[Sidenote A: Then the other, laughing, thus spoke:] [Sidenote B: "Thou art confessed so clean,] [Sidenote C: that I hold thee as pure as if thou hadst never been guilty.] [Sidenote D: I give thee, sir, the gold-hemmed girdle,] [Sidenote E: as a token of thy adventure at the Green Chapel.] [Sidenote F: Come again to my abode, and abide there for the remainder of the festival."] [Footnote 1: hardilyly, in MS.]
XVIII.
[A] "Nay, for soþe," quod þe segge, & sesed hys helme, 2408 & hat3 hit of hendely, & þe haþel þonkke3, [B] "I haf soiorned sadly, sele yow bytyde, & he 3elde hit yow 3are, þat 3arkke3 al menskes! [C] & comaunde3 me to þat cortays, your comlych fere, 2412 Boþe þat on & þat oþer, myn honoured ladye3. Þat þus hor kny3t wyth hor kest han koyntly bigyled. [D] Bot hit is no ferly, þa3 a fole madde, & þur3 wyles of wymmen be wonen to sor3e; 2416 [E] For so wat3 Adam in erde with one bygyled, & Salamon with fele sere, & Samson eft sone3, Dalyda dalt hym hys wyrde, & Dauyth þer-after Wat3 blended with Barsabe, þat much bale þoled. 2420 Now þese were wrathed wyth her wyles, hit were a wynne huge, [F] To luf hom wel, & leue hem not, a leude þat couþe, For þes wer forne[1] þe freest þat fol3ed alle þe sele, [Fol.] Ex-ellently of alle þyse oþer, vnder heuen-ryche, [123b.] 2424 þat mused; & alle þay were bi-wyled, With[2] wymmen þat þay vsed, [G] Þa3 I be now bigyled, 2428 Me þink me burde be excused."
[Sidenote A: "Nay, forsooth," says Gawayne,] [Sidenote B: "I have sojourned sadly, but bliss betide thee!] [Sidenote C: Commend me to your comely wife and that other lady who have beguiled me.] [Sidenote D: But it is no marvel for a man to be brought to grief through a woman's wiles.] [Sidenote E: Adam, Solomon, Samson, and David were beguiled by women.] [Sidenote F: How could a man love them and believe them not?] [Sidenote G: Though I be now beguiled, methinks I should be excused.] [Footnote 1: forme (?)] [Footnote 2: with wyth, in MS.]
XIX.
[A] "Bot your gordel," quod G: "God yow for-3elde! Þat wyl I welde wyth good wylle, not for þe wynne golde, Ne þe saynt, ne þe sylk, ne þe syde pendaundes, 2432 For wele, ne for worchyp, ne for þe wlonk werkke3, [B] Bot in syngne of my surfet I schal se hit ofte; When I ride in renoun, remorde to myseluen Þe faut & þe fayntyse of þe flesche crabbed, 2436 How tender hit is to entyse teches of fylþe; [C] & þus, quen pryde schal me pryk, for prowes of armes, [D] Þe loke to þis luf lace schal leþe my hert. Bot on I wolde yow pray, displeses yow neuer; 2440 Syn 3e be lorde of þe 3onde[r] londe, þer I haf lent inne, Wyth yow wyth worschyp,--þe wy3e hit yow 3elde Þat vp-halde3 þe heuen, & on hy3 sitte3,-- [E] How norne 3e yowre ry3t nome, & þenne no more?" 2444 "Þat schal I telle þe trwly," quod þat oþer þenne, [F] "Bernlak de Hautdesert I hat in þis londe, Þur3 my3t of Morgne la Faye, þat in my hous lenges, &[1] koyntyse of clergye, bi craftes wel lerned, 2448 Þe maystres of Merlyn, mony ho[2] taken; For ho hat3 dalt drwry ful dere sum tyme, With þat conable klerk, þat knowes alle your kny3te3 at hame; 2452 Morgne þe goddes, Þer-fore hit is hir name; [G] Welde3 non so hy3e hawtesse, Þat ho ne con make ful tame.
[Sidenote A: But God reward you for your girdle.] [Sidenote B: I will wear it in remembrance of my fault.] [Sidenote C: And when pride shall prick me,] [Sidenote D: a look to this lace shall abate it.] [Sidenote E: But tell me your right name and I shall have done."] [Sidenote F: The Green Knight replies, "I am called Bernlak de Hautdesert, through might of Morgain la Fey, the pupil of Merlin.] [Sidenote G: She can tame even the haughtiest.] [Footnote 1: in (?).] [Footnote 2: ho hat3 (?).]
XX.
2456 [A] Ho wayned me vpon þis wyse to your wynne halle, For to assay þe surquidre, 3if hit soth were, Þat rennes of þe grete renoun of þe Rounde Table; Ho wayned me þis wonder, your wytte3 to reue, 2460 [B] For to haf greued Gaynour, & gart hir to dy3e. [Fol. 124.] With gopnyng[1] of þat ilke gomen, þat gostlych speked, With his hede in his honde, bifore þe hy3e table. Þat is ho þat is at home, þe auncian lady; 2464 [C] Ho is euen þyn aunt, Arþure3 half suster, Þe duches do3ter of Tyntagelle, þat dere Vter after [D] Hade Arþur vpon, þat aþel is nowþe. Þerfore I eþe þe, haþel, to com to þy naunt, 2468 Make myry in my hous, my meny þe louies, & I wol þe as wel, wy3e, bi my faythe, As any gome vnder God, for þy grete trauþe." [E] & he nikked hym naye, he nolde bi no wayes; 2472 Þay acolen & kyssen, [bikennen] ayþer oþer To þe prynce of paradise, & parten ry3t þere, on coolde; [F] Gawayn on blonk ful bene, 2476 To þe kynge3 bur3 buske3 bolde, & þe kny3t in þe enker grene, Whider-warde so euer he wolde.
[Sidenote A: It was she who caused me to test the renown of the Round Table,] [Sidenote B: hoping to grieve Guenever and cause her death through fear.] [Sidenote C: She is even thine aunt.] [Sidenote D: Therefore come to her and make merry in my house."] [Sidenote E: Gawayne refuses to return with the Green Knight.] [Sidenote F: On horse full fair he bends to Arthur's hall.] [Footnote 1: glopnyng (?).]
XXI.
[A] Wylde waye3 in þe worlde Wowen now ryde3, 2480 On Gryngolet, þat þe grace hade geten of his lyue; [B] Ofte he herbered in house, & ofte al þeroute, & mony a-venture in vale, & venquyst ofte, Þat I ne ty3t, at þis tyme, in tale to remene. 2484 [C] Þe hurt wat3 hole, þat he hade hent in his nek, [D] & þe blykkande belt he bere þeraboute, A belef as a bauderyk, bounden bi his syde, Loken vnder his lyfte arme, þe lace, with a knot, 2488 [E] In tokenyng he wat3 tane in tech of a faute; [F] & þus he commes to þe court, kny3t al in sounde. [G] Þer wakned wele in þat wone, when wyst þe grete, Þat gode G: wat3 commen, gayn hit hym þo3t; 2492 [H] Þe kyng kysse3 þe kny3t, & þe whene alce, & syþen mony syker kny3t, þat so3t hym to haylce, [I] Of his fare þat hym frayned, & ferlyly he telles; Biknowo3 alle þe costes of care þat he hade,-- 2496 Þe chaunce of þe chapel, þe chere of þe kny3t, [J] Þe luf of þe ladi, þe lace at þe last. [Fol. 124b.] Þe nirt in þe nek he naked hem schewed, [K] Þat he la3t for his vnleute at þe leudes hondes, 2500 for blame; He tened quen he schulde telle, [L] He groned for gref & grame; Þe blod in his face con melle, 2504 When he hit schulde schewe, for schame.
[Sidenote A: Wild ways now Gawayne rides.] [Sidenote B: Oft he harboured in house and oft thereout.] [Sidenote C: The wound in his neck became whole.] [Sidenote D: He still carried about him the belt,] [Sidenote E: in token of his fault.] [Sidenote F: Thus he comes to the Court of King Arthur.] [Sidenote G: Great then was the joy of all.] [Sidenote H: The king and his knights ask him concerning his journey.] [Sidenote I: Gawayne tells them of his adventures,] [Sidenote J: the love of the lady, and lastly of the lace.] [Sidenote K: He showed them the cut in his neck.] [Sidenote L: He groaned for grief and shame, and the blood rushed into his face.]
XXII.
[A] "Lo! lorde," quod þe leude, & þe lace hondeled, "Þis is þe bende of þis blame I bere [in] my nek, Þis is þe laþe & þe losse, þat I la3t haue, 2508 [B] Of couardise & couetyse, þat I haf ca3t þare, Þis is þe token of vn-trawþe, þat I am tan inne, [C] & I mot nede3 hit were, wyle I may last; For non may hyden his harme, bot vnhap ne may hit, 2512 For þer hit one3 is tachched, twynne wil hit neuer." [D] Þe kyng comforte3 þe kny3t, & alle þe court als, La3en loude þer-at, & luflyly acorden, Þat lordes & ladis, þat longed to þe Table, 2516 [E] Vche burne of þe broþer-hede a bauderyk schulde haue, A bende, a belef hym aboute, of a bry3t grene, [F] & þat, for sake of þat segge, in swete to were. For þat wat3 acorded þe renoun of þe Rounde Table, 2520 [G] & he honoured þat hit hade, euer-more after, As hit is breued in þe best boke of romaunce. [H] Þus in Arthurus day þis aunter bitidde, Þe Brutus bokees þer-of beres wyttenesse; 2524 Syþen Brutus, þe bolde burne, bo3ed hider fyrst, After þe segge & þe asaute wat3 sesed at Troye, I-wysse; Mony auntere3 here bi-forne, 2528 Haf fallen suche er þis: [I] Now þat bere þe croun of þorne, He bryng vus to his blysse! AMEN.