[Sidenote A: Then was Gawayne glad,] [Sidenote B: and consents to tarry awhile at the castle.] [Sidenote C: The ladies are brought in to solace him.] [Sidenote D: The lord of the castle asks the knight to grant him one request;] [Sidenote E: That he will stay in his chamber during mass time,] [Sidenote F: and then go to meat with his hostess.] [Sidenote G: Gawayne accedes to his request.]
XXIV.
[A] "3et firre," quod þe freke, "a forwarde we make; Quat-so-euer I wynne in þe wod, hit worþe3 to youre3, [B] & quat chek so 3e acheue, chaunge me þer-forne; 1108 Swete, swap we so, sware with trawþe, Queþer, leude, so lymp lere oþer better." "Bi God," quod Gawayn þe gode, "I grant þer-tylle, & þat yow lyst forto layke, lef hit me þynkes. [Fol. 106.] 1112 [C] "Who bringe3 vus þis beuerage, þis bargayn is maked:" So sayde þe lorde of þat lede; þay la3ed vchone, Þay dronken, & daylyeden, & dalten vnty3tel,[1] Þise lorde3 & ladye3, quyle þat hem lyked; 1116 & syþen with frenkysch fare & fele fayre lote3 Þay stoden, & stemed, & stylly speken, Kysten ful comlyly, & ka3ten her leue. [D] With mony leude ful ly3t, & lemande torches, 1120 Vche burne to his bed wat3 bro3t at þe laste, ful softe; To bed 3et er þay 3ede, Recorded couenaunte3 ofte; 1124 Þe olde lorde of þat leude,[2] Cowþe wel halde layk a-lofte.
[Sidenote A: "Whatsoever," says the host, "I win in the wood shall be yours,] [Sidenote B: and what check you achieve shall be mine."] [Sidenote C: A bargain is made between them.] [Sidenote D: Night approaches and each "to his bed was brought at the last."] [Footnote 1: vntyl ny3te (?).] [Footnote 2: lede (?).]
[FYTTE THE THIRD.]
I.
[A] Ful erly bifore þe day þe folk vp-rysen, Gestes þat go wolde, hor grome3 þay calden, 1128 [B] & þay busken vp bilyue, blonkke3 to sadel, Tyffen he[r] takles, trussen her males, Richen hem þe rychest, to ryde alle arayde, Lepen vp ly3tly, lachen her brydeles, 1132 [C] Vche wy3e on his way, þer hym wel lyked. [D] Þe leue lorde of þe londe wat3 not þe last, A-rayed for þe rydyng, with renkke3 ful mony; [E] Ete a sop hastyly, when he hade herde masse, 1136 With bugle to bent felde he buske3 by-lyue; [F] By þat þat any day-ly3t lemed vpon erþe, He with his haþeles on hy3e horsses weren. [G] Þenne þise cacheres þat couþe, cowpled hor hounde3, 1140 Vnclosed þe kenel dore, & calde hem þer-oute, [H] Blwe bygly in bugle3 þre bare mote; Braches bayed þerfore, & breme noyse maked, [I] & þay chastysed, & charred, on chasyng þat went; 1144 A hundreth of hunteres, as I haf herde telle, of þe best; [J] To trystors vewters 3od, Couples huntes of kest, 1148 Þer ros for blaste3 gode, [Fol. 106b.] [K] Gret rurd in þat forest.
[Sidenote A: Before day-break folks uprise,] [Sidenote B: saddle their horses, and truss their mails.] [Sidenote C: Each goes where it pleases him best.] [Sidenote D: The noble lord of the land arrays himself for riding.] [Sidenote E: He eats a sop hastily and goes to mass.] [Sidenote F: Before day-light he and his men are on their horses.] [Sidenote G: Then the hounds are called out and coupled.] [Sidenote H: Three short notes are blown by the bugles.] [Sidenote I: A hundred hunters join in the chase.] [Sidenote J: To the stations the "fewters" go,] [Sidenote K: and the dogs are cast off.]
II.
[A] At þe fyrst quethe of þe quest quaked þe wylde; Der drof in þe dale, doted for drede, 1152 Hi3ed to þe hy3e, bot heterly þay were [B] Restayed with þe stablye, þat stoutly ascryed; [C] Þay let þe hertte3 haf þe gate, with þe hy3e hedes, Þe breme bukke3 also, with hor brode paume3; 1156 For þe fre lorde hade de-fende in fermysoun tyme, Þat þer schulde no mon mene[1] to þe male dere. [D] Þe hinde3 were halden in, with hay & war, Þe does dryuen with gret dyn to þe depe slade3; 1160 Þer my3t mon se, as þay slypte, slentyng of arwes, [E] At vche [þat] wende vnder wande wapped a flone, Þat bigly bote on þe broun, with ful brode hede3, [F] What! þay brayen, & bleden, bi bonkke3 þay de3en. 1164 & ay rachches in a res radly hem fol3es, Huntere3 wyth hy3e horne hasted hem after, [G] Wyth such a crakkande kry, as klyffes haden brusten; What wylde so at-waped wy3es þat schotten, 1168 Wat3 al to-raced & rent, at þe resayt. Bi þay were tened at þe hy3e, & taysed to þe wattre3, Þe lede3 were so lerned at þe lo3e trysteres, & þe gre-hounde3 so grete, þat geten hem bylyue, 1172 & hem to fylched, as fast as freke3 my3t loke, þer ry3t. [H] Þe lorde for blys abloy Ful oft con launce & ly3t, 1176 [I] & drof þat day wyth Ioy Thus to þe derk ny3t.
[Sidenote A: Roused by the clamour the deer rush to the heights,] [Sidenote B: but are soon driven back.] [Sidenote C: The harts and bucks are allowed to pass,] [Sidenote D: but the hinds and does are driven back to the shades.] [Sidenote E: As they fly they are shot by the bowmen.] [Sidenote F: The hounds and the hunters, with a loud cry, follow in pursuit.] [Sidenote G: Those that escaped the arrows are killed by the hounds.] [Sidenote H: The lord waxes joyful in the chase,] [Sidenote I: which lasted till the approach of night.] [Footnote 1: meue (?).]
III.
[A] Þus layke3 þis lorde by lynde wode3 eue3, & G. þe god mon, in gay bed lyge3, 1180 [B] Lurkke3 quyl þe day-ly3t lemed on þe wowes, Vnder couertour ful clere, cortyned aboute; & as in slomeryng he slode, sle3ly he herde [C] A littel dyn at his dor, & derfly vpon; 1184 & he heue3 vp his hed out of þe cloþes, A corner of þe cortyn he ca3t vp a lyttel, [Fol. 107.] & wayte3 warly þider-warde, quat hit be my3t. [D] Hit wat3 þe ladi, loflyest to be-holde, 1188 Þat dro3 þe dor after hir ful dernly[1] & stylle, [E] & bo3ed to-warde þe bed; & þe burne schamed. & layde hym doun lystyly, & let as he slepte. [F] & ho stepped stilly. & stel to his bedde, 1192 [G] Kest vp þe cortyn, & creped with-inne, & set hir ful softly on þe bed-syde, & lenged þere selly longe, to loke quen he wakened. Þe lede lay lurked a ful longe quyle, 1196 [H] Compast in his concience to quat þat cace my3t Mene oþer amount, to meruayle hym þo3t; Bot 3et he sayde in hym-self, "more semly hit were To aspye wyth my spelle [in] space quat ho wolde." 1200 [I] þen he wakenede, & wroth, & to hir warde torned, [J] & vn-louked his y3e-lydde3, & let as hym wondered, & sayned hym, as bi his sa3e þe sauer to worthe, with hande; 1204 Wyth chynne & cheke ful swete, Boþe quit & red in-blande, Ful lufly con ho lete, Wyth lyppe3 smal la3ande.
[Sidenote A: All this time Gawayne lies a-bed.] [Sidenote B: under "coverture full clear".] [Sidenote C: He hears a noise at his door.] [Sidenote D: A lady, the loveliest to behold, enters softly.] [Sidenote E: She approaches the bed.] [Sidenote F: Gawayne pretends to be asleep.] [Sidenote G: The lady casts up the curtain and sits on the bedside.] [Sidenote H: Gawayne has much wonder thereat.] [Sidenote I: He rouses himself up,] [Sidenote J: unlocks his eyes, and looks as if he were astonished.] [Footnote 1: deruly (?).]
IV.
1208 [A] "God moroun, sir Gawayn," sayde þat fayr lady, "3e ar a sleper vn-sly3e, þat mon may slyde hider; Now ar 3e tan astyt, bot true vus may schape, [B] I schal bynde yow in your bedde, þat be 3e trayst:" 1212 Al la3ande þe lady lanced þo bourde3. [C] "Goud moroun g[aye],"[1] quod Gawayn þe blyþe, "Me schal worþe at your wille, & þat me wel lyke3, For I 3elde me 3ederly, & 3e3e after grace, 1216 & þat is þe best, be my dome, for me by-houe3 nede;" & þus he bourded a-3ayn with mony a blyþe la3ter. [D] "Bot wolde 3e, lady louely, þen leue me grante, & de-prece your prysoun, & pray hym to ryse, 1220 I wolde bo3e of þis bed, & busk me better, I schulde keuer þe more comfort to karp yow wyth." [E] "Nay, for soþe, beau sir," sayd þat swete, [Fol. 107b] "3e schal not rise of your bedde, I rych yow better, 1224 [F] I schal happe yow here þat oþer half als, & syþen karp wyth my kny3t þat I ka3t haue; [G] For I wene wel, Iwysse, sir Wawen 3e are, Þat alle þe worlde worchipe3, quere-so 3e ride; 1228 Your honour, your hendelayk is hendely praysed [H] With lorde3, wyth ladyes, with alle þat lyf bere. & now 3e ar here, iwysse, & we bot oure one; [I] "My lorde & his lede3 ar on lenþe faren, 1232 [J] Oþer burne3 in her bedde, & my burde3 als, [K] Þe dor drawen, & dit with a derf haspe; [L] & syþen I haue in þis hous hym þat al lyke3, I schal ware my whyle wel, quyl hit laste3, 1236 with tale; [M] 3e ar welcum to my cors, Yowre awen won to wale, Me be-houe3 of fyne force, 1240 [N] Your seruaunt be & schale."