XXII.

"A! lord, fparis of fic fpeche, quhill ye fpeir more,
For abandonit will he noght be, to berne that is borne ;
Or he be strenyeit with strenth, yone sterne for to schore,
Mony ledis falbe loiffit, and liffis forlorne.

Spekis na fucceudry, for Criftis fone deir !

Yone knicht to scar wt1 skaitht, ye chaip nocht but scorne.

It is full fair for to be fallow and feir

To the best that has bene brevit' you beforne;

The myghty king of Maffidone, wourthiest but wene,

Thair gat he nane homage,

For all his hie parage,

Of lord of yone lynage,

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Nor neuer none fene.

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XXIII.

"The wy that wendis for to were, quhen he wenys best, All his will in this warld, with welthis, I wys,

Yit fall be licht as leif of the lynd left,

That weltere doun with the wynd, fa wauerand it is ;-
Your mycht and your maiefte mesure, but mys."
"In faith," said the cumly king, "trou" ye full traift,
My hecht fall haldin be, for baill or for blis;
Sall neuer my likame be laid vnlaiffit to sleip,
Quhill I haue gart yone berne bow,

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XXIV.

Thair wes na man that durft mel to the king,

Quhan' thai faw that mighty sa mouit in his mynde;
The roy rial raid, withoutin resting,

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And focht to the ciete of Criste, our the salt flude.
With mekil honour in erd he maid his offering,

Syne bufkit hame the famyne way, that he before yude;
Thayr wes na spurris' to spair, spedely thai spring;
Thai brochit blonkis3 to thair fidis brist of rede blude.
Thus the roy and his rout, restles thai raid,
Ithandly ilk day,

Our the mountains gay*;

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Withoutin mare abaid.

To Rome tuke the reddy way,

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XXV.

Thai plantit doun ane pailyeoun, vpone ane plane lee,
Of pall and of pillour that proudly wes picht;

With rapis of rede gold, riale to see,

And grete enfenyes of the famyne, femly by ficht;
Bordouris about, that bricht war of ble,

Betin with brint gold, burely and bricht;

Frenyeis of fyne filk, fretit ful fre,

With deir dyamonthis bedene, pt dayntely wes dicht.
The king cumly in kith, couerit with croune,

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XXVI.

Than spak ane vight weriour, wourthy and wise,
"I rede ane fayndis-man ye fend to yone fenyeour,

Of the proudeft in pall, and haldin of prise,

Wife, vailyeing, and moist of valour.

Gif yone douchty in deid wil do your deuise,

Be boune at your bidding, in burgh and in bour,

Reffaue him reuerendly, as refoun in lyis;

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And gif he nykis you with nay, yow worthis on neid,
For to affege yone castel,

With cant men and cruel,

Durandly for to duel,

Euer quhill ye fpeid."

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XXVII.

Than fhir Gauane the gay, grete of degre,
And fhir Lancelot de Lake, without lefing,
And auenand schir Ewin, thai ordanit that thre,
To the schore chiftane chargit fra the kyng.
Spynagros than spekis; faid, "lordingis, in le,
I rede ye tent treuly to my teching;

For I knaw yone bauld berne better than ye,
His land, and his lordfchip, and his leuing.

And ye ar thre in this thede, thriuand oft in thrang;

War al your strenthis in ane,

In his grippis and ye gane,

He wald ourcum yow ilkane,

Yone fterne is sa strang.

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XXVIII.

And he is maid on mold meik as ane child,
Blith and boufum that berne, as byrd in hir bour;
Fayr of fell, and of face, as flour vnfild,
Wondir staluart, and strang, to striue in ane stour.
Thairfore meikly with mouth mel to that myld,
And mak him na manance, bot al mefoure;
Thus with trety ye caft yon trew vndre tyld,
And faynd his frendfchip to fang, with fyne fauour.
It hynderis neuer for to be heyndly of speche;
He is ane lord riale,

Ane' feymly fouerane in sale,

Ane wourthy wy for to wale,

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Throu all this varld reche."

XXIX.

"Thi counfale is convenabill, kynd, and courtese, Forthi ws likis thi lair liftin and leir."—

Thai wyis, wourthy in weid, wend on thair ways,

And caryis to the caftell, cumly and cleir;

Sent ane faynd to the fouerane fone, and hym fais,

Thre knichtis fra court cum thay weir.

Than the ledis belife the lokkis vnlaiffis ;

On fute freschly thai frekis foundis, but feir;

The renkis raithly can raik in to the round hald;

Thair met thame at the entre,

Ladys likand to se,

Thretty knichtis and thre,

That blith war and bald.

! Has, ed

U

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XXX.

Thai war courtes, & couth, thair knyghthed to kyth,
Athir vthir wele gret, in gretly degre;

Thai bowit to the bernys, that bright war and blith,
Fair in armys to fang, of figure sa fre;

Syne thay fought to the chalmer, swiftly and fwith,
The gait to the grete lord femely to se;
And faluft the fouerane fone, in ane fith,
Courtefly inclinand, and kneland on kne.

Ane blithar wes neuer borne, of bane nor of blude;
All thre in certane,

Saluft the fouerane,

Hatles, but hude.

And he inclynand agane,

XXXI..

Than schir Gawayne the gay, gude and gracius,

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385

That euer wes beildit in blis, and bounte embrasit ;
Joly, and gentill, and full cheuailrus,

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That neuer poynt of his prife wes fundin defafit;

Egir, and ertand, and ryght anterus,

Illuminat vith lawte, and with lufe lafit,

Melis of the message to schir Golagrus ;

Before the riale on raw the renk wes noght rafit;
With ane clene contenance, cumly to knaw,
Said, "our fouerane Arthour

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Gretis the with honour,

His meffage to schaw.

Has maid ws thre as mediatour,

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