III.
[A] Þis kyng lay at Camylot vpon kryst-masse, With mony luflych lorde, lede3 of þe best, [B] Rekenly of þe rounde table alle þo rich breþer, 40 With rych reuel ory3t, & rechles merþes; Þer tournayed tulkes bi-tyme3 ful mony, Iusted ful Iolilé þise gentyle kni3tes, Syþen kayred to þe court, caroles to make. 44 [C] For þer þe fest wat3 ilyche ful fiften dayes, With alle þe mete & þe mirþe þat men couþe a-vyse; Such glaumande gle glorious to here, Dere dyn vp-on day, daunsyng on ny3tes, 48 [D] Al wat3 hap vpon he3e in halle3 & chambre3, With lorde3 & ladies, as leuest him þo3t; With all þe wele of þe worlde þay woned þer samen, [E] Þe most kyd kny3te3 vnder kryste seluen, 52 & þe louelokkest ladies þat euer lif haden, & he þe comlokest kyng þat þe court haldes; For al wat3 þis fayre folk in her first age, on sille; 56 [F] Þe hapnest vnder heuen, Kyng hy3est mon of wylle, Hit were[1] now gret nye to neuen So hardy a here on hille.
[Sidenote A: Arthur held at Camelot his Christmas feast,] [Sidenote B: with all the knights of the Round Table,] [Sidenote C: full fifteen days.] [Sidenote D: All was joy in hall and chamber,] [Sidenote E: among brave knights and lovely ladies,] [Sidenote F: the happiest under heaven.] [Footnote 1: MS. werere.]
IV.
60 [A] Wyle nw 3er wat3 so 3ep þat hit wat3 nwe cummen, Þat day doubble on þe dece wat3 þe douth serued, Fro þe kyng wat3 cummen with kny3tes in to þe halle, Þe chauntre of þe chapel cheued to an ende; 64 Loude crye wat3 þer kest of clerke3 & oþer, Nowel nayted o-newe, neuened ful ofte; [Fol. 92] & syþen riche forth runnen to reche honde-selle, [B] 3e3ed 3eres 3iftes on hi3, 3elde hem bi hond, 68 Debated busyly aboute þo giftes; Ladies la3ed ful loude, þo3 þay lost haden, & he þat wan wat3 not wrothe, þat may 3e wel trawe. [C] Alle þis mirþe þay maden to þe mete tyme; 72 When þay had waschen, worþyly þay wenten to sete, Þe best burne ay abof, as hit best semed; [D] Whene Guenore ful gay, grayþed in þe myddes. Dressed on þe dere des, dubbed al aboute, 76 Smal sendal bisides, a selure hir ouer Of tryed Tolouse, of Tars tapites in-noghe, Þat were enbrawded & beten wyth þe best gemmes, Þat my3t be preued of prys wyth penyes to bye, 80 in daye; [E] Þe comlokest to discrye, Þer glent with y3en gray, A semloker þat euer he sy3e, 84 Soth mo3t no mon say.
[Sidenote A: They celebrate the New Year with great joy.] [Sidenote B: Gifts are demanded and bestowed.] [Sidenote C: Lords and ladies take their seats at the table.] [Sidenote D: Queen Guenever appears gaily dressed.] [Sidenote E: A lady fairer of form might no one say he had ever before seen.]
V.
[A] Bot Arthure wolde not ete til al were serued, He wat3 so Ioly of his Ioyfnes, & sum-quat child gered, His lif liked hym ly3t, he louied þe lasse 88 [B] Auþer to lenge lye, or to longe sitte, So bi-sied him his 3onge blod & his brayn wylde; & also anoþer maner meued him eke, Þat he þur3 nobelay had nomen, ho wolde neuer ete 92 Vpon such a dere day, er hym deuised were [C] Of sum auenturus þyng an vncouþe tale, Of sum mayn meruayle, þat he my3t trawe, Of[1] alderes, of armes, of oþer auenturus, 96 Oþer sum segg hym bi-so3t of sum siker kny3t, To Ioyne wyth hym in iustyng in Iopardé to lay, Lede lif for lyf, leue vchon oþer, As fortune wolde fulsun hom þe fayrer to haue. 100 Þis wat3 [þe] kynges countenaunce where he in court were, At vch farand fest among his fre meny, in halle; [Fol. 92b.] [D] Þer-fore of face so fere. 104 He sti3tle3 stif in stalle, Ful 3ep in þat nw 3ere, Much mirthe he mas with alle.
[Sidenote A: Arthur would not eat,] [Sidenote B: nor would he long sit] [Sidenote C: until he had witnessed a "wondrous adventure" of some kind.] [Sidenote D: He of face so bold makes much mirth with all.] [Footnote 1: Of of, in MS.]
VI.
[A] Thus þer stondes in stale þe stif kyng his-seluen, 108 Talkkande bifore þe hy3e table of trifles ful hende [B] There gode Gawan wat3 grayþed, Gwenore bisyde [C] & Agrauayn a la dure mayn on þat oþer syde sittes Boþe þe kynges sister sunes, & ful siker kni3tes; 112 [D] Bischop Bawdewyn abof bi-gine3 þe table, [E] & Ywan, Vryn son, ette wit hym-seluen; Þise were di3t on þe des, & derworþly serued, & siþen mony siker segge at þe sidborde3. 116 [F] Þen þe first cors come with crakkyng of trumpes, Wyth mony baner ful bry3t, þat þer-bi henged, Nwe nakryn noyse with þe noble pipes, Wylde werbles & wy3t wakned lote, 120 Þat mony hert ful hi3e hef at her towches; [G] Dayntes dryuen þer-wyth of ful dere metes, Foysoun of þe fresche, & on so fele disches, Þat pine to fynde þe place þe peple bi-forne 124 For to sette þe syluener,[1] þat sere sewes halden, on clothe; Iche lede as he loued hym-selue Þer laght with-outen loþe, 128 [H] Ay two had disches twelue, [I] Good ber, & bry3t wyn boþe.
[Sidenote A: The king talks with his knights.] [Sidenote B: Gawayne,] [Sidenote C: Agravayn,] [Sidenote D: Bishop Bawdewyn,] [Sidenote E: and Ywain sit on the dais.] [Sidenote F: The first course is served with cracking of trumpets.] [Sidenote G: It consisted of all dainties in season.] [Sidenote H: Each two had dishes twelve,] [Sidenote I: good beer and bright wine both.] [Footnote 1: svlueren (?) (dishes).]
VII.
[A] Now wyl I of hor seruise say yow no more, For vch wyȝe may wel wit no wont þat þer were; 132 [B] An oþer noyse ful newe ne3ed biliue, Þat þe lude my3t haf leue lif-lode to cach. For vneþe wat3 þe noyce not a whyle sesed, & þe fyrst cource in þe court kyndely serued, 136 [C] Þer hales in at þe halle dor an aghlich mayster, On þe most on þe molde on mesure hyghe; Fro þe swyre to þe swange so sware & so þik, [D] & his lyndes & his lymes so longe & so grete, 140 Half etayn in erde I hope þat he were. [Fol. 93.] [E] Bot mon most I algate mynn hym to bene, & þat þe myriest in his muckel þat my3t ride; [F] For of bak & of brest al were his bodi sturne, 144 [G] Bot his wombe & his wast were worthily smale, & alle his fetures fol3ande, in forme þat he hade, ful clene; For wonder of his hwe men hade, 148 Set in his semblaunt sene; He ferde as freke were fade, & ouer-al enker grene.
[Sidenote A: There was no want of anything.] [Sidenote B: Scarcely had the first course commenced,] [Sidenote C: when there rushes in at the hall-door a knight;] [Sidenote D: the tallest on earth] [Sidenote E: he must have been.] [Sidenote F: His back and breast were great,] [Sidenote G: but his belly and waist were small.]
VIII.
[A] Ande al grayþed in grene þis gome & his wedes, 152 A strayt cote ful stre3t, þat stek on his sides, A mere mantile abof, mensked with-inne, With pelure pured apert þe pane ful clene, With blyþe blaunner ful bry3t, & his hod boþe, 156 Þat wat3 la3t fro his lokke3, & layde on his schulderes Heme wel haled, hose of þat same grene, [B] Þat spenet on his sparlyr, & clene spures vnder, Of bry3t golde, vpon silk bordes, barred ful ryche 160 & scholes vnder schankes, þere þe schalk rides; & alle his vesture uerayly wat3 clene verdure, Boþe þe barres of his belt & oþer blyþe stones, Þat were richely rayled in his aray clene, 164 [C] Aboutte hym-self & his sadel, vpon silk werke3, Þat were to tor for to telle of tryfles þe halue, Þat were enbrauded abof, wyth bryddes & fly3es, With gay gaudi of grene, þe golde ay in myddes; 168 Þe pendauntes of his payttrure, þe proude cropure His molaynes, & alle þe metail anamayld was þenne Þe steropes þat he stod on, stayned of þe same, & his arsoun3 al after, & his aþel sturtes, 172 Þat euer glemered[1] & glent al of grene stones. [D] Þe fole þat he ferkkes on, fyn of þat ilke, sertayn; A grene hors gret & þikke, 176 [E] A stede ful stif to strayne, In brawden brydel quik, To þe gome he wat3 ful gayn. [Fol. 93b.]
[Sidenote A: He was clothed entirely in green.] [Sidenote B: His spurs were of bright gold.] [Sidenote C: His saddle was embroidered with birds and flies.] [Sidenote D: The foal that he rode upon was green;] [Sidenote E: it was a steed full stiff to guide.] [Footnote 1: glemed (?).]