With torris and turatis, teirfull to tell,
Bigly batollit about with wallis fa he;
The yettis war clenely kepit with ane caftell;
Myght none fang it with force, bot foullis to fle.
Than carpit king Arthur, kene and cruell,
"I rede we send furth ane faynd' to yone ciete,
And ask leif at the lord, yone landis fuld leid,
That we myght entir in his toune,

For his hie renoune,

To by vs vittale boune*,

For money to meid."

V.

Schir Kay carpit to the king, courtes and cleir,
"Grant me, lord, on yone gait graithly to gay,
And I fall boid-word, but abaid, bring to you heir,

Gif he be freik on the fold your freynd, or your fay."—

Sen thi will is to wend, wy, now in weir,

Luke that' wifly thow wirk, Criste were the fra wa !”
The berne bovnit to the burgh, with ane blith cheir ;
Fand the yettis vnclofit, and thrang in full thra ;
His hors he tyit to ane tre, treuly that tyde ;

Syne hynt to ane hie hall,

45

55

60

That wes aftalit with pall;

And payntit with pride.

65

Weill wroght wes the wall,

VI.

The fylour deir of the deife dayntely wes dent,

With the doughtyest in thair dais dyntis couth dele ;

1 fend, ed.

2 bonne, ed.

3

pot, ed.

Bright letteris of gold blith vnto blent,

Makand mecioune quha maist of manhede couth' mele ;
He saw nane levand leid vpone loft lent,

Nouthir lord, na lad, leif ye the lele.

The renk raikit in the faill, riale and gent,

þt wōdir wifly wes wroght, with wourschip & wele ;

The berne befely and bane blenkit hym about;

He faw throu ane entre,

Charcole in ane chymne,

Birnand full ftout.

Ane bright fyre couth he fe,

VII.

Ane duergh braydit about, befily and bane,
Small birdis on broche' be ane bright fyre;
Schir Kay ruschit to the roist, and reft fra the fwane,
Lightly claught', throu luft, the lym fra the lyre;
To feid hym of that fyne fude the freik wes full fane ;
Than dynnyt the duergh, in angir* and yre,
With raris, quhil the rude hall reirdit agane.
With that come girdand, in grief, ane wounder' grym
With ftout contenance & sture he stude thame beforne;
With vefage lufly and lang,

80

85

fire;

VIII.

The knyght carpit to fchir Kay, cruel and kene,
"We think thow fedis the vnfair, freik, be my fay!
Suppose thi birny be bright, as bachiler fuld ben,
Yhit ar thi latis vnluffum, and ladlike, I lay.
Quhy has thow marrit my mã, with maistri to mene?
Bot thow mend hym that mys, be Mary, mylde may,
Thow fall rew in thi rufe, wit thow but wen,

Or thou wend of this wane wemeles away!"

Schir Kay wes haifty, and hate, and of ane hie will;
Spedely to hym spak,

"Schort amendis will I mak,

Thi fchore compt I noght' ane caik;

Traift wele thair till."

95

100

IX.

Thair vith the grume, in his grief, leit gird to schir Kay,
Fellit the freke with his fist, flat in the flure;

105

He wes fa aftonayt with the straik, in stede quhare he lay
Stok still as ane ftane, the fterne wes fa fture!
The freik na forthir he faris, bot foundis away;

The topir drew hym on dreigh, in derne to the dure ;
Hyit' hym hard throu the hall, to his haiknay,

And sped hym on fpedely, on the fpare mure.

The renk restles he raid to Arthour the king ;

Said, "lord, wendis on your way,
Yone berne nykis yow with nay;
To prife hym forthir to pray,

1 noghr, ed.

It helpis na thing."

。 Byit, ed.

110

X.

Than spak schir Gawane the gay, gratious and gude,
Schir, ye knaw that schir Kay is crabbit of kynde;
I rede ye mak furth ane man, mekar of mude,
That will with fairnes fraist frendschip to fynd;
Your folk ar febill and faynt, for falt of thair fude;
Sum better boid-word to abide, vndir wod lynd."—
"Schir Gawyne, graith ye that gait, for the gude rude!
Is nane' fa bowsum ane berne, brith for to bynd."
The heynd knight at his haist held to the tovne;
The yettis wappit war wyde,

The knyght ca raithly in ryde;

Reynit his palfray of pryde,

Quhe he ves lightit doun.

XI.

Schir Gawyne gais furth the gait, pts graithit wes gay,

The quhilk that held to the hall, heyndly to se;
Than wes the fyre in the faill*, with renkis of array,
And blith birdis hym about, that bright wes of ble.
Wourthy schir Gawyne went on his way;
Sobirly the fouerane faluft has he,-

"I am send to your felf, ane charge for to say,
Fra cumly Arthur, the king, corteffe and fre;
Quhilk prays for his faik, and your gentrice,
That he might cum this toun till,

To by vittale at will,

Alfe deir as fegis will fell,

135

140

Payand the price."

1 naue, ed.

2 lighit, ed.

3 pe, ed.

4 faill, ed.

XII.

Than faid the fyre of the faill and the fouerane,

"I will na vittale be fauld your fenyeour vntill."
"That is at your avne will," faid wourthy Gawane,

"To mak you lord of your avne, me think it grete skill." Than right gudly that grome anfuerit agane,

"Quhy I tell the this taill, tak tent now thair till ;

Pase on thi purpos, furth to the plane ;

For all the wyis I weild ar at his avne will,

How to luge, and to leynd, and in my land lent;
Gif I fauld hym his awin,

145

150

It war wrang to be knawin,

Baldly on bent.

Than war I wourthy to be drawin,

155

XIII.

"Thare come ane laithles leid air to this place,
With ane girdill ourgilt, and vthir light gere;
It kythit be his cognisance ane knight that he wes,
Bot he wes ladlike of laite, and light of his fere ;
The verray cause of his come I knew noght the cace,
Bot wondirly wraighly he wroght, and all as of were.
Yit wait I noght quhat he is, be Goddis grete grace!
Bot gif it happin that he be ane knyght of youris here,
Has done my lord to difpleife, that I hym said ryght,
And his presence plane,

I say yow in certane',

He falbe fet agane,

As I am trew knight!"

1 tertane, ed.

T

160

165