166

XX.

"Tette me," fayde' Wayno" " a worde, 3if pou woste,
Whate dedis' myghte me befte 'in to blysche* brynge ?"--
Mekeneffe and mercy," 'scho faide", "'po are the moste,
Hafe' pete one the pore, 'thane plesys pou owre" kynge;
Sythen 'aft' that, do almous dedis of alle op thynge';
Thies areñ the gud" gyftis of the holy gofte,

That enfpyres 'alle fperites, w' owttyñ" spillynge,
[fol. 156b.] 'For to come to that blyffe, that eu? more salt lafte 12.
Of 'thies fperituale thynges spyre me" na mare;

Whills1 pou arte qwene in thi quarte,¬

Halde thies wordis in thyñ" herte,

For1 pou satt lyffe bot a starte ;

Hethyn salt pu fare."

235

240

XXI.

"How satt we fare," faide' the freke, "pt fowndis to fyghte,

'That ofte foūdis the folkes, in' fele kyngis landis;

250

'That riche rewmes ou? rynnes, agaynes the* ryghte,
'And wynnes wirchippis, & welthis, by wyghtenes of handis ?"—
"-30wre kynge es to couetous, I tell the, sir knyghte,
Maye no mañ 'stere hy of" strenghe, 'whitts pes whele standis ;

2 fom wey.

6

5 Om.

XX.- Wyffe me, qd. 3 bedis. + to pe bliffe. 6 þes arñ. 7 And fipen haue. pat plefes heuen. 9 charite is chef, and peñ is chaste. 10 grace iche fprete, with oute. 12 And peñ almeffe dede cure al ping. In MS. D. this line is the 6th. 13 pis fpi'al ping fpute pu. 14 Als. 15 Om. 16 Om.

ful.

XXI.-1 qd. 2 fondeñ. 3 And pus defouleñ pe folke, oñ. reymes, wt outeñ eny. 5 Wynnen worshipp' in werre, porgħ.

him with. 8 while his.

When he es in his mageste 'heghefte, &' mafte 'es of1o myghte,
He salt lighte full lawe, appone" the see sandis.

[fol. 157.] Thus 3oure" cheualrous kynge" chefe schatte a" chawnce,
'Falfe fortune" in fyghte,

'That wondirfutt whele-wryghte",

'Mafe lordis lawe for" to lyghte;

XXII.

Takes 18 witnes by Fraunce.

Fraunce hafe ze frely wt 30" fyghte wonnen;
"The Frolo, and be Farnaghie, es frely by-leuede';
Bretayne, and Burgoyne, 'es bothe to 30w bowneñ3,
And alle the dugepers' of Fraunce wt pe1 dyn dreuede'.
Gyane may gretyño, pt" be werre was by-gounnen;
'Es noghte a lorde in þat lande, appoñ lyfe leuede;
3ete salt pe riche Romaynes' wt '3ow ben ou?" ronneñ,
And alle" pe Rownde Tabitt þaire" rentis be reuede.
'Thay saft zitt be Tybire tymbire 30w" tene;
Gete the, f Gawayne,

13

10

Wt a knyghte" kene.

3

255

265

9 Om. 10 in his. 11 oñ. 12 And this. 13 knizt. 14 porgh. 15 Falfely fordone. 16 With
a wonderfull' wight. 17 Shall' make lordes. 18 Take.
XXII.—1 Freol, and his folke, fey ar pey leued. al to you bowen. 3 duffiperes.
4 yo❜.
5 deued. 6 grete. 7 Om. 8 There ar no lordes oñ lyue, in pat londe.
9 remayns. 10 one be aur. 11 with.
12 pe.
13 Thus shal a Tyber vntrue tymber
15 ye shal lefe. In MS. L. a blank space is left for the word lefe.

with.
16 king.

14
4 pe.

XXIII.

'A knyghte salt kenly clofen pe1 crowne,

And at Carelyone be crownede for3 kynge;

That' fege fatt 'be fefede at a fefone",

6

That 'mekitt bale, and barete, tilt Ynglande fall brynge;

Ther' fall in Tufkane be tallde of þat trefoñe,

And 'torne home a-zayne for that' tydynge;

10

And ther salt the Rownde Tabitte loffe" the renowñe,
Be-fyde Ramessaye, full ryghte" at a rydynge;

'And at Dorfett" fall dy the doghetyefte of alle.

Gette the, f Gawayne,

pe baldefte of Bretayne;

For in a flake pu fatt be flayne,

XXIV.

5

'Swylke ferly' salt fatte !-

'Siche ferly' fatt falle, wt owtteñ2 any fabitte,
Appoñe Cornewayle cofte, wt a knyghte kene;
'Arthure pe auenante, pt honefte es & abift3,
Salt be wondid, I wyffe, futt wathely, I wene;
[And al þe rial rowte of þe Rounde Table,
pei fhullen dye on a day, þe dougħty by-dene' ;]
Suppryfede wt a 'sugette, pat beris of" sabitte,

XXIII.

3 4 A.

as.

8 pe.

14 Om.

This knight shal be clanly enclosed wt a.

275

280

290

2 Carlele shal pat comly.

› he feche, with a ceffion. myche baret, and bale, to Bretayñ. 7 Hit.

9ye fhullen t'ne ayeй for pe. 10 Om.

XXIV.

4 He fhal.

MS. D.

15 Sich ferlyes.

Suche ferlies.

5 Om.

2 oute.

11 lefe. 12 rad. 13 In Dorfet fhire.

3 Syr Arthur þe honeft, auenant, and able.

6 These two lines are omitted in MS. L. and are supplied from 7 furget, he beris hit in.

A sawtire engrelede, of siluer full schene.

He beris [it] of sabitte, fothely to saye;

10

[fol. 157b.] In kyng Arthures hautte

The childe" playes hym" at the batte, 'Full derfely a" daye.
That 'sal owttraye" 30w atte,

XXV.

Hafe gud daye, dame' Gayno", and Gawayne pe gude!
I hafe no langare 'tyme, mo tales to tette;
'For me bufe wende one my waye, thorowte this' wode,
'Vn to my wonnynge wane', in waa for to wette".
For hym þt 'rewfully rafe, & rente was one rude,
Thynke one þe dawngere, 'and the dole", pt I in duette;
And fede folke, for my fake, þat fawtes' the fude,
And mene" me wt 'meffes, and matyns" i mette.
[Masses arñ medecyes to vs that bale bides" ;]
Vs thynke a meffe als" swete,

200

305

Als" any spyce pat eu? 'p" ete".".
'And thus", wt a gryfely grete,-

The gaste a-waye glydis.

XXVI.

[With a grifly grete, pe goofte a-wey glides,

And

goes, with gronyng fore, þorgh þe greues grene1;]

8 With a. 9 Supplied from MS. D.
14 Delfully pt.

XXV. Om. 2 tome, tidinges.
In my wonyng ftid. 5 dwelle.

3 I mote walke on my wey, porgh pis wilde. rightwifly rofe, & rest oñ pe. 7 Om. 8 Om.

9 faileñ. 10 menge. 11 matens & maffe. 12 Instead of this line from MS. D. the Lincoln MS. has the last five lines of stanza XVIII. inserted, by negligence of the

The wynde, and' the wedyrs, þañ' welken 'in hydis';
Thañ vnclosede the clowddis, pe foñe 'schane scheneo.
The kynge his bogitt hafe bloweñ, & on be bent bydis ;
His fayre folke in 'firthes, flokkes in fere";
'Alle that royale rowte to be qwene rydys,

10

'And melis to hir mildely, one paire manere".
The 'wyes on fwilke wondirs a-wondirde paire were ;
"The prynces" prowdefte in patte,¬
Dame Gayno", and atte,

Wente to 'Randolfe fett hautte 12.

To paire" fopere.

315

320

[fol. 158.]

XXVII.

The kynge 'was fett to be fupere, &' ferued in fale,
Vndir a seloure of fylke, 'futt daynetyuoufely' dighte;
Wt afte the' wirchipe 'to welde, & wyne for to wale* ;
'Birdis in brede, of brynt golde' bryghte.

Ther come 'two fetolers in, wt a symbale,

10

A lady, luffome of late', ledande a knyghte;
'Scho rydes vp to be heghe deffe, by-fore pe royalle",
And askede f Arthure, full" hendely one highte.
Scho" faide to pts fou'ayne, wlonkeste in wedis1,
"Mañe mofte" of myghte,-

Here 'es comyñ ane armed" knyghte; For thi manhede."
Now" do hym refoñe, and ryghte,

3

4

380

10 wife

2 wyndes. Om. + pe. 5 vnhides. 6 con fhene. 7 pe frith pei flokken by-dene.
* And al pe riall'. 9 She fayes hem pe felcoupes, pat pai hadde per feeñ.
of þe weder for-wondred pey.
11 Prince. 12 Rondoles halle. pe.

XXVII.—' to fouper is fet.

13

5 Briddes brandeñ, and brad, i bankers.

15 makeles.