XX.
[A] Þe lorde ful lowde with lote, & la3ed myry, 1624 When he se3e sir G: with solace he speke3; Þe goude ladye3 were geten, & gedered þe meyny, [B] He schewe3 hem þe schelde3, & schapes hem þe tale, Of þe largesse, & þe lenþe, þe liþerne3 alse, 1628 Of þe were of þe wylde swyn, in wod þer he fled. Þat oþer kny3t ful comly comended his dede3, & praysed hit as gret prys, þat he proued hade; [C] For suche a brawne of a best, þe bolde burne sayde, 1632 Ne such sydes of a swyn, segh he neuer are. Þenne hondeled þay þe hoge hed, þe hende mon hit praysed, & let lodly þerat þe lorde forte here: [Fol. 113.] [D] "Now Gawayn," quod þe god mon, "þis gomen is your awen, 1636 Bi fyn for-warde & faste, faythely 3e knowe." "Hit is sothe," quod þe segge, "& as siker trwe; Alle my get I schal yow gif agayn, bi my trawþe." [E] He [hent] þe haþel aboute þe halse, & hendely hym kysses, 1640 & efter-sones of þe same he serued hym þere. "Now ar we euen," quod þe haþel, "in þis euen-tide, Of alle þe couenauntes þat we knyt, syþen I com hider, bi lawe;" 1644 [F] Þe lorde sayde, "bi saynt Gile, 3e ar þe best þat I knowe, 3e ben ryche in a whyle, Such chaffer & 3e drowe."
[Sidenote A: The lord of the land is well pleased when he sees Sir Gawayne,] [Sidenote B: He shows him the shields of the wild boar, and tells him of its length and breadth.] [Sidenote C: Such a "brawn of a beast," Sir Gawayne says, he never has seen.] [Sidenote D: Gawayne takes possession of it according to covenant,] [Sidenote E: and in return kisses his host,] [Sidenote F: who declares his guest to be the best he knows.]
XXI.
1648 [A] Þenne þay teldet table3 [on] trestes alofte, [B] Kesten cloþe3 vpon, clere ly3t þenne [C] Wakned bi wo3e3, waxen torches Segge3 sette, & serued in sale al aboute; 1652 [D] Much glam & gle glent vp þer-inne, Aboute þe fyre vpon flet, & on fele wyse, [E] At þe soper & after, mony aþel songe3, As coundutes of kryst-masse, & carole3 newe, 1656 With alle þe manerly merþe þat mon may of telle. [F] & euer oure luflych kny3t þe lady bi-syde; Such semblaunt to þat segge semly ho made, [G] Wyth stille stollen countenaunce, þat stalworth to plese, 1660 Þat al for-wondered wat3 þe wy3e, & wroth with hym-seluen, Bot he nolde not for his nurture nurne hir a-3ayne3, Bot dalt with hir al in daynte, how-se-euer þe dede turned to wrast; 1664 [H] Quen þay hade played in halle, As longe as hor wylle hom last, [I] To chambre he[1] con hym calle, & to þe chem-ne þay past.
[Sidenote A: Tables are raised aloft,] [Sidenote B: cloths cast upon them,] [Sidenote C: and torches are lighted.] [Sidenote D: With much mirth and glee,] [Sidenote E: supper is served in the hall,] [Sidenote F: and ever our lovely knight by the lady sits,] [Sidenote G: who does all she can to please her companion.] [Sidenote H: When they had long played in the hall,] [Sidenote I: they proceeded "to chamber."] [Footnote 1: ho (?).]
XXII.
1668 [A] Ande þer þay dronken, & dalten, & demed eft nwe, To norne on þe same note, on nwe3ere3 euen; [B] Bot þe kny3t craued leue, to kayre on þe morn, For hit wat3 ne3 at þe terme, þat he to[1] schulde. 1672 Þe lorde hym letted of þat, to lenge hym resteyed, [Fol. 113b.] [C] & sayde, "as I am trwe segge, I siker my trawþe, [D] Þou schal cheue to þe grene chapel, þy charres to make, Leude, on nw3ere3 ly3t, longe bifore pryme: 1676 For-þy þow lye in þy loft, & lach þyn ese, & I schal hunt in þis holt, & halde þe towche3, Chaunge wyth þe cheuisaunce, bi þat I charre hider; For I haf fraysted þe twys, & faythful I fynde þe, 1680 Now þrid tyme þrowe best þenk on þe morne, Make we mery quyl we may, & mynne vpon Ioye, For þe lur may mon lach, when so mon lyke3." Þis wat3 grayþely graunted, & Gawayn is lenged, 1684 [E] Bliþe bro3t wat3 hym drynk, & þay to bedde 3eden, with li3t; [F] Sir G: lis & slepes, Ful stille & softe al ni3t; 1688 [G] Þe lorde þat his crafte3 kepes, Ful erly he wat3 di3t.
[Sidenote A: There they drank and discoursed.] [Sidenote B: Gawayne begs leave to depart on the morrow.] [Sidenote C: His host swears to him,] [Sidenote D: that he shall come to the Green Chapel on New Year's morn long before prime.] [Sidenote E: Our knight consents to remain for another night.] [Sidenote F: Full still and softly he sleeps all night.] [Sidenote G: Early in the morning the lord is up.] [Footnote 1: te (?).]
XXIII.
[A] After messe a morsel[1] he & his men token, Miry wat3 þe mornyng, his mounture he askes; 1692 [B] Alle þe haþeles þat on horse schulde helden hym after, Were boun busked on hor blonkke3, bi-fore[2] þe halle 3ate3; [C] Ferly fayre wat3 þe folde, for þe forst clenged, In rede rudede vpon rak rises þe sunne, 1696 [D] & ful clere coste3[3] þe clowdes of þe welkyn. Hunteres vnhardeled bi a holt syde, Rocheres roungen bi rys, for rurde of her hornes; [E] Summe fel in þe fute, þer þe fox bade, 1700 Trayle3 ofte a trayteres[4], bi traunt of her wyles; A kenet kryes þerof, þe hunt on hym calles, His fela3es fallen hym to, þat fnasted ful þike, [F] Runnen forth in a rabel, in his ry3t fare; 1704 & he fyske3 hem by-fore, þay founden hym sone, [G] & quen þay seghe hym with sy3t, þay sued hym fast, Wre3ande h[ym] ful [w]eterly with a wroth noyse; [H] & he trantes & tornayee3 þur3 mony tene greue; 1708 Hamloune3, & herkene3, bi hegge3 ful ofte; [I] At þe last bi a littel dich he lepe3 ouer a spenné, [Fol. 114.] Stele3 out ful stilly bi a strothe rande, [J] Went haf wylt of þe wode, with wyle3 fro þe houndes, 1712 Þenne wat3 he went, er he wyst, to[5] a wale tryster, [K] Þer þre þro at a þrich þrat hym at ones, al graye; [L] He blenched a3ayn bilyue, 1716 & stifly start onstray, With alle þe wo on lyue, [M] To þe wod he went away.
[Sidenote A: After mass, a morsel he take with his men.] [Sidenote B: Then were all on their horses before the hall-gates.] [Sidenote C: It was a clear frosty morning.] [Sidenote D: The hunters, dispersed by a wood's side,] [Sidenote E: come upon the track of a fox,] [Sidenote F: which is followed up by the hounds.] [Sidenote G: They soon get sight of the game,] [Sidenote H: and pursue him through many a rough grove.] [Sidenote I: The fox at last leaps over a spinny,] [Sidenote J: and by a rugged path seeks to get clear from the hounds.] [Sidenote K: He comes upon one of the hunting stations, where he is attacked by the dogs.] [Sidenote L: However, he slips them,] [Sidenote M: and makes again for the wood.] [Footnote 1: MS. nnorsel.] [Footnote 2: bi-forere, in MS.] [Footnote 3: caste3 (?).] [Footnote 4: trayveres (?).] [Footnote 5: to to, in MS.]
XXIV.
[A] Thenne wat3 hit lif vpon list to lyþen þe hounde3, 1720 When alle þe mute hade hym met, menged to-geder, Suche a sor3e at þat sy3t þay sette on his hede, As alle þe clamberande clyffes hade clatered on hepes; [B] Here he wat3 halawed, when haþele3 hym metten, 1724 Loude he wat3 3ayned, with 3arande speche; [C] Þer he wat3 þreted, & ofte þef called, & ay þe titleres at his tayl, þat tary he ne my3t; Ofte he wat3 runnen at, when he out rayked, 1728 [D] & ofte reled in a3ayn, so reniarde wat3 wylé. [E] & 3e he lad hem bi lag, mon, þe lorde & his meyny; On þis maner bi þe mountes, quyle myd, ouer, vnder, [F] Whyle þe hende kny3t at home holsumly slepe3, 1732 With-inne þe comly cortynes, on þe colde morne. Bot þe lady for luf let not to slepe, Ne þe purpose to payre, þat py3t in hir hert, Bot ros hir vp radly, rayked hir þeder, 1736 [G] In a mery mantyle, mete to þe erþe, Þat wat3 furred ful fyne with felle3, wel pured, No hwe3 goud on hir hede, bot þe ha3er stones Trased aboute hir tressour, be twenty in clusteres; 1740 [H] Hir þryuen face & hir þrote þrowen al naked, Hir brest bare bifore, & bihinde eke. [I] Ho come3 with-inne þe chambre dore, & closes hit hir after, [J] Wayne3[1] vp a wyndow, & on þe wy3e calle3, 1744 & radly þus re-hayted hym, with hir riche worde3, with[2] chere; [K] "A! mon, how may þou slepe, [L] Þis morning is so clere?" [Fol. 114b.] 1748 He wat3 in drowping depe, Bot þenne he con hir here.
[Sidenote A: Then was it fine sport to listen to the hounds,] [Sidenote B: and the hallooing of the hunters.] [Sidenote C: There the fox was threatened and called a thief.] [Sidenote D: But Reynard was wily,] [Sidenote E: and led them astray over mounts.] [Sidenote F: Meanwhile the knight at home soundly sleeps within his comely curtains.] [Sidenote G: The lady of the castle, clothed in a rich mantle,] [Sidenote H: her throat and bosom all bare,] [Sidenote I: comes to Gawayne's chamber,] [Sidenote J: opens a window, and says,] [Sidenote K: "Ah! man, how canst thou sleep,] [Sidenote L: this morning is so clear?"] [Footnote 1: wayue3(?).] [Footnote 2: bi, à sec. manu.]