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XCII.

Say me ane chois, pe tane of thir twa,

Quhethir ye like me lord, laught in the feild,
Or ellis my life at pe left lelely forga,

And boune yow to fum berne, pt myght be your beild ?"
The wourthy wyis, at þt word wox woundir wa,

Tha thai wift thair fouerane wes fchent vnder scheild ;

"We wil na fauour here fenye, to frende, na' to fa;
We like yow ay as our lord, to were, and to weild;
Your lordschip we may noght forga, alfe lang as we leif;
Ye fal be our gouernour,

Quhil your dais may endure,

1185

1190

For chance pt may cheif."

In eife and honour,

XCIII.

Quhen this auenand and honest had maid this anfuer,

And had tald thair entent trewly him till,

Than fchir Gologras the gay, in gudly maneir,
Said to thai fegis, femely on fyll,

How wourschipful Wavane had wonnin him on weir,
To wirk him wandreth or wough, quhilk war his wil;
How fair him fell in feght, fyne how he couth forbere ;—
"In fight of his fouerane, this did pe gentill;
He has me fauit fra fyte, throw his gentrice,

It war fyn, but recure,

pe knightis honour fuld smure,

That did me this honoure,

Quhilk maist is of pice.

1195

1200

1205

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XCIV.

I aught as prynce him to prife, for his prouefe,
That wanyt noght my wourschip, as he pt al wan,
And at his bidding full bane, blith to obeise,
This berne full of bewte, pt all my baill blan ;
I mak þt knawin, and kend, his grete kyndnes,
The countirpas to kyth to him, gif I can."
He raikit to schir Gawine, right in ane race,

Said, "fchir, I knaw be conqueft thou art ane kynd man;
Quhen my life and my dede wes baith at thi will,

Thy frendfchip frely I fand;

Now wil I be obeyand,

And make pe manrent with hand,

As right is, and skill.

XCV.

(

Sen fortoune cachis the cours, throu hir quentys;
I did it noght for nane dreid, pt I had to de,
Na for na fauting of hart, na for na fantife;
Quhare Crifte cachis pe cours, it rynnis quently;
May nowthir power, nor pith, put him to prife.
Quhã on-fortone quhelmys be quheil, thair gais grace by,
Quha may his danger endure, or deftanye dispise,
That led men in langour, ay leftand inly,

The date na langar may endure na Drightin deuinis.
Ilk man may kyth, be his cure,

Baith knyght, king, & empriour,
And mufe in his myrrour,

& mater maist mine is.

1210

1216

1220

1225

XCVI.

Hectour, and Alexander, and Julius Cefar,

Dauid, and Jofue, and Judas the gent;

Sampfone, and Salamon, pt wife and wourthy war,
And pt ryngis on erd, richest of rent;

Quhen thai met at pe merk, than might thai na mair,
To fpeid thame our pe fpere-feild enspringing thai sp'nt;
Quhen fortune worthis vnfrende, tha failieis welefair,
Thair ma na trefour ourtak, nor twyn hir entent.
All erdly riches, and rufe, is noght in thair garde;
Quhat menis fortoune be skill,

Ane gude chance or ane ill;

1235

1240

Is worth his rewarde.

1245

Ilkane be werk, and be will,

XCVII.

Schir Hallolkis, fchir Hewis, heynd and hardy,

Schir Lyonel lufly, and alfe fchir Bedwere,

Schir Wawane pe wife knight, wicht and wourthy,

Carys furth to pe king, cumly and clere ;
Alse my self fall pase with yow reddy,

My kyth, and my caftel, compt his conquere."
Thai war arait ful raith, that ryale cumpany,
Of lordis and ladis, luffum to lere ;

With grete lightis on loft, þt gaif grete leime

Sexty torcheis ful bright,

Before schir Gologras pe knyght;

That wes ane femely fyght,

1250

1255

In ony riche reime.

XCVIII.

All effrayt of pt fair wes the fresch king;
Wend the wyis had bene wroght all for the weir;
Lordis laught thair lancis, and went in ane lyng,
And graithit thame to be gait, in thair greif geir.
Spynok spekis with speche, said, " moue you na thing,

It femys faughtnyng thai feik, I se be thair feir

Yone riche cùmis arait in riche robbing,

I trow this deuore be done, I dout for na deir.

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1265

I wait schir Gawane pe gay has grathit this gait ;
Betuix fchir Gologras and he

Gude contenance I se,

And vthir knightis fo fre,

Luffum of lait."

1270

XCIX.

The renk raikit to be roy, with his riche rout,
Sexty fchalkis pt fchene, feymly to schaw;
Of banrenttis, and baronis, bauld hym about,
In clathis of cleyne gold, cumly to knaw.
To pt lordly on loft þt lufly can lout,
Before pe1 riale renkis, richest on raw ;
Saluft pe bauld berne, with ane blith wout,

Ane furlenth before his folk, on feildis fo faw.
The king crochit with croune, cumly and cleir,

Tuke him vp by the hand,

With ane fair fembland;

Grete honour þt auenand

Did to be deir.

1275

1280

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C.

Than þt feymly be fight said to be gent,

Wes vailyeand, and verteous, foroutin ony vice,
"Heir am I cumyn at this tyme, to your prefent,

As to be wourschipfullest in warld, wourthy, and wife;
Of al pt ryngis in erd richest of rent,

Of pyth, and of proues, peirles of prise.

Heir I mak yow ane grant, with gudly entent,

Ay to your presence to perfew, with al my feruice;
Quhare euer ye found or fair, be firth, or be fell,

I fal be reddy at your will,

In alkin refoune' and skill,

Treuly to tell."

As I am haldin thairtill,

CI.

1285

1290

He did the conquerour to knaw all the cause quhy,
That all his hathillis in pt heir, hailly on hight;
How he wes wonnyn' of wer with Wawane pe wy,
And al the fortoune pe freke befell in pe fight;
The dout, and be danger, he tauld him quently.
Than faid Arthur him feluin, femely by fight,
"This is ane foueranefull thing, be Ihefu! think I,
To leif in fic perell, and in fa grete plight;
Had ony preiudice apperit, in pe partyce,
It had bene grete perell;

Bot fen þe lawte is lell,

That thow my kyndness wil heill,

1300

1305

The mare is thi price.

1310

1 refonne, ed.

2 conquer, ed.

3

wounen, ed.

+ fortonne, ed.

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