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On botouz of pe bryzt grene brayden ful ryche.
pis hapel heldez hý i, & þe halle entres,
Driuande to be heze dece, dut he no wope,
Haylfed he neu? ane, bot heze he ou❞ loked.
pe fyrft word þat he warp, "wher is," he fayd,
"pe gou'no" of pis gyg? gladly I wolde

Se þat fegg i fyzt, & wt hy felf fpeke,
To knyztez he keft his yze,

& reled hy vp & doū,

He stemmed & con ftudie,

Quo walt þer most renoū.

XI.

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|| rayfou."

Ther watz lokÿg on lenpe, pe lude to be-holde,
For vch mō had meruayle quat hit mene myzt,
pat a hapel & a horse my3t fuch a hwe lach,
As growe grene as he gres & grener hit femed,
pen grene aumayl on golde lowande bryzt?;
Al studied þat þ ftod, & ftalked hy nerre,

Wyth al þe wonder of þe worlde, what he worth schulde.
For fele fellye3 had þay sen, bot such neu' are,

For þi for fantou & fayryze pe folk þere hit demed;
per fore to anfware watz arze mony aþel freke,

& al ftouned at his steuen, & fton-stil feten,

In a fwogħ fylence þurz þe fale riche,

As al were flypped vpon flepe fo flaked horlotez,

i hyze;

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I deme hit not al for doute,

Bot fu for cortayfye,

Bot let hy þat al schulde loute,

Caft vnto þat wyze.

XII.

pēn Arpo bifore be hiz dece þat auenture byholdez,

& rekenly hy reu'enced, for-rad was he neu', & fayde, "wyze, welcu iwys to þis place, [fol. 94b.] Pe hede of þis oftel Artho I hat; Lizt luflych adoū, & lenge, I be praye,

& quat fo by wylle is, we fchal wyt aft"."

Nay as help me," q pe hapel," he þat on hyze fyttes,
To wone any quyle i þis won, hit watz not my ernde ;
Bot for þe los of þe lede is lyft vp fo hyze,

& by burz & by burnes beft ar holden,
Stifeft vnder stel-gere on stedes to ryde,
pe wyzteft & þe worþyeft of þe worldes kynde,
Preue forto play wyth in op pure layke; ;

& here is kydde cortayfye, as I haf herd carp,
& þat hatz wayned me hider, I wyis, at þis tyme.

3e may be seker bi þis brauch þat I bere here,
pat I paffe as i pes, & no plyzt feche;
For had I fouded i fere, i feztyg wyfe,

I haue a haubergħ at home & a helme bope,
A fchelde, & a scharp spere, schinande bryzt,
Ande op weppenes to welde, I wene wel als,
Bot for I wolde no were, my wedez ar foft.
Bot if þu be fo bold as alle burnez tellen,
p" wyl gnt me godly be gomen þat I ask,
Artho con onfware,

& fayd, "f cortays knyzt,

If þu craue batayl bare,

Here faylez þu not to fy3t."

|| bi ryzt."

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XIII.

"Nay, frayst I no fyzt, i fayth I pe telle,

Hit arn aboute on þis bench bot berdlez chylder;
If I were hasped i armes on a heze stede,

Here is no mon me to mach, for myztez fo wayke.

For by I craue i þis cot a crystemas gomē,
For hit is 30l & nwe 3er, & here ar zep mony;

If any fo hardy i pis ho9 holde3 hy feluen,
Be fo bolde i his blod, brayn i hys hede,
pat dar ftifly strike a strok for an op,

I schal gif hy of my gyft þys giferne ryche,

pis ax, þat is heue i nogh, to hondel' as hy lykes,

[fol. 95.] & I fchal bide pe fyrst bur, as bare as I fitte.
any freke be fo felle to fonde þat I telle,

If
Lepe lyztly me to, & lach pis weppen,

I quit clayme hit for eu?, kepe hit as his auen,

& I schal stonde hý a strok, stif on þis flet,
Ellez þu wyl dizt me pe dom to dele hy an op9,
& zet gif hy respite,

A twelmonyth & a day ;

Now hyze, & let se tite

Dar any her ine ozt fay."

XIV.

If he hem ftowned vpon fyrst, stiller were þāne
Alle þe hered-men i halle, þe hy3 & þe loze ;
pe renk on his roūce hý ruched i his fadel,
& runifchly his rede yzen he reled aboute,
Bende his brefed brozez, blycande grene,

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|| barlay;

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Wayued his berde for to wayte, quo fo wolde ryfe?
When non wolde kepe hy, wt carp he cozed ful hyze,
And rimed hy ful richly, & ryzt hy to speke:

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What, is pis Arpures ho," q pe hapel pene,

pat al pe ro9 rēnes of, þurz ryalmes so mony?
Where is now you foquydrye & yo cōquestes,
You gryndel-layk, & yo greme, & yo grete wordes?
Now is be reuel & pe renou of pe roude table
Ou'-walt wyth a worde of on wyzes fpeche;
For al dares for drede, w' oute dynt fchewed!
Wyth his he lazes fo loude, þat þe lorde greued;
pe blod schot for scham i to his schyre face,
He wex as wroth as wynde,

So did alle þat þer were,

pe kýg as kene bi kynde,

pē ftod þat stif mon nere.

XV.

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Ande fayde, "hapel, by heuen þý afkýg is nys, & as p" foly hatz frayst, fynde þe be-houes ; I know no gome þat is gaft of by grete wordes. Gif me now by geferne, vpon godez halue, & I fchal baypen þy bone, þat bu boden habbes.' [fol. 95b.] Ly3tly lepez he hý to, & lazt at his honde ; pen feerfly þat op freke vpon fote lyztis.

Now hatz Arthure his axe, & þe halme grypez,

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[ & lere ;

& sturnely sturez hit aboute, þat ftryke wyth hit pozt.
pe stif mon hy bifore ftod vpon hyzt,

Herre pen ani in pe ho9 by pe hede & more;

Wyth sturne schere þer he ftod, he ftroked his berde,

& wyth a coûtenauce dryze he droz doù his cote,

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No more mate ne difmayd for hys may dintez,
pen any burne vpon bench hade brozt hy to drynk,
Gawan, þat fate bi þe quene,
To be kýg he can enclyne,
"I be-feche now w fazez fene,
pis melly mot be myne."

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XVI.

Gawan to be kýg,

"Wolde ze worþilych, lorde," q

"Bid me boze fro þis benche, & ftonde by yow þere,

pat I wyth oute vylanye my3t voyde þis table,

& þat my legge lady lyked nat ille,

I wolde com to yo" coufeyl, bifore yo cort ryche.
For me pink hit not femly, as hit is fop knawen,
þ9 fuch an askyg is heuened fo hyze i yo fale,
paz ze 30° felf be talenttyf to take hit to yo" feluen,
Whil mony fo bolde yow aboute vpon bench fytten,
Þat vnder heuen, I hope, non hazer er of wylle,

Ne bett' bodyes on bent, per baret is rered;

I am þe wakkeft, I wot, & of wyt feblest,

& left lur of my lyf, quo laytes þe fope,

Bot for as much as ze ar myn em, I am only to prayfe,
No boute bot yo" blod I in my bode knowe,

& fypen þis note is fo nys, pt no3t hit yow falles,

& I haue frayned hit at yow fyrst, foldez hit to me,

& if I carp not comlyly, let alle þis cort rych, Ryche to-geder con rou,

& fyþen þay redden alle same,

To ryd þe kýg wyth crou,

& gif Gawan þe game.

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||bout blame."

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