XXV.
[A] In dre3 droupyng of dreme draueled þat noble, As mon þat wat3 in mornyng of mony þro þo3tes, 1752 How þat destiné schulde þat day [dy3t] his wyrde, At þe grene chapel, when he þe gome metes, & bi-houes his buffet abide, with-oute debate more; [B] Bot quen þat comly he keuered his wyttes, 1756 Swenges out of þe sweuenes, & sware3 with hast. Þe lady luflych com la3ande swete, [C] Felle ouer his fayre face, & fetly him kyssed; He welcume3 hir worþily, with a wale chere; 1760 He se3 hir so glorious, & gayly atyred, So fautles of hir fetures, & of so fyne hewes, [D] Wi3t wallande Ioye warmed his hert; With smoþe smylyng & smolt þay smeten in-to merþe, 1764 Þat al wat3 blis & bonchef, þat breke hem bi-twene, & wynne, Þay lanced wordes gode, Much wele þen wat3 þer-inne, 1768 [E] Gret perile bi-twene hem stod, Nif mare of hir kny3t mynne.
[Sidenote A: The knight was then dreaming of his forthcoming adventure at the Green Chapel.] [Sidenote B: He awakes and speaks to his fair visitor,] [Sidenote C: who sweetly kisses him.] [Sidenote D: Great joy warms the heart of Sir Gawayne,] [Sidenote E: and "great peril between them stood."]
XXVI.
[A] For þat prynce of pris de-presed hym so þikke. Nurned hym so ne3e þe þred, þat nede hym bi-houed, 1772 Oþer lach þer hir luf, oþer lodly re-fuse; He cared for his cortaysye, lest craþayn he were, [B] & more for his meschef, 3if he schulde make synne, & be traytor to þat tolke, þat þat telde a3t. 1776 "God schylde," quod þe schalk, "þat schal not be-falle!" With luf-la3yng a lyt, he layd hym by-syde Alle þe speche3 of specialté þat sprange of her mouthe. Quod þat burde to þe burne, "blame 3e disserue, 1780 3if 3e luf not þat lyf þat 3e lye nexte, Bifore alle þe wy3e3 in þe worlde, wounded in hert, [C] Bot if 3e haf a lemman, a leuer, þat yow lyke3 better, & folden fayth to þat fre, festned so harde, 1784 Þat yow lausen ne lyst, & þat I leue nouþe; [Fol. 115.] And þat 3e telle me þat, now trwly I pray yow, For alle þe lufe3 vpon lyue, layne not þe soþe, for gile." 1788 [D] Þe kny3t sayde, "be sayn Ion," & smeþely con he smyle, "In fayth I welde ri3t non, Ne non wil welde þe quile."
[Sidenote A: The knight is sorely pressed.] [Sidenote B: He fears lest he should become a traitor to his host.] [Sidenote C: The lady inquire whether he has a mistress that he loves better than her.] [Sidenote D: Sir Gawayne swears by St. John that he neither has nor desires one.]
XXVII.
1792 "Þat is a worde," quod þat wy3t, "þat worst is of alle, Bot I am swared for soþe, þat sore me þinkke3; [A] Kysse me now coraly, & I schal cach heþen, I may bot mourne vpon molde, as may þat much louyes." 1796 Sykande ho swe3e doun, & semly hym kyssed, & siþen ho seueres hym fro, & says as ho stondes, "Now, dere, at þis de-partyng, do me þis ese, [B] Gif me sumquat of þy gifte, þi gloue if[1] hit were, 1800 [C] Þat I may mynne on þe mon, my mournyng to lassen." "Now Iwysse," quod þat wy3e, "I wolde I hade here Þe leuest þing for þy luf, þat I in londe welde, [D] For 3e haf deserued, forsoþe, sellyly ofte 1804 More rewarde bi resoun, þen I reche my3t, Bot to dele yow for drurye, þat dawed bot neked; Hit is not your honour to haf at þis tyme A gloue for a garysoun, of Gawayne3 gifte3, 1808 & I am here [on] an erande in erde3 vncouþe, [E] & haue no men wyth no male3, with menskful þinge3; Þat mislyke3 me, ladé, for luf at þis tyme,[2] Iche tolke mon do as he is tan, tas to non ille, 1812 ne pine." [F] "Nay, hende of hy3e honours," Quod þat lufsum vnder lyne, [G] "Þa3 I hade o3t[3] of youre3, 1816 3et schulde 3e haue of myne."
[Sidenote A: She then kisses him, sighing for sorrow.] [Sidenote B: She desires some gift,] [Sidenote C: by which to remember him.] [Sidenote D: Gawayne tells her that she is worthy of a better gift than he can bestow.] [Sidenote E: He has no men with mails containing precious things.] [Sidenote F: Then says that lovesome,] [Sidenote G: "Though I had nought of yours, yet should ye have of mine."] [Footnote 1: of, in MS.] [Footnote 2: tyne, in MS.] [Footnote 3: no3t (?).]
XXVIII.
[A] Ho ra3t hym a riche rynk[1] of red golde werke3, Wyth a starande ston, stondande alofte, Þat bere blusschande beme3 as þe bry3t sunne; 1820 Wyt 3e wel, hit wat3 worth wele ful hoge. [B] Bot þe renk hit renayed, & redyly he sayde, "I wil no gifte3 for gode, my gay, at þis tyme; [Fol. 115b.] [C] I haf none yow to norne, ne no3t wyl I take." 1824 Ho bede hit hym ful bysily, & he hir bode wernes, & swere swyftel[y] his sothe, þat he hit sese nolde; [D] & ho sore þat he forsoke, & sayde þer-after, "If 3e renay my rynk, to ryche for hit seme3, 1828 3e wolde not so hy3ly halden be to me, I schal gif yow my girdel, þat gaynes yow lasse." Ho la3t a lace ly3tly, þat[2] leke vmbe hir syde3, [E] Knit vpon hir kyrtel, vnder þe clere mantyle, 1832 Gered hit wat3 with grene sylke, & with golde schaped, No3t bot arounde brayden, beten with fyngre3; & þat ho bede to þe burne, & blyþely bi-so3t [F] Þa3 hit vn-worþi were, þat he hit take wolde. 1836 & he nay þat he nolde neghe in no wyse, [G] Nauþer golde ne garysoun, er God hym grace sende, To acheue to þe chaunce þat he hade chosen þere. "& þerfore, I pray yow, displese yow no3t, 1840 & lette3 be your bisinesse, for I bayþe hit yow neuer to graunte; I am derely to yow biholde, Bi-cause of your sembelaunt, 1844 [H] & euer in hot & colde To be your trwe seruaunt.
[Sidenote A: She offers him a gold ring,] [Sidenote B: but he refuses to accept it,] [Sidenote C: as he has none to give in return.] [Sidenote D: Very sorrowful was that fair one on account of his refusal.] [Sidenote E: She takes off her "girdle,"] [Sidenote F: and beseeches him to take it.] [Sidenote G: Gawayne again refuses to accept anything,] [Sidenote H: but promises, "ever in hot and in cold, to be her true servant."] [Footnote 1: ryng (?).] [Footnote 2: þat þat, in MS.]
XXIX.
[A] "Now forsake 3e þis silke." sayde þe burde þenne, "For hit is symple in hit-self. & so hit wel seme3? 1848 Lo! so hit is littel, & lasse hit is worþy; [B] Bot who-so knew þe costes þat knit ar þer-inne, He wolde hit prayse at more prys, parauenture; [C] For quat gome so is gorde with þis grene lace, 1852 While he hit hade hemely halched aboute, Þer is no haþel vnder heuen to-hewe hym þat my3t; [D] For he my3t not he slayn, for sly3t vpon erþe." Þen kest þe kny3t, & hit come to his hert, 1856 [E] Hit were a Iuel for þe Iopardé, þat hym iugged were, When he acheued to þe chapel, his chek forto fech; [F] My3[1] he haf slypped to þe vn-slayn, þe sle3t were noble. Þenne ho þulged with hir þrepe, & þoled hir to speke, [Fol. 116.] 1860 & ho bere on hym þe belt, & bede hit hym swyþe, [G] & he granted, & [ho] hym gafe with a goud wylle, & biso3t hym, for hir sake, disceuer hit neuer, Bot to lelly layne for[2] hir lorde; þe leude hym acorde3. 1864 Þat neuer wy3e schulde hit wyt, Iwysse, bot þay twayne, for no3te; He þonkked hir oft ful swyþe, Ful þro with hert & þo3t. 1868 [H] Bi þat on þrynne syþe, He hat3 kyst þe kny3t so to3t.
[Sidenote A: "Do you refuse it," says the lady, because it is simple?] [Sidenote B: Whoso knew the virtues that it possesses, would highly prize it.] [Sidenote C: For he who is girded with this green lace,] [Sidenote D: cannot be wounded or slain."] [Sidenote E: The knight thinks of his adventure at the Green Chapel.] [Sidenote F: The lady presses him to accept the lace.] [Sidenote G: He consents not only to take the girdle, but to keep the possession of it a secret.] [Sidenote H: By that time the lady has kissed him thrice.] [Footnote 1: my3t (?).] [Footnote 2: fro (?).]
XXX.
[A] Thenne lachche3 ho hir leue, & leue3 hym þere, For more myrþe of þat mon mo3t ho not gete; 1872 [B] When ho[1] wat3 gon, sir G. gere3 hym sone, Rises, & riches hym in araye noble, [C] Lays vp þe luf-lace, þe lady hym ra3t, Hid hit ful holdely, þer he hit eft fonde; 1876 Syþen cheuely to þe chapel choses he þe waye, [D] Preuely aproched to a prest, & prayed hym þere Þat he wolde lyfte[2] his lyf, & lern hym better, How his sawle schulde be saued, when he schuld seye heþen. 1880 [E] Þere he schrof hym schyrly, & schewed his mysdede3, Of þe more & þe mynne, & merci beseche3, [F] & of absolucioun he on þe segge calles; & he asoyled hym surely, & sette hym so clene, 1884 [G] As dome3-day schulde haf ben di3t on þe morn. & syþen he mace hym as mery among þe fre ladyes, [H] With comlych caroles, & alle kynnes ioye, As neuer he did bot þat daye, to þe derk ny3t, 1888 with blys; Vche mon hade daynte þare, [I] Of hym, & sayde Iwysse, [J] Þus myry he wat3 neuer are, 1892 Syn he com hider, er þis.