The Minor Poems of John Lydgate edited from all available mss. with an attempt to establish The Lydgate Canon: By Henry Noble MacCracken |
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| 22. | 22. GUY OF WARWICK. |
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 | The Minor Poems of John Lydgate |  |
22. GUY OF WARWICK.
Here gynneth the lyff off Guy of Warwyk.
1
Fro Cristis birthe complet nyne hundrid yeer,Twenty and seuene, by computacioun,
Kyng Ethelstan, as seith the Cronycleer,
Regnyng that tyme in Brutys Albyoun,—
517
Of them of Denmark, wich with myhty hond
Rod, brente, and slouh, made noon excepcioun,
By cruel force, thorugh out al this lond;
2
Spared nouther hih nor louh degre,Chirchis, collegis, but that they bete hem doun;
Myhty castellis, and euery greet cyte
In ther ffurie, by ffals oppressioun,
On-to the boundys of Wynchestre toun,
With suerd & feer they madyn al wast & wylde;
And in ther mortall persecucyoun
Spared nat women greet with chylde:
3
In this brennyng, ffurious cruelte,To Denmark pryncis, pompous & elat,
Lyk woode lyouns, void of all pite,
Did no favour to louh nor hih estaat.
Allas! this lond stood so dysconsolaat,
Froward Fortune hath at hem so dysdeyned,
Mars & Mercurie wer with hem at debaat,
That bothe þe kyng and pryncis wer distreyned
4
By froward force to take hem to the fflyght,Thes Danyssh pryncis ageyn hem wer so wood;
On hih hilles ther ffyres gaff suych lyght,
Fortune of werre in suych disioynt tho stood,
The peple robbed and spoiled of ther good,
For verray dreed of colour ded and pale,
518
Lyk a greet ryver fro mounteyns to þe vale.
5
Paraventure for sum old trespace,As is remembrid of antyquyte,
Of o persone hap, ffortune, and grace
Myhte be with-drawe, in cronycles ye may see;
Reed how þe myhty ffamous Iosue
Was put a-bak thre dayes in batayll,
The theffte of Nachor made Israell to ffle
Out of the ffeld, and in ther conquest faile.
6
Thus by the pryde and veyn ambyciounAnd cruel ffurie of thes pryncis tweyne
This rewm almost brouht to destruccyoun,
The swerd of Bellona gan at hem so disdeyne,
Lordis wer pensiff, þe porail gan compleyne;
Oon of thes tirauntys, callid Anelaphus,
And as myn auctour remembreth in serteyn,
The tother was named Genaphelus.
7
This myscheff, wers than strok of pestilence,God with his punsshyng is ffounde mercyable;
Suerd of a tyraunt punssheth with vyolence,
With ffurious hand mortall and vengable;
Wher ffolk repente, the Lord is ay tretable,
That sit above, wich halt all in his hond,
But thes tirauntys, to sheden blood most able,
With suerd & flawme troubled al this lond.
519
8
God ffor synne, by record of Scripture,Hath chastysed many a greet cyte,
And suffred hem gret myschef to endure,
Record Ierusalem, record on Nynyvee,
Paris in Fraunce hath had his part, parde,
For leccherie and veyn ambucyoun;
Palpable examples, at eye men may see,
Of Rome, Cartage, and of Troie toun.
9
This mater offte hath been exempleffyed,For lak of wisdam and of good consayll,
That peplys hertys wer nat ffull applyed
To sue vertu for ther owne avayll;
Wynd of glad Fortune bleuh nat in ther saill,
For ther dismeritees, God punshed hem of right,
Outrage & vices hath vengaunce at his tayll.
Thouh kyng Ethelstan was a manly knyght,
10
Cruell Danys Inglyssh blood to scheede,Ther swerd was wheet, & ther ffyres lyght;
Ȝit in cronycle, at leyser who lyst reede,
Kyng Ethelstan was a ffull noble knyght,
Though for a tyme eclypsed was his lyght;
Of his noblesse and royall mageste,
The hand of God stood alway in his myght
To chaunge his trouble in-to prosperyte.
11
The sonne is hatter affter sharpe schours,The glade morwe ffolweth the dirke nyght,
520
And affter mystys Phebus schyneth bright,
Affter trouble hertys be maad lyght;—
And, to conclude lyk as I began,
God lyst to caste his mercyable syght
Vpon his knyght, the fforseid Ethelstan.
12
In this mater fforther to procede,Constreynt of werre and gret aduersyte,
Made hym to drawe, in cronycle as I reede,
With alle his lordis of hih and louhe degre,
To haue a counsayll at Wynchestre the cyte,
Som remedye in all haste to provyde
Ageyn the malys and ffurious cruelte
Wrouht by the Danys in ther marcyal pride.
13
Off al the lond gadryd were the statys,Remedye to schapen in this mateere,
Pryncys, barouns, bysshopis and prelatys,
In that cyte assembled wern in ffeere,
Hap and ffortune shewyd hem heuy cheere,
Ther hope turned to dysesperaunce,
Knyghthood of armes had lost the maneere,
So destitute they were of spere and launce.
14
In that party was no remedye,Redres to ffynde, nor consolacyoun,
Mars set a-bak all ther chevalrye,
Thus stood the lond in desolacyoun,
Strong wer the Danys, proud by ambucioun:
521
Held with his lordis a counsayll in that toun
To ffynde a mene his myschef to redresse;
15
By grace of God how this myht ben amendydRecure to ffynde of ther aduersyte.
Breeffly to telle, they were thus condescendyd,
Benbassatrie or mene of som tretee,
Streyghtly driven off necessyte,
The kyng of Denmark with homage for to queme:
Or vnder tribute to haue this liberte,
As a soget reioysshe his dyademe;
16
Or ellis pleynly of partyes covenauntKyng Ethelstan for hym to ffynde a knyght
With Colybrond of Denmark the Geaunt,
Day assigned, to entre with hym in ffyght,
For to darreyne atween hem to the right,
Who shal reioisshe, with strong and myhty hond,
To holde a septre, by manhood and by myght,
And haue poscessioun in quyete of this lond.
17
The kyng, the lordis, beyng there present,Withoute respight, or loud dylacioun,
To yeve answere of ther ffynall entent,
How they list quyten hem, for short conclusioun:
Outher to make a resygnacyoun
Of septre & crowne, outher to ffynde a knyht,
As I seyde erst, to be ther champioun,
Geyn Colybrond, to entryn in-to ffight.
18
The Denmark dukis, of malys importable,Wood and wylful in ther marcyal rage,
522
Requyred in haste, ben bassat or massage,
To haue answere or pleggis for hostage,
Of this convencioun relacioun to sende
How they caste hem to puttyn in morgage
The lyff of tweyne to make a fynal ende.
19
This apoyntement so streitly was forth lad,Of ffurious haste they wolde haue no delay,
Kyng Ethelstan so hard[e] was be-stad,
And alle his pryncis put in gret affray;
Affore Wynchestre the proude dukis lay,
The kyng withinne, astoned in his mende,
And weel þe more, be-cause he knew no way
In his dyffence a champioun to ffynde.
20
Knew no bet mene, as in this mateer,Redres to ffynde, to resoun accordyng,
Than by assent to taken hym to prayeer,
He and his lordis, to wakyng and ffastyng,
Pore and riche, with-oute more tarying;
Alle attonys, as they wern off degre,
With salte teris, resembled in ther wepyng,
By penaunce doyng, to folk of Nynyvee.
21
From hih estatys doun to the porayll,Of alle degrees ffounde was no wyght
To vnderfonge themprise of this batayll,
Ageyn the Geaunt of Denmark ffor to ffight:
Herald of Harderne, þe noble famous knyht,
523
Fader in armes, in euery manhis sight;
Next Guy of Warwyk, of manhood lodesterre—
22
This seide Herald beyng tho absent,Out of this rewm to seke the sone of Guy,
Callid Raynbourne, in contrees adiacent,
And alle þe provyncis that stoode faste by,
Wich in yong age was stole traytourly,
By straunge marchauntis ongoodly lad away,
Felyce, his moder, wepyng tendirly,
For his absence compleynyng nyht and day.
23
Born by dyscent to ben hir ffadris hayr,Hir yonge sone Raynborne to succede,
In hir tyme was holde noon so ffayr,
Callid the example of trouthe and womanhede;
Rowand, hir ffader, for noblesse and manheede,
Erl of Warwyk, named oon the beste knyht
That was tho dayes, in story as I reede,
But he, allas! fflouryng in hys myght
24
Paide his dette of deth on-to nature,By Parcas sustren was sponne his lyves threede.
And, as the story remembreth by scripture,
Whan that Felyce conseyved hadde in deede,
By [this] seyde Guy, sone affter, as I reede,
He lyk a pilgrym endewed with all vertu
The nexte morwe chaunged hath his weede,
And spedde hym forth for love of Crist Ihesu;
524
25
Forsook the world, onknowe to euery wight,Of hih perfeccyoun to leven in penaunce,
Lefft wyff and kyn, and bekam Goddis knyght,
Whom for to serve was set all his plesaunce,
Content with lytel, Crist was his suffysaunce,
In wordly pompe he lyst not to soiourne.—
Callyng ageyn on-to remembraunce
Kyng Ethelstan, my penne I wyll retourne,
26
As I began, in ordre to proceede,Of his compleynt to make mencyoun:
Not clad in purpil, but chaunged hath his weede,
Blak for mornyng and desolacyoun,
Be-cause there was in all his regyoun
Founde no persone his quarell to dyffende;
To God above seyde this orysoun,
Bespreynt with teris, his grace doun to sende:
27
“O Lord,” quod he, “of moost magnyfycence,Cast doun Thyn erys vn-to my prayeere!
Remembre nat vp-on my greet offence
But fro my synnes turne a-way Thy cheere,
Disespeired, stondyng in doubyll were,
To lese my kyngdam, septre, and regalye,
But medyacioun of Thy Moder deere
Be gracious mene to saue my partye.
28
“My feith, myn hope, my trust, myn affyaunceAll hoolly restith in Thy proteccyoun;
525
Be blont and feble, my power is bore doun;
But grace with mercy list be my champioun,
Þorgh Þi support my foon shal me encombre!”
—While Ethelstan seyde this orysoun,
Or he was war, he ffyll in-to a slombre.
29
For wach and trouble lay in an agonye,Devoutly knelyng by his beddys syde;
The Lord above, wich can no man denye
That asketh grace, with meeknesse void of pride,
For His servaunt lyst gracyously provyde,
Which of His goodnesse sente an aungel doun,
Bad hym nat dreede, but set al ffeer a-syde,
Wich of His mercy had herd his orysoun.
30
Toward the kyng cast His look benygne,Bad hym truste al hoolly in His grace,
By a tookene and an entyeer-signe,
Which shal be shewed to hym in riht short space.
Of sleep a-dawed, the kyng lefft vp his fface,
Marked euerythyng, and prudently took heede
To whom the angel his heuynesse tenchase,
These wordis hadde, in story as I reede:
526
31
“From the voide al dyspeir and dreede,Whan Aurora shewith hir pale light,
To-morwen erly arys and take good heede,
For Crist Ihesu of Hys gracyous myght
To thy requeste hath cast doun His sight.
Trust vp-on Hym, and in þi trust be stable,
He shall conserve of equyte and ryght
Thy roiall tytle, ffor He ys mercyable.
32
“At Phebus vpriste set no lenger date,Whan silver deuh doth on the fflours ffleete,
Make thy passage toward the north gate,
Or that the sonne with his ffervent heete,
Hath on the levys dryed vp the weete;
Abide there meekly, and God shal to the sende,
Fyrst among pore a pilgrym thou shalt meete,
Entrete hym goodly, thy quarell to dyffende.
33
“Clad as a pilgrym in a brood sclaveyn,Old and forgrowe amongys the porayll,
Marke hym weell, and be riht weell serteyn,
At thy requeste that he schall nat ffayll
To accomplysshe manly thy batayll.
Trust on hym weell, and for thy purpartye,
With Goddis myht that he schall prevayll
In this mater thyn axing nat denye.”
34
The woordis seid, as ys rehersed heere,On-to the kyng, by revelacyoun,
The aungell dyd onwarly dysapeere,
527
Gaff thank to God off this avysioun.
Neuly reioisshed out off all hevynesse
With too bisshopis, as maad ys mencyoun,
And erlis tweyne, forth he gan hym dresse;
35
Thankyng the Lord of His benygne graunt,As he was bounde, of humble affeccyoun,
With his bisshopis and erlys exspectaunt,
At thilke party northward of the toun,
Lyk as the aungell, for short conclusioun,
Had told the hour on-to the kyng but late,
Whan poore ffolk, ffor sustentacyoun,
Hadde in costom to entren at the gate.
36
As the cronycle breeffly doth compile,Vnto purpos maketh rehersayll,
Of Iohn Baptyst affore in the vygyle,
How Guy of Warwik maad his arryvaylle
At Portysmouth, myn auctour wil nat ffayle,
In his writyng assignyng hour and tyme,
By grace of God, wich may most avaylle,
Tellith how Guy evene at the hour of pryme,
37
Whan briht Phebus, with his gold-tressed bemys,On hillis hih gan shewe his hevenly lyght,
Erly on morwe, and with his hoote stremys
Dried vp the deuh as perlis siluer bright,
Whan seide Guy, the noble famous knyght,
Repeired was from his long pylgrymage,
Fro Portysmouth took his weye right,
To Wynchestre holdyng his vyage.
528
38
By grace of God I deeme trew[e]lyGuy was hom sent in-to thys regyoun,
Here taccomplisshe, in knyghthood ffynally,
The laste empryse of his hih renoun,
He ffor to be the kyngys champioun,
Onknowe of alle; but whan he cam to lond,
To hym was maad pleyn relacyoun
Of his requestis, how it did[e] stond.
39
They told hym firste in ordre ceryously,Harald Harderne, that was so good a knyht,
Was goon to seke the sone off Guy,
Gretly desired of euery maner wight,
Wich by discent was born of verray riht
By tytle of Felyce, famous in womanhede,
At his repair, with grace of Cristis myght,
Erl of Warwyk iustly to succede.
40
They told hym also of the grete stryff,Tween them of Denmark & Ethelstan þe kyng,
And how that Rowand, ffader to hys wyff,
Old erl of Warwik, ful notable of levyng,
Was ded also;—and Guy herd euery thyng,
Of hih prudence kept hym-silff clos,
Lyk a pilgrym his leve there takyng,
Goth to Wynchestre anoon as he aroos.
41
Guy took his loggyng, whan it drouh to nyht,With pore men at an old hospytall,
529
Too hundrid pas withoute the north wall,
Where stondeth now a menstre ful roiall.
The nexte morwe, anoon as Guy a-wook,
God was his guyde, in especyall,
Mong pore men, the riht[e] weie he took
42
To the north gate, as grace did hym guye,By resemblaunce, so entryng in-to toun
As Dauid whilom cam ageyn Golye
To helpen Saul, by grace of God sent doun;
So for reffuge and ffor savacyoun,
Bothe of the kyng and of al this lond,
Guy was provided to be ther champioun
Ageyn the pompe off proude Colybrond.
43
By his habite and his pylgrym weede,Thilke tyme clad in a round sclaveyn,
Of whos array, whan the kyng took heede,
Sauh Goddis promys was nat maad in veyn,
Took vp his herte, and knew riht weel serteyn,
God faileth neuer His frend on see nor lond,
With wepyng teris his chekis spreynt lik reyn,
For verray gladnesse he took Guy by þe hond.
44
Besekyng hym, in moost louly wyse,With sobbyng cheer that routhe was to see,
To vnderfonge this knyhtly hih empryse;
530
To do socour in this necessyte;
In his dyffence that he wyll nat ffayll,
Geyn Colybrond his champioun for to be
For his party darreyne the batayll.
45
Guy, wonder sad of look and of vysage,Feynt and wery, and dulled of travayll,
Made his excuse that he was ffalle in age,
And out of ews more to be clad in mayll.
“My wil,” quod he, “yif it myhte avayll,
The cruell ire of Danys to appeese,
For comoun profit, good wil shal nat ffayll,
My lyf iuparte to set thys lond in ese.”
46
The kyng, the lordys, made greet instaunceTo this pylgrym with language and prayere;
Guy, for to doon vnto the kyng plesaunce
For Ihesus sake, and for His Moder deere,
Ys condescendyd, lyk as ye schall heere,
With Goddys grace, affter the covenaunt,
As the convencyoun iustly doth requere,
At place assigned to mete the Geaunt.
47
Off this empryse was maad no long delay,This convencyoun pleynly to darreyne,
Tyme set of Iule vp-on the xij. day,
Place assigned, and meetyng of thes tweyne,
The accord rehersed, the statute, and the peyne,
531
As the partyes were boundyn in serteyn,
For short conclusioun ther-by to a-byde.
48
Withoute the gate, remembred as I reede,The place callyd of antyquyte,
In Inglyssh tonge named Hyde Meede,
Or ellis Denmark, nat fer from the Cyte:
Meetyng togedre there men myghte see
Terryble strokys lyk the dent of thonder,
Sparklys out off ther harneys fflee,
That to be-holde, it was a verray wonder.
49
The old pylgrym quyt hym lyk a knyght,Spared nat the Geaunt to assaylle,
On his lefft shulder smet at hym with suych myht
Vndir the bordour of his aventayll
A streem of blood gan by his sydes rayll;
The Geaunt wood, this hydous Colybrond,
Thoughte it sholde gretly hym avayll
That Guyes suerd was broke out of his hond.
50
Whan Danys sauh Guy had lost his suerd,They cauhte a maner consolacyoun;
Guy, lyk a knyght in herte nat afferd,
Requered manly of the champioun
Sith he of wepnys hadde so gret foysoun
532
But Colybrond of indyngnacyoun
To his requeste gaff noon audyence.
51
For he was set on malys and on wrak,To execute his purpos set on pryde,
And while that he and Guy to-gedre spak,
All attonys Guy sterte out a-syde,
Cauhte a pollex, lyst no lenger byde,
Smette the Geaunt evene in the firste wounde,
Made his strok so myghtyly to glyde
That his lefft arme and shuldir ffyll to grounde;
52
With wich strok the Geaunt Colybrond,Al his armure and boody was maad reed,
Stoupyng a-syde, gan reche forth his hond,
To take a suerd, wherof Guy took heed.
God and grace that day gaff hym suych speed,
To put his name euer affter in memorie,
Fleih with his ax, smet of the sturdy heed
Of the Geaunt, and hadde of hym vyctorye.
53
This thyng accomplisshed by grace of Goddis hond,And by the prowesse of Guy, this noble knyght,
They of Denmark, as the statute bond,
Han crossed sail, and take ther weye right
Toward ther cuntre, nouther glad nor light,
Ther surquedye and ther pompe oppressed:
Kyng Ethelstan by grace of Goddys myht,
Hadde of Denmark the pompe ful repressed.
533
54
Ther froward pompe with meknesse was repressed,By Guy of Warwyk, as maad is mencioun,—
The kyng, the clergye devoutly haue hem dressed,
Pryncys, barouns and burgeis of the toun,
With al the comounte; for short conclusioun,
Hih and lowe, to speke in generall,
Hym to conveie with proscessioun,
On-to ther chirche callyd Cathedrall.
55
This seide Guy, ther knelyng on his kne,With gret meknesse made his oblacioun
Of thilke ex, with wich afforn that he
Hadde of Danys slayn the champioun,
Wich instrument thorugh al this regyoun;
Is yit callid “the ex of Colybrond,”
Kept among men of relygyoun
In the vestiarie, as ye shall vnderstond.
56
Whan al was doon, ther is no more to seyn,Guy in al haste caste of hys armure,
Lyk a pilgrym put on his sclaveyn.
The kyng ful goodly affter dyd his cure
That he myhte the grace so recure
Of this pilgrym to tellyn and nat spare,
In secre wyse to tellyn his aventure,
What was his name pleynly to declare.
57
“Certys,” quod Guy, “ye must haue me excused.Touchyng your ascyng and your petycioun,
534
In your desire for noon occasioun.
To myn excuse I haue ful greet resoun,
For I shal neuer dyscure this mateer
But vnder bond of a condycyoun,
Assuraunce maad tween yow and me, in feere;
58
“Alle your pryncys avoided by absence,Sool be our-silff, out of this cyte,
Noon but we tweyne beyng in presence,
With trouthe assured that ye shal be secre,
Duryng my lyf—ye gete no more of me—
To no persone, I aske no more avayll,
Of ffeith and oth, to hih nor louh degre,
That ye shall neuer dyscure my counsayll.”
59
This thyng confermed by promys ful roiall,Passed the subbarbys and boundys of the toun,
At a cros that stood ffeer ffrom the wall,
Ful devoutly the pilgrym knelith doun,
To sette asyde all suspecyoun.
“My lord,” quod he, “Of feith with-outen blame,
Your lyge man, of humble affeccyoun,
Guy of Warwyk trewly is my name.”
60
The kyng, astoned, gan chaunge cher and face,And in maner gan wepyn for gladnesse,
And al attonys he gan hym to enbrace
In bothe his armes, of royall gentylnesse,
With offte kyssyng of ffeithfull kyndenesse,
With grete proffres on the tother syde
Of gold, of tresour, and of gret rychesse
With-inne his paleys yif he wolde abyde.
535
61
Alle thes profres meekly he for-sook,And to the kynges royall mageste
Hym recomaundyng, anoon his weie he took.
At his departyng this avouh maad he,
With pitous wepyng, knelyng on his kne,
Vnto the kyng in ffull humble entent:
“Duryng my lyf, it may noon other bee,
Schall I neuer doon of this garnement.”
62
At ther departyng was but smal langage,Sweem of ther speche made interupcyoun;
The kyng goth hom,—Guy took his vyage
Toward Warwyk, his castell and his toun,
No man of hym hauyng suspecyoun.
Where day be day Felyce, his trewe wyf,
Fedde poore folk, of greet devocyoun,
To praie for hir, and for hir lordys lyf—
63
Thrittene in noumbre, myn auctour writeth so.Guy at his comyng forgrowe in his vysage,
Thre daies space he was oon of tho
That took almesse with humble and louh corage;
Thankyng the contesse, in haste took his viage
Nat fer fro Warwyk, the cronycle doth expresse,
Of aventure kam to an hermytage
Where he fond on dwellyng in wyldirnesse.
64
To hym he drouh, besechyng hym of graceFor a tyme to holde there soiour.
536
By deth is passed the ffyn of his labour;
Affter whos day Guy was his successour
Space of too yeer, by grace of Cryst Ihesu,
Dauntyng his flessh by penaunce and rigour,
Ay more and more encresyng in vertu.
65
God made him knowe the day he sholde deie,Thorugh his moost gracyous vysytacyoun,
Be an angel hys spirit to conveye
Affter his bodyly resolucyoun,
For his merites to the hevenly mansioun;
Affter he sente in haste his weddyng ryng
Vn-to his wyf, of trewe affeccyoun,
Praied hir come to been at his deyng.
66
And that she scholde doon hir besy cure,By a maner wyfly dyllygence,
In haste ordeyne for his sepulture
With no gret cost, nor with no gret dyspence.
Gan haste hir faste tyl she kam in presence
Where as he lay dedly and pale of fface;
Bespreynt with teris, knelyng with reuerence,
The dede body swownyng she did enbrace.
67
And as this notable, ffamous, worthy knyghtSente hir to seyne, eek be his massangeer,
In that place to burye hym anoon right,
Where as he lay afforn a smal auhteer,
And that she sholde doon trewly hir deveer,
For hir-silf dyspoce[n] and provyde
The xv day ffolwyng, the same yeer,
To be buryed ffaste be his syde.
537
68
Hys hooly wyf of al this thyng took heedLyk as Guy bad, lyst no lenger tarye,
To quyte hir-silf of trouthe and womanheed
She was ful loth ffrom his desire to varye;
Sente in al haste ffor the ordynarye,
Whiche ocupied in that dyocyse;
She was nat ffounde in o poynt contrarye
Al thyng taccomplisshe as ye han herd devyse.
69
And this mater breefly to conclude,At his exequyes, old and yong of age,
Of dyuerse statys there cam gret multytude
With gret devocyoun to that hermytage;
And lyk a prynce with al the surplusage,
They took hym vp, and leyd hym in his grave,
Ordeyned of God afforn of hih corage
Ageyn the Danys thys regyoun to save.
70
Whos sowle, I hope, restith now in glorye,With hooly spiritis above the ffirmament.
Felyce, his wyf, ay callyng to memorie
The day approchyng of hir enterment,
Afforn ordeyned in hir testament
Hir sone Reynborne be tytle of hir possede,
Heyr trewly born by lyneal dyscent,
In the Erldam of Warwyk to succede.
71
The stok descendyng of antyquyteTo Guy his ffader be tytle of mariage,
Affter whos deth, of lawe and equyte,
538
Affter al this, his mooder, of good age,
Hath yolde hir dette, by deth, vn-to nature.
Beside hir lord in the hermytage,
With a good ende was maad hir sepulture.
72
For more auctorite as of this mateer,Whos translacioun is suych in sentence,
Out of the Latyn maad by the cronycleer
Callyd of old Gerard Cornubyence,
Wich wrot the dedis with gret dilligence,
Of them that wern in Westsex crowned kynges,
Gretly comendyng for knyghtly excellence
Guy of Warwyk in his famous writynges.
73
Of whos noblesse ful gret heed he took,His marcyal name puttyng in remembraunce,
The xi. chapitle of his hystorial book,
The parfight lyf, the vertuous gouernaunce,
His wylful povert, hard goyng, and penaunce
Brought on-to me a chapitle to translate:
Yif ought be wrong in metre or in substaunce,
Putteth the wyte for dulnesse on Lydgate.
74
Meekly compiled vnder correccyoun,Lyf of Sir Guy, by dyllygent labour;
Sette aside pryde and presumpcioun,
Because he hadde of cadence no colour;
In Tullius' gardyn he gadrid neuer fflour,
Nor of Omerus he kam neuer in the meede:
Praying echon of support and ffavour
Nat to dysdeyne the clauses whan they reede.
Explicit.
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