Syr Gawayn and the Grene Knyzt.
IPEN þe fege & þe affaut watz sesed at Troye,
pe borz brittened & brent to brondez & askez,
þe tulk þat þe trames of trefou þ wrozt,
Watz tried for his tricherie, pe treweft on erthe;
Hit watz Ennias þe athel, & his higħ kynde,
þat fipen depreced puinces, & patroūes bicome
Welneze of al þe wele i þe weft iles,
Fro riche Romulus to Rome ricchis hy fwype,
Wt gret bobbaūce þat burze he biges vpon fyrst,
& neuenes hit his anne nome, as hit now hat;
Ticius to Tufkan [turnes,] & teldes bigynes;
Langaberde i Lūbardie lyftes vp homes;
& fer ou? þe French flod Felix Brut9
On mony bonkkes ful brode Bretayn he settez,
Where werre, & wrake, & wonder,
Bi fypez hatz wont pine,
& oft bope blyffe & blūder
Ful skete hatz fkyfted fyne.
Ande quen þis Bretayn watz bigged bi þis burn rych,
Bolde bredden þer ine, baret þat lofden,
In mony turned tyme tene þat wrozten;
Mo ferlyes on þis folde han fallen here oft
pen in any op9 þat I wot, fyn þat ilk tyme.
Bot of alle þat here bult of Bretagne kýges
Ay watz Arthur þe hendeft, as I haf herde telle ;
[fol. 91. For þi an aūt? in erde I attle to schawe,
þat a felly in fizt füme men hit holden,
& an outtrage awenture of Arthure; wondez;
If ze wyl lyften þis laye bot on littel quile,
I schal telle hit as tit as I i toù herde,
As hit is ftad & stoken,
In ftori ftif & stronge,
Wt lel lett'es loken,
i londe fo hatz ben longe.
þis kýg lay at Camylot vpon kryst-masse,
Wt mony luflych lorde, ledez of þe best,
Rekenly of þe roūde table alle po rich bre',
Wt rych reuel oryzt, & rechles m'pes;
p' to nayed tulkes bi tymez ful mony,
Jufted ful jolile þife gentyle kniztes,
Sypen kayred to be court, caroles to make.
For þer þe feft watz ilyche ful fiften dayes,
With alle be mete & pe mirpe þat me coupe a-vyfe;
Such glaumande gle glorio9 to here,
Dere dyn vp on day, daūfýg on nyztes,
Al watz hap vpon heze i hallez & chambrez,
With lordez & ladies, as leuest hi pozt;
With all þe wele of þe worlde þay woned p' famen,
þe most kyd knyztez vnder kryst seluen,
& þe louelokkeft ladies þat eu? lif haden,
& he þe comlokeft kýg þat þe court haldes.
For al watz þis fayre folk i her first age,
þe hapneft vnder heuen,
Kyg hyeft mō of wylle,
Hit were now gret nye to neuē
So hardy a here ō hille.
Wyle nw 3er watz fo 3ep þat ht watz nwe cũmen,
þat day doubble on þe dece watz þe douth ferued,
Fro þe kýg watz cumen wt knyzte i to be halle,
pe chautre of þe chapel cheued to an ende;
Loude crye watz þer keft of clerkez & oper,
[fol. 92.] Nowel nayted o newe neuened ful ofte;
& fypen riche forth runen to reche honde-felle,
zezed zeres ziftes on hi3, 3elde hem bi hond,
Debated bufyly aboute po giftes;
Ladies lazed ful loude, poz pay lost haden,
& he þat wan watz not wrothe, pt may ze wel trawe.
Alle pis mirpe þay maden to be mete tyme;
When pay had waschen, worþyly þay wenten to sete,
þe best burne ay abof, as hit beft femed;
Whene Guenore ful gay, graybed i be myddes,
Dreffed on pe dere des, dubbed al aboute,
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