III.

Þ9 layke; þis lorde by lynde wodez euez,
& G. þe god mon, i gay bed lyge3,
Lurkkez quyl þe day-ly3t lemed on þe wowes,
Vnder couerto" ful clere, cortyned aboute;
& as i flom'yg he flode, flezly he herde
A littel dyn at his dor, & derfly vpon ;
& he heuez vp his hed, out of þe clopes,

[fol. 107.] A corner of þe cortyn he caзt vp a lyttel,

& waytez warly þider warde, quat hit be my3t.
Hit watz be ladi, loflyeft to be-holde,

þat droz pe dor aft' hir ful dernly & ftylle,

& bozed to-warde þe bed; & þe burne schamed,

& layde hy dou lyftyly, & let as he flepte.

& ho stepped ftilly, & ftel to his bedde,

Keft vp þe cortyn, & creped wt ine,

& fet hir ful foftly on þe bed-fyde,

& lenged þere felly longe, to loke que he wakened.

pe lede lay lurked a ful longe quyle,

Compaft i his concience to quat þat cace myzt
Mene op amoūt, to m'uayle by pozt;

Bot zet he fayde i hỹ self, "more femly hit were
To afpye wyth my spelle, space quat ho wolde."
þen he wakenede, & wroth, & to hir warde torned,
& vn-louked his yze-lyddez, & let as hy wondered,
& fayned hy, as bi his faze þe fau' to worthe,
Wyth chyne & cheke ful fwete,

Bope quit & red i blande,

Ful lufly con ho lete,

Wyth lyppez fmal lazande.

[fol. 107b.]

IV.

"God morou, f Gawayn," fayde þat fayr lady,
"ze ar a flep vn-flyze, þat mō may flyde hider;
Now ar ze tan aftyt, bot t'e v9 may schape,

þt

I fchal bynde yow i yo bedde, pt be ze trayst; "—
Al lazande pe lady lanced po bourdez.

"Goud morou ge'," q Gawayn þe blype,

"Me fchal worpe at yo" wille, & þat me wel lykez,
For I zelde me zederly, & зезе aft' gce,

& þat is pe best, be my dome, for me by-houez nede ;'

& pus he bourded a-zayn wt mony a blype lazt?;-
"Bot wolde ze, lady louely, pe leue me gente,

& deprece yo" pryfoū, & pray hỷ to ryse,

I wolde boze of þis bed, & busk me bett",

I fchulde keu' be more comfort to karp yow wyth."
Nay, for fope, beau f," sayd þat swete,

"3e fchal not rise of yo" bedde, I rych yow bett',
I schal haue yow here þat op' half als,

& fypen karp wyth my knyzt, þat I kazt haue;
For I wene wel, I wyffe, f Wawen ze are,
pat alle þe worlde worchipez, quere fo ze ride;
Yo hono", yo" hendelayk is hendely prayfed
W1 lordez, wyth ladyes, wt alle pat lyf bere.
& now ze ar here, I wyffe, & we bot oure one;
My lorde & his ledez ar on lenpe faren,
Op9 burnez i her bedde, & my burdez als,
pe dor drawen, & dit wt a derf hafpe;
& fypen I haue i pis ho hy þat al lykez,
I fchal ware my whyle wel, quyl hit lastez,
This word is very doubtful in the MS.

wt tale;

1210

1213

1220

1225

1230

ze ar welcu to my cors,

Yowre awen won to wale,

Me be-houez of fyne force,

Yo feruaut be & fchale."

1240

V.

"In god fayth," q Gawayn, "gay hit me þynkkez,

paz I be not now he þat ze of speken ;

To reche to fuch reuerence as 3e reherce here

I am wyze vn-worby, I wot wel my feluen ;

Bi god, I were glad, & yow god pozt,

At faze op at feruyce þat I fette myzt

To be plesauce of yo" prys, hit were a pure ioye."
"In god fayth, f Gawayn," q pe gay lady,

If I hit lakked, op fet at ly3t, hit were littel daynte;

Bot hit ar ladyes i noze, þat leu? wer nowþe

Haf þe hende i hor holde, as I pe habbe here,
To daly wt derely yo daynte wordez,

Keu' hem comfort, & colen her carez,

1

pē much of þe garyfou op golde þat þay hauen ;

2

Bot I louue þat ilk lorde, pt pe lyfte haldez,

I haf hit holly i my honde, þat al defyres,

Scho made hy so gret chere,

[fol. 108.] Pat watz fo fayr of face,

pe knyzt w1 fpeches fkere,

Afwared to vche a cace.

1
'pat pt, MS.

burze grace."

1245

1250

1255

1260

VI.

"Madame," q þe myry mon, "Mary yow 3elde,
For I haf fouden, i god fayth, yowre frauchis nobele,
& op ful much of op folk fongen hor dedez;
Bot þe daynte pt pay delen for my disert nyfen,
Hit is be worchyp of yo" felf, þat no3t bot wel cōnez."
"Bi Mary," q þe menfkful, "me þynk hit anop9;
For were I worth al þe wone of wymen alyue,
& al þe wele of þe worlde were i my honde,

& I fchulde chepen & chofe, to cheue me a lorde,

For þe coftes pat I haf knowen vpon þe knyzt here,
Of bewte, & debonerte, & blype semblaūt,

& þat I haf er herkkened, & halde hit here trwe ',
p9 fchulde no freke vpon folde bifore yow be chofen."
"I wyffe, worby," q þe wyze, "ze haf waled wel bett9,
Bot I am proude of þe prys þat ze put on me,

& foberly yo" feruaut my fou'ayn I holde yow,
& yowre knyzt I be-com, & kryft yow for-zelde."
Þ9 þay meled of much quat, til myd-morn paste,
& ay be lady let lyk, a' hy loued mych;
pe freke ferde wt defence, & feted ful fayre.

paz I were burde bryzteft," þe burde i mynde hade, "pe laffe luf i his lode, for lur þat he fozt,

pe dunte þat fchilde hy deue,

& nede3 hit most be done; pe lady pen fpek of leue, He gnted hir ful fone.

1265

1270

1275

1290

||boute hone;

[fol. 108b.]

VII.

pēne ho gef hy god-day, & wyth a glent lazed,

& as ho ftod, ho ftonyed hy wyth ful ftor wordez,-
"Now he þat fpedez vche fpech, pis difport zelde yow!
Bot þat ze be Gawan, hit got3 i myde.'

Quer fore?"q þe freke, & frefchly he askez,
Ferde left he hade fayled i fome of his castes;
Bot þe burde hy bleffed, & bi pis skyl fayde,
"So god as Gawayn gaynly is halden,

& cortayfye is closed fo clene i hy feluen,
Couth not lyztly haf lenged fo long wyth a lady,
Bot he had craued a coffe, bi his co'taysye,
Bi fu towch of fūme tryfle, at fù talez ende."
pe q Wowen, "I wyffe, worpe as yow lykez,

I fchal kyffe at yo comaudement, as a knyzt fallez,
& fire' left he displese yow, fo' plede hit no more."
Ho comes nerre wt þat, & cachez hỹ i armez,
Loutez luflych adoù, & pe leude kyffez;
pay comly bykēnen to kryst ayp9 op';

Ho dos hir forth at þe dore, wt outen dyn more.

& he ryches hy to ryse, & rapes hỹ sone,
Clepes to his chamberlayn, chofes his wede,
Bozez forth, quen be watz boū, blypely to maffe,
& pene he meued to his mete, pt mēskly hy keped,
& made myry al day til þe mone ryfed,
Wt3 neu' freke fayrer fonge,

Bitwene two fo dygne dame,
pe alder & pe zonge,
Much folace fet pay fame.

1290

1295

1300

1305

1310

| w' game;

3 Was? Nas?

1315