University of Virginia Library

Þan seyd Herhaud, ‘leue sir Gij,
Sestow now þe gode erl Tirri?
Of grete valour now so is he:
His better wot y non bot te.
Him to socour we auȝt to go.’
Gij him answerd, ‘we schul so.’
Forþ þai ȝede wiþ gode welle:
Þe lordinges hij astounded snelle.
Wiþ þat com forþ sir Gij,
In his hond his swerd blodi.
Wel heteliche he smot a kniȝt,
His bodi he clef adoun riȝt.
Anoþer kniȝt he smot anon,
Þat ded he feld him on þe ston.
Sir Gij him smot to Gayer,
Þat was þe doukes nevou Loyer:
Of his hors he haþ him feld
Þurch Tirries help in þe feld.
For he smot his felawe,
In þe sond he haþ him slawe.
Herhaud smot anoþer forþ,
His armes was him nouȝt worþ:
Þurch his bodi þe swerd ȝede;
Ded he feld him of his stede.
Anoþer he smot him as gode kniȝt,
Of his stede he feld him doun riȝt.
Now þai ginne togider smite:
Non no spared oþer bot lite.
Togider þai smite hard wiþ alle,
Mani on þer was ded & doun falle.
Who þat seye þan þerl Tirri
Wiþ his felawe sir Gi,
& Herhaud of Arderne þe gode,
Þat wele to smite was in his mode,
So mani þai nomen & feld þat day,
Is non þe best chese may

Þan bi-spac Otus of Paui
(To Gij he bar gret envie):
‘No-þing, sir, desmay þou þe:
Ful wel we schul awreken be.
To morwe we schal to þe cite go
Wiþ a þousend kniȝtes & mo:
& ȝif þe treytours y-founden be,
We schul hem aseyle, y telle þe.
Euerichon þai worþen ded.’
Quaþ þe douk, ‘þat is a gode red.’
Wel erliche þai arisen þo,
& to the cite þai ben y-go,
& a þousend kniȝtes in her compeynie,
Þe best þat were in Lombardye.
Alle þai þreten sir Gij,
Him for to slen & sir Tirri.
To-gider fast þai gun smite
Wiþ swerdes þat wil wele bite.
Als Gij com fro chirche go,
Into a pleyne he loked þo:
He seye þe doukes ost was neye:
So mani kniȝtes þer he seye.
Þan þerl Tirri he cleped him to,
& to him wiȝtliche spac þo:
‘Sir erl,’ he seyd, ‘what schal we do?
Alle þe ost of Loreine y se, lo,
Þe ost of Loreyne wele y-diȝt
Wiþ scheldes & wiþ brinis briȝt.
Þe douk of Paui is y-come,
By his armes y knowe þat gome.
Y no may him loue, he is mi fo:
Gret wille me comeþ oȝain him go.’
Þerl seyd, ‘arme we ous euerichon:
A þousend kniȝtes schul wiþ ous gon.’
Gij him mett wiþ þerl Iordan,
Lord he was of alle Melan.
Hastiliche he haþ him mett,
& at a diche him bisett.
He smot him on þe helme briȝt,
A quarter of his helme doun riȝt.
Þan seyd þe treytour, ‘glotoun,
Dye þou schalt wiþ resoun:
Ich þe abie in þis stede.’
Herhaud anon to him sede:

‘Þou lexst,’ he seyd, ‘vile losaniour:
Þou it abist, bi seyn Sauour.’
Herhaud a strok him rauȝt
Opon his scheld wiþ gret mauȝt:
On þe helme þat strok glod,
& fel on þe stede þat he on rode.
So he mett him in þat stede,
Þat his stede knewele he dede.
Vp stirt þe stede þat was snelle:
Þan come þer bi an hongend hille
Þe miȝti and þe hardi Gyoun:
In his hond he bar a trounsoun.
Otus he smot þer-wiþ so,
Þat he les his stiropes to.
Þan seyd Gij to Otus so vnwrast:
‘To me ward þou wende on hast,
& were þe of þat felonie
Þat þou dest me in Lombardye.’
Otus him went wiþ gret hete:
Þurch þe thei Gij he haþ y-smite.
Wiþ gret hete he smot Gyoun,
Þat his stede knewled adoun.