Sytt ftyll," quod pe Carl, " & eete þi mette,

[fol.21.] Thow pinkoft mor? pe pu darst speke,

Sertten I the hyst."

I do yow all well to wette,

Ther was noo mã bade G. fitte,
But in pe halle flor gän he ftonde;
The Carle sayde, " fellowe, a-noñi,

Loke my byddynge be well i-donf,

Go take a fper" in thy honde.

And at pe bottre dor" goo take thy paffe,

And hitt me evyn in the face,

Do as I the commande;

And зeyfe pu ber me a-zenft þe wall,

Thow fchalt not hort me wtt alle,

Whyll I am gyaūt in londe."

Syr Gawen was a glade man wtt pt,
At pe bottre dor a fper he gatte,
And in his honde hit hente;
Syr G. came wtt a gret ire,
Doun he helde his hede pat fyre,
Tyll he hade geue his dentte3.
He zafe pe fton watt seche a rappe,
That pe goode fper att to-brake,
The fyer flewe out of pe flente;

[fol. 21b.] The Carl fayde to hym ful foñe,
Gentyti knyzt, pu haft well donne."

ર

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And be pe honde hyme hente.
A cher was fette, for? f Gawene,
That worthy knyst of Bryttayne,
Befor ре
be Carll wyfe was he fett;

So moche his love was on her lyst,
Of aft pe fop he ne myžt,

Nodyr drynke nor9 ette.

The Carle fayde, " G. comfort pe,
For fynn ys fwete, & pt I fe,
Serten I the hete;

Sche ys myñ þu woldyft w9 thynn,
Leve feche postt, & drenke pe wynne,
For her pu fchalt nott geytt."
Syr G. was a-fchemyde i his powst,
The Carll dovĝtt forthe was brovit,
That was fo feyr and bryst;
As gold wyre fchynyde her here,
Hit coft a Mli. and mar?,

Her a-parrett pertly pyžte.
Wtt ryche ftonn her clop w9 fett,

Utt ryche perll a-bout her frete,

[fol. 22.] So femly was that fyɔ̃te;

Ouyr att pe halt gañ sche leme,

As hit wer? a fon'-beme,

That ftonn fchone fo bryžt.

Then feyde pe Carle to pt bryst of ble,

"Uher ys pi harpe pu fchuldift have brošt wt þe,

Uhy haft þu hit for-gette?"

A-non hit was fett in to be hall,

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And a feyr cher? wtt all,

Be-for her fador was fett.
The harpe was of maser fyne,
The pynys wer9 of golde, I wene,
Serten wtt out lett;

Furft sche harpyd, & fethe songe,

Of love, & of Artorr arm a-monge,

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How þey to-geydor? mett.

Uhe they hade fovpyde, & mad hem glade,
The befchope i to his chambur" was lade,

Utt hym f Key þe kene;

They toke f G. wtt out leffynge,

To pe Carl chāb9 þi gā hỹ brynge,
That was fo bryst and schene.

They bade f G. go to bede,

[fol. 22b.] Utt clothe of golde fo feyr sprede,
That was fo feyr and bry3t;

Uhe pe bed was made wtt wynne,
The Carle bade his oun lady go in,
That loufefom was of fyžte.
A fquyer came wtt a p'wey far”,
And he vn-armyde Gawen per",
Schaply he was vn-dyžt;

The Carle feyde, "fyr Gawene,
Go take my wyfe i pi arm tweyne,
And kys her in my fyzte."
Syr G. anffwerde hyme a-non,

66 Syr, þi byddynge fchaft be donne,
Sertaynly in dede;

Kylt, or fley, or laye a-doune,”-
To the bede he went futt fone,
Faft and that good spede.
For foftnis of pt ladys fyde,

Made G. do his wył pt tyde,

--

Ther of G. toke pe Carle goode hede;
Uhe G. wolde haue don pe p'vey far,
The feyd pe Carle, "whoo ther"!

That game I pe for-bede.

[fol. 23.] But G. fethe pu haft do my byddynge,

Som kyndnis I most schewe pe i ānỳ þinge,
As fer forthe as I maye;

Thow schalt have wonn to fo bryst,

Schall play wtt þe all pis nyžte,

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And style doun be hyme laye.

"Now G." q' pe Carle, "holft pe well payde?"

"3e, for gode, lorde," he fayde,

"Ryst well as I myžte;"

"Nowe," q' pe Carle, "I woll to chambur

My bleffyng? I geyfe yow bouthe to,

And play to-geydor all pis nyɔ̃t."

A glad man was fyr Gawen,

Sertenly as I yowe sayne,
Of his lady bryst;

Serten fothely for to say,

So I hope was pat feyr maye,

[fol. 23b.] Of pt genttyĦ knyt.

"Mary, mercy!" poust pt lady bryžte,
"Her come neu' fuche a knyzt,

Of all that her hathe beñe ;-"
Syr Key a-rose vppon pe morrowñ,
And toke his hors, & wolde a-goñe,
Homwarde, as I wenne.

"Nay, f Key," be befchope gañ seye,
"We' woll not fo wende our

Tytt we G. have fene;"

waye,

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"Mare, mce!" feyde pt lady bryst,
"Uher I fchaft fe enny mor? þis knyst,

That hathe ley my body fo ner" ?"
Uhe pe mefe was doune to ende,

Syr G. toke his leve to wende,

And ponkyde hym of his cher";

Furft," fayde pe Carle, "ze fchalt dynñ,

[fol. 24.] And on my bleffynge wende home fyne,

Homward al yn fere1.

Hit is xxti, wynt goñ," fayde pe Karle, “nowe,

That god I make a-vowe,

Ther fore I was fulle fad;

Ther? fchulde neu' man logge i my won3,

But he fcholde be flayne, I wys,

But he did as I hym bad.

But he wolde do my byddynge bowne,

He schulde be flayne, & layde a-downe,

Whedir? he wer? lorde or lad';

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He yelde pe," fayde pe Carle, " pt pe dere bouzte !

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For al my bale to blyffe is brouzte,

Throuze helpe of Mary quene;"

He lade G. yn to a wilfome won,

There as lay x. fodir? of dede men bonys,

Al yn blode, as I wene;

Ther hynge many a blody ferke,

And eche of heme a dyuers marke,

Grete doole hit was to fee.

[fol. 24b.] "This flowe I, G. and my helpis,

I and alfo my four whelpis,

For fothe as I the fay;

1 This line is by a second, but coæval hand.

2 fene?

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