No More Learning

]
[Footnote 2: de vaye, in MS. ]

XV.

1508 [A] "I woled[1] wyt at yow, wy3e," ? at wor? y ? er sayde,
"& yow wrathed not ? er-wyth, what were ? e skylle,
? at so 3ong & so 3epe, as 3e [ar] at ? is tyme,
So cortayse, so kny3tyly, as 3e ar knowen oute,
1512 [B] & of alle cheualry to chose, ? e chef ? yng a-losed,
Is[2] ? e lel layk of luf, ? e lettrure of armes;
F[or] to telle of ? is tenelyng of ? is trwe kny3te3,
Hit is ? e tytelet, token, & tyxt of her werkke3,
1516 How le[des] for her lele luf hor lyue3 han auntered,
Endured for her drury dulful stounde3,
& after wenged with her walour & voyded her care,
[C] & bro3t blysse in-to boure, with bountees hor awen.
1520 & 3e ar kny3t com-lokest kyd of your elde,
Your worde & your worchip walke3 ay quere, [Fol. 111b. ]
& I haf seten by your-self here sere twyes,
[D] 3et herde I neuer of your hed helde no worde3
1524 ? at euer longed to luf, lasse ne more;
[E] & 3e, ? at ar so cortays & coynt of your hetes,
Oghe to a 3onke ? ynk 3ern to schewe,
& teche sum tokene3 of trweluf craftes.
1528 Why ar 3e lewed, ? at alle ? e los welde3,
O? er elles 3e demen me to dille, your dalyaunce to herken?
for schame!
I com hider sengel, & sitte,
1532 To lerne at yow sum game,
[F] Dos, teche3 me of your wytte,
Whil my lorde is fro hame. "

[Sidenote A: "I would learn," she says, "why you, who are so young and
active,]
[Sidenote B: so skilled in the true sport of love,]
[Sidenote C: and so renowned a knight,]
[Sidenote D: have never talked to me of love. ]
[Sidenote E: You ought to show a young thing like me some token of
'true-love's crafts. ']
[Sidenote F: So teach me of your 'wit' while my lord is from home. "]
[Footnote 1: wolde (? ). ]
[Footnote 2: In (? ). ]

XVI.

[A] "In goud fay? e," quod Gawayn, "God yow for3elde,
1536 Gret is ? e gode gle, & gomen to me huge,
? at so wor? y as 3e wolde wynne hidere,
& pyne yow with so pouer a mon, as play wyth your kny3t,
With any skynne3 countenaunce, hit keuere3 me ese;
1540 [B] Bot to take ? e toruayle[1] to my-self, to trwluf expoun,
& towche ? e teme3 of tyxt, & tale3 of arme3,
To yow ? at, I wot wel, welde3 more sly3t
Of ? at art, bi ? e half, or a hundreth of seche
1544 As I am, o? er euer schal, in erde ? er I leue,
Hit were a fole fele-folde, my fre, by my traw? e.
[C] I wolde yowre wylnyng worche at my my3t,
As I am hy3ly bihalden, & euer-more wylle
1548 [D] Be seruaunt to your-seluen, so saue me dry3tyn! "
? us hym frayned ? at fre, & fondet hym ofte,
Forto haf wonnen hym to wo3e, what-so scho ? o3t elle3,
[E] Bot he de fended hym so fayr, ? at no faut semed,
1552 Ne non euel on naw? er halue, naw? er ? ay wysten,
bot blysse;
? ay la3ed & layked longe,
At ? e last scho con hym kysse,
1556 [F] Hir leue fayre con scho fonge,
& went hir waye Iwysse.

[Sidenote A: "It is a great pleasure to me," says Sir Gawayne, "to hear you
talk,]
[Sidenote B: but I cannot undertake the task to expound true-love and tales
of arms. ]
[Sidenote C: I will, however, act according to your will,]
[Sidenote D: and ever be your servant. "]
[Sidenote E: Thus Gawayne defends himself. ]
[Sidenote F: The lady having kissed the knight, takes leave of him. ]
[Footnote 1: tornayle (? ). ]

XVII.

[A] Then ru? es hym ? e renk, & ryses to ? e masse,
& si? en hor diner wat3 dy3t & derely serued. [Fol. 112. ]
1560 [B] ? e lede with ? e ladye3 layked alle day,
Bot ? e lorde ouer ? e londe3 launced ful ofte,
Swe3 his vncely swyn, ? at swynge3 bi ? e bonkke3,
[C] & bote ? e best of his brache3 ? e bakke3 in sunder;
1564 ? er he bode in his bay, tel[1] bawe-men hit breken,
& made[2] hym, maw-gref his bed, forto mwe vtter;
[D] So felle flone3 per flete, when ? e folk gedered;
Bot 3et ? e styffest to start bi stounde3 he made,
1568 Til at ? e last he wat3 so mat, he my3t no more renne,
[E] Bot in ? e hast ? at he my3t, he to a hole wynne3,
Of a rasse, bi a rokk, ? er renne3 ? e boerne,
He gete ? e bonk at his bak, bigyne3 to scrape,
1572 [F] ? e fro? e femed[3] at his mouth vnfayre bi ? e wyke3,
Whette3 his whyte tusche3; with hym ? en irked
Alle ? e burne3 so bolde, ? at hym by stoden,
[G] To nye hym on-ferum, bot ne3e hym non durst
1576 for wo? e;
He hade hurt so mony byforne,
? at al ? u3t[4] ? enne ful lo? e,
[H] Be more wyth his tusche3 torne,
1580 ? at breme wat3 [&] brayn-wod bothe.

[Sidenote A: Gawayne rises, hears mass, and then dines. ]
[Sidenote B: Meanwhile the lord pursues the wild boar,]
[Sidenote C: that bit the backs of his hounds asunder,]
[Sidenote D: and caused the stiffest of the hunters to start. ]
[Sidenote E: The boar runs into a hole in a rock by the side of a brook. ]
[Sidenote F: The froth foams at his mouth. ]
[Sidenote G: None durst approach him,]
[Sidenote H: so many had he torn with his tusks. ]
[Footnote 1: til (? ). ]
[Footnote 2: madee, in MS. ]
[Footnote 3: fomed (? ). ]
[Footnote 4: ? o3t (? ). ]

XVIII.

[A] Til ? e kny3t com hym-self, kachande his blonk,
Sy3 hym byde at ? e bay, his burne3 bysyde,
[B] He ly3tes luflych[1] adoun, leue3 his corsour,
1584 Brayde3 out a bry3t bront, & bigly forth stryde3,
Founde3 fast ? ur3 ? e forth, ? er ? e felle byde3,
[C] ? e wylde wat3 war of ? e wy3e with weppen in honde,
Hef hy3ly ? e here, so hetterly he fnast,
1588 ? at fele ferde for ? e freke3,[2] lest felle hym ? e worre;
[D] ? e swyn sette3 hym out on ? e segge euen,
? at ? e burne & ? e bor were bo? e vpon hepe3,
In ? e wy3t-est of ? e water, ? e worre hade ? at o? er;
1592 [E] For ? e mon merkke3 hym wel, as ? ay mette fyrst,
Set sadly ? e scharp in ? e slot euen,
[F] Hit hym vp to ? e hult, ? at ? e hert schyndered,
& he 3arrande hym 3elde, & 3edoun[3] ? e water,
1596 ful tyt;
A hundreth hounde3 hym hent, [Fol. 112b. ]
[G] ? at bremely con hym bite,
Burne3 him bro3t to bent,
1600 & dogge3 to dethe endite.

[Sidenote A: The knight, seeing the boar at bay,]
[Sidenote B: alights from his horse,]
[Sidenote C: and seeks to attack him with his sword. ]
[Sidenote D: The "swine sets out" upon the man,]
[Sidenote E: who, aiming well,]
[Sidenote F: wounds him in the pit of the stomach. ]
[Sidenote G: The boar is soon bitten to death by a hundred hounds. ]
[Footnote 1: MS. luslych. ]
[Footnote 2: freke (? ). ]
[Footnote 3: 3ede doun (? ). ]

XIX.

[A] There wat3 blawyng of prys in mony breme home,
He3e halowing on hi3e, with ha? ele3 ? at my3t;
[B] Brachetes bayed ? at best, as bidden ? e maystere3,
1604 Of ? at chargeaunt chace ? at were chef huntes.
[C] ? enne a wy3e ? at wat3 wys vpon wod crafte3,
To vnlace ? is bor lufly bigynne3;
[D] Fyrst he hewes of his hed, & on hi3e sette3,
1608 & sy? en rende3 him al roghe bi ? e rygge after,
[E] Brayde3 out ? e boweles, brenne3 hom on glede,
With bred blent ? er-with his braches rewarde3;
Sy? en he britne3 out ? e brawen in bry3t brode [s]chelde3,
1612 [F] & hat3 out ? e hastlette3, as hi3tly biseme3;
[G] & 3et hem halche3 al hole ? e halue3 to-geder,
& sy? en on a stif stange stoutly hem henges.
Now with ? is ilk swyn ? ay swengen to home;
1616 [H] ? e bores hed wat3 borne bifore ? e burnes seluen,
? at him for-ferde in ? e for? e, ? ur3 forse of his honde,
so stronge;
Til he se3 sir Gawayne,
1620 In halle hym ? o3t ful longe,
[I] He calde, & he com gayn,
His fee3 ? er for to fonge.

[Sidenote A: Then was there blowing of horns]
[Sidenote B: and baying of hounds. ]
[Sidenote C: One wise in woodcraft begins to unlace the boar. ]
[Sidenote D: First he hews off the head, then rends him by the back. ]
[Sidenote E: He next removes the bowels, broils them on the ashes, and
therewith rewards his hounds. ]
[Sidenote F: Then the hastlets are removed.
]
[Sidenote G: The two halves are next bound together and hung upon a pole. ]
[Sidenote H: The boar's head is borne before the knight, who hastens home. ]
[Sidenote I: Gawayne is called to receive the spoil. ]

XX.

[A] ? e lorde ful lowde with lote, & la3ed myry,
1624 When he se3e sir G: with solace he speke3;
? e goude ladye3 were geten, & gedered ? e meyny,
[B] He schewe3 hem ? e schelde3, & schapes hem ? e tale,
Of ? e largesse, & ? e len? e, ? e li? erne3 alse,
1628 Of ? e were of ? e wylde swyn, in wod ? er he fled.
? at o? er kny3t ful comly comended his dede3,
& praysed hit as gret prys, ? at he proued hade;
[C] For suche a brawne of a best, ? e bolde burne sayde,
1632 Ne such sydes of a swyn, segh he neuer are.
? enne hondeled ? ay ? e hoge hed, ? e hende mon hit praysed,
& let lodly ? erat ? e lorde forte here: [Fol. 113. ]
[D] "Now Gawayn," quod ? e god mon, "? is gomen is your awen,
1636 Bi fyn for-warde & faste, faythely 3e knowe. "
"Hit is sothe," quod ? e segge, "& as siker trwe;
Alle my get I schal yow gif agayn, bi my traw? e. "
[E] He [hent] ? e ha? el aboute ? e halse, & hendely hym kysses,
1640 & efter-sones of ? e same he serued hym ? ere.
"Now ar we euen," quod ? e ha? el, "in ? is euen-tide,
Of alle ? e couenauntes ? at we knyt, sy? en I com hider,
bi lawe;"
1644 [F] ? e lorde sayde, "bi saynt Gile,
3e ar ? e best ? at 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] ? enne ? ay teldet table3 [on] trestes alofte,
[B] Kesten clo? e3 vpon, clere ly3t ? enne
[C] Wakned bi wo3e3, waxen torches
Segge3 sette, & serued in sale al aboute;
1652 [D] Much glam & gle glent vp ? er-inne,
Aboute ? e fyre vpon flet, & on fele wyse,
[E] At ? e soper & after, mony a? el songe3,
As coundutes of kryst-masse, & carole3 newe,
1656 With alle ? e manerly mer? e ? at mon may of telle.
[F] & euer oure luflych kny3t ? e lady bi-syde;
Such semblaunt to ? at segge semly ho made,
[G] Wyth stille stollen countenaunce, ? at stalworth to plese,
1660 ? at al for-wondered wat3 ? e 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 ? e dede turned
to wrast;
1664 [H] Quen ? ay hade played in halle,
As longe as hor wylle hom last,
[I] To chambre he[1] con hym calle,
& to ? e chem-ne ? ay 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 ? er ? ay dronken, & dalten, & demed eft nwe,
To norne on ? e same note, on nwe3ere3 euen;
[B] Bot ? e kny3t craued leue, to kayre on ? e morn,
For hit wat3 ne3 at ? e terme, ? at he to[1] schulde.
1672 ? e lorde hym letted of ? at, to lenge hym resteyed, [Fol. 113b. ]
[C] & sayde, "as I am trwe segge, I siker my traw? e,
[D] ? ou schal cheue to ? e grene chapel, ? y charres to make,
Leude, on nw3ere3 ly3t, longe bifore pryme:
1676 For-? y ? ow lye in ? y loft, & lach ? yn ese,
& I schal hunt in ? is holt, & halde ? e towche3,
Chaunge wyth ? e cheuisaunce, bi ? at I charre hider;
For I haf fraysted ? e twys, & faythful I fynde ? e,
1680 Now ? rid tyme ? rowe best ? enk on ? e morne,
Make we mery quyl we may, & mynne vpon Ioye,
For ? e lur may mon lach, when so mon lyke3. "
? is wat3 gray? ely graunted, & Gawayn is lenged,
1684 [E] Bli? e bro3t wat3 hym drynk, & ? ay to bedde 3eden,
with li3t;
[F] Sir G: lis & slepes,
Ful stille & softe al ni3t;
1688 [G] ? e lorde ? at 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 ? e mornyng, his mounture he askes;
1692 [B] Alle ? e ha? eles ? at on horse schulde helden hym after,
Were boun busked on hor blonkke3, bi-fore[2] ? e halle 3ate3;
[C] Ferly fayre wat3 ? e folde, for ? e forst clenged,
In rede rudede vpon rak rises ? e sunne,
1696 [D] & ful clere coste3[3] ? e clowdes of ? e welkyn.
Hunteres vnhardeled bi a holt syde,
Rocheres roungen bi rys, for rurde of her hornes;
[E] Summe fel in ? e fute, ? er ? e fox bade,
1700 Trayle3 ofte a trayteres[4], bi traunt of her wyles;
A kenet kryes ? erof, ? e hunt on hym calles,
His fela3es fallen hym to, ? at fnasted ful ? ike,
[F] Runnen forth in a rabel, in his ry3t fare;
1704 & he fyske3 hem by-fore, ? ay founden hym sone,
[G] & quen ? ay seghe hym with sy3t, ? ay sued hym fast,
Wre3ande h[ym] ful [w]eterly with a wroth noyse;
[H] & he trantes & tornayee3 ? ur3 mony tene greue;
1708 Hamloune3, & herkene3, bi hegge3 ful ofte;
[I] At ? e last bi a littel dich he lepe3 ouer a spenne, [Fol. 114. ]
Stele3 out ful stilly bi a strothe rande,
[J] Went haf wylt of ? e wode, with wyle3 fro ? e houndes,
1712 ? enne wat3 he went, er he wyst, to[5] a wale tryster,
[K] ? er ? re ? ro at a ? rich ? rat hym at ones,
al graye;
[L] He blenched a3ayn bilyue,
1716 & stifly start onstray,
With alle ? e wo on lyue,
[M] To ? e 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 ly? en ? e hounde3,
1720 When alle ? e mute hade hym met, menged to-geder,
Suche a sor3e at ? at sy3t ? ay sette on his hede,
As alle ? e clamberande clyffes hade clatered on hepes;
[B] Here he wat3 halawed, when ha? ele3 hym metten,
1724 Loude he wat3 3ayned, with 3arande speche;
[C] ? er he wat3 ? reted, & ofte ? ef called,
& ay ? e titleres at his tayl, ? at tary he ne my3t;
Ofte he wat3 runnen at, when he out rayked,
1728 [D] & ofte reled in a3ayn, so reniarde wat3 wyle.
[E] & 3e he lad hem bi lag, mon, ? e lorde & his meyny;
On ?