 | Guy of Warwick |  |
‘Who is þat?’ þemperour sede.
‘Gij of Warwike, so god me rede!
Þou do him nim, & binde fast,
& in þi prisoun þou do him cast.’
Quaþ þemperour, ‘lat now be,
No speke nouȝt so of him to me:
Oȝaines me misdo he nold
Nouȝt for tventi somers of gold,
No for to ben al to-hewe:
So gode a kniȝt he is & trewe.
& ȝif he is þer-in, wele be it so:
Wiþ hir his wille he may do;
For mi douhter ichim bi-hote habbe,
Nil ich nouȝt of couenant gabbe.’
‘Gij of Warwike, so god me rede!
Þou do him nim, & binde fast,
& in þi prisoun þou do him cast.’
Quaþ þemperour, ‘lat now be,
No speke nouȝt so of him to me:
Oȝaines me misdo he nold
Nouȝt for tventi somers of gold,
No for to ben al to-hewe:
So gode a kniȝt he is & trewe.
& ȝif he is þer-in, wele be it so:
Wiþ hir his wille he may do;
For mi douhter ichim bi-hote habbe,
Nil ich nouȝt of couenant gabbe.’
When þe steward him haþ bi-þouȝt
Þat þemperour nold here him nouȝt,
Hom to his in he is y-go,
& aliȝt of his palfrey þo.
Anon in-to chaumber he ȝede,
& to Gij of Warwike he sede,
‘Gij, þou art ful wele wiþ me,
Þerfore ich-il kiþen it þe:
To þemperour y-teld it is,
Bi þe lord seyn Denis,
Þat wiþ strengþe þou com in-to his bour
& has forleyn his douhter wiþ desonour.
& ȝif he þe may ouer-go,
He wil þe bren oþer slo.
Þat þemperour nold here him nouȝt,
Hom to his in he is y-go,
& aliȝt of his palfrey þo.
Anon in-to chaumber he ȝede,
& to Gij of Warwike he sede,
‘Gij, þou art ful wele wiþ me,
Þerfore ich-il kiþen it þe:
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Bi þe lord seyn Denis,
Þat wiþ strengþe þou com in-to his bour
& has forleyn his douhter wiþ desonour.
& ȝif he þe may ouer-go,
He wil þe bren oþer slo.
& ich hot þe þat þou hennes fle,
Þat he nouȝt of-take þe.’
Þat he nouȝt of-take þe.’
‘Bi god,’ quaþ Gij, ‘þat were wrong,
Þat y schold here mi deþ afong
For þing þat ich haue gilt non,
No neuer þouȝt it to don.
An arnemorwe, when he out ȝede,
Miche he me o loue bede;
Hou schuld ich euer siker be
Of ani bi-hest men hotes me?
For þemperour me seyd þo,
And trewelich me bihete þerto,
Þat he me wold gret worþschipe,
& now he me wil sle wiþ schenschipe
For þe speche of a losanger,
& of a feloun pautener.’
Out of þe chaumber he is y-go:
Sori & dreri he was þo.
To his in he ȝede swiþe,
And cleped his felawes bliue.
‘Lordinges,’ he seyd, ‘to armes snelle!
Here wil we no longer duelle:
To þemperour y-wraid we beþ,
Alle he wil don ous to þe deþ.
Bi þe treuþe y schal our lord ȝeld,
Þat heuen and erþe haueþ in weld,
Er þan we be nomen & ded,
So mani schal dye of her ferred,
Þat it worþ abouȝt wel strong
Þat ich am bi-wrayd wrong!’
To armes þai went wiþ þat ichon;
Out of þe cite þai ben y-gon,
& went toward þe heþen men,
Wiþ þem to holden & to ben,
To help þe heþen men ichon.
Wiþ þat com þemperour anon:
Fram þe riuer he come rideinge,
& wiþ his folk fast prikeinge;
Feir weder it was, & miri also,
Þe briȝt armes he seye þo.
Þat y schold here mi deþ afong
For þing þat ich haue gilt non,
No neuer þouȝt it to don.
An arnemorwe, when he out ȝede,
Miche he me o loue bede;
Hou schuld ich euer siker be
Of ani bi-hest men hotes me?
For þemperour me seyd þo,
And trewelich me bihete þerto,
Þat he me wold gret worþschipe,
& now he me wil sle wiþ schenschipe
For þe speche of a losanger,
& of a feloun pautener.’
Out of þe chaumber he is y-go:
Sori & dreri he was þo.
To his in he ȝede swiþe,
And cleped his felawes bliue.
‘Lordinges,’ he seyd, ‘to armes snelle!
Here wil we no longer duelle:
To þemperour y-wraid we beþ,
Alle he wil don ous to þe deþ.
Bi þe treuþe y schal our lord ȝeld,
Þat heuen and erþe haueþ in weld,
Er þan we be nomen & ded,
So mani schal dye of her ferred,
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Þat ich am bi-wrayd wrong!’
To armes þai went wiþ þat ichon;
Out of þe cite þai ben y-gon,
& went toward þe heþen men,
Wiþ þem to holden & to ben,
To help þe heþen men ichon.
Wiþ þat com þemperour anon:
Fram þe riuer he come rideinge,
& wiþ his folk fast prikeinge;
Feir weder it was, & miri also,
Þe briȝt armes he seye þo.
Þemperour hem seye, & knewe Gij,
For he come hem swiþe neye.
At an herhaud þan asked he,
‘This armed folk, what may þis be?’
‘Sir,’ quaþ he, ‘it is Gij,
Þat in wretþe fram þe wil parti;
Vnto þe soudan he wil fare,
& wirche þe sorwe & michel care
Þurch wraying þat teld him is:
Wele y wot þat soþe it nis.
Wele it semeþ þat wroþ is he;
Al armed on his stede ich him se.’
For he come hem swiþe neye.
At an herhaud þan asked he,
‘This armed folk, what may þis be?’
‘Sir,’ quaþ he, ‘it is Gij,
Þat in wretþe fram þe wil parti;
Vnto þe soudan he wil fare,
& wirche þe sorwe & michel care
Þurch wraying þat teld him is:
Wele y wot þat soþe it nis.
Wele it semeþ þat wroþ is he;
Al armed on his stede ich him se.’
| Guy of Warwick | |