University of Virginia Library

Þe douk Otus oway fleye snelle,
Gij him drof wiþ gode wille.
Otus him went & smot sir Gij,
& Gij opon him, sikerly.
Gij fonded to smite wel,
Ac þat swerd glod sumdel:
& on Herhaud þai smiten snelle:
Ȝernne þai strengþed him to quelle.
Herhaud mett wiþ hem þere:
Made he no semblaunt þat he wounded were.
Wiþ a Lombard so mett he,
Þe heued he dede fram þe bodi fle.
As a gode kniȝt he werd him, y-wis,
Ac swiþe liþer bifallen him is:
Also he wald to þe cite go,
His stede dyed vnder him þo.
Wiþ swerdes þai smiten him þan about,
& on his helme hard him clout.
Þai hewe on his helme, þat blod out ran,
Ac he werd him as a man.
Mani on he made blodi, y pliȝt,
Of Lombardes in þat fiȝt.
A Lombard come forþ wiþ þan,
Richard he hete, an onwrast man:
To Herhaud he smot a strok grim
Þurch þe scholder wiþ a swerd in.
Herhaud wold of him be wreke:
On his helme a stroke he gan reke,
Ac he failed of him þo:
Opon þe arsoun þe strok gan go;
Ac hetelich he pliȝt out þat brond,
Þat it brak in his hond.
‘God, what schal y do?’ þan seyd he,
‘No lenger may ich weri me.
A, swerd, he þat made þe
Of godes mouþe acursed he be.
Why feylestow so sone me?
Iuel biseyn worþ y for þe.
Leuer me is her to be ded,
Þan hy my bodi wiþ hem led.’
Wiþ þat come driuend a Lombard,
Attelast he held him, a couward.
& þat Herhaud was y-nome:
Gret sor was at his hert y-come.
‘God,’ quaþ Gij, ‘Herhaud y se
Among his fon: nomen is he.
Go we smite to hem, Tirri:
For dout of deþ spare nil y.
So gode a kniȝt leten y nille.’
Herhaud þai socourd snelle.
To a Lombard smot sir Gij,
& feld him & his fere him by.
Tirri anoþer smite bigan,
Þat ded he feld boþe hors & man.
Swerdes þai drowen, wiþ-outen feyle,
Wharwiþ was wrouȝt mani batayle.
Þai hewe and slouȝ wiþ gret hete:
So mani þer þe liif forlete.
Herhaud þai socourd mididone,
A gode swerd þai toke him sone.
Toward his ost þe douke heyeþ bliue,
& Gij after him gan driue.
A strok him ȝaf sir Gyoun:
Bitvene þe bodi & þe arsoun
Þe dint of þat strok aliȝt:
Þe stede he smot adoun riȝt.
Kniȝtes þan out of þat ost
To Gij lopen wiþ michel bost:
Þurch þat gret ost went Gij snelle,
Þe Lombardes him folwed wiþ gode wille.
Tirri & Herhaud her ost metten þere,
& of hem michel awonderd were,
Hou hij fram þe ost aschaped is:
Of hem þai hadden gret blis.
Gij, & Tirri, and Herhaud also
Oȝain to þe cite þai ben y-go,
& þe citiseins of þat cite
Wel often god þonkeden he.
& þat he com hider to þe:
Riȝt siker þer-of may þai be;
&, when þai ben farn her iurne,
& fer fram her cuntre,
Þe treitours þou schalt nimen icho[n],
& dem hem in þi court anon.
& so michel y bid þe,
Gij & Herhaud ȝiue þou me.
& so þou schalt awreke be
Of þine enmis, as y telle þe,
& bot ȝe wil þus don,
Þai worþ þi dedliche fon.’