John Lydgate

Guy of Warwyk

1

Fro Cristis birthe complet nyne hundrid yeer
Twenty and sevene by computacioun,
Kyng Ethelstan, as seith the cronycleer,
Reynyng that tyme in Brutys Albyoun,
Duryng also the persecucyoun
Of them of Denmark, wich with myhty hond
Rod, brente, and slouh — made noon excepcioun Rode,
By cruel force thorughout al this lond,

2

Spared nouther hih nor louh degré,
Chirchis, collegis, but that they bete hem doun,
Myhty castellis and every greet cyté
In ther furie, by fals oppressioun,
On to the boundys of Wynchestre toun;
With suerd and feer they madyn al wast and wylde,
And in ther mortall persecucyoun
Spared nat women greet with chylde.

3

In this brennyng, furious cruelté,
Two Denmark pryncis, pompous and elat,
Lyk woode lyouns void of all pité,
Did no favour to louh nor hih estaat.
Allas! this lond stood so dysconsolaat,
Froward Fortune hath at hem so dysdeyned,
Mars and Mercurie wer with hem at debaat,
That bothe the kyng and pryncis wer distreyned

4

By froward force to take hem to the flyght,
Thes Danyssh pryncis ageyn hem wer so wood.
On hih hilles ther fyres gaf suych lyght,
Fortune of werre in suych disjoynt tho stood,
The peple robbed and spoiled of ther good,
For verray dreed of colour ded and pale,
Whan the stremys ran doun of red blood,
Lyk a gret ryver fro mounteyne to the vale.

5

Paraventure for sum old trespace,
As is remembrid of antyquyté,
Of o persone hap, fortune, and grace
Myhte be withdrawe, in cronycles ye may see:
Reed how the myhty famous Josue
Was put abak thre dayes in batayll,
The thefte of Nachor made Israell to fle
Out of the feld, and in ther conquest faile.

6

Thus by the pryde and veyn ambycioun
And cruel furie of thes pryncis tweyne
This rewm almost brouht to destruccyoun,
The swerd of Bellona gan at hem so disdeyne,
Lordis wer pensif, the porail gan compleyne.
Oon of thes tirauntys callid Anelaphus,
And as myn auctour remembreth in serteyn,
The tother was named Genaphelus.

7

This myschef, wers than strok of pestilence,
God with his punsshyng is founde mercyable:
Suerd of a tyraunt punssheth with vyolence,
With furious hand mortall and vengable.
Wher folk repente, the Lord is ay tretable
That sit above, wich halt all in His hond,
But thes tirauntys, to scheden blood most able,
With suerd and flawme troubled al this lond.

8

God for synne, by record of scripture,
Hath chastysed many a greet cyté
And suffred hem gret myschef to endure;
Record Jerusalem, record on Nynyvee;
Paris in Fraunce hath had his part, pardé,
For leccherie and veyn ambucyoun;
Palpable examples at eye men may see
Of Rome, Cartage, and of Troie toun.

9

This mater ofte hath been exemplefyed:
For lak of wisdam and of good consayll,
That peplys hertys wer nat full applyed
To sue vertu for ther owne avayll.
Wynd of glad fortune bleuh nat in ther saill,
For ther dismeritées, God punshed hem of right:
Outrage and vices hath vengaunce at his tayll.
Thouh kyng Ethelstan was a manly knyght,

10

Cruell Danys Inglyssh blood to scheede,
Ther swerd was wheet and ther fyres lyght.
Yit in cronycle, at leyser who lyst reede,
Kyng Ethelstan was a full noble knyght,
Though for a tyme eclypsed was his lyght;
Of his noblesse and royall magesté,
The hand of God stood always in his myght
To chaunge his trouble into prosperyté.

11

The sonne is hatter after sharpe schours,
The glade morwe folweth the dirke nyght,
After wynter cometh May with fresshe flours,
And after mystys Phebus schyneth bright;
After trouble hertys be maad lyght,
And to conclude, lyk as I began,
God lyst to caste his mercyable syght
Upon his knyght, the forseid Ethelstan.

12

In this mater forther to procede:
Constreynt of werre and gret adversyté
Made hym to drawe, in cronycle as I reede,
With alle his lordis of hih and louhe degré
To have a counsayll at Wynchestre, the cyté,
Som remedye in all haste to provyde
Ageyn the malys and furious cruelté
Wrouht by the Danys in ther marcyal pride.

13

Of al the lond gadryd were the statys,
Remedye to schapen in this mateere;
Pryncys, barouns, bysshopis, and prelatys
In that cyté assembled wern in feere.
Hap and Fortune shewyd hem hevy 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 fynde, nor consolacyoun.
Mars set abak all ther chevalrye,
Thus stood the lond in desolacyoun.
Strong wer the Danys, proud by ambucioun;
Kyng Ethelstan, by constreynt and distresse,
Held with his lordis a counsayll in that toun
To fynde a mene his myschef to redresse,

15

By grace of God how this myht ben amendyd,
Recure to fynde of ther adversyté.
Breefly to telle, they were thus condescendyd
Benbassatrie, or mene of som tretee,
Streyghtly driven of necessyté,
The kyng of Denmark with homage for to queme,
Or under tribute to have this liberté
As a soget rejoysshe his dyademe;

16

Or ellis, pleynly of partyes covenaunt,
Kyng Ethelstan for hym to fynde a knyght
With Colybrond of Denmark, the geaunt,
Day assigned to entre with hym in fyght,
For to darreyne atween hem to the right,
Who shal rejoisshe, with strong and myhty hond,
To holde a septre by manhood and by myght,
And have poscessioun in quyete of this lond.

17

The kyng, the lordis, beyng there present,
Withoute respight or loud dylacyoun
To yeve answere of ther fynall entent
How they list quyten hem: for short conclusioun,
Outher to make a resygnacyoun
Of septre and crowne, outher to fynde a knyht,
As I seyde erst, to be ther champioun previously
Geyn Colybrond to entryn into fight.

8

The Denmark dukis, of malys importable,
Wood and wylful in ther marcyal rage,
In outher wise lyst nat be tretable,
Requyred in haste benbassat or massage
To have answere or pleggis for hostage,
Of this convencioun relacioun to sende
How they caste hem to puttyn in morgage
The lyf of tweyne to make a fynal ende.

19

This apoyntement so streitly was forth lad,
Of furious haste they wolde have no delay,
Kyng Ethelstan so hard was bestad,
And alle his pryncis put in gret affray;
Afore Wynchestre the proude dukis lay,
The kyng withinne astoned in his mende,
And weel the more because he knew no way
In his dyfence a champioun to fynde.

20

Knew no bet mene as in this mateer
Redres to fynde to resoun accordyng
Than by assent to taken hym to prayeer,
He and his lordis to wakyng and fastyng,
Pore and riche, withoute more tarying,
Alle attonys, as they wern of degré,
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 founde was no wyght
To underfonge th’emprise of this batayll
Ageyn the geaunt of Denmark for to fight.
Herald of Harderne, the noble famous knyht,
Callid in his tyme, of prowesse nyh and ferre,
Fader in armes in every manhis sight,
Next Guy of Warwyk of manhood lode sterre.

22

This seide Herald beyng tho absent,
Out of this rewm to seke the sone of Guy
Callid Raynbourne in contrees adjacent
And alle the provyncis that stoode faste by,
Wich in yong age was stole traytourly
By straunge marchauntis, ongoodly lad a way.
Felyce, his moder, wepyng tendirly
For his absence, compleynyng nyht and day,

23

Born by dyscent to ben hir fadris hayr,
Hir yonge sone, Raynborne, to succede.
In hir tyme was holde noon so fayr,
Callid the example of trouthe and womanhede.
Rowand, hir fader, for noblesse and manheede,
Erl of Warwyk, named oon the beste knyht
That was tho dayes, in story as I reede;
But he, allas, flouryng in hys myght,

24

Paide his dette of deth onto nature;
By Parcas sustren was spoune his lyves threede.
And, as the story remembreth by scripture,
Whan that Felyce conseyved hadde in deede
By seyde Guy, sone after, 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 Jhesu;

25

Forsook the world, onknowe to every wight,
Of hih perfeccyoun to leven in penaunce,
Left wyf 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 sojourne.
Callyng ageyn onto 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,
Because there was in all his regyoun
Founde no persone his quarell to dyfende;
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 unto my prayeere.
Remembre nat upon my greet offence,
But fro my synnes turne away Thy cheere;
Disespeired, stondyng in doubyll were
To lese my kyngdam, septre, and regalye
But medyacioun of Thy moder deere
Be gracious mene to save my partye.

28

My feith, myn hope, my trust, myn affyaunce,
All hoolly restith in Thy proteccyoun;
My sheeld, my sheltroun, my suerd, and eek my launce
Be blont and feble, my power is bore doun;
But grace with mercy list be my champioun
Thorgh Thy support, my foon shal me encombre.”
While Ethelstan seyde this orysoun,
Or he was war, he fyll into 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 feer 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 adawed, the kyng left up his face,
Marked every thyng and prudently took heede,
To whom the angel his hevynesse tenchase
These wordis hadde, in story as I reede:

31

“From thee voide al dyspeir and dreede!
Whan Aurora shewith hir pale light
Tomorwen, erly arys and take good heede,
For Crist Jhesu, of His gracyous myght,
To thy requeste hath cast doun His sight;
Trust upon Hym, and in thy trust be stable;
He shall conserve of equyté and ryght
Thy roiall tytle, for He ys mercyable.

32

At Phebus upriste, set no lenger date:
Whan silver deuh doth on the flours fleete,
Make thy passage toward the north gate,
Or that the sonne with his fervent heete
Hath on the levys dryed up the weete.
Abide there meekly and God shal to thee sende
Fyrst among pore, a pilgrym thou shalt meete;
Entrete hym goodly thy quarell to dyfende.

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 fayll
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
Onto the kyng by revelacyoun,
The angell dyd onwarly dysapeere,
And Ethelstan of greet devossioun
Gaf thank to God of this avysioun;
Neuly rejoisshed out of all hevynesse,
With two 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 onto the kyng but late,
Whan poore folk for sustentacyoun food
Hadde in costom to entren at the gate.

36

As the cronycle breefly doth compile,
Unto purpos maketh rehersayll
Of John Baptyst afore in the vygyle,
How Guy of Warwik maad his arryvaylle
At Portysmouth, myn auctour wil nat fayle;
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 up the deuh as perlis silver 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.

38

By grace of God I deeme trowly,
Guy was hom sent into thys regyoun
Here taccomplisshe in knyghthood fynally
The laste empryse of his hih renoun,
He for 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 stond;

39

They told hym firste in ordre ceryously,
Harald Harderne, that was so good a knyht,
Was goon to seke the sone of Guy,
Gretly desired of every 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 justly to succede.

40

They told hym also of the grete stryf
Tween them of Denmark and Ethelstan the kyng,
And how that Rowand, fader to hys wyf,
Old erl of Warwik, ful notable of levyng,
Was ded also; and Guy herd everythyng,
Of hih prudence kept hymsilf 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,
Wery of travayl, onknowe to every wight,
Two hundrid pas withoute the north wall
Where stondeth now a menstre ful roiall.
The next morwe, anoon as Guy awook,
God was his guyde, in especyall,
Mong pore men the riht weie he took

42

To the north gate, as grace did hym guye,
By resemblaunce, so entryng into toun,
As David whilom cam ageyn Golye
To helpen Saul, by grace of God sent doun;
So for refuge and for savacyoun,
Bothe of the kyng and of al this lond,
Guy was provided to be ther champioun
Ageyn the pompe of 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 up his herte and knew riht weel serteyn
God faileth never His frend on see nor lond.
With wepyng teris, his chekis spreynt lik reyn,
For verray gladnesse he took Guy by the hond,

44

Besekyng hym in moost louly wyse,
With sobbyng cheer that routhe was to see,
To underfonge this knyhtly hih empryse
For Goddys sake and mercyfull pyté,
To do socour in this necessyté,
In his dyfence that he wyll nat fayll
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 falle 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 fayll,
My lyf juparte to set thys lond in ese.”

46

The kyng, the lordys made greet instaunce
To this pylgrym with language and prayers;
Guy, for to doon unto the kyng plesaunce
For Jhesus sake and for his moder deere,
Ys condescendyd, lyk as ye schall heere,
With Goddys grace, after the covenaunt,
As the convencyoun justly doth requere,
At place assigned to mete the geaunt.

47

Of this empryse was maad no long delay
This convencyoun pleynly to darreyne,
Tyme set of Jule upon the twelfth day,
Place assigned, and meetyng of thes tweyne;
The accord rehersed, the statute and the peyne,
Doubylnesse and fraude set asyde,
As the partyes were boundyn in serteyn,
For short conclusioun therby to abyde.

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 cyté,
Meetyng togedre there men myghte see
Terryble strokys lyk the dent of thonder,
Sparklys out of ther harneys flee,
That to beholde it was a verray wonder.

49

The old pylgrym quyt hym lyk a knyght,
Spared nat the geaunt to assaylle;
On his left shulder smet at hym with suych myht,
Undir 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 aferd,
Requered manly of the champioun,
Sith he of wepnys hadde so gret foysoun,
To graunte hym oon that hour in his difence;
But Colybrond of indyngnacyoun
To his requeste gaf 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 togedre spak,
All attonys Guy sterte out asyde,
Cauhte a pollex, lyst no lenger byde,
Smette the geaunt evene in the firste wounde,
Made his strok so myghtyly to glyde,
That his left arme and shuldir fyll to grounde;

52

With wich strok, the geaunt Colybrond
Al his armure and boody was maad reed,
Stoupyng asyde, gan reche forth his hond
To take a suerd, wherof Guy took heed.
God and grace that day gaf hym suych speed
To put his name ever after in memorie,
Fleih with his ax, smet off 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 cuntré, nouther glad nor light,
Ther surquedye and ther pompe oppressed.
Kyng Ethelstan, by grace of Goddys myht,
Hadde of Denmark the pompe ful repressed.

54

Ther froward pompe with meknesse was repressed
By Guy of Warwyk, as maad is mencioun,
The kyng, the clergye, devoutly have 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
Onto ther chirche callyd Cathedrall.

55

This seide Guy, ther knelyng on his kne,
With gret meknesse made his oblacioun
Of thilke ex, with wich aforn 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 schall understond.

56

Whan al was doon, ther is no more to seyn,
Guy in al haste caste off hys armure,
Lyk a pilgrym put on his sclaveyn.
The kyng ful goodly after dyd his cure,
That he myhte the grace so recure obtain
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 have me excused,
Touchyng your ascyng and your petycioun.
Beth nat besy and lat no more be mused
In your desire for noon occasioun;
To myn excuse I have ful greet resoun,
For I shal never dyscure this mateer
But under bond of a condycyoun,
Assuraunce maad tween yow and me in feere:

58

Alle your pryncys avoided by absence,
Sool be oursilf, out of this cyté,
Noon but we tweyne beyng in presence,
With trouthe assured that ye shal be secré
Duryng my lyf — ye gete no more of me.
To no persone, I aske no more avayll
Of feith and oth, to hih nor louh degré,
That ye shall never dyscure my counsayll.”

59

This thyng confermed by promys ful roiall,
Passed the subbarbys and boundys of the toun,
At a cros that stood feer from the wall,
Ful devoutly the pilgrym knelith doun
To sette asyde all suspecyoun.
“My lord,” quod he, “Of feith withouten 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 ofte kyssyng of feithfull kyndenesse,
With grete proffres on the tother syde,
Of gold, of tresour, and of gret rychesse
Withinne his paleys, yif he wolde abyde.

61

Alle thes profres meekly he forsook,
And to the kynges royall magesté
Hym recomaundyng, anoon his weie he took.
At his departyng, this avouh maad he
With pitous wepyng, knelyng on his kne
Unto the kyng in full humble entent:
“Duryng my lyf, it may noon other bee,
Schall I never doon off this garnement.”

62

At ther departyng was but smal langage;
Sweem of ther speche made interupcyoun.
The kyng goth hom; Guy took his vyage journey
Toward Warwyk, his castell, and his toun,
No man of hym havyng 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 one dwellyng in wyldirnesse.

64

To hym he drouh, besechyng hym of grace
For a tyme to holde there sojour;
The same hermyte, withinne a lytel space,
By deth is passed, the fyn of his labour.
After whos day Guy was his successour,
Space of two yeer, by grace of Cryst Jhesu,
Dauntyng his flessh by penaunce and rigour,
Ay more and more encresyng in vertu.

65

God made hym knowe the day he sholde deie
Thorugh His moost gracyous vysytacyoun
Be an angel, hys spirit to conveye
After his bodyly resolucyoun,
For his merites, to the hevenly mansioun;
After he sente in haste his weddyng ryng
Unto his wyf, of trewe affeccyoun,
Praied hir come to been at his deying,

66

And that she sholde 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 face;
Bespreynt with teris, knelyng with reverence,
The dede body swownyng she did enbrace.

67

And as this notable, famous, worthy knyght
Sente hir to seyne eek be his massangeer,
In that place to burye hym anoon right
Where as he lay aforn a small auhteer;
And that she sholde doon trewly hir deveer
For hirsilf dyspoce and provyde, arrange
The fifteenth day folwyng the same yeer,
To be buryed faste be his syde.

68

Hys hooly wyf of al this thyng took heed,
Lyk as Guy bad, lyst no lenger tarye
To quyte hirsilf of trouthe and womanheed;
She was ful loth from his desire to varye,
Sente in al haste for the ordynarye
Whiche ocupied in that dyocyse;
She was nat founde 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 dyverse statys there cam gret multytude
With gret devoycyoun to that hermytage,
And, lyk a prynce with al the surplusage,
They took hym up and leyd hym in his grave,
Ordeyned of God, aforn of hih corage
Ageyn the Danys thys regyoun to save;

70

Whos sowle I hope restith now in glorye,
With hooly spiritis above the firmament.
Felyce, his wyf, ay callyng to memorie
The day approchyng of hir enterment,
Aforn 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 antyquyté
To Guy his fader be tytle of mariage,
After whos deth, of lawe and equyté,
Reynborne to entre into his herytage.
After al this, his mooder, of good age,
Hath yolde hir dette by deth unto nature.
Beside hir lord in the hermytage,
With a good ende was maad hir sepulture.

72

For more auctorité 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 eleventh chapitle of his hystorial book
The parfight lyf, the vertuous governaunce,
His wylful povert, hard goyng, and penaunce,
Brought onto me a chapitle to translate.
Yif ought be wrong in metre or in substaunce,
Putteth the wyte for dulnesse on Lydgate.

74

Meekly compiled under 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 never flour
Nor of Omerus he kam never in the meede.
Praying echon of support and favour,
Nat to dysdeyne the clauses whan they reede.

Explicit