IX.
[A] Boþe þe hede & þe hals þay hwen of þenne, & syþen sunder þay þe syde3 swyft fro þe chyne, & þe corbeles fee þay kest in a greue;[1] 1356 Þenn þurled þay ayþer þik side þur3, bi þe rybbe, & henged þenne a[y]þer bi ho3es of þe fourche3, Vche freke for his fee, as falle3 forto haue. Vpon a felle of þe fayre best, fede þay þayr houndes, 1360 [B] Wyth þe lyuer & þe ly3te3, þe leþer of þe paunche3, & bred baþed in blod, blende þer amonge3; Baldely þay blw prys, bayed þayr rachche3, [C] Syþen fonge þay her flesche folden to home, 1364 Strakande ful stoutly mony stif mote3. Bi þat þe dayly3t wat3 done, þe douthe wat3 al wonen In-to þe comly castel, þer þe kny3t bide3 ful stille; 1368 Wyth blys & bry3t fyr bette, Þe lord is comen þer-tylle, [D] When Gawayn wyth hym mette, Þer wat3 bot wele at wylle.
[Sidenote A: After this the head and neck are cut off, and the sides severed from the chine.] [Sidenote B: With the liver, lights and paunches, they feed the hounds.] [Sidenote C: Then they make for home.] [Sidenote D: Gawayne goes out to meet his host.] [Footnote 1: grene (?).]
X.
1372 [A] Thenne comaunded þe lorde in þat sale to samen alle þe meny,[Fol.] Boþe þe ladyes on loghe to ly3t with her burdes, [109b.] [B] Bi-fore alle þe folk on þe flette, freke3 he bedde3 Verayly his venysoun to fech hym byforne; 1376 [C] & al godly in gomen Gaway[n] he called, Teche3 hym to þe tayles of ful tayt bestes, Schewe3 hym þe schyree grece schorne vpon rybbes. [D] "How paye3 yow þis play? haf I prys wonnen? 1380 Haue I þryuandely þonk þur3 my craft serued?" "3e I-wysse," quod þat oþer wy3e, "here is wayth fayrest [E] Þat I se3 þis seuen 3ere in sesoun of wynter." "& al I gif yow, Gawayn," quod þe gome þenne, 1384 "For by a-corde of couenaunt 3e craue hit as your awen." "Þis is soth," quod þe segge, "I say yow þatilke, &[1] I haf worthyly þis wone3 wyth-inne, [F] I-wysse with as god wylle hit worþe3 to 3oure3." 1388 He hasppe3 his fayre hals his arme3 wyth-inne, & kysses hym as comlyly as he[2] couþe awyse: "Tas yow þere my cheuicaunce, I cheued no more, I wowche hit saf fynly, þa3 feler hit were." 1392 "Hit is god," quod þe god mon, "grant mercy þerfore, [G] Hit may be such, hit is þe better, &[1] 3e me breue wolde Where 3e wan þis ilk wele, biwytte of hor[3] seluen?" [H] "Þat wat3 not forward," quod he, "frayst me no more, 1396 For 3e haftan þat yow tyde3, trawe3e non oþer 3e mowe." Þay la3ed, & made hem blyþe, [I] Wyth lote3 þat were to lowe, 1400 To soper þay 3ede asswyþe, Wyth dayntes nwe in-nowe.
[Sidenote A: The lord commands all his household to assemble,] [Sidenote B: and the venison to be brought before him.] [Sidenote C: He calls Gawayne,] [Sidenote D: and asks him whether he does not deserve much praise for his success in the chase.] [Sidenote E: On the knight expressing himself satisfied, he is told to take the whole according to a former agreement between them.] [Sidenote F: Gawayne gives the knight a comely kiss in return.] [Sidenote G: His host desires to know where he has gotten such weal.] [Sidenote H: As this does not enter into the covenant, he gets no answer to his question.] [Sidenote I: They then proceed to supper, where were dainties new and enough.] [Footnote 1: And = an.] [Footnote 2: ho, in MS.] [Footnote 3: your (?).]
XI.
[A] And syþen by þe chymné in chamber þay seten. [B] Wy3e3 þe walle wyn we3ed to hem oft, 1404 & efte in her bourdyng þay bayþen in þe morn, To fylle þe same forwarde3 þat þay by-fore maden, [C] Þat chaunce so bytyde3 hor cheuysaunce to chaunge, What nwe3 so þay nome, at na3t quen þay metten 1408 Þay acorded of þe couenaunte3 byfore þe court alle; Þe beuerage wat3 bro3t forth in bourde at þat tyme; [Fol. 110.] [D] Þenne þay louelych le3ten leue at þe last, Vche burne to his bedde busked bylyue. 1412 [E] Bi þat þe coke hade crowe3[1] & cakled bot þryse, Þe lorde wat3 lopen of his bedde, [&] þe leude3 vch one, So þat þe mete & þe masse wat3 metely delyuered; Þe douthe dressed to þe wod, er any day sprenged, 1416 to chace; [F] He3 with hunte & horne3, Þur3 playne3 þay passe in space, Vn-coupled among þo þorne3, 1420 Rache3 þat ran on race.
[Sidenote A: By the hearth they sit.] [Sidenote B: Wine is carried round.] [Sidenote C: Again Sir Gawayne and his host renew their agreement.] [Sidenote D: Then they take leave of each other and hasten to bed.] [Sidenote E: Scarce had the cock cackled thrice when the lord was up.] [Sidenote F: With his hunters and horns they pursue the chase.] [Footnote 1: crowed (?).]
XII.
[A] Sone þay calle of a quest in aker syde, Þe hunt re-hayted þe hounde3, þat hit fyrst mynged, [B] Wylde worde3 hym warp wyth a wrast noyce; 1424 Þe hownde3 þat hit herde, hastid þider swyþe, & fellen as fast to þe fuyt, fourty at ones; Þenne such a glauerande glam of gedered rachche3 Ros, þat þe rochere3 rungen aboute; 1428 Huntere3 hem hardened with horne & wyth muthe. [C] Þen al in a semblé sweyed to-geder, Bitwene a flosche in þat fryth, & a foo cragge; In a knot, bi a clyffe, at þe kerre syde, 1432 Þer as þe rogh rocher vn-rydely wat3 fallen, [Þay] ferden to þe fyndyng, & freke3 hem after; [D] Þay vmbe-kesten þe knarre & þe knot boþe. Wy3e3, whyl þay wysten wel wyt inne hem hit were, 1436 Þe best þat þer breued wat3 wyth þe blod hounde3. [E] Þenne þay beten on þe buske3, & bede hym vp ryse, & he vnsoundyly out so3t segge3 ouer-þwert, [F] On þe sellokest swyn swenged out þere, 1440 Long sythen for[1] þe sounder þat wi3t for-olde, For he wat3 b[este &] bor alþer grattest, [And eue]re quen he gronyed, þenne greued mony, [G] For [þre a]t þe fyrst þrast he þry3t to þe erþe, 1444 & [sped hym] forth good sped, boute spyt more, [Ande þay] halowed hyghe ful hy3e & hay! hay! cryed Haden horne3 to mouþe heterly rechated; [Fol. 110b.] [H] Mony wat3 þe myry mouthe of men & of hounde3, 1448 Þat buskke3 after þis bor, with bost & wyth noyse, To quelle; Ful oft he byde3 þe baye, & mayme3 þe mute Inn-melle, 1452 [I] He hurte3 of þe hounde3, & þay Ful 3omerly 3aule & 3elle.
[Sidenote A: The hunters cheer on the hounds,] [Sidenote B: which fall to the scent forty at once.] [Sidenote C: All come together by the side of a cliff.] [Sidenote D: They look about on all sides,] [Sidenote E: and beat on the bushes.] [Sidenote F: Out there rushes a fierce wild boar,] [Sidenote G: At the first thrust he fells three to the ground.] [Sidenote H: Full quickly the hunters pursue him.] [Sidenote I: However, he attacks the hounds, causing them to yowl and yell.] [Footnote 1: fro (?).]
XIII.
[A] Schalke3 to schote at hym schowen to þenne, Haled to hym of her arewe3, hitten hym oft; 1456 Bot þe poynte3 payred at þe pyth þat py3t in his schelde3, & þe barbe3 of his browe bite non wolde, [B] Þa3 þe schauen schaft schyndered in pece3, Þe hede hypped a3ayn, were-so-euer hit hitte; 1460 [C] Bot quon þe dynte3 hym dered of her dry3e stroke3, Þen, brayn-wod for bate, on burne3 he rase3, [D] Hurte3 hem ful heterly þer he forth hy3e3, & mony ar3ed þerat, & on-lyte dro3en. 1464 Bot þe lorde on a ly3t horce launces hym after, [E] As burne bolde vpon bent his bugle he blowe3, He rechated, & r[ode][1] þur3 rone3 ful þyk, Suande þis wy[ld]e swyn til þe sunne schafted. 1468 [F] Þis day wyth þis ilk dede þay dryuen on þis wyse, Whyle oure luflych lede lys in his bedde, [G] Gawayn grayþely at home, in gere3 ful ryche of hewe; 1472 Þe lady no3t for3ate, Com to hym to salue, Ful erly ho wat3 hym ate, His mode forto remwe.
[Sidenote A: The bowmen send their arrows after this wild swine,] [Sidenote B: but they glide off shivered in pieces.] [Sidenote C: Enraged with the blows,] [Sidenote D: he attacks the hunters.] [Sidenote E: The lord of the land blows his bugle,] [Sidenote F: and pursues the boar.] [Sidenote G: All this time Gawayne lies a-bed.] [Footnote 1: The MS. is here almost illegible.]
XIV.
1476 [A] Ho commes to þe cortyn, & at þe kny3t totes, Sir Wawen her welcumed worþy on fyrst, & ho hym 3elde3 a3ayn, ful 3erne of hir worde3, [B] Sette3 hir sof[t]ly by his syde, & swyþely ho la3e3, 1480 & wyth a luflych loke ho layde[1] hym þyse worde3: "Sir, 3if 3e be Wawen, wonder me þynkke3, Wy3e þat is so wel wrast alway to god, & conne3 not of compaynye þe coste3 vnder-take, 1484 & if mon kennes yow hom to knowe, 3e kest hom of your mynde;[Fol.] [C] Þou hat3 for-3eten 3ederly þat 3isterday I ta3tte [111] alder-truest token of talk þat I cowþe." "What is þat?" quod þe wyghe, "I-wysse I wot neuer, 1488 If hit be sothe þat 3e breue, þe blame is myn awen." [D] "3et I kende yow of kyssyng," quod þe clere þenne, "Quere-so countenaunce is couþe, quikly to clayme, Þat bicumes vche a kny3t, þat cortaysy vses." 1492 "Do way," quod þat derf mon, "my dere, þat speche, [E] For þat durst I not do, lest I denayed were, If I were werned, I were wrang I-wysse, 3if I profered." "Ma fay," quod þe mere wyf, "3e may not be werned, 1496 [F] 3e ar stif in-noghe to constrayne wyth strenkþe, 3if yow lyke3, 3if any were so vilanous þat yow denaye[2] wolde." "3e, be God," quod Gawayn, "good is your speche, Bot þrete is vn-þryuande in þede þer I lende, 1500 [G] & vche gift þat is geuen not with goud wylle; I am at your comaundement, to kysse quen yow lyke3, 3e may lach quen yow lyst, & leue quen yow þynkke3, in space." 1504 [H] Þe lady loute3 a-doun, & comlyly kysses his face, Much speche þay þer expoun, Of druryes greme & grace.