot a lite.
The duke Otes had sorowe gretly,
Whan he sawe his folke sleyn so greuously,
And seide to his felawes thoo:
‘Lordinges, what shall we nowe doo?
See ye not here a man, by name,
That me dooth harme and moche shame,
That hath nyghe sleyne all my men,
Youre frendes and your kynnesmen?
Bot ye on him some wreke doo,
I shall you neuere loue moo.’
With that they assembled echoon,
And to heraude they smyte anoon.
There is heraude mysse bee-falle:
Loste he hath his men alle,
And recouere he shall sone this;
For grete socour him cometh ywis.
Heraude they dryue strongely,
And he werred on him hardily.
Whan Guy sawe heraude comyng,
Oute of that stronge fighte fleyng,
His helme to-dasshed in stedes moo,
His sheelde to-hewen all-moste in twoo
(And his hors wounded sawe he:
In stronge fighte he had bee):
With loude steuene than he yede
To the Duke and made assaute full quede.
He rescowed heraude in the felde,
And the other they toke and helde.
Whan Otes sawe sir Guyon
Come rennyng to him as a lyoun,
With highe voice he gan vpbreide,
And to the Duke Otes thus he seide:
‘Thou false and disceyuable traitour,
Full litell thou thoughte on thyn honour,
Whanne thow bee-traidest me,
And dud my men with sorowe slee
In the forest of playnes, as y forthe come
With my felawes, good knyghtes echoone.
Fro hense forewarde, y telle the,
Thy dedely foo y shalbee.
In good poynte to bee y am not like,
Tille y haue thyn hede of strike.’
With that either of theim pricked his stede,
And in grete wrathe to-gider yede.
Otes smote Guy in the sheelde,
That euen half flowe in the felde,
And Guy gaue Otes a wounde:
Thurgh his theighe he thruste his swerde grounde,
And his hede he had him benome,
Had not grete socour to him the rather come.
Two hundred knyghtes assailled Guy,
And him wolde haue sleyn wilfully,
And he him defended as a man:
All that he smote woo theim beecam.
There they haue their lorde redde,
And all wounded oute of the place ledde.
Guy the Almaignes before him wreketh:
Many he taketh, and many he sleeth.
Guy theim driueth, and fast they flee,
As folke that greuously ouerecome bee.
Whan he sawe his folke sleyn so greuously,
And seide to his felawes thoo:
‘Lordinges, what shall we nowe doo?
See ye not here a man, by name,
That me dooth harme and moche shame,
123
Youre frendes and your kynnesmen?
Bot ye on him some wreke doo,
I shall you neuere loue moo.’
With that they assembled echoon,
And to heraude they smyte anoon.
There is heraude mysse bee-falle:
Loste he hath his men alle,
And recouere he shall sone this;
For grete socour him cometh ywis.
Heraude they dryue strongely,
And he werred on him hardily.
Whan Guy sawe heraude comyng,
Oute of that stronge fighte fleyng,
His helme to-dasshed in stedes moo,
His sheelde to-hewen all-moste in twoo
(And his hors wounded sawe he:
In stronge fighte he had bee):
With loude steuene than he yede
To the Duke and made assaute full quede.
He rescowed heraude in the felde,
And the other they toke and helde.
Whan Otes sawe sir Guyon
Come rennyng to him as a lyoun,
With highe voice he gan vpbreide,
And to the Duke Otes thus he seide:
‘Thou false and disceyuable traitour,
Full litell thou thoughte on thyn honour,
Whanne thow bee-traidest me,
And dud my men with sorowe slee
In the forest of playnes, as y forthe come
With my felawes, good knyghtes echoone.
Fro hense forewarde, y telle the,
Thy dedely foo y shalbee.
In good poynte to bee y am not like,
Tille y haue thyn hede of strike.’
125
And in grete wrathe to-gider yede.
Otes smote Guy in the sheelde,
That euen half flowe in the felde,
And Guy gaue Otes a wounde:
Thurgh his theighe he thruste his swerde grounde,
And his hede he had him benome,
Had not grete socour to him the rather come.
Two hundred knyghtes assailled Guy,
And him wolde haue sleyn wilfully,
And he him defended as a man:
All that he smote woo theim beecam.
There they haue their lorde redde,
And all wounded oute of the place ledde.
Guy the Almaignes before him wreketh:
Many he taketh, and many he sleeth.
Guy theim driueth, and fast they flee,
As folke that greuously ouerecome bee.
| Guy of Warwick | |