Wes neuer fundun on fold, but fenzeing or fabill,

Ane farayr floure on ane feild of fresch men, in fay,
Farand on thair ftedis, ftout men and stabill;

Mony fterne our the streit ftertis on stray.

Thair baneris fchane with the fone, of filuer and fabill,

And vthir glemyt as gold, and gowlis fo gay;

Of filuer and faphir schirly þai schane;

Ane fair battell on breid,

Merkit our ane fair meid,

20

Our fellis, in fane.

With spurris fpedely þai speid,

25

III.

The king faris with his folk, our firthis and fellis,

Feill dais or he fand of flynd or of fyre;

Bot deip dalis bedene, dovnis and dellis,
Montains and marreffe, with mony rank myre;
Birkin bewis about, boggis and wellis,

Withoutin beilding of blis, of bern, or of byre ;
Bot torris, and tene wais, teirfull quha tellis.
Tuglit and travalit thus trew men can tyre,
Sa wundir wait wes the way, wit ye but wene;
And all thair vittalis war gone,

That thay weildit in wone;

pt fuld thair bute ben.

Reffet couth thai find none,

IV.

As thay walkit be the syde of ane fair well,
Throu þe fchynyng of the fon ane ciete thai se,

1 Tpt, ed.

30

35

40

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 fend 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, Crifte 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,

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;

I 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,

pt wōdir wifly wes wroght, with wourschip & wele;

The berne befely and bane blenkit hym about;

He saw throu ane entre,

Charcole in ane chymne,

70

75

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 fire ;
With ftout contenance & fture he stude thame beforne;
With vefage lufly and lang,

Body stalwart and strang,

That fege wald fit with none wrang,

80

85

Of berne that wes borne.

90

I couh, ed.
4augir, ed.

brothe, ed.

3 clanght, ed.

5 wound, ed.

VIII.

The knyght carpit to schir 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 schore compt I noght' ane caik;

Traist wele thair till."

95

100

IX.

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

105

He wes fa aftonayt with the straik, in ftede quhare he lay
Stok still as ane stane, the sterne wes fa sture!
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 spedely, on the spare mure.

The renk restles he raid to Arthour the king;

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

1 noghr, ed.

It helpis na thing."

• Byit, ed.

110

X.

Than fpak 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 fraift 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 bowfum ane berne, brith for to bynd.”
The heynd knight at his haist held to the tovne;
The yettis wappit war wyde,

The knyght că raithly in ryde;

Reynit his palfray of pryde,

120

125

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 fe;
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 falust 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,

133

140

Payand the price."

1 naue,

ed.

2 lighit, ed.

3 pe, ed.

+ faill, ed.