.'i Arþurez hallez,

& þer fore, hende, now hoo!"

XV.

2330

The hapel heldet hỹ fro, & on his ax rested,
Sette pe fchaft vpon schore, & to be scharp lened,
& loked to be leude, þat on þe launde zede,
How þat dozty dredles dernely þer ftondez,
Armed ful azlez; i hert hit hỹ lykez.
pēn he melez muryly, wyth a much steuen,
& wyth a rykande rurde he to be renk fayde,
"Bolde burne, on þis bent be not fo gryndel;
No mon here vn-man'ly þe mys-boden habbe,
Ne kyd, bot as couenaude, at kýgez kort schaped ;

I hyzt þe a strok, & pu hit hatz, halde þe wel payed,

I relece þe of þe remnaūt, of ryztes alle op;
3if I deliuer had bene, a boffet, paraūt?,

I coupe wropeloker haf, waret, to be haf wrozt ang93.
Fyrst I manfed pe muryly, wt a mynt one,

[fol. 122b.] & roue þe wyth no rof, fore wt ryzt I þe pfered,
For þe forwarde þat we fest i þe fyrst ny3t,

& pu trystyly þe trawpe & trwly me haldez,
Al þe gayne þow me gef, as god mon fchulde ;
þat op mut for þe morne, mon, I þe profered,

pu kyffedes my clere wyf, þe coffez me raztez,
For bope two here I þe bede bot two bare myntes,

Trwe mon trwe restore,

pēne þar mō drede no wape;

2335

2340

2345

boute fcape;

2355

At þe prid pu fayled pore,

& p for þat tappe taþe.

1 Illegible.

2 uf, MS.

This word is doubtful.

XVI.

For hit is my wede þat þu werez, þt ilke wouen girdel,
Myn owen wyf hit þe weued, I wot wel forfope;
Now know I wel by coffes, & þy coftes als,
& þe wowyg of my wyf, I wrozt hit myseluen ;
I fende hir to afay þe, & fothly me þynkkez,
On þe fautleft freke, þat eu? on fote zede;
As perle bi þe quite pefe is of prys more,

So is Gawayn, i god fayth, bi op gay knyztez.
Bot here yow lakked a lyttel, f, & lewte yow wonted,
Bot þat watz for no wylyde werke, ne wowyg naup,
Bot for ze lufud yo" lyf, þe laffe I yow blame."
Þat op stif mon i study stod a gret whyle;
So agreued for greme he gryed wt ine,
Alle þe blode of his breft blende ī his face,

þat al he schrank for fchome, þat þe fchalk talked.

pe forme worde vpon folde, þat þe freke meled,—
"Corfed worth cowarddyfe & couetyfe bope!

yow is vylany & vyfe, þat v'tue difftryez."

pēne he kazt to þe knot, & pe kest lawsez,
Brayde bropely be belt to be burne feluen :-
"Lo! per pe falffyg, foule mot hit falle!
For care of þy knokke cowardyse me tazt

To a-corde me wt couetyfe, my kynde to for-fake,
pat is larges & lewte, þat longez to knyztez.
Now am I fawty, & falce, & ferde haf ben eu? ;
Of trecherye & vn-trawpe bope bityde forze,

[fol. 123.] I bi-knowe yow, knyzt, here stylle,
Al fawty is my fare,

Letez me ou❜-take yo" wylle,

& efte I schal be ware."

& care!

2360

2365

2370

2375

2380

2385

XVII.

Then loze pat op9 leude, & luflyly fayde,
"I halde hit hardily' hole, þe harme þat I hade ;
bu art confeffed fo clene, be-knowen of þy myffes,
& hatz be penaūce apert, of þe poyt of myn egge,
I halde pe polysed of þat plyzt, & pured as clene,
As pu hadez neu' forfeted, fype pu watz fyrst borne.
& I gif þe, f, þe gurdel þat is golde hēmed;
For hit is grene as my goune, f G :, 3e maye
penk vpon pis ilke prepe, po pu forth þrygez
Amōg prynces of prys, & þis a pure token
Of pe chaūce of þe grene chapel, at cheualro9 knyztez ;
& ze fchal i þis nwe zer azayn to my wonez,

& wasch y reuel þe remnaūt of þis ryche fest,
per laped hy faft þe lorde,

& fayde," wt my wyf, I wene,

We schal yow wel acorde,

þat watz yo enmy kene."

XVIII.

Nay, for fobe," q pe fegge, & fefed hys helme, & hatz hit of hendely, & þe hapel bonkkez, "I haf foiorned fadly, fele yow bytyde,

& he zelde hit 30w zare, þat zarkkez al mēskes!

& comaūdez me to þat cortays, yo comlych fere,
Bope þat on & þat op, myn honored ladyez,
þat þ9 hor knyzt wyth hor keft han koytly bigyled.

1 hardilyly, MS.

|| ful bene."

2390

2395

2405

2410

Bot hit is no ferly, þaz a fole madde,
& þurz wyles of wymen be wonen to forze ;
For fo watz Adam i erde wt one bygyled,
& Salamon wt fele fere, & Samfon eft fonez,
Dalyda dalt hy hys wyrde, & Dauyth per aft
Watz blended wt Barfabe, þat much bale poled.

2415

Now þese were wrathed wyth her wyles, ht were a wyne huge, 2420
To luf hom wel, & leue hem not, a leude þat coupe,

[fol. 123b.] For þes wer forne þe freest þat folzed alle þe sele,
Exellently of alle þyfe op, vnder heuen-ryche,

& alle pay were bi-wyled,

With' wymen þat þay vsed,

paz I be now bigyled,

Me pink me burde be excused."

| pat mufed;

2425

XIX.

"Bot yo gordel," q G: "god yow for-3elde!

pat wyl I welde wyth good wylle, not for þe wyne golde,
Ne pe faynt, ne pe fylk, ne þe fyde pendaūdes,
For wele, ne for worchyp, ne for þe wlonk werkkez,

Bot i fygne of my furfet I schal se hit ofte;
When I ride i renoū, remorde to myfeluen

pe faut & pe fayntyse of þe flesche crabbed,
How tender hit is to entyse teches of fylpe ;-

& p, quen pryde fchal me pryk, for prowes of armes,

pe loke to pis luf lace fchal lepe my hert.
Bot on I wolde yow pray, difplefes yow neu';

Syn ze be lorde of the zonder londe, þ I haf lent ine,
Wyth yow wyth worschyp,-þe wyze hit yow zelde

1 with wyth, MS.

N

2430

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2440

pat vp-haldez þe heue, & on hy3 fitte3,

How norne ze yowre ryzt nome, & þēne no more?"

pat fchal I telle pe trwly," q pt op bene,

Bernlak de Hautdesert I hat i þis londe,

purz my3t of Morgne la Faye, þat i my ho lenges,

1

& ' koyntyfe of clergye, bi craftes wel lerned,

2

þe mayftres of M'lyn, mony ho taken;

For ho hatz dalt drwry ful dere fū tyme,

With þat conable klerk, þat knowes alle yo knyztez,
Morgne þe goddes,

Weldez non fo hyze hawteffe,

perfore hit is hir name;

pat ho ne con make ful tame.

XX.

Ho wayned me vpon pis wyfe to yo" wyne halle,
For to affay be furquidre, 3if hit foth were,
pat rēnes of þe grete renou of þe Roūde Table ;
Ho wayned me his wonder, yo" wyttez to reue,
[fol. 124.] For to haf greued Gayno", & gart hir to dyze,

W gopnýg of þat ilke gomen, þat goftlych speked,
Wt his hede i his honde, bifore be hyze table.
pat is ho þat is at home, pe aucian lady;
Ho is euen þyn aut, Arþurez half suster,
pe duches dozter of Tyntagelle, þat dere Vt aft
Hade Arþur vpon, þat apel is nowþe.
perfore I epe pe, hapel, to com to þy naūt,
Make myry i my ho9, my meny þe louies,
& I wol be as wel, wyze, bi my faythe,

2145

at hame;

2455

2460

2465