Butt do as ye lyft nowe, my lady gaye,
The choyfe I putt in yor fyft.

Euyn as ye wott I putt itt in yor hand',
Lose me when ye lyft, for I am bond',

I putt the choyfe in you;

Both body and' goodę, hartt, and' eûy dele,
Ys alle yo' oun, for to by and' felt,
That make I God' avowe!"

"Garam'cy, corteys knygħt," sayd' the lady,
"Of alle erthly knygħte blyffyd' mott thou be,
For now am I worfhyppyd';

Thou shall haue me fayre both day and' nygħt,
And' eu whyle I lyve as fayre and' brygħt,
Therfore be nott greuyd'.

For I was shapeñ by nygramancy,

With my stepdame, God' haue on her m'cy!
And' by enchauntement;

And' fhold' haue bene oderwyse vnderstond',

Euyn tyй the best of Englond'

[fol. 138.] Had' wedyd' me, verament.

And also he shold' geve me the soueynte,
Of alle his body and' goode, fycurly,

Thus was I difformyd';

And' thou, f knygħt, curteys Gawen,
Has gevyn me the foueynte, fteyn,
That wolf not wroth the erly ne late.
Kyffe me, f knygħt, euyn now here,

I pray the, be glad', and' make good' chere,
For well is me begon" ;-

Ther they made joye, oute of mynde,

So was itt reason and' co's of kynde,

They two theym felf alone.

She thankyd' God' and' Mary mylde,

She was recoud' of that that she was defoylyd',

So dyd' f Gawen;

He made myrth alle in her boure,

WEDDYNGE OF SYR GAWENE.

And thankyd' of alle oure Sauyoure,
I tell you, in certeyñ.

With joye & myrth they wakyd' tyĦ daye,
And than wold' ryfe that fayre maye',
"Ye fhall nott," f Gawen fayd';

"We wolt lye, & flepe tył pryme,

And then lett the kyng call vs to dyne,"

"I am greed'," then fayd' the mayd'.

Thus itt paffyd' forth tyĦ mid-daye,—

66

Syrs," quod' the kyng, "lett vs go and' afaye,

Yff Gawen be on lyve;

I am futt ferd' of f Gawen,

Nowe left the fende haue hym flayñ,

Nowe wold' I fayñ preve.

Go we nowe," fayd' Arthoure the kyng,
"We woll go fe theyr vpryfyng,

[fol. 138.] Howe well that he hath sped';"

They cam to the chambre, alle in certeyn,
"Aryfe," fayd' the kyng to f Gawen,
"Why flepyst thou so long in bed'?"

66

"Mary," quod' Gaweñ, "f kyng, ficurly,
I wold' be glad' and' ye wold' lett me be,
For I am full well att eas;

Abyde, ye fhaft fe the dore vndone,

I trowe that ye wott fay I am well goon,

I am futt loth to ryfe."

Syr Gawen rofe, and' in his hand' he toke

His fayr lady, and' to the dore he shoke,

And' opynyd' the dore full fayre;

She ftod' in her smok' alle by that syre,

Her her was to her knees as red' as gold' wyre,—

"Lo! this is my repayre.

Lo!" fayd' Gawen Arthoure vntitt,

"Syr, this is my wyfe, dame Ragnett,
That fauyd' onys yor lyfe ;"-

1 mayd, MS.

2 Syr, MS..

3 hed, MS.

He told' the kyng and' the queen hem beforñ,
Howe fodenly from her fhap fhe dyd' torne,
"My lord', nowe be yo' leve."

And' whate was the cause she forshapen was,

Syr Gawen told' the kyng, both more and' leffe,

"I thank' God'," fayd' the queen;

"I wenyd', f Gawen, she wold' the haue myscaryed',

Therfore in my hartt I was fore agrevyd',

Butt the contrary is here feeñ."

Ther was game, revett, and' playe,

And' euy man to other gañ faye,

750

755

"She is a fayre wyght;"

Than the kyng theym alle gañ tell,

How did' held' hym att nede dame Ragnett,
"Or my deth had' bene dygħt."

Ther the kyng told' the queen, by the rood',
Howe he was beftad' in Inglefwod',

[fol. 139.] With Grom? fom? Joure;

And whate othe the kngyħt made hym fwere,
"Or elle he had' slayñ me rygħt there,
Wtoute m'cy or mefure.

This fame lady, dame Ragnett,

From my deth fhe dyd' help me rygħt well,

Alle for the love of Gawen;"—

Then Gawen told' the king alle to-geder,

Howe forfhapeñ she was with her stepmoder

Tylt a knygħt had' holpen her agayñ.

Ther she told' the kyng fayre and' weft,
How Gawen gave her the foueynte euy deft,
And' whate choyse she gave to hym;—

"God' thank' hym of his curtesye,

He favid' me from chaunce and' vilony,

That was full foutt and' grym.

Therfore, curteys knygħt and' hend' Gawen,
Shaft I neu wrath the, fteyn,

That pmyfe nowe here I make;

Whille that I lyve I fhal be obayfaunt,

785

780

To God' aboue I fhalt itt warraunt,
And' neu with you to debate."
"Garam'cy, lady," then fayd' Gawen,
"Wt you I hold' me full well content,
And' that I truft to fynde;"-

He fayd'," my loue shall she haue,
Therafter nede she neu more craue,
For fhe hath bene to me fo kynde."
The queen fayd', and' the ladyes alle,
"She is the fayrest nowe in this halle,

I fwere by Seynt John!

My loue, lady, ye shall haue eu,

For that ye favid' my lord' Arthoure,

As I am a gentilwomañ.”

Syr Gawen gatt on her Gyngolyñ,

[fol. 139b.] That was a good' knygħt of strength and' kynñ, And' of the Table Round';

Att ely greatt feft that lady shold' be,

Of fayrneffe fhe bare away the bewtye,
Wher the yed' on the ground'.

Gawen louyd' that lady, dame Ragnett,

In alle his lyfe he louyd' none fo well,

I tell you, withoute lefyng;

As a coward' he lay by her both day and' nygħt,

790

795

800

805

810

815

820

She lyvyd' with f Gawen butt yerys v.
That grevyd' Gawen alle his lyfe,

I tell you, fecurly.

In her lyfe fhe grevyď hym neů,
Therfor was neu woman to hym lever,
Thus leves my talkyng;

She was the fayreft lady of att1 Englond',
When she was on lyve, I vnderstond',

So fayd' Arthoure the kyng.

Thus endyth the aduenture of kyng Arthoure,
That oft in his days was grevyd' fore,

And' of the weddyng of Gawen;

Gawen was weddyd' oft in his days,

Butt fo well he neů lovyd' woman always,

As I haue hard' meñ fayñ.

This aduenture befett in Inglefwod',

[fol. 140.] As good' kynge Arthoure on huntyng yod',
Thus haue I hard' men telt;

Nowe, God', as thou were in Bethleme born,
Suffer neu her foules be forlorne,

In the brynnyng fyre of helt!

And', Iħu, as thou were borne of a virgyñ,

Help hym oute of forowe, that this tale dyd' devyne,

And' that nowe in alle haft;

For he is be-fett with gaylours many,

That kepen hym futt fewerly,

With wyles wrong & wrafte.

Nowe, God', as thou art veray kyng ryoaft,

Help hym oute of daunger that made this tale,

For therin he hath bene long;

And' of greatt pety help thy funt,

For body & fout I yeld' into thyne hand',

For paynes he hath strong.

Here endyth the weddyng of Syr Gawen and Dame Ragnet, for

helpyng of Kyng Arthoure.

1ale, MS.