XIX.
[A] When Gawayn gly3t on þat gay, þat graciously loked, Wyth leue la3t of þe lorde he went hem a3aynes; 972 [B] Þe alder he haylses, heldande ful lowe, Þe loueloker he lappe3 a lyttel in arme3, [C] He kysses hir comlyly, & kny3tly he mele3; Þay kallen hym of a quoyntaunce, & he hit quyk aske3 976 [D] To be her seruaunt sothly, if hem-self lyked. Þay tan hym bytwene hem, wyth talkyng hym leden [E] To chambre, to chemné, & chefly þay asken [F] Spyce3, þat vn-sparely men speded hom to bryng, 980 & þe wynne-lych wyne þer-with vche tyme. Þe lorde luflych aloft lepe3 ful ofte, Mynned merthe to be made vpon mony syþe3. [G] Hent he3ly of his hode, & on a spere henged, 984 & wayned hom to wynne þe worchip þer-of, [H] Þat most myrþe my3t mene[1] þat crystenmas whyle; "& i schal fonde, bi my fayth, to fylter wyth þe best, Er me wont þe wede3, with help of my frende3." 988 Þus wyth la3ande lote3 þe lorde hit tayt[2] make3, [I] For to glade sir Gawayn with gomne3 in halle þat ny3t; Til þat hit wat3 tyme, 992 Þe kyng comaundet ly3t, [J] Sir Gawen his leue con nyme, & to his bed hym di3t.
[Sidenote A: With permission of the lord,] [Sidenote B: Sir Gawayne salutes the elder,] [Sidenote C: but the younger he kisses,] [Sidenote D: and begs to be her servant.] [Sidenote E: To chamber all go,] [Sidenote F: where spices and wine are served.] [Sidenote G: The lord takes off his hood and places it on a spear.] [Sidenote H: He who makes most mirth is to win it.] [Sidenote I: Night approaches, and then] [Sidenote J: Sir Gawayne takes his leave and retires to rest.] [Footnote 1: meue (?).] [Footnote 2: layt (?).]
XX.
[A] On þe morne, as vch mon myne3 þat tyme, 996 [B] [Þ]at dry3tyn for oure destyné to de3e wat3 borne, Wele waxe3 in vche a won in worlde, for his sake; [C] So did hit þere on þat day, þur3 dayntes mony; Boþe at mes & at mele, messes ful quaynt [Fol. 104b.] 1000 Derf men vpon dece drest of þe best. [D] Þe olde auncian wyf he3est ho sytte3; Þe lorde lufly her by lent, as I trowe; [E] Gawan & þe gay burde to-geder þay seten, 1004 Euen in-mydde3, as þe messe metely come; & syþen þur3 al þe sale, as hem best semed, [F] Bi vche grome at his degre grayþely wat3 serued. Þer wat3 mete, þer wat3 myrþe, þer wat3 much ioye, 1008 Þat for to telle þerof hit me tene were, & to poynte hit 3et I pyned me parauenture; [G] Bot 3et I wot þat Wawen & þe wale burde Such comfort of her compaynye ca3ten to-geder, 1012 Þur3 her dere dalyaunce of her derne worde3, Wyth clene cortays carp, closed fro fylþe; & hor play wat3 passande vche prynce gomen, in vayres; 1016 [H] Trumpe3 & nakerys, Much pypyng þer repayres, Vche mon tented hys, & þay two tented þayres.
[Sidenote A: On Christmas morn,] [Sidenote B: joy reigns in every dwelling in the world.] [Sidenote C: So did it in the castle where our knight abode.] [Sidenote D: The lord and "the old ancient wife" sit together.] [Sidenote E: Gawayne sits by the wife of his host.] [Sidenote F: It were too tedious to tell of the meat, the mirth, and the joy that abounded everywhere.] [Sidenote G: Gawayne and his beautiful companion derive much comfort from each other's conversation.] [Sidenote H: Trumpets and nakers give forth their sounds.]
XXI.
1020 [A] Much dut wat3 þer dryuen þat day & þat oþer, & þe þryd as þro þronge in þerafter; [B] Þe ioye of sayn Ione3 day wat3 gentyle to here, & wat3 þe last of þe layk, leude3 þer þo3ten. 1024 Þer wer gestes to go vpon þe gray morne, For-þy wonderly þay woke, & þe wyn dronken, Daunsed ful dre3ly wyth dere carole3; [C] At þe last, when hit wat3 late, þay lachen her leue, 1028 Vchon to wende on his way, þat wat3 wy3e stronge. Gawan gef hym god-day, þe god mon hym lachche3, Ledes hym to his awen chambre, þ[e] chymné bysyde, [D] & þere he dra3e3 hym on-dry3e, & derely hym þonkke3, 1032 Of þe wynne worschip &[1] he hym wayned hade, As to honour his hous on þat hy3e tyde, & enbelyse his bur3 with his bele chere. "I-wysse sir, quyl I leue, me worþe3 þe better, 1036 Þat Gawayn hat3 ben my gest, at Godde3 awen fest." [Fol. 105.] "Grant merci[2] sir," quod Gawayn, "in god fayth hit is yowre3, Al þe honour is your awen, þe he3e kyng yow 3elde; & I am wy3e at your wylle, to worch youre hest, 1040 As I am halden þer-to, in hy3e & in lo3e, bi ri3t." [E] Þe lorde fast can hym payne, To holde lenger þe kny3t, 1044 To hym answre3 Gawayn, Bi non way þat he my3t.
[Sidenote A: Great was the joy for three days.] [Sidenote B: St. John's-day was the last of the Christmas festival.] [Sidenote C: On the morrow many of the guests took their departure from the castle.] [Sidenote D: Sir Gawayne is thanked by his host for the honour and pleasure of his visit.] [Sidenote E: He endeavours to keep the knight at his court.] [Footnote 1: þat (?).] [Footnote 2: nerci, in MS.]
XXII.
[A] Then frayned þe freke ful fayre at him-seluen, Quat derne[1] dede had hym dryuen, at þat dere tyme, 1048 So kenly fro þe kynge3 kourt to kayre al his one, Er þe halidaye3 holly were halet out of toun? [B] "For soþe sir," quod þe segge, "3e sayn bot þe trawþe A he3e ernde & a hasty me hade fro þo wone3, 1052 For I am sumned my selfe to sech to a place, I wot[2] in worlde wheder warde to wende, hit to fynde; I nolde, bot if I hit negh my3t on nw3eres morne, For alle þe londe in-wyth Logres, so me oure lorde help! 1056 For-þy, sir, þis enquest I require yow here, [C] Þat 3e me telle with trawþe, if euer 3e tale herde Of þe grene chapel, quere hit on grounde stonde3, & of þe kny3t þat hit kepes, of colour of grene? 1060 Þer wat3 stabled bi statut a steuen vus by-twene, [D] To mete þat mon at þat mere, 3if I my3t last; & of þat ilk nw3ere hot neked now wonte3, & I wolde loke on þat lede, if God me let wolde, 1064 Gladloker, bi Godde3 sun, þen any god welde! For-þi, I-wysse, bi 3owre wylle, wende me bi-houes, [E] Naf I now to busy bot bare þre daye3, & me als fayn to falle feye as fayly of myyn ernde." 1068 [F] Þenne la3ande quod þe lorde, "now leng þe by-houes, For I schal teche yow to þa[t] terme bi þe tyme3 ende, Þe grene chapayle vpon grounde, greue yow no more; Bot 3e schal be in yowre bed, burne, at þyn ese, 1072 Quyle forth dayej, & ferk on pe fyrst of pe 3ere, & cum to þat merk at mydmorn, to make quat yow like3 [Fol. 105b] in spenne; Dowelle3 whyle new 3eres daye, 1076 & rys, & rayke3 þenne, [G] Mon schal yow sette in waye, Hit is not two myle henne."
[Sidenote A: He desires to know what had driven Sir Gawayne from Arthur's court before the end of the Christmas holidays.] [Sidenote B: The knight replies that "a high errand and a hasty one" had forced him to leave the court.] [Sidenote C: He asks his host whether he has ever heard of the Green Chapel,] [Sidenote D: for he has to be there on New Year's-day.] [Sidenote E: He wonld as lief die as fail in his errand.] [Sidenote F: The prince tells Sir Gawayne that he will teach him the way.] [Sidenote G: The Green chapel is not more than two miles from the castle.] [Footnote 1: derue (?).] [Footnote 2: not (?).]
XXIII.
[A] Þenne wat3 Gawan ful glad, & gomenly he la3ed,-- 1080 "Now I þonk yow þryuandely þur3 alle oþer þynge, [B] Now acheued is my chaunce, I schal at your wylle Dowelle, & elle3 do quat 3e demen." Þenne sesed hym þe syre, & set hym bysyde, 1084 [C] Let þe ladie3 be fette, to lyke hem þe better; Þer wat3 seme solace by hem-self stille; Þe lorde let for luf lote3 so myry, As wy3 þat wolde of his wyte, ne wyst quat he my3t. 1088 Þenne he carped to þe kny3t, criande loude, [D] "3e han demed to do þe dede þat I bidde; Wyl 3e halde þis hes here at þys one3?" "3e sir, for-soþe," sayd þe segge trwe, 1092 "Whyl I byde in yowre bor3e, be bayn to 3ow[r]e hest." "For 3e haf trauayled," quod þe tulk, "towen fro ferre, & syþen waked me wyth, 3e arn not wel waryst, [E] Nauþer of sostnaunce ne of slepe, soþly I knowe; 1096 3e schal lenge in your lofte, & ly3e in your ese, [F] To morn quyle þe messe-quyle, & to mete wende, When 3e wyl, wyth my wyf, þat wyth yow schal sitte, & comfort yow with compayny, til I to cort torne, 1100 3e lende; & I schal erly ryse, On huntyng wyl I wende." [G] Gauayn grante3 alle þyse, 1104 Hym heldande, as þe hende.