[Sidenote A: New Year's Day approaches.] [Sidenote B: The weather is stormy.] [Sidenote C: Snow falls.] [Sidenote D: The dales are full of drift.] [Sidenote E: Gawayne in his bed hears each cock that crows.] [Sidenote F: He calls for his chamberlain, and bids him bring him his armour.] [Sidenote G: Men knock off the rust from his rich habergeon.] [Sidenote H: The knight then calls for his steed.] [Footnote 1: nywe (?).] [Footnote 2: rynke3 (?).]
II.
[A] Whyle þe wlonkest wedes he warp on hym-seluen; His cote, wyth be conysaunce of þe clere werke3, Ennurned vpon veluet vertuuus[1] stone3, 2028 Aboute beten, & bounden, enbrauded seme3, & fayre furred with-inne wyth fayre pelures. [B] 3et laft he not þe lace, þe ladie3 gifte, Þat for-gat not Gawayn, for gode of hym-seluen; 2032 Bi he hade belted þe bronde vpon his bal3e haunche3, [C] Þenn dressed he his drurye double hym aboute; Swyþe sweþled vmbe his swange swetely, þat kny3t, Þe gordel of þe grene silke, þat gay wel bisemed, 2036 Vpon þat ryol red cloþe, þat ryche wat3 to schewe. [D] Bot wered not þis ilk wy3e for wele þis gordel, For pryde of þe pendaunte3, þa3 polyst þay were, & þa3 þe glyterande golde glent vpon ende3, 2040 [E] Bot forto sauen hym-self, when suffer hym by-houed, To byde bale with-oute dabate, of bronde hym to were, oþer knyffe; Bi þat þe bolde mon boun, 2044 Wynne3 þeroute bilyue, [F] Alle þe meyny of renoun, He þonkke3 ofte ful ryue.
[Sidenote A: While he clothed himself in his rich weeds,] [Sidenote B: he forgot not the "lace," the lady's gift,] [Sidenote C: but with it doubly girded his loins.] [Sidenote D: He wore it not for its rich ornaments,] [Sidenote E: "but to save himself when it behoved him to suffer."] [Sidenote F: All the renowned assembly he thanks full oft.] [Footnote 1: vertuous (?).]
III.
[A] Thenne wat3 Gryngolet grayþe, þat gret wat3 & huge, [Fol. 118b.] 2048 & hade ben soiourned sauerly, & in a siker wyse, [B] Hym lyst prik for poynt, þat proude hors þenne; Þe wy3e wynne3 hym to, & wyte3 on his lyre, & sayde soberly hym-self, & by his soth swere3, 2052 "Here is a meyny in þis mote, þat on menske þenkke3, [C] Þe mon hem maynteines, ioy mot þay haue; Þe leue lady, on lyue luf hir bityde; 3if þay for charyté cherysen a gest, 2056 & halden honour in her honde, þe haþel hem 3elde, Þat halde3 þe heuen vpon hy3e, & also yow alle! & 3if I my3t lyf vpon londe lede any quyle, I schuld rech yow sum rewarde redyly, if I my3t." 2060 [D] Þenn steppe3 he in-to stirop, & stryde3 alofte; His schalk schewed hym his schelde, on schulder he hit la3t, Gorde3 to Gryngolet, with his gilt hele3, [E] & he starte3 on þe ston, stod he no lenger, 2064 to praunce; His haþel on hors wat3 þenne, Þat bere his spere & launce. [F] "Þis kastel to Kryst I kenne, 2068 He gef hit ay god chaunce!"
[Sidenote A: Then was Gringolet arrayed,] [Sidenote B: full ready to prick on.] [Sidenote C: Gawayne returns thanks for the honour and kindness shown to him by all.] [Sidenote D: He then steps into his saddle,] [Sidenote E: and "starts on the stone" without more delay.] [Sidenote F: "This castle to Christ I commend; may he give it ever good chance!"]
IV.
[A] The brygge wat3 brayde doun, & þe brode 3ate3 Vnbarred, & born open, vpon boþe halue; [B] Þe burne blessed hym bilyue, & þe brede3 passed; 2072 Prayses þe porter, bifore þe prynce kneled, Gef hym God & goud day, þat Gawayn he saue; [C] & went on his way, with his wy3e one, Þat schulde teche hym to tourne to þat tene place, 2076 Þer þe ruful race he schulde re-sayue. Þay bo3en bi bonkke3, þer bo3e3 ar bare, [D] Þay clomben bi clyffe3, þer clenge3 þe colde; Þe heuen wat3 vp halt, bot vgly þer vnder, 2080 Mist muged on þe mor, malt on þe mounte3, [E] Vch hille hade a hatte, a myst-hakel huge; Broke3 byled, & breke, bi bonkke3 aboute, Schyre schaterande on schore3, þer þay doun schowued. 2084 Welawylle wat3 þe way, þer þay bi wod schulden, [Fol. 119.] [F] Til hit wat3 sone sesoun, þat þe sunne ryses, þat tyde; [G] Þay were on a hille ful hy3e, 2088 Þe quyte snaw lay bisyde; [H] Þe burne þat rod hym by Bede his mayster abide.
[Sidenote A: The gates are soon opened.] [Sidenote B: The knight passes thereout,] [Sidenote C: and goes on his way accompanied by his guide.] [Sidenote D: They climb by cliffs,] [Sidenote E: where each "hill had a hat and a mist-cloak,"] [Sidenote F: until daylight.] [Sidenote G: They were then on a "hill full high."] [Sidenote H: The servant bade his master abide, saying,]
V.
[A] "For I haf wonnen yow hider, wy3e, at þis tyme, 2092 & now nar 3e not fer fro þat note place, [B] Þat 3e han spied & spuryed so specially after; Bot I schal say yow for soþe, syþen I yow knowe, & 3e ar a lede vpon lyue, þat I wel louy, 2096 Wolde 3e worch bi my wytte, 3e worþed þe better. [C] Þe place þat 3e prece to, ful perelous is halden; [D] Þer wone3 a wy3e in þat waste, þe worst vpon erþe; For he is stiffe, & sturne, & to strike louies, 2100 & more he is þen any mon vpon myddelerde, [E] & his body bigger þen þe best fowre. Þat ar in Arþure3 hous, Hestor[1] oþer oþer. He cheue3 þat chaunce at þe chapel grene; 2104 [F] Þer passes non bi þat place, so proude in his armes, Þat he ne dynne3 hym to deþe, with dynt of his honde; For he is a mon methles, & mercy non vses, [G] For be hit chorle, oþer chaplayn, þat bi þe chapel rydes, 2108 Monk, oþer masse-prest, oþer any mon elles, Hym þynk as queme hym to quelle, as quyk go hym seluen. For-þy I say þe as soþe as 3e in sadel sitte, Com 3e þere, 3e be kylled, [I] may þe kny3t rede, 2112 Trawe 3e me þat trwely, þa3 3e had twenty lyues to spende; [H] He hat3 wonyd here ful 3ore, On bent much baret bende, 2116 [I] A3ayn his dynte3 sore, 3e may not yow defende."
[Sidenote A: "I have brought you hither,] [Sidenote B: ye are not now far from the noted place.] [Sidenote C: Full perilous is it esteemed.] [Sidenote D: The lord of that 'waste' is stiff and stern.] [Sidenote E: His body is bigger 'than the best four in Arthur's house.'] [Sidenote F: None passes by the Green Chapel, 'that he does not ding to death with dint of his hand.'] [Sidenote G: For be it churl or chaplain, monk, mass-priest, 'or any man else,' he kills them all.] [Sidenote H: He has lived there full long.] [Sidenote I: Against his dints sore ye may not defend you.] [Footnote 1: Hector (?).]
VI.
[A] "For-þy, goude sir Gawayn, let þe gome one, & got3 a-way sum oþer gate; vpon Godde3 halue; 2120 [B] Cayre3 bi sum oþer kyth, þer Kryst mot yow spede; & I schal hy3 me hom a3ayn, & hete yow fyrre, [C] Þat I schal swere bi God, & alle his gode hal3e3, [Fol. 119b.] As help me God & þe halydam, & oþe3 in-noghe, 2124 Þat I schal lelly yow layne, & lance neuer tale, Þat euer 3e fondet to fle, for freke þat I wyst." "Grant merci;" quod Gawayn, & gruchyng he sayde, "Wel worth þe wy3e, þat wolde3 my gode, 2128 & þat lelly me layne, I leue wel þou wolde3! [D] Bot helde þou hit neuer so holde, & I here passed, Founded for ferde for to fle, in fourme þat þou telle3, I were a kny3t kowarde, I my3t not[1] be excused. 2132 [E] Bot I wy1 to þe chape1, for chaunce þat may falle, & talk wyth þat ilk tulk þe tale þat me lyste, Worþe hit wele, oþer wo, as þe wyrde lyke3 hit hafe; 2136 [F] Þa3e he be a sturn knape, To sti3tel, &[2] stad with staue, [G] Ful wel con dry3tyn schape, His seruaunte3 forto saue."
[Sidenote A: Wherefore, good Sir Gawayne, let this man alone.] [Sidenote B: Go by some other region,] [Sidenote C: I swear by God and all His saints, that I will never say that ever ye attempted to flee from any man."] [Sidenote D: Gawayne replies that to shun this danger would mark him as a "coward knight."] [Sidenote E: To the Chapel, therefore, he will go,] [Sidenote F: though the owner thereof were a stern knave.] [Sidenote G: "Full well can God devise his servants for to save."] [Footnote 1: mot, in MS.] [Footnote 2: & &, in MS.]
VII.
2140 [A] "Mary!" quod þat oþer mon, "now þou so much spelle3, Þat þou wylt þyn awen nye nyme to þy-seluen, & þe lyst lese þy lyf, þe lette I ne kepe; [B] Haf here þi helme on þy hede, þi spere in þi honde, 2144 & ryde me doun þis ilk rake, bi 3on rokke syde, [C] Til þou be bro3t to þe boþem of þe brem valay; [D] Þenne loke a littel on þe launde, on þi lyfte honde, [E] & þou schal se in þat slade þe self chapel, 2148 & þe borelych burne on bent, þat hit kepe3. Now fare3 wel on Gode3 half, Gawayn þe noble, For alle þe golde vpon grounde I nolde go with þe, Ne bere þe fela3schip þur3 þis fryth on fote fyrre." 2152 [F] Bi þat þe wy3e in þe wod wende3 his brydel, Hit þe hors with þe hele3, as harde as he my3t, Lepe3 hym ouer þe launde, & leue3 þe kny3t þere, al one. 2156 [G] "Bi Godde3 self," quod Gawayn, "I wyl nauþer grete ne grone, [H] To Godde3 wylle I am ful bayn, & to hym I haf me tone."