[Sidenote A: Then she takes her leave.] [Sidenote B: Gawayne then dresses himself,] [Sidenote C: and conceals the love-lace about his person.] [Sidenote D: He then hies to mass,] [Sidenote E: and shrives him of his misdeeds.] [Sidenote F: and prays for absolution.] [Sidenote G: He returns to the hall, and makes himself so merry among the ladies,] [Sidenote H: with comely carols,] [Sidenote I: that they said,] [Sidenote J: "Thus merry was he never before since hither he came."] [Footnote 1: he, in MS.] [Footnote 2: lyste (?).]
XXXI.
[A] Now hym lenge in þat lee, þer luf hym bi-tyde; 3et is þe lorde on þe launde, ledande his gomnes, [B] He hat3 forfaren þis fox, þat he fol3ed longe; 1896 As he sprent ouer a spenné, to spye þe schrewe, Þer as he herd þe howndes, þat hasted hym swyþe, [Fol. 116b.] [C] Renaud com richchande þur3 a ro3e greue, & alle þe rabel in a res, ry3t at his hele3. 1900 [D] Þe wy3e wat3 war of þe wylde, & warly abides, & brayde3 out þe bry3t bronde, & at þe best caste3; & he schunt for þe scharp, & schulde haf arered, [E] A rach rapes hym to, ry3t er he my3t, 1904 & ry3t bifore þe hors fete þay fel on hym alle, & woried me þis wyly wyth a wroth noyse. [F] Þe lorde ly3te3 bilyue, & cache3 by[1] sone, Rased hym ful radly out of þe rach mouþes, 1908 Halde3 he3e ouer his hede, halowe3 faste, & þer bayen hym mony bray[2] hounde3; [G] Huntes hy3ed hem þeder, with horne3 ful mony, Ay re-chatande ary3t til þay þe renk se3en; 1912 Bi þat wat3 comen his compeyny noble, Alle þat euer ber bugle blowed at ones, [H] & alle þise oþer halowed, þat hade no hornes, Hit wat3 þe myriest mute þat euer men herde, 1916 Þe rich rurd þat þer wat3 raysed for renaude saule, with lote; [I] Hor hounde3 þay þer rewarde, Her[3] hede3 þay fawne & frote, 1920 [J] & syþen þay tan reynarde, & tyrnen of his cote.
[Sidenote A: Gawayne's host is still in the field.] [Sidenote B: He has destroyed the fox.] [Sidenote C: He spied Reynard coming through a "rough grove,"] [Sidenote D: and tried to hit him with his sword.] [Sidenote E: The fox "shunts," and is seized by one of the dogs.] [Sidenote F: The lord takes him out of the hound's mouth.] [Sidenote G: Hunters hasten thither with horns full many.] [Sidenote H: It was the merriest meet that ever was heard.] [Sidenote I: The hounds are rewarded,] [Sidenote J: and then they take Reynard and "turn off his coat."] [Footnote 1: hym (?).] [Footnote 2: braþ (?).] [Footnote 3: Her her, in MS.]
XXXII.
[A] & þenne þay helden to home, for hit wat3 nie3 ny3t, Strakande ful stoutly in hor store horne3; 1924 [B] Þe lorde is ly3t at þe laste at hys lef home, Fynde3 fire vpon flet, þe freke þer by-side, Sir Gawayn þe gode, þat glad wat3 with alle, [C] Among þe ladies for luf he ladde much ioye, 1928 He were a bleaunt of blwe, þat bradde to þe erþe, His surkot semed hym wel, þat softe wat3 forred, & his hode of þat ilke henged on his schulder, [D] Blande al of blaunner were boþe al aboute. 1932 He mete3 me þis god mon in mydde3 þe flore, & al with gomen he hym gret, & goudly he sayde, "I schal fylle vpon fyrst oure forwarde3 nouþe, Þat we spedly han spoken, þer spared wat3 no drynk;" [Fol. 117.] 1936 [E] Þen acoles he [þe] kny3t, & kysses hym þryes, [F] As sauerly & sadly as he hem sette couþe. [G] "Bi Kryst," quod þat oþer kny3t, "3e cach much sele, In cheuisaunce of þis chaffer, 3if 3e hade goud chepe3." 1940 "3e of þe chepe no charg," quod chefly þat oþer, "As is pertly payed þe chepe3 þat I a3te." "Mary," quod þat oþer mon, "myn is bi-hynde, [H] For I haf hunted al þis day, & no3t haf I geten, 1944 [I] Bot þis foule fox felle, þe fende haf þe gode3, [J] & þat is ful pore, for to pay for suche prys þinges, As 3e haf þry3t me here, þro suche þre cosses, so gode." 1948 "I-no3," quod sir Gawayn, "I þonk yow, bi þe rode;" [K] & how þe fox wat3 slayn, He tolde hym, as þay stode.
[Sidenote A: The hunters then hasten home.] [Sidenote B: The lord at last alights at his dear home,] [Sidenote C: where he finds Gawayne amusing the ladies.] [Sidenote D: The knight comes forward and welcomes his host,] [Sidenote E: and according to covenant kisses him thrice.] [Sidenote F: (See l. 1868.)] [Sidenote G: "By Christ," says the other, "ye have had much bliss!"] [Sidenote H: I have hunted all day and have gotten nothing,] [Sidenote I: but the skin of this foul fox,] [Sidenote J: a poor reward for three such kisses."] [Sidenote K: He then tells him how the fox was slain.]
XXXIII.
1952 [A] With merþe & mynstralsye, wyth mete3 at hor wylle, Þay maden as mery as any men mo3ten, With la3yng of ladies, with lote3 of bordes; Gawayn & þe gode mon so glad were þay boþe, 1956 Bot if þe douthe had doted, oþer dronken ben oþer, Boþe þe mon & þe meyny maden mony iape3, [B] Til þe sesoun wat3 se3en, þat þay seuer moste; Burne3 to hor bedde be-houed at þe laste. 1960 [C] Þenne lo3ly his leue at þe lorde fyrst Fochche3 þis fre mon, & fayre he hym þonkke3; [D] "Of such a sellyly[1] soiorne, as I haf hade here, Your honour, at þis hy3e fest, þe hy3e kyng yow 3elde! 1964 I 3ef yow me for on of youre3, if yowre-self lyke3, For I mot nedes, as 3e wot, meue to morne; [E] & 3e me take sum tolke, to teche, as 3e hy3t, Þe gate to þe grene chapel, as god wyl me suffer 1968 To dele, on nw3ere3 day, þe dome of my wyrdes." "In god fayþe," quod þe god mon. "wyth a goud wylle; Al þat euer I yow hy3t, halde schal I rede." [F] Þer asyngnes he a seruaunt, to sett hym in þe waye, 1972 & coundue hym by þe downe3, þat he no drechch had, [Fol. 117b.] For to f[e]rk þur3 þe fryth, & fare at þe gaynest, bi greue. Þe lorde Gawayn con þonk, 1976 Such worchip he wolde hym weue; [G] Þen at þo ladye3 wlonk. Þe kny3t hat3 tan his leue.
[Sidenote A: With much mirth and minstrelsy they made merry,] [Sidenote B: until the time came for them to part.] [Sidenote C: Gawayne takes leave of his host.] [Sidenote D: and thanks him for his happy "sojourn."] [Sidenote E: He asks for a man to teach him the way to the Green Chapel.] [Sidenote F: A servant is assigned to him,] [Sidenote G: and then he takes leave of the ladies,] [Footnote 1: selly (?).]
XXXIV.
[A] With care & wyth kyssyng he carppe3 hem tille, 1980 & fele þryuande þonkke3 he þrat hom to haue, & þay 3elden hym a3ay[n] 3eply þat ilk; [B] Þay bikende hym to Kryst, with ful colde sykynge3. [C] Syþen fro þe meyny he menskly de-partes; 1984 Vche mon þat he mette, he made hem a þonke, For his seruyse, & his solace, & his sere pyne, Þat þay wyth busynes had ben, aboute hym to serue; & vche segge as sore, to seuer with hym þere, 1988 As þay hade wonde worþyly with þat wlonk euer. [D] Þen with ledes & ly3t he wat3 ladde to his chambre, & blybely bro3t to his bedde, to be at his rest; 3if he ne slepe soundyly, say ne dar I, 1992 [E] For he hade muche on þe morn to mynne, 3if he wolde, in þo3t; [F] Let hym ly3e þere stille, He hat3[1] nere þat he so3t, 1996 [G] & 3e wyl a whyle be stylle, I schal telle yow how þay wro3t.
[Sidenote A: kissing them sorrowfully.] [Sidenote B: They commend him to Christ.] [Sidenote C: He then departs, thanking each one he meets "for his service and solace."] [Sidenote D: He retires to rest but sleeps but little,] [Sidenote E: for much has he to think of on the morrow.] [Sidenote F: Let him there lie still.] [Sidenote G: Be still awhile, and I shall tell how they wrought.] [Footnote 1: wat3 (?).]
[FYTTE THE FOURTH.]
I.
[A] Now ne3e3 þe nw3ere, & þe ny3t passe3, Þe day dryue3 to þe derk, as dry3tyn bidde3; 2000 [B] Bot wylde wedere3 of þe worlde wakned þeroute, Clowdes kesten kenly þe colde to þe erþe, Wyth ny3e[1] in-noghe of þe norþe, þe naked to tene; [C] Þe snawe snitered ful snart, þat snayped þe wylde; 2004 Þe werbelande wynde wapped fro þe hy3e, [D] & drof vche dale ful of dryftes ful grete. Þe leude lystened ful wel, þat le3 in his bedde, [E] Þa3 he lowke3 his lidde3, ful lyttel he slepes; 2008 Bi vch kok þat crue, he knwe wel þe steuen. De-liuerly he dressed vp, er þe day sprenged, [Fol. 118.] For þere wat3 ly3t of a lau[m]pe, þat lemed in his chambre; [F] He called to his chamberlayn, þat cofly hym swared, 2012 & bede hym bryng hym his bruny, & his blonk sadel; Þat oþer ferke3 hym vp, & feche3 hym his wede3, & grayþe3 me sir Gawayn vpon a grett wyse. Fyrst he clad hym in his cloþe3, þe colde for to were; 2016 & syþen his oþer harnays, þat holdely wat3 keped, Boþe his paunce, & his plate3, piked ful clene, [G] Þe rynge3[2] rokked of þe roust, of his riche bruny; & al wat3 fresch as vpon fyrst, & he wat3 fayn þenne 2020 to þonk; He hade vpon vche pece, Wypped ful wel & wlonk; [H] Þe gayest in to Grece, 2024 Þe burne bede bryng his blonk.