 | Guy of Warwick |  |
In Englonde an Erle was wonnynge
In Warrewyke Citee, ryght as I fynde:
Ryche he was and grete of myght,
Erle he was, and a full stronge knyght,
Riche of gold and of syluer bothe,
Of clothes of gold and vessell, withoute othe,
Of stronge castellis and riche Citees:
Thorugh all Englond preised he was.
In all Englond ne was ther none
That durste in wrath ayenste hym goon.
Good knyghtis he loued y-wys,
And freely he gaue them of hys,
Therfore welbelouyd he was,
And grettly doubted in euery place.
Erle he was of grete price:
All that contree tho was hys;
Of oxenford and all that contrey
He was gouernoure at that day;
Of Bokyngham, and of all that shyre,
He was klepyd both lord and syre.
That Erle Rohaude hyght,
Baroun he was of grete myght.
A doughter he had of hys wyue,
Hyr grete beaute y can not dyscryue:
For the fairest men chesen hir y-wys.
That y you telle, sothe it is.
Of hir beaute yet a litell wighte:
With a faire visage louely in sighte,
Hir skynne was white of brighte coloure;
Bodied wele and of grete valour;
Large tresses, and wele bee-comyng,
Browes bente and nose well sittyng;
The mouthe so wele sittyng ywys,
To kisse it ofte it was grete blys;
With grey eyen and nekke white,
Hir to see it was grete delite.
Hir bodye well sette and shaply;
By thoo daies ther was noon suche truely.
Gentil she was and as demure
As girfauk, or fawkon to lure,
That oute of muwe were drawe;
So faire was noon, in sothe sawe.
She was therto curteys and free ywys,
And in the .vii. artes well lerned, withoute mys.
All the .vii. artis she kouthe well,
Noon better that euere man herde tell.
Hir maisters were thider come
Oute of Tholouse all and some;
White and hoore all they were,
Bisy they were that mayden to lere;
And they hir lerned of astronomye,
Of Ars-meotrik, and of geometrye.
Of Sophestrie she was also witty,
Of Rethoric, and of other clergye;
Lerned she was in musyke;
Of clergie was hir noon like.
She was a woman of grete corage,
Wise and faire and of gaye parage.
To haue hir to wif he did hir sende
Erles, Dukes, fro the worldes ende;
And noon of theim haue she wolde,
For that she was so faire holde.
Felice .la bele hir name is:
Moche she was belouid ywis;
Of all faire she was the floure,
Noon so faire in halle nor boure
As she was; who that soughte
So faire to fynde, for noughte he wroughte:
He that all hir beaute write wolde,
To longe tarying make he sholde.
In Warrewyke Citee, ryght as I fynde:
Ryche he was and grete of myght,
Erle he was, and a full stronge knyght,
Riche of gold and of syluer bothe,
Of clothes of gold and vessell, withoute othe,
Of stronge castellis and riche Citees:
Thorugh all Englond preised he was.
In all Englond ne was ther none
That durste in wrath ayenste hym goon.
Good knyghtis he loued y-wys,
And freely he gaue them of hys,
Therfore welbelouyd he was,
And grettly doubted in euery place.
Erle he was of grete price:
All that contree tho was hys;
Of oxenford and all that contrey
He was gouernoure at that day;
Of Bokyngham, and of all that shyre,
He was klepyd both lord and syre.
That Erle Rohaude hyght,
Baroun he was of grete myght.
A doughter he had of hys wyue,
Hyr grete beaute y can not dyscryue:
For the fairest men chesen hir y-wys.
That y you telle, sothe it is.
7
With a faire visage louely in sighte,
Hir skynne was white of brighte coloure;
Bodied wele and of grete valour;
Large tresses, and wele bee-comyng,
Browes bente and nose well sittyng;
The mouthe so wele sittyng ywys,
To kisse it ofte it was grete blys;
With grey eyen and nekke white,
Hir to see it was grete delite.
Hir bodye well sette and shaply;
By thoo daies ther was noon suche truely.
Gentil she was and as demure
As girfauk, or fawkon to lure,
That oute of muwe were drawe;
So faire was noon, in sothe sawe.
She was therto curteys and free ywys,
And in the .vii. artes well lerned, withoute mys.
All the .vii. artis she kouthe well,
Noon better that euere man herde tell.
Hir maisters were thider come
Oute of Tholouse all and some;
White and hoore all they were,
Bisy they were that mayden to lere;
And they hir lerned of astronomye,
Of Ars-meotrik, and of geometrye.
Of Sophestrie she was also witty,
Of Rethoric, and of other clergye;
Lerned she was in musyke;
Of clergie was hir noon like.
She was a woman of grete corage,
Wise and faire and of gaye parage.
To haue hir to wif he did hir sende
Erles, Dukes, fro the worldes ende;
And noon of theim haue she wolde,
For that she was so faire holde.
9
Moche she was belouid ywis;
Of all faire she was the floure,
Noon so faire in halle nor boure
As she was; who that soughte
So faire to fynde, for noughte he wroughte:
He that all hir beaute write wolde,
To longe tarying make he sholde.
| Guy of Warwick | |