 | Guy of Warwick |  |
When his nevou y-seye þat cas,
Þat his em so smiten was,
Him to awreke him þouȝt long,
& as he schuld his dart afong,
His arme atvo smot Gij,
& he him anon crid merci.
Gij for rewþe is þennes y-gon,
& cam to þemperour anon,
& seþþe he seyd to þemperour:
‘Ich haue þe serued wiþ gret honour;
Ȝolden þou hast me iuel mi while,
When þi folk þurch tresoun & gile
Haue mi lyoun to deþ y-brouȝt.
Mi while is iuel ȝalt: he it haþ abouȝt.
For soþe he me to þe biwreyd,
& now to grounde mi lyoun is leyd.
Ded he liþe al to-hewe
Þi steward, at wordes fewe:
Wele ich haue ȝolden him his treysoun,
& þat he slouȝ mi lyoun.
Seþþe þou no miȝt nouȝt waranti me,
Whar-to schuld y serui þe,
On oncouþe man in thi lond,
When þou no dost him bot schond?
Harm me is, & michel misdo;
Þer-fore ichil fram þe go,
& in oþer cuntres serue y wile,
Þer men wille ȝeld me mi while.’
‘Merci, sir Gij,’ seyd þemperour þo.
‘Ȝif ani of our haþ þe misdo,
Swiche riȝt do als tow wilt,
& take þe amendes after þe gilt;
For alle þai schul be þine men [an]on,
In þi nede serue þe ichon,
& at þi wille take her catel.
Wiþ-drawe þi mod, sir, y bidde þe wel:
Ich wil þatow to-morwen arly
Mi douhter at þe chirche spousy.’
Þat his em so smiten was,
Him to awreke him þouȝt long,
& as he schuld his dart afong,
His arme atvo smot Gij,
& he him anon crid merci.
Gij for rewþe is þennes y-gon,
& cam to þemperour anon,
& seþþe he seyd to þemperour:
‘Ich haue þe serued wiþ gret honour;
Ȝolden þou hast me iuel mi while,
When þi folk þurch tresoun & gile
Haue mi lyoun to deþ y-brouȝt.
Mi while is iuel ȝalt: he it haþ abouȝt.
For soþe he me to þe biwreyd,
& now to grounde mi lyoun is leyd.
Ded he liþe al to-hewe
Þi steward, at wordes fewe:
Wele ich haue ȝolden him his treysoun,
& þat he slouȝ mi lyoun.
Seþþe þou no miȝt nouȝt waranti me,
Whar-to schuld y serui þe,
On oncouþe man in thi lond,
When þou no dost him bot schond?
Harm me is, & michel misdo;
Þer-fore ichil fram þe go,
& in oþer cuntres serue y wile,
Þer men wille ȝeld me mi while.’
‘Merci, sir Gij,’ seyd þemperour þo.
‘Ȝif ani of our haþ þe misdo,
254
& take þe amendes after þe gilt;
For alle þai schul be þine men [an]on,
In þi nede serue þe ichon,
& at þi wille take her catel.
Wiþ-drawe þi mod, sir, y bidde þe wel:
Ich wil þatow to-morwen arly
Mi douhter at þe chirche spousy.’
Gij answerd: ‘þerof speke nouȝt:
Hir to nim nam ich nouȝt biþouȝt;
For, ȝif þou haddest me hir ȝiue,
& ich hir toke þer whiles y liue,
Þan wold þi men anon,
Þat wonderful be mani on,
Þe seggen wiþ deshonour
Þou haddest made a pouer man emperour,
& vnworþ þai wold holden of me,
& sum edwite þer wold be
Þat þi douhter desperplid were,
Ȝif þou to me hadde ȝiuen her here.
Leuer ich hadde litel wiþ worþschipe
Þan michel welden wiþ schenschipe.
Þer-fore, sir emperour, y þe telle,
In non maner bileuen y nille.
Whende ichil in-to mi cuntre,
Mine frendes to visite & to se.’
Leue he toke wiþ þat speche,
& seyd, ‘godes sone y þe biteche.’
When þemperour wiþ-holden him no may
(He seþ his wille is to wende o-way),
Wepen he gan wiþ his eyȝen tvo:
Alle þo of þe court dede al-so.
His grete tresour he dede forþ bring,
& bede it Gij to his likeing,
Ac þerof liked him nouȝt to take:
Anouȝ he hadde of Sarrazins blake.
Al-so a gode man dede þemperour þere:
Þer-after to alle Gyes fere
Riche tresour þan ȝaf he,
Gold and siluer gret plente,
As miche as þai wold vnder-fo;
For þemperour it comend so.
Gret [pris] þai ȝeue þemperour,
Þat he was man of gret honour.
Gij diȝt him wiþ riche dubbeing,
Riche wede he dede for him bring.
Of þemperour he toke his leue,
& he al wepend it him ȝeue,
& alle þe kniȝtes of the cite,
Of euerichon leue nam he.
Þer miȝt men se sorwe make,
For sir Gij wold fram hem rake;
Wimen & children mani on,
For him þai wepen euerichon:
Þer whiles he was in her ferred,
Of no wer no stode hem drede.
Hir to nim nam ich nouȝt biþouȝt;
For, ȝif þou haddest me hir ȝiue,
& ich hir toke þer whiles y liue,
Þan wold þi men anon,
Þat wonderful be mani on,
Þe seggen wiþ deshonour
Þou haddest made a pouer man emperour,
& vnworþ þai wold holden of me,
& sum edwite þer wold be
Þat þi douhter desperplid were,
Ȝif þou to me hadde ȝiuen her here.
Leuer ich hadde litel wiþ worþschipe
Þan michel welden wiþ schenschipe.
Þer-fore, sir emperour, y þe telle,
In non maner bileuen y nille.
Whende ichil in-to mi cuntre,
Mine frendes to visite & to se.’
Leue he toke wiþ þat speche,
& seyd, ‘godes sone y þe biteche.’
When þemperour wiþ-holden him no may
(He seþ his wille is to wende o-way),
Wepen he gan wiþ his eyȝen tvo:
Alle þo of þe court dede al-so.
His grete tresour he dede forþ bring,
& bede it Gij to his likeing,
Ac þerof liked him nouȝt to take:
Anouȝ he hadde of Sarrazins blake.
256
Þer-after to alle Gyes fere
Riche tresour þan ȝaf he,
Gold and siluer gret plente,
As miche as þai wold vnder-fo;
For þemperour it comend so.
Gret [pris] þai ȝeue þemperour,
Þat he was man of gret honour.
Gij diȝt him wiþ riche dubbeing,
Riche wede he dede for him bring.
Of þemperour he toke his leue,
& he al wepend it him ȝeue,
& alle þe kniȝtes of the cite,
Of euerichon leue nam he.
Þer miȝt men se sorwe make,
For sir Gij wold fram hem rake;
Wimen & children mani on,
For him þai wepen euerichon:
Þer whiles he was in her ferred,
Of no wer no stode hem drede.
Þemperour cleped Herbaud him to,
& aresound him tvene hem tvo:
‘Sir Herhaud, þou schalt bileue wiþ me.
Wele ich þe sigge, & siker þou be,
Þat ich in þis ȝere wille ȝiue þe
Þe richest honour þat in mi lond be.’
‘Sir,’ quaþ Herhaud, ‘gramerci!
Wele ȝe wite icham wiþ sir Gij.
Y no wil depart him fro
For non honour men may me do.’
& aresound him tvene hem tvo:
‘Sir Herhaud, þou schalt bileue wiþ me.
Wele ich þe sigge, & siker þou be,
Þat ich in þis ȝere wille ȝiue þe
Þe richest honour þat in mi lond be.’
‘Sir,’ quaþ Herhaud, ‘gramerci!
Wele ȝe wite icham wiþ sir Gij.
Y no wil depart him fro
For non honour men may me do.’
| Guy of Warwick | |