LXII.

The king grantit pe gait to schir Gawane,

And prayt to pe grete God, to grant him his grace,
Him to faue, and to falf, pt is our fouerane,

As he is makar of man, and alkyn myght haise.

Than fchir Spynagros, pe freik, wox ferly vnfane;
Murnyt for schir Gawyne, and mekil mayne maise;

And faid, "for his faik, pt faiklese wes flane,

Tak nocht yone keye knight to countir, in this hard cais.
Is nane fa stalwart in stour, with stoutnes to stand;

Of al pt langis to the king,

The mair is my murnyng,

Ye fuld this fell fechting,

LXIII.

795

800

Hynt vpone hand.

Sen ye ar fa wourschipfull, and wourthy in were,
Demyt with the derreft, maist doughty in deid;
Yone berne in the battale wil ye noght forbere,

For al pe mobil on the mold, merkit to meid."-
"Gif I de doughtely, the les is my dere,
Thoght he' war Sampfone himself, fa me Crifte reid!

I forfaik noght to feght, for al his grete feir,

I do the weill for to wit, doutlefe but dreid.”

Than faid fchir Spynagrose, "fen ye will of neid

Be bovn to the battale,
Wirkis with counfale,

It fall right gret avale,

And do it in deid.

1 the, ed.

805

810

815

LXIV.

Quhen ye
mach hym on mold, merk to hym evin ;
And bere ye your bright lance in myddis his fcheild ;
Mak that course cruel, for Cryftis lufe of hevin!
And fyne wirk as I wife, your vappins to weild.
Be he stonayt, yone sterne, stout beis his stevin;
He wourdis brym as ane bair, that bydis na beild ;
Noy you noght at his note, that nobill is to nevin,
Suppose his dyntis be deip dentit in your scheild.
Tak na haist vpone had, quhat happunys may hynt,
Bot lat the riche man rage,

And fecht in his curage,

Syne dele ye your dynt.

To fwyng with fuerd quhil he fuage;

LXV.

Quhen he is stuffit, thair strike, and hald hym on steir,
Sa fal ye ftonay yone ftowt, fuppofe he be strang;
Thus may ye lippin on the lake, throu lair þt I leir;
Bot gif ye wirk as wife, you worthis that wrang.”
The king and his knihtis, cumly and cleir,
In armour dewly hym dight, be the day sprang;
Than wes fchir Kay wondir wo, wit ye but weir,
In defalt of ane freik, the feghting to fang.
That gome gudely furth gais, and graithit his geir;
Evin to the caftell he raid,

Huvit in ane dern flaid;

Sa come ane knight as he baid,

Anairmit of weir.

820

825

830

835

LXVI.

That knight bufkit to schir Kay, one ane steid broune,
Braiffit in birneis and bafnet, full bene;

He cryis his enfenye, and conteris hym full foune,
And maid ane course curagioufe, cruell and kene;
Thair lufly lancis thai loiffit, and lightit baith doune,
And girdit out fuerdis, on the grund grene,

And hewit on hard fteill, hartlie but houne;

Rude reknyng raise thai' renkis betuene.

Thair mailyeis with melle thay merkit in the medis;
The blude of thair bodeis

Throw breift-plait & birneis,

84

850

Our ran thair riche vedis.

855

As roife ragit on rise,

LXVII.

Thus thai faught vpone fute, without fenyeing;
The sparkis flaw in the feild, as fyre out of flynt ;
Thai lufly ledis in lyke, thai layid on in ane ling;
Delis thair full doughtely mony derf dynt ;
Duschand on deir wedis, dourly thai dyng;
Hidwife hurtis, and huge, haiftely thai hynt.
That knight carpit to fchir Kay, of difcomforting,-
"Of this stonay, and stour, I rede that ye stynt.

I will yeild the my brand, sen na better may bene ;
Quhair that fortoune will faill,

Thair may na befynes availl."--
He braidit vp his ventaill,

860

865

That clofit wes clene.

thair, ed.

LXVIII.

For to reffaue the brand the berne wes full blith,
For he wes byrfit, and beft, and braithly bledand;
poght he wes myghtles, his mercy can he thair myth,
And wald þt he nane harm hynt, with hart, & with had.
Thai caryit baith to the kynge', cumly to kyth;
Thair lancis war loiffit, and left on the land.
Than faid he loud vpone loft, "lord, will ye lyth,
Ye fall nane torfeir betyde, I tak vpone hand;
Na myfliking haue in hart, nor haue ye na dout ;
Oft in romanis I reid,

Airly sporne late fpeid."--

870

875

The knight that wes ftout.

880

The king to the pailyeoun gart leid

LXIX.

Thai hynt of his harnese, to helyn his wound;

Lechis war noght to lait, with fawis fa fle.

With that mony frefch freik can to the feild found,

With Gologras in his geir, grete of degre;

885

Armyt in rede gold, and rubeis fa round,

With mony riche relikis, riale to fe;

Thair wes on Gologras, quhair he glaid on the ground,
Frenyeis of fine filk, fratit full fre.

Apone fterand stedis, trappit to the heill,

Sexty fchalkis full schene,

Cled in armour fa clene,

No wy wantit, I wene,

All stuffit in fteill.

kynde, ed.

890

LXX.

That berne raid on ane blonk, of ane ble quhite,
Blyndit all with bright gold, and beriallis bright;
To tell of his deir weid war doutles delite,
And alfe ter for to tell the travalis war tight.
His name, & his nobillay, wes noght for to nyte;

Thair wes na hathill fa heich, be half ane fute hicht;
He lanfit out our ane land, and drew noght ane lyte,
Quhair he fuld fraftyn his force, and fangin his fight.
Be that schir Gawyne the gay wes graithit in his gere;
Cummyng on the ta fyde,
Hovand battale to abyde,

With schelde, and with spere.

895

900

All reddy famyne to ryde,

LXXI.

Thir lufly ledis on the land left be þame allane,
Tuke nowthir fremyt nor freyndis, bot found tham fra ;
Twa rynnyng renkis raith the riolyfe has tane,

Ilk freik to his feir to frestin his fa.

Thai gird one tva grete horse, on grund q'hil thai grane;
The trew helmys, and traist, in tathis thai ta;

The rochis reirdit vith the rasch, quhe thai famyne rañ;
Thair fperis in the feild in flendris gart ga.

The stedis stakerit in the ftour, for ftreking on stray;
The bernys bowit abak,

Sa woundir rude wes the rak,

Quhilk that happynnit the lak,

Couth na leid fay!

920