XVII.

[fol. 96.] pen comauded þe kýg þe knyzt for to ryfe;
& he ful radly vp ros, & ruchched hy fayre,
Kneled dou bifore þe kýg, & cache; þat weppen;

& he luffyly hit hy laft, & lyfte vp his honde,
& gef hy goddez bleffyg, & gladly hy biddes

þat his hert & his honde schulde hardi be boþe.

66

þe

Kepe þe cofyn," q pe kýg, "þat þu on kyrf fette,
& if þu redez hý ryzt, redly I trowe,

þat þu schal byden þe bur þat he schal bede aft"."
Gawan gotz to be gome, wt giferne i honde,

& he baldly hy bydez, he bayft neu' he helder.
pen carppez to f Gawan þe knyzt i þe grene,
"Refourme we oure forwardes, er we fyrre passe.
Fyrst I epe þe, hapel, how þat þu hattes,

þat þu me telle truly, as I tryft may?"
"In god fayth," q þe goode knyzt, "Gawan I hatte,
þat bede pe þis buffet, quat so bi-fallez aft",

& at þis tyme twelmonyth take at þe anoþ',
Wyth what weppen fo pu wylt, & wyth no wy3 ellez,
þat op onfwarez agayn,

"Sir Gawan, fo mot I pryue,

As I am ferly fayn,

pis dint þat þu fchal dryue."

XVIII.

"Bi gog," q þe grene knyzt, “f Gawan, me lykes,
þat I schal fange at þy fuft þat I haf frayft here;
& pu hatz redily rehersed, bi refoù ful trwe,

Clanly al þe couenaut þat I þe kỹge asked,
Saf þat þu fchal fwer me, fegge, bi þi trawþe,
þat þu fchal feche me pi felf, where so p" hopes

I may be funde vpon folde, & fych þe fuch wages
As þu deles me to day, bifore pis doupe ryche."
"Where schulde I wale pe," q Gauan, "where is þy place?

I wot neu? where p" wonyes, bi hý þat me wrozt,

Ne I know not þe, knyzt, þy cort, ne þi name.

Bot teche me truly per to, & telle me howe þu hattes,

& I schal ware alle my wyt to wyne me þeder ;
[fol. 96b.] & þat I fwere pe for fope, & by my feker trawep."

þat is in nogh in nwe zer, hit nedes no more,"
q be gome i þe grene to Gawan pe hende,
"Gif I þe telle trwly, quen I þe tape haue,
& þu me fmoþely hatz fmyten, smartly I þe teche
Of my ho9, & my home, & myn owen nome,
pen may þu frayst my fare, & forwardez holde,
& if I spende no fpeche, pene fpedez þu þe bett',
For þu may leng i þy londe, & layt no fyrre,
Ta now by gryme tole to þe,

& let fe how pu cnokez."

395

400

405

410

|| bot flokes;

415

XIX.

The grene knyzt vpon groūde grayþely hy dreffes
A littel lut wt þe hede pe lere he diskouez,
His longe louelych lokkez he layd ou? his croū,
Let be naked nec to be note schewe.

Gauan gripped to his ax, & gederes hit on hyzt,
pe kay fote on þe folde he be-fore fette,

D

420

Let hit dou lyztly lyzt on þe naked,

þat þe scharp of þe schalk schyndered þe bones,

& fchrāk þurz pe fchyire grece, & fcade hit i twýne,

þat þe bit of he brou stel bot on þe groūde.

pe fayre hede fro be halce hit [felle] to be erpe,
þat fele hit foyned wyth her fete, þere hit forth roled ;
pe blod brayd fro pe body, pt blykked on þe grene;

& nawþer falt'ed ne fel þe freke neu? þe helder,
Bot styply he start forth vpon styf schonkes,

& ruyfchly he razt out, þere as renkkez stoden,
Lazt to his lufly hed, & lyft hit vp fone;

& fypen bozez to his blonk, pe brydel he cachchez,
Steppez i to stel bawe, & ftrydez alofte,

& his hede by þe here i his honde haldez;

& as fadly þe fegge hy i his fadel fette,

As non vnhap had hỹ ayled, þaz hedlez ho we',

He brayde his bluk' aboute,

[fol. 97.] pat vgly bodi þat bledde,

Moni on of hy had doute,

Bi þat his refouz were redde.

XX.

For þe hede in his honde he haldez vp euen,
To-ward þe derreft on þe dece he dreffe; þe face,
& hit lyfte vp þe yze-lyddez, & loked ful brode,

|| i stedde;

& meled p9 much wt his muthe, as ze may now here.
Loke, Gawan, þu be graype to go as þu hettez,

& layte as lelly til þu me, lude, fynde,

As pu hatz hette i þis halle, herande þise knyztes ;

425

430

435

440

445

450