XV.
[A] Gawayn gly3t on þe gome þat godly hym gret, [B] & þu3t hit a bolde burne þat þe bur3 a3te, 844 A hoge haþel for þe none3, & of hyghe elde;[1] [C] Brode bry3t wat3 his berde, & al beuer hwed, Sturne stif on þe stryþþe on stal-worth schonke3, [D] Felle face as þe fyre, & fre of hys speche; 848 & wel hym semed for soþe, as þe segge þu3t, To lede a lortschyp in lee of leude3 ful gode. [E] Þe lorde hym charred to a chambre, & chefly cumaunde3[2] [Fol.] To delyuer hym a leude, hym lo3ly to serue; [102b.] 852 & þere were boun at his bode burne3 in-no3e, [F] Þat bro3t hym to a bry3t boure, þer beddyng wat3 noble, Of cortynes of clene sylk, wyth cler golde hemme3, [G] & couertore3 ful curious, with comlych pane3, 856 Of bry3t blaunnier a-boue enbrawded bisyde3, Rudele3 rennande on rope3, red golde rynge3, [H] Tapyte3 ty3t to þe wo3e, of tuly & tars, & vnder fete, on þe flet, of fol3ande sute. 860 [I] Þer he wat3 dispoyled, wyth speche3 of myerþe, Þe burn of his bruny, & of his bry3t wede3; [J] Ryche robes ful rad renkke3 hem[3] bro3ten, For to charge, & to chaunge, & chose of þe best. 864 Sone as he on hent, & happed þer-inne, Þat sete on hym[4] semly, wyth saylande skyrte3, [K] Þe ver by his uisage verayly hit semed Wel ne3 to vche haþel alle on hwes, 868 Lowande & lufly, alle his lymme3 vnder, [L] Þat a comloker kny3t neuer Kryst made, hem þo3t; Wheþen in worlde he were, 872 Hit semed as he my3t Be prynce with-outen pere, In felde þer felle men fy3t.
[Sidenote A: Gawayne looks on his host;] [Sidenote B: a big bold one he seemed.] [Sidenote C: Beaver-hued was his broad beard,] [Sidenote D: and his face as "fell as the fire."] [Sidenote E: The lord leads Gawayne to a chamber, and assigns him a page to wait upon him.] [Sidenote F: In this bright bower was noble bedding;] [Sidenote G: the curtains were of pure silk with golden hems;] [Sidenote H: Tarsic tapestries covered the walls and the floor.] [Sidenote I: Here the knight doffed his armour,] [Sidenote J: and put on rich robes,] [Sidenote K: which well became him.] [Sidenote L: A more comely knight Christ never made.] [Footnote 1: eldee, MS.] [Footnote 2: clesly, MS.] [Footnote 3: hym (?).] [Footnote 4: MS. hyn.]
XVI.
[A] A cheyer by-fore þe chemné, þer charcole brenned, 876 Wat3 grayþed for sir Gawan, grayþely with cloþe3, Whyssynes vpon queldepoyntes, þa[t] koynt wer boþe; [B] & þenne a mere mantyle wat3 on þat mon cast, Of a broun bleeaunt, enbrauded ful ryche, 880 & fayre furred wyth-inne with felle3 of þe best, Alle of ermyn in erde, his hode of þe same; & he sete in þat settel semlych ryche, & achaufed hym chefly,[1] & þenne his cher mended. 884 [C] Sone wat3 telded vp a tapit, on treste3 ful fayre, [D] Clad wyth a clene cloþe, þat cler quyt schewed, Sanap, & salure, & syluer-in spone3; Þe wy3e wesche at his wylle, & went to his mete [Fol. 103.] 888 Segge3 hym serued semly in-no3e, [E] Wyth sere sewes & sete,[2] sesounde of þe best, Double felde, as hit falle3, & fele kyn fische3; [F] Summe baken in bred, summe brad on þe glede3, 892 [G] Summe soþen, summe in sewe, sauered with spyces, & ay sawes[3] so sle3e3, þat þe segge lyked. Þe freke calde hit a fest ful frely & ofte, [H] Ful hendely, quen alle þe haþeles re-hayted hym at one3 896 as hende; "Þis penaunce now 3e take, & eft hit schal amende;" [I] Þat mon much merþe con make. 900 For wyn in his hed þat wende.
[Sidenote A: A chair is placed for Sir Gawayne before the fireplace.] [Sidenote B: A mantle of fine linen, richly embroidered, is thrown over him.] [Sidenote C: A table is soon raised,] [Sidenote D: and the knight, having washed, proceeded to meat.] [Sidenote E: He is served with numerous dishes;] [Sidenote F: with fish baked and broiled,] [Sidenote G: or boiled and seasoned with spices.] [Sidenote H: He calls it a full noble feast,] [Sidenote I: and much mirth he makes, for the wine is in his head.] [Footnote 1: MS. cefly.] [Footnote 2: swete (?).] [Footnote 3: sewes (?).]
XVII.
[A] Þenne wat3 spyed & spured vpon spare wyse. Bi preue poynte3 of þat prynce, put to hym-seluen, Þat he be-knew cortaysly of þe court þat he were, 904 [B] Þat aþel Arthure þe hende halde3 hym one, Þat is þe ryche ryal kyng of þe rounde table; & hit wat3 Wawen hym-self þat in þat won sytte3, Comen to þat krystmasse, as case hym þen lymped. 908 [C] When þe lorde hade lerned þat he þe leude hade, Loude la3ed he þerat, so lef hit hym þo3t, [D] & alle þe men in þat mote maden much joye, To apere in his presense prestly þat tyme, 912 Þat alle prys, & prowes, & pured þewes Apendes to hys persoun, & praysed is euer, By-fore alle men vpon molde, his mensk is þe most. [E] Vch segge ful softly sayde to his fere, 916 [F] "Now schal we semlych se sle3te3 of þewe3, & þe teccheles termes of talkyng noble, Wich spede is in speche, vnspurd may we lerne, [G] Syn we haf fonged þat fyne fader of nurture; 920 God hat3 geuen vus his grace godly for soþe, Þat such a gest as Gawan graunte3 vus to haue, When burne3 blyþe of his burþe schal sitte & synge. 924 In menyng of manere3 mere, Þis burne now schal vus bryng, [Fol. 103b.] [H] I hope þat may hym here, Schal lerne of luf-talkyng."
[Sidenote A: Sir Gawayne, in answer to questions put to him,] [Sidenote B: tells the prince that he is of Arthur's court.] [Sidenote C: When this was made known,] [Sidenote D: great was the joy in the hall.] [Sidenote E: Each one said softly to his mate,] [Sidenote F: "Now we shall see courteous manners and hear noble speech,] [Sidenote G: for we have amongst us the 'father of nurture.'] [Sidenote H: He that may him hear shall learn of love-talking."]
XVIII.
928 [A] Bi þat þe diner wat3 done, & þe dere vp, Hit wat3 ne3 at þe niy3t ne3ed þe tyme; Chaplayne3[1] to þe chapeles chosen þe gate, Rungen ful rychely, ry3t as þay schulden, 932 [B] To þe hersum euensong of þe hy3e tyde. Þe lorde loutes þerto, & þe lady als, In-to a comly closet coyntly ho entre3; Gawan glyde3 ful gay, & gos þeder sone; 936 Þe lorde laches hym by þe lappe, & lede3 hym to sytte, & couþly hym knowe3, & calle3 hym his nome, & sayde he wat3 þe welcomest wy3e of þe worlde; [C] & he hym þonkked þroly, & ayþer halched oþer. 940 & seten soberly samen þe seruise-quyle; Þenne lyst þe lady to loke on þe kny3t. [D] Þenne com ho of hir closet, with mony cler burde3, Ho wat3 þe fayrest in felle, of flesche & of lyre, 944 & of compas, & colour, & costes of alle oþer, [E] & wener þen Wenore, as þe wy3e þo3t. He ches þur3 þe chaunsel, to cheryche þat hende; [F] An oþer lady hir lad bi þe lyft honde, 948 Þat wat3 alder þen ho, an auncian hit semed, & he3ly honowred with haþele3 aboute. [G] Bot yn-lyke on to loke þo ladyes were, [H] For if þe 3onge wat3 3ep, 3ol3e wat3 þat oþer; 952 Riche red on þat on rayled ay quere, [I] Rugh ronkled cheke3 þat oþer on rolled; Kerchofes of þat on wyth mony cler perle3 [J] Hir brest & hir bry3t þrote bare displayed, 956 Schon schyrer þen snawe, þat scheder[2] on hille3; Þat oþer wyth a gorger wat3 gered ouer þe swyre, Chymbled ouer hir blake chyn with mylk-quyte vayles, [K] Hir frount folden in sylk, enfoubled ay quere, 960 Toret & treieted with tryfle3 aboute, [L] Þat no3t wat3 bare of þat burde bot þe blake bro3es. [Fol. 104.] Þe tweyne y3en, & þe nase, þe naked lyppe3, & þose were soure to se, & sellyly blered; 964 A mensk lady on molde mon may hir calle, for gode; [M] Hir body wat3 schort & þik. [N] Hir buttoke3 bay & brode, 968 More lykker-wys on to lyk, Wat3 þat scho hade on lode.
[Sidenote A: After dinner the company go to the chapel,] [Sidenote B: to hear the evensong of the great season.] [Sidenote C: The lord of the castle and Sir Gawayne sit together during service.] [Sidenote D: His wife, accompanied by her maids, leaves her seat.] [Sidenote E: She appeared even fairer than Guenever.] [Sidenote F: An older lady (an ancient one she seemed) led her by the hand.] [Sidenote G: Very unlike were these two.] [Sidenote H: if the young one was fair the other was yellow,] [Sidenote I: and had rough and wrinkled cheeks.] [Sidenote J: The younger had breast and throat "bare displayed."] [Sidenote K: The ancient one exposed only her "black brows," her two eyes,] [Sidenote L: nose, and naked lips, all sour and bleared.] [Sidenote M: Her body was short and thick;] [Sidenote N: her buttocks broad and round.] [Footnote 1: MS. [claplayne3.]] [Footnote 2: schedes (?).]