& fypen his op harnays, þat holdely watz keped, Bope his paūce, & his plate3, piked ful clene,
þe rygez rokked of þe rouft, of his riche bruny;
& al watz frefch as vpon fyrst, & he watz fayn þēne, He hade vpon vche pece,
Wypped ful wel & wlonk ;
pe gayeft i to Grece,
þe burne bede bryg his blonk.
Whyle pe wlonkeft wedes he warp on hy feluen;
His cote, wyth be conyfauce of þe clere werkez,
Ennurned vpon veluet v'tuu? ftonez,
Aboute beten, & boūden, enbrauded femez,
& fayre furred wt ine wyth fayre pelures.
3et laft he not þe lace, pe ladies gifte,
pat for-gat not Gawayn, for gode of hy feluen ;
Bi he hade belted þe bronde vpon his balze hauchez,
pen dressed he his drurye double hy aboute;
Swype fwepled vmbe his swange fwetely, þat knyzt,
pe gordel of þe grene filke, þat gay wel bi-femed,
Vpon þat ryol red clope, þat ryche watz to schewe.
Bot wered not þis ilk wyze for wele pis gordel,
For pryde of þe pendaūtez, þaz polyst þay were,
& þaz þe glytande golde glent vpon endez,
Bot forto faue hy self, when fuffer hy by-houed,
To byde bale wt oute dabate, of bronde hỹ to were,
Bi þat þe bolde mon bou,
Wynez þeroute bilyue,
Alle þe meyny of renoū,
He ponkkez ofte ful ryue.
[fol. 118b.] Thene watz Gryngolet graype, þat gret watz & huge,
& hade ben foioned fau❜ly, & i a siker wyse,
Hy lyft prik for poyt, þat proude hors pene;
þe wyze wÿnez hỹ to, & wyte3 on his lyre,
& fayde foberly hy felf, & by his foth swerez,
Here is a meyny i þis mote, þat on menske þenkkez,—
þe mon hem mayntemes, ioy mot þay haue;
pe leue lady, on lyue luf her bityde;
3if þay for charyte cheryfen a gest,
& halden hono" i her honde, pe hapel he zelde,
þat haldez þe heuen vpon hyze, & al fo yow alle!
& 3if I myzt lyf vpon londe lede any quyle,
I fchuld rech yow fu rewarde redyly, if I my3t."
pen steppez he i to stirop, & ftrydez alofte;
His schalk schewed hy his schelde, on schulder he hit lazt,
Gordez to Gryngolet, wt his gilt helez,
& he startez on þe fton, stod he no lenger,
His hapel on hors watz þēne,
pat bere his fpere & laūce,—
pis kaftel to kryst I kēne, He gef hit ay god chaūce!"
The brygge watz brayde dou, & pe brode zatez
Vn-barred, & born open, vpon boþe halue;
pe burne blessed hy bilyue, & pe bredez passed;
Prayfes pe porter, bifore be prynce kneled,
Gef hym god & goud day, þat Gawayn he faue;
& went on his way, wt his wyze one,
pat schulde teche hy to tone to þat tene place,
per pe ruful race he schulde refayue.
pay bozen bi bonkkez, þ bozez ar bare,
pay clomben bi clyffez, per clenge; þe colde;
pe heuen watz vp halt, bot vgly þer vnder,
Mift muged on þe mor, malt on þe moutez,
Vch hille had a hatte, a myst-hakel huge;
Brokez byled, & breke, bi bonkkez aboute,
Schyre fchat'ande on schore3, p þay dou schowned.
[fol. 119.] Welawylle wat; þe way, þer þay bi wod fchulden,
Til hit watz fone fefou, þat þe fūne ryfes,
pay were on a hille ful hyze,
pe quyte fnaw lay bifyde;
pe burne þat rod hy by,
Bede his mayster abide.
"For I haf wōnen yow hider, wyze, at þis tyme,
& now nar ze not fer fro þat note place,
Pat ze han fpied & fpuryed so specially aft";
Bot I schal say yow for fope, fypen I yow knowe,
& ze ar a lede vpon lyue, þat I wel louy,
Wolde ze worch bi my wytte, ze worþed þe bett'.
зе
pe place þat ze prece to, ful perelo9 is halden;
per wonez a wyze i pat waste, þe worst vpon erþe ;
For he is stiffe, & fturne, & to strike louies,
& more he is pe any mon vpon myddelerde,
& his body bigger pe pe best fowre,
Þat ar i Arþurez ho9, heftor', op oþ9.
He cheuez pat chaūce at þe chapel grene;
per paffes non bi þat place, so proude i his armes,
þat he ne dynez hy to depe, wt dynt of his honde ;
For he is a mon methles, & mercy non vses,
For be hit chorle, op chaplayn, þat bi þe chapel rydes,
Monk, op9 maffe-preft, op any mon elles,
Hý þynk as queme hý to quelle, as quyk go hý feluen.
For by I fay be as fope as ze i fadel fitte,
Com ze pere, ze be kylled, may þe knyzt rede,
Trawe ze me pat trwely, þaz ze had twenty lyues
He hatz wonyd here ful zore,
On bent much baret bende,
Azayn his dyntez fore,
3e may not yow defende."
"For þy, goude f Gawayn, let pe gome one,
& gotz a-way fu op gate, vpon goddez halue,
Cayrez bi fu op kyth, þer kryst mot yow spede ;
[fol. 1196.] & I fchal hy3 me hom azayn, & hete yow fyrre,
Þat I schal fwere bi god, & alle his gode halzez,
As help me god & þe halydam, & oþez i nogħ,
þat I fchal lelly yow layne, & lance neu? tale,
þat eu? ze fondet to fle, for freke þat I wyst.'
"Gant m'ci," q Gawayn, & gruchyg he fayde,
"Wel worth þe wyze, þat woldez my gode,
& þat lelly me layne, I leue wel þu woldez !
Bot helde bu hit neu' fo holde, & I here paffed,
Fouded for ferde for to fle, i fome þat þu tellez,
I were a knyzt kowarde, I myzt not' be excused.
1 mot, MS.
Bot I wyl to be chapel, for chaūce þat may falle,
& talk wyth þat ilk tulk þe tale þat me lyste,
Worpe hit wele, op wo, as he wyrde lykez,
paze he be a sturn knape,
þat þu wylt þyn awen nye nyme to þy feluen,
& þe lyft lefe by lyf, þe lette I ne kepe;
Haf here þi helme on þy hede, þi spere i þi honde,
& ryde me dou þis ilk rake, bi zon rokke fyde,
Til þu be bro3t to be bopem of þe brem valay;
pēne loke a littyl on þe laude, on þi lyfte honde,
& pu fchal fe i pat flade pe felf chapel,
& þe borelych burne on bent, þat hit kepez.
Now farez wel on godez half, Gawayn þe noble,
For alle þe golde vpon groūde I nolde go wyth þe,
Ne bere pe felazfchip þurz pis fryth on fote fyrre."
Bi þat þe wyze i þe wod wendez his brydel,
Hit be hors wt þe helez, as harde as he my3t,
Lepez hy ou? þe laude, & leuez þe knyzt þere,
|