[Sidenote A: The lady of the castle again visits Sir Gawayne.] [Sidenote B: Softly she sits by his side,] [Sidenote C: and tells the knight that he has forgotten what she taught him the day before.] [Sidenote D: "I taught you of kissing," she says, "that becomes every knight."] [Sidenote E: Gawayne says that he must not take that which is forbidden.] [Sidenote F: He is told that he is strong enough to enforce it.] [Sidenote G: The knight replies that every gift is worthless that is not given willingly.] [Sidenote H: The lady stoops down and kisses him.] [Footnote 1: sayde (?).] [Footnote 2: de vaye, in MS.]
XV.
1508 [A] "I woled[1] wyt at yow, wy3e," þat worþy þer sayde, "& yow wrathed not þer-wyth, what were þe skylle, Þat so 3ong & so 3epe, as 3e [ar] at þis tyme, So cortayse, so kny3tyly, as 3e ar knowen oute, 1512 [B] & of alle cheualry to chose, þe chef þyng a-losed, Is[2] þe lel layk of luf, þe lettrure of armes; F[or] to telle of þis tenelyng of þis trwe kny3te3, Hit is þe tytelet, token, & tyxt of her werkke3, 1516 How le[des] for her lele luf hor lyue3 han auntered, Endured for her drury dulful stounde3, & after wenged with her walour & voyded her care, [C] & bro3t blysse in-to boure, with bountees hor awen. 1520 & 3e ar kny3t com-lokest kyd of your elde, Your worde & your worchip walke3 ay quere, [Fol. 111b.] & I haf seten by your-self here sere twyes, [D] 3et herde I neuer of your hed helde no worde3 1524 Þat euer longed to luf, lasse ne more; [E] & 3e, þat ar so cortays & coynt of your hetes, Oghe to a 3onke þynk 3ern to schewe, & teche sum tokene3 of trweluf craftes. 1528 Why ar 3e lewed, þat alle þe los welde3, Oþer elles 3e demen me to dille, your dalyaunce to herken? for schame! I com hider sengel, & sitte, 1532 To lerne at yow sum game, [F] Dos, teche3 me of your wytte, Whil my lorde is fro hame."
[Sidenote A: "I would learn," she says, "why you, who are so young and active,] [Sidenote B: so skilled in the true sport of love,] [Sidenote C: and so renowned a knight,] [Sidenote D: have never talked to me of love.] [Sidenote E: You ought to show a young thing like me some token of 'true-love's crafts.'] [Sidenote F: So teach me of your 'wit' while my lord is from home."] [Footnote 1: wolde (?).] [Footnote 2: In (?).]
XVI.
[A] "In goud fayþe," quod Gawayn, "God yow for3elde, 1536 Gret is þe gode gle, & gomen to me huge, Þat so worþy as 3e wolde wynne hidere, & pyne yow with so pouer a mon, as play wyth your kny3t, With any skynne3 countenaunce, hit keuere3 me ese; 1540 [B] Bot to take þe toruayle[1] to my-self, to trwluf expoun, & towche þe teme3 of tyxt, & tale3 of arme3, To yow þat, I wot wel, welde3 more sly3t Of þat art, bi þe half, or a hundreth of seche 1544 As I am, oþer euer schal, in erde þer I leue, Hit were a fole fele-folde, my fre, by my trawþe. [C] I wolde yowre wylnyng worche at my my3t, As I am hy3ly bihalden, & euer-more wylle 1548 [D] Be seruaunt to your-seluen, so saue me dry3tyn!" Þus hym frayned þat fre, & fondet hym ofte, Forto haf wonnen hym to wo3e, what-so scho þo3t elle3, [E] Bot he de fended hym so fayr, þat no faut semed, 1552 Ne non euel on nawþer halue, nawþer þay wysten, bot blysse; Þay la3ed & layked longe, At þe last scho con hym kysse, 1556 [F] Hir leue fayre con scho fonge, & went hir waye Iwysse.
[Sidenote A: "It is a great pleasure to me," says Sir Gawayne, "to hear you talk,] [Sidenote B: but I cannot undertake the task to expound true-love and tales of arms.] [Sidenote C: I will, however, act according to your will,] [Sidenote D: and ever be your servant."] [Sidenote E: Thus Gawayne defends himself.] [Sidenote F: The lady having kissed the knight, takes leave of him.] [Footnote 1: tornayle (?).]
XVII.
[A] Then ruþes hym þe renk, & ryses to þe masse, & siþen hor diner wat3 dy3t & derely serued. [Fol. 112.] 1560 [B] Þe lede with þe ladye3 layked alle day, Bot þe lorde ouer þe londe3 launced ful ofte, Swe3 his vncely swyn, þat swynge3 bi þe bonkke3, [C] & bote þe best of his brache3 þe bakke3 in sunder; 1564 Þer he bode in his bay, tel[1] bawe-men hit breken, & made[2] hym, maw-gref his bed, forto mwe vtter; [D] So felle flone3 per flete, when þe folk gedered; Bot 3et þe styffest to start bi stounde3 he made, 1568 Til at þe last he wat3 so mat, he my3t no more renne, [E] Bot in þe hast þat he my3t, he to a hole wynne3, Of a rasse, bi a rokk, þer renne3 þe boerne, He gete þe bonk at his bak, bigyne3 to scrape, 1572 [F] Þe froþe femed[3] at his mouth vnfayre bi þe wyke3, Whette3 his whyte tusche3; with hym þen irked Alle þe burne3 so bolde, þat hym by stoden, [G] To nye hym on-ferum, bot ne3e hym non durst 1576 for woþe; He hade hurt so mony byforne, Þat al þu3t[4] þenne ful loþe, [H] Be more wyth his tusche3 torne, 1580 Þat breme wat3 [&] brayn-wod bothe.
[Sidenote A: Gawayne rises, hears mass, and then dines.] [Sidenote B: Meanwhile the lord pursues the wild boar,] [Sidenote C: that bit the backs of his hounds asunder,] [Sidenote D: and caused the stiffest of the hunters to start.] [Sidenote E: The boar runs into a hole in a rock by the side of a brook.] [Sidenote F: The froth foams at his mouth.] [Sidenote G: None durst approach him,] [Sidenote H: so many had he torn with his tusks.] [Footnote 1: til (?).] [Footnote 2: madee, in MS.] [Footnote 3: fomed (?).] [Footnote 4: þo3t (?).]
XVIII.
[A] Til þe kny3t com hym-self, kachande his blonk, Sy3 hym byde at þe bay, his burne3 bysyde, [B] He ly3tes luflych[1] adoun, leue3 his corsour, 1584 Brayde3 out a bry3t bront, & bigly forth stryde3, Founde3 fast þur3 þe forth, þer þe felle byde3, [C] Þe wylde wat3 war of þe wy3e with weppen in honde, Hef hy3ly þe here, so hetterly he fnast, 1588 Þat fele ferde for þe freke3,[2] lest felle hym þe worre; [D] Þe swyn sette3 hym out on þe segge euen, Þat þe burne & þe bor were boþe vpon hepe3, In þe wy3t-est of þe water, þe worre hade þat oþer; 1592 [E] For þe mon merkke3 hym wel, as þay mette fyrst, Set sadly þe scharp in þe slot euen, [F] Hit hym vp to þe hult, þat þe hert schyndered, & he 3arrande hym 3elde, & 3edoun[3] þe water, 1596 ful tyt; A hundreth hounde3 hym hent, [Fol. 112b.] [G] Þat bremely con hym bite, Burne3 him bro3t to bent, 1600 & dogge3 to dethe endite.
[Sidenote A: The knight, seeing the boar at bay,] [Sidenote B: alights from his horse,] [Sidenote C: and seeks to attack him with his sword.] [Sidenote D: The "swine sets out" upon the man,] [Sidenote E: who, aiming well,] [Sidenote F: wounds him in the pit of the stomach.] [Sidenote G: The boar is soon bitten to death by a hundred hounds.] [Footnote 1: MS. luslych.] [Footnote 2: freke (?).] [Footnote 3: 3ede doun (?).]
XIX.
[A] There wat3 blawyng of prys in mony breme home, He3e halowing on hi3e, with haþele3 þat my3t; [B] Brachetes bayed þat best, as bidden þe maystere3, 1604 Of þat chargeaunt chace þat were chef huntes. [C] Þenne a wy3e þat wat3 wys vpon wod crafte3, To vnlace þis bor lufly bigynne3; [D] Fyrst he hewes of his hed, & on hi3e sette3, 1608 & syþen rende3 him al roghe bi þe rygge after, [E] Brayde3 out þe boweles, brenne3 hom on glede, With bred blent þer-with his braches rewarde3; Syþen he britne3 out þe brawen in bry3t brode [s]chelde3, 1612 [F] & hat3 out þe hastlette3, as hi3tly biseme3; [G] & 3et hem halche3 al hole þe halue3 to-geder, & syþen on a stif stange stoutly hem henges. Now with þis ilk swyn þay swengen to home; 1616 [H] Þe bores hed wat3 borne bifore þe burnes seluen, Þat him for-ferde in þe forþe, þur3 forse of his honde, so stronge; Til he se3 sir Gawayne, 1620 In halle hym þo3t ful longe, [I] He calde, & he com gayn, His fee3 þer for to fonge.
[Sidenote A: Then was there blowing of horns] [Sidenote B: and baying of hounds.] [Sidenote C: One wise in woodcraft begins to unlace the boar.] [Sidenote D: First he hews off the head, then rends him by the back.] [Sidenote E: He next removes the bowels, broils them on the ashes, and therewith rewards his hounds.] [Sidenote F: Then the hastlets are removed.] [Sidenote G: The two halves are next bound together and hung upon a pole.] [Sidenote H: The boar's head is borne before the knight, who hastens home.] [Sidenote I: Gawayne is called to receive the spoil.]