IX.

"Now I wyffe," q Wowayn, "wysty is here;
pis oritore is vgly, wt erbez ou growen;
Wel bifemez þe wyze wruxled i grene
Dele here his deuociou, on þe deuelez wyfe;
Now I fele hit is þe fende, i my fyue wyttez,

þat hatz stoken me þis steuen, to strye me here;

pis is a chapel of meschaūce, þat chekke hit by-tyde,
Hit is þe crafedest kyrk, þat eu? I com ine !"

[fol. 120b.] With heze helme on his hede, his laūce i his honde,

He romez vp to be rokke of po roz wonez;

pene herde he of þat hyze hil, i a harde roche,
Bizonde pe broke, i a bonk, a wonder breme noyse,
Quat hit clat'ed i þe clyff, as hit cleue fchulde,
As one vpon a gryndelston hade groūden a fype;
What hit wharred, & whette, as wat? at a mulne,
What hit rusched, & ronge, rawpe to here.

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pēne "bi godde," q Gawayn, "pat gere, at ' I trowe,

1

bi rote;

Is ryched at þe reu'ence, me renk to mete,

Let god worche we loo,

Hit helppez me not a mote,

My lif þaz I for-goo,

Drede dotz me no lote."

X.

Thēne þe knyzt con calle ful hyze,

"Who stiztlez ī þis sted, me steuen to holde?

M

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For now is gode Gawayn goande ryzt here,

If

any wyze ozt wyl wyne hider fast,

Op9 now, op neu', his nedez to spede.”

Abyde," q on on þe bonke, abouen ou? his hede,

" & pu fchal haf al i haft, þat I be hyzt ones."

3et he rufched on þat rurde, rapely a prowe,

& wyth quettyg a wharf, er he wolde lyzt;

& fypen he keu❜ez bi a cragge, & come; of a hole,
Whyrlande out of a wro, wyth a felle weppen,
A denez ax nwe dyzt, þe dynt wt o' zelde
Wt a borelych bytte, bende by pe halme,
Fyled i a fylor, fowre fote large,

Hit watz no laffe, bi þat lace þat lemed ful bryzt.
& be gome i þe grene gered as fyrst,
Bope pe lyre & þe leggez, lokkez, & berde,
Saue þat fayre on his fote he foūdez on þe erpe,
Sette pe ftele to the stone, & stalked byfyde.
When he wan to be watter, þer he wade nolde,
He hypped ou' on hys ax, & orpedly strydez,
Bremly brope on a bent, þat brode watz a-boute,

[fol. 121.] f Gawayn þe knyzt con mete,

He ne lutte hy no þýg lowe,

þat op fayde, "now, f fwete,

Of steuen mon may be trowe."

XI

Gawayn," q þat grene gome, "god þe mot loke!
I wyffe þu art welcom, wyze, to my place,

& p" hatz tymed þi trauayl as t'e' mon fchulde ;

on fnawe.

3 tчee, MS.

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