On botouz of þe bryzt grene brayden ful ryche.
pis hapel heldez hy i, & pe halle entres,
Driuande to be heze dece, dut he no wope,
Haylfed he neu? ane, bot heze he ou? loked.
pe fyrst 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 speke,
To knyztez he keft his

& reled hy vp & doū,

узе,

He stemmed & con ftudie,

Quo walt þer most renou.

XI.

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| rayfou."

Ther watz lokÿg on lenpe, pe lude to be-holde,
For vch mō had meruayle quat hit mene my3t,
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 hý nerre,

Wyth al þe wonder of þe worlde, what he worth schulde.
For fele fellye; had þay sen, bot such neu? are,
For pi for fantou & fayryze pe folk þere hit demed;

per fore to anfware watz arze mony aþel freke,

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

In a fwogħ fylence pur3 þe fale riche,

As al were flypped vpon flepe so flaked horlotez,

I deme hit not al for doute,

Bot fu for cortaysye,

Bot let hy þat al schulde loute,

Caft vnto þat wyze.

i hyze;

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 schal 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 pe 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 laykez;

& here is kydde cortayfye, as I haf herd carp,
& þat hat; wayned me hider, I wyis, at þis tyme.
3e may be feker bi þis brauch þat I bere here,
pat I paffe as i pes, & no ply3t feche;
For had I foūded i fere, i feztyg wyfe,

I haue a haubergħ at home & a helme bope,
A fchelde, & a scharp fpere, 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 afk,
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 fy3t, 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 my3tez fo wayke.

For by I craue i pis cot a cryftemas gomē,
For hit is 30l & nwe 3er, & here ar 3ep mony;

If any fo hardy i pis ho9 holdez hỹ 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.
If any freke be fo felle to fonde þat I telle,
Lepe lyзtly me to, & lach pis weppen,

I quit clayme hit for eu?, kepe hit as his auen,
& I fchal stonde hy a strok, ftif on þis flet,
Ellez þu wyl dit 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 o3t fay."

XIV.

If he hem ftowned vpon fyrst, stiller were þăne
Alle þe hered-men i halle, þe hyz & 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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305

Wayued his berde for to wayte, quo fo wolde ryfe?
When non wolde kepe hy, w' carp he co3ed ful hyze,
And rimed hy ful richly, & ryzt hy to speke:

"What, is pis Arpures ho9," q be hapel bene,

pat al þe ro9 rēnes of, þurz ryalmes so mony?
Where is now yo" fo quydrye & yo coqueftes,

Yo gryndel-layk, & yo greme, & yo grete wordes?
Now is þe reuel & pe renou of þe 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,

pe ftod þat stif mon nere.

& lere;

XV.

Ande fayde, "hapel, by heuen by afkyg is nys,
& as þ" 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 schal baypen þy bone, þat þu boden habbes."
[fol. 95b.] Lyztly lepez he hý to, & lazt at his honde;
pen feerfly þat op freke vpon fote lyztis.
Now hatz Arthure his axe, & pe halme grypez,

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

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

Wyth sturne schere þer he ftod, he ftroked his berde,
& wyth a coutenauce 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,

"Wolde ze worþilych, lorde," q Gawan to be kÿg,

Bid me boze fro pis benche, & ftonde by yow pere,

pat I wyth oute vylanye my3t voyde þis table,

& þat my legge lady lyked nat ille,

I wolde com to you coufeyl, bifore yo cort ryche.
For me pink hit not femly, as hit is sop knawen,
þ' such 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, þer baret is rered;

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

& left lur of my lyf, quo laytes be sope,

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

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

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

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

& fypen þay redden alle fame,

To ryd þe kýg wyth crou,

& gif Gawan þe game.

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||bout blame."

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