[Sidenote A: "Good morrow", says the lady, "ye are a careless sleeper to let one enter thus.] [Sidenote B: I shall bind you in your bed, of that be ye sure."] [Sidenote C: "Good morrow," says the knight, "I am well pleased to be at your service;] [Sidenote D: but permit me to rise and dress myself."] [Sidenote E: "Nay, beau sir," said that sweet one,] [Sidenote F: "I shall hold talk with you here.] [Sidenote G: I know well that you are Gawayne that all the woild worships.] [Sidenote H: We are by ourselves;] [Sidenote I: My lord and his men are far off.] [Sidenote J: Other men are in their beds, so are my maidens.] [Sidenote K: The door is safely closed.] [Sidenote L: Since I have him in house that every one likes, I shall use my time well while it lasts.] [Sidenote M: Ye are welcome to my body.] [Sidenote N: I shall be your servant."] [Footnote 1: This word is illegible in the MS.]
V.
"In god fayth," quod Gawayn, "gayn hit me þynkke3, [A] Þa3 I be not now he þat 3e of speken; To reche to such reuerence as 3e reherce here 1244 I am wy3e vn-worþy, I wot wel my-seluen; Bi God, I were glad, & yow god þo3t, [B] At sa3e oþer at seruyce þat I sette my3t To þe plesaunce of your prys, hit were a pure ioye." 1248 "In god fayth, sir Gawayn," quod þe gay lady, "Þe prys & þe prowes þat plese3 al oþer, If I hit lakked, oþer set at ly3t, hit were littel daynté; [C] Bot hit ar ladyes in-no3e, þat leuer wer nowþe 1252 Haf þe hende in hor holde, as I þe habbe here, To daly witt derely your daynté worde3, Keuer hem comfort, & colen her care3, [D] Þen much of þe garysourn oþer golde þat[1] þay hauen; 1256 Bot I louue[2] þat ilk lorde þat þe lyfte halde3, I haf hit holly in my honde þat al desyres, þur3e grace." Scho made hym so gret chere, 1260 Þat wat3 so fayr of face, [Fol. 108.] [E] Þe kny3t with speches skere, A[n]swared to vche a cace.
[Sidenote A: "I am unworthy," says Sir Gawayne, "to reach to such reverence as ye rehearse.] [Sidenote B: I shall be glad, however, to please you by word, or service."] [Sidenote C: "There are ladies," says his visitor, "who would prefer thy company] [Sidenote D: to much of the gold that they possess."] [Sidenote E: The knight answers the lady's questions.] [Footnote 1: MS. þat þat.] [Footnote 2: louie or loune (?).]
VI.
[A] "Madame," quod þe myry mon, "Mary yow 3elde, 1264 For I haf founden, in god fayth, yowre fraunchis nobele, & oþer ful much of oþer folk fongen hor dede3; Bot þe daynté þat þay delen for my disert nysen, Hit is þe worchyp of your-self, þat no3t hot wel conne3." 1268 [B] "Bi Mary," quod þe menskful, "me þynk hit anoþer; For were I worth al þe wone of wymmen alyue, & al þe wele of þe worlde were in my honde, [C] & I schulde chepen & chose, to cheue me a lorde, 1272 For þe costes þat I haf knowen vpun þe kny3t here, Of bewté, & debonerté, & blyþe semblaunt, [D] & þat I haf er herkkened, & halde hit here trwee, Þer schulde no freke vpon folde bifore yow be chosen." 1276 "I-wysse, worþy," quod þe wy3e, "3e haf waled wel better, [E] Bot I am proude of þe prys þat 3e put on me, & soberly your seruaunt my souerayn I holde yow, & yowre kny3t I be-com, & Kryst yow for-3elde." 1280 Þus þay meled of much-quat, til myd-morn paste, & ay þe lady let lyk, a[1] hym loued mych; [F] Þe freke ferde with defence, & feted ful fayre. Þa3 I were burde bry3test, þe burde in mynde hade, 1284 Þe lasse luf in his lode, for lur þat he so3t, boute hone; Þe dunte þat schulde[2] hym deue, & nede3 hit most be done; 1288 [G] Þe lady þenn spek of leue. He granted hir ful sone.
[Sidenote A: Gawayne tells her that he prefers her conversation before that of all others.] [Sidenote B: The lady declares by Mary,] [Sidenote C: that were she about to choose her a lord,] [Sidenote D: she would select Gawayne before any man on earth.] [Sidenote E: Gawayne tells her that he will become her own knight and faithful servant.] [Sidenote F: The remembrance of his adventure prevents him from thinking of love.] [Sidenote G: The lady takes leave of Sir Gawayne.] [Footnote 1: and (?)] [Footnote 2: sclulde, in MS.]
VII.
[A] Þenne ho gef hym god-day, & wyth a glent la3ed. & as ho stod, ho stonyed hym wyth ful stor worde3: 1292 [B] "Now he þat spede3 vche spech, þis disport 3elde yow! Bot þat 3e be Gawan, hit got3 in mynde." "Quer-fore?" quod þe freke, & freschly he aske3, Ferde lest he hade fayled in fourme of his castes; 1296 Bot þe burde hym blessed, & bi þis skyl sayde, "So god as Gawayn gaynly is halden, [Fol. 108b.] & cortaysye is closed so clene in hym-seluen, [C] Couth not ly3tly haf lenged so long wyth a lady, 1300 Bot he had craued a cosse, bi his courtaysye, Bi sum towch of summe tryfle, at sum tale3 ende." [D] Þen quod Wowen, "I-wysse, worþe as yow lyke3, I schal kysse at your comaundement, as a kny3t falle3, 1304 & fire[1] lest he displese yow, so[2] plede hit no more." [E] Ho comes nerre with þat, & cache3 hym in arme3, Loute3 luflych adoun, & þe leude kysse3; Þay comly bykennen to Kryst ayþer oþer; 1308 Ho dos hir forth at þe dore, with-outen dyn more. & he ryches hym to ryse, & rapes hym sone, [F] Clepes to his chamberlayn, choses his wede, Bo3e3 forth, quen he wat3 boun, blyþely to masse, 1312 & þenne he meued to his mete, þat menskly hym keped, [G] & made myry al day til þe mone rysed, with game; With[3] neuer freke fayrer fonge, 1316 [H] Bitwene two so dyngne dame, Þe alder & þe 3onge, Much solace set þay same.
[Sidenote A: With a laughing glance, she says,] [Sidenote B: "I am doubtful whether ye be Gawayne.] [Sidenote C: Were it he, surely, ere this, he would have craved a kiss."] [Sidenote D: "I shall kiss," says the knight, "at your commandment."] [Sidenote E: With that the lady catches him in her arms and kisses him.] [Sidenote F: Gawayne then rises and goes to mass.] [Sidenote G: He makes mirth all day till the moon rises,] [Sidenote H: between the "two dames," the older and the younger.] [Footnote 1: fere (?).] [Footnote 2: fo, in MS.] [Footnote 3: Was (?) Nas (?).]
VIII.
[A] And ay þe lorde of þe londe is lent on his gamne3, 1320 To hunt in holte3 & heþe, at hynde3 barayne, Such a sowme he þer slowe bi þat þe sunne heldet, Of dos & of oþer dere, to deme were wonder. Þenne fersly þay flokked in folk at þe laste, 1324 [B] & quykly of þe quelled dere a querré þay maked; Þe best bo3ed þerto, with burne3 in-noghe, [C] Gedered þe grattest of gres þat þer were, & didden hem derely vndo, as þe dede aske3; 1328 [D] Serched hem at þe asay, summe þat þer were, Two fyngeres þay fonde of þe fowlest of alle; [E] Syþen þay slyt þe slot, sesed þe erber, [F] Schaued wyth a scharp knyf, & þe schyre knitten; 1332 Syþen rytte þay þe foure lymmes, & rent of þe hyde, [G] Þen brek þay þe bale, þe bale3 out token, [H] Lystily forlancyng, & bere of þe knot; [Fol. 109.] Þay gryped to þe gargulun, & grayþely departed 1336 [I] Þe wesaunt fro þe wynt-hole, & walt out þe gutte3; Þen scher þay out þe schuldere3 with her scharp knyue3, [J] Haled hem by a lyttel hole, to haue hole sydes; Siþen britned þay þe brest, & brayden hit in twynne, 1340 & eft at þe gargulun bigyne3 on þenne, [K] Ryue3 hit vp radly, ry3t to þe by3t, Voyde3 out þe a-vanters, & verayly þerafter Alle þe ryme3 by þe rybbe3 radly þay lance; 1344 So ryde þay of by resoun bi þe rygge bone3, Euenden to þe haunche, þat henged alle samen, & heuen hit vp al hole, & hwen hit of þere, & þat þayneme for þe noumbles, bi nome as I trowe, 1348 bi kynde; [L] Bi þe by3t al of þe þy3es, Þe lappe3 þay lance bi-hynde, [M] To hewe hit in two þay hy3es, 1352 Bi þe bak-bon to vnbynde.
[Sidenote A: Meanwhile the lord of the land and his men hunt in woods and heaths.] [Sidenote B: Quickly of the killed a "quarry" they make.] [Sidenote C: Then they set about breaking the deer.] [Sidenote D: They take away the assay or fat,] [Sidenote E: then they slit the slot and remove the erber.] [Sidenote F: They afterwards rip the four limbs and rend off the hide.] [Sidenote G: They next open the belly] [Sidenote H: and take out the bowels.] [Sidenote I: They then separate the weasand from the windhole and throw out the guts.] [Sidenote J: The shoulders are cut out, and the breast divided into halves.] [Sidenote K: The numbles are next removed.] [Sidenote L: By the fork of the thighs,] [Sidenote M: the flaps are hewn in two by the backbone.]