e lace, with a knot,
2488 [E] In tokenyng he wat3 tane in tech of a faute;
[F] & ?
2488 [E] In tokenyng he wat3 tane in tech of a faute;
[F] & ?
Gawaine and the Green Knight
er leude, & luflyly sayde,
"I halde hit hardily[1] hole, ? e harme ? at I hade;
[B] ? ou art confessed so clene, be-knowen of ? y mysses,
2392 & hat3 ? e penaunce apert, of ? e poynt of myn egge,
[C] I halde ? e polysed of ? at ply3t, & pured as clene,
As ? ou hade3 neuer forfeted, sy? en ? ou wat3 fyrst borne.
[D] & I gif ? e, sir, ? e gurdel ? at is golde hemmed;
2396 For hit is grene as my goune, sir G:, 3e maye
? enk vpon ? is ilke ? repe, ? er ? ou forth ? rynge3
Among prynces of prys, & ? is a pure token
[E] Of ? e chaunce of ? e grene chapel, at cheualrous kny3te3;
2400 [F] & 3e schal in ? is nwe 3er a3ayn to my wone3,
& we schyn reuel ? e remnaunt of ? is ryche fest,
ful bene. "
? er la? ed hym fast ? e lorde,
2404 & sayde, "with my wyf, I wene,
We schal yow wel acorde,
? at wat3 your enmy kene. "
[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 so? e," quod ? e segge, & sesed hys helme,
2408 & hat3 hit of hendely, & ? e ha? el ? onkke3,
[B] "I haf soiorned sadly, sele yow bytyde,
& he 3elde hit yow 3are, ? at 3arkke3 al menskes!
[C] & comaunde3 me to ? at cortays, your comlych fere,
2412 Bo? e ? at on & ? at o? er, myn honoured ladye3.
? at ? us hor kny3t wyth hor kest han koyntly bigyled.
[D] Bot hit is no ferly, ? a3 a fole madde,
& ? ur3 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 ? er-after
Wat3 blended with Barsabe, ? at much bale ? oled.
2420 Now ? ese were wrathed wyth her wyles, hit were a wynne huge,
[F] To luf hom wel, & leue hem not, a leude ? at cou? e,
For ? es wer forne[1] ? e freest ? at fol3ed alle ? e sele, [Fol. ]
Ex-ellently of alle ? yse o? er, vnder heuen-ryche, [123b. ]
2424 ? at mused;
& alle ? ay were bi-wyled,
With[2] wymmen ? at ? ay vsed,
[G] ? a3 I be now bigyled,
2428 Me ? ink 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!
? at wyl I welde wyth good wylle, not for ? e wynne golde,
Ne ? e saynt, ne ? e sylk, ne ? e syde pendaundes,
2432 For wele, ne for worchyp, ne for ? e wlonk werkke3,
[B] Bot in syngne of my surfet I schal se hit ofte;
When I ride in renoun, remorde to myseluen
? e faut & ? e fayntyse of ? e flesche crabbed,
2436 How tender hit is to entyse teches of fyl? e;
[C] & ? us, quen pryde schal me pryk, for prowes of armes,
[D] ? e loke to ? is luf lace schal le? e my hert.
Bot on I wolde yow pray, displeses yow neuer;
2440 Syn 3e be lorde of ? e 3onde[r] londe, ? er I haf lent inne,
Wyth yow wyth worschyp,--? e wy3e hit yow 3elde
? at vp-halde3 ? e heuen, & on hy3 sitte3,--
[E] How norne 3e yowre ry3t nome, & ? enne no more? "
2444 "? at schal I telle ? e trwly," quod ? at o? er ? enne,
[F] "Bernlak de Hautdesert I hat in ? is londe,
? ur3 my3t of Morgne la Faye, ? at in my hous lenges,
&[1] koyntyse of clergye, bi craftes wel lerned,
2448 ? e maystres of Merlyn, mony ho[2] taken;
For ho hat3 dalt drwry ful dere sum tyme,
With ? at conable klerk, ? at knowes alle your kny3te3
at hame;
2452 Morgne ? e goddes,
? er-fore hit is hir name;
[G] Welde3 non so hy3e hawtesse,
? at 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 ? is wyse to your wynne halle,
For to assay ? e surquidre, 3if hit soth were,
? at rennes of ? e grete renoun of ? e Rounde Table;
Ho wayned me ? is wonder, your wytte3 to reue,
2460 [B] For to haf greued Gaynour, & gart hir to dy3e. [Fol. 124. ]
With gopnyng[1] of ? at ilke gomen, ? at gostlych speked,
With his hede in his honde, bifore ? e hy3e table.
? at is ho ? at is at home, ? e auncian lady;
2464 [C] Ho is euen ? yn aunt, Ar? ure3 half suster,
? e duches do3ter of Tyntagelle, ? at dere Vter after
[D] Hade Ar? ur vpon, ? at a? el is now? e.
? erfore I e? e ? e, ha? el, to com to ? y naunt,
2468 Make myry in my hous, my meny ? e louies,
& I wol ? e as wel, wy3e, bi my faythe,
As any gome vnder God, for ? y grete trau? e. "
[E] & he nikked hym naye, he nolde bi no wayes;
2472 ? ay acolen & kyssen, [bikennen] ay? er o? er
To ? e prynce of paradise, & parten ry3t ? ere,
on coolde;
[F] Gawayn on blonk ful bene,
2476 To ? e kynge3 bur3 buske3 bolde,
& ? e kny3t in ? e 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 ? e worlde Wowen now ryde3,
2480 On Gryngolet, ? at ? e grace hade geten of his lyue;
[B] Ofte he herbered in house, & ofte al ? eroute,
& mony a-venture in vale, & venquyst ofte,
? at I ne ty3t, at ? is tyme, in tale to remene.
2484 [C] ? e hurt wat3 hole, ? at he hade hent in his nek,
[D] & ? e blykkande belt he bere ? eraboute,
A belef as a bauderyk, bounden bi his syde,
Loken vnder his lyfte arme, ?
e lace, with a knot,
2488 [E] In tokenyng he wat3 tane in tech of a faute;
[F] & ? us he commes to ? e court, kny3t al in sounde.
[G] ? er wakned wele in ? at wone, when wyst ? e grete,
? at gode G: wat3 commen, gayn hit hym ? o3t;
2492 [H] ? e kyng kysse3 ? e kny3t, & ? e whene alce,
& sy? en mony syker kny3t, ? at so3t hym to haylce,
[I] Of his fare ? at hym frayned, & ferlyly he telles;
Biknowo3 alle ? e costes of care ? at he hade,--
2496 ? e chaunce of ? e chapel, ? e chere of ? e kny3t,
[J] ? e luf of ? e ladi, ? e lace at ? e last. [Fol. 124b. ]
? e nirt in ? e nek he naked hem schewed,
[K] ? at he la3t for his vnleute at ? e leudes hondes,
2500 for blame;
He tened quen he schulde telle,
[L] He groned for gref & grame;
? e 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 ? e leude, & ? e lace hondeled,
"? is is ? e bende of ? is blame I bere [in] my nek,
? is is ? e la? e & ? e losse, ? at I la3t haue,
2508 [B] Of couardise & couetyse, ? at I haf ca3t ? are,
? is is ? e token of vn-traw? e, ? at 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 ? er hit one3 is tachched, twynne wil hit neuer. "
[D] ? e kyng comforte3 ? e kny3t, & alle ? e court als,
La3en loude ? er-at, & luflyly acorden,
? at lordes & ladis, ? at longed to ? e Table,
2516 [E] Vche burne of ? e bro? er-hede a bauderyk schulde haue,
A bende, a belef hym aboute, of a bry3t grene,
[F] & ? at, for sake of ? at segge, in swete to were.
For ? at wat3 acorded ? e renoun of ? e Rounde Table,
2520 [G] & he honoured ? at hit hade, euer-more after,
As hit is breued in ? e best boke of romaunce.
[H] ? us in Arthurus day ? is aunter bitidde,
? e Brutus bokees ? er-of beres wyttenesse;
2524 Sy? en Brutus, ? e bolde burne, bo3ed hider fyrst,
After ? e segge & ? e asaute wat3 sesed at Troye,
I-wysse;
Mony auntere3 here bi-forne,
2528 Haf fallen suche er ? is:
[I] Now ? at bere ? e croun of ? orne,
He bryng vus to his blysse! AMEN.
[Sidenote A: "Lo! " says he, handling the lace, "this is the band of blame,]
[Sidenote B: a token of my cowardice and covetousness,]
[Sidenote C: I must needs wear it as long as I live. "]
[Sidenote D: The king comforts the knight, and all the court too. ]
[Sidenote E: Each knight of the brotherhood agrees to wear a bright green
belt,]
[Sidenote F: for Gawayne's sake,]
[Sidenote G: who ever more honoured it. ]
[Sidenote H: Thus in Arthur's day this adventure befell. ]
[Sidenote I: He that bore the crown of thorns bring us to His bliss! ]
* * * * *
NOTES.
Line 8 Ricchis turns, goes,
The king . . .
Ricchis his reynys and the Renke metys:
Girden to gedur with ? ere grete speires. --T. B. l. 1232.
37 ? is kyng lay at Camylot vpon kryst-masse.
Camalot, in Malory's "Morte Arthure," is said to be the same as
Winchester. Ritson supposes it to be Caer-went, in Monmouthshire,
and afterwards confounded with Caer-wynt, or Winchester. But
popular tradition here seems the best guide, which assigned the site
of Camalot to the ruins of a castle on a hill, near the church of
South Cadbury, in Somersetshire (Sir F. Madden).
65 Nowel nayted o-newe, neuened ful ofte.
Christmas celebrated anew, mentioned full often.
Sir F. Madden leaves the word nayted unexplained in his Glossary
to "Syr Gawayne. "
124 syluener ylueren, i. e. silver dishes.
139 lyndes endes, loins.
142 in his muckel, in his greatness.
184 Wat3 euesed al umbe-torne--? was trimmed, all cut evenly around;
umbe-torne may be an error for vmbe-corue ,ut round.
216 in gracios werkes. Sir F. Madden reads gracons for gracios, and
suggests Greek as the meaning of it.
244-5 As al were slypped vpon slepe so slaked hor lote3
in hy3e.
As all were fallen asleep so ceased their words
in haste (suddenly).
Sir F. Madden reads slaked horlote3, instead of slaked hor lote3,
which, according to his glossary, signifies drunken vagabonds.
He evidently takes horlote3 to be another (and a very uncommon) form
of harlote3 earlots. But harlot, or vagabond, would be a very
inappropriate term to apply to the noble Knights of the Round Table.
Moreover, slaked never, I think, means drunken. The general sense of
the verb slake is to let loose, lessen, cease. Cf. lines 411-2,
where sloke, another form of slake, occurs with a similar meaning:
-- layt no fyrre;
bot slokes.
-- seek no further,
but stop (cease).
Sir F. Madden suggests blows as the explanation of slokes. It
is, however, a verb in the imperative mood.
286 Brayn. Matzner suggests brayn-wod.
296 barlay mar loi. This word is exceedingly common in the T. Book
(see l. 3391).
I bid you now, barlay, with besines at all
? at ye set you most soverainly my suster to gete. --T. B. l. 2780.
394 siker. Sir F. Madden reads swer.
440 bluk. Sir F. Madden suggests blunk (horse). I am inclined to keep to
the reading of the MS. , and explain bluk as {ulk hrunk. Cf. the
use of the word Blok in "Early English Alliterative Poems,"
p. 100, l. 272.
558 derue doel, etc. nreat grief. Sir F. Madden reads derne, i. e. secret,
instead of derue (}erf). Cf. line 564.
577 knaged, fastened.
The braunches were borly, sum of bright gold,
With leuys full luffly, light of the same;
With burions aboue bright to beholde;
And fruit on yt fourmyt of fairest of shap,
Of mony kynd that was knyt, knagged aboue. --T. B. l. 4973.
629 & ay quere hit is endele3, etc.
And everywhere it is endless, etc.
Sir F. Madden reads emdele3, i. e. with equal sides.
652 for-be oor-bi urpassing, beyond.
681 for Hadet read Halet taled nxiled (? ). See line 1049.
806 auinant ~uenaunt, pleasantly. Sir F. Madden reads amnant.
954 of. Should we not read on (? ).
957 ? at o?
"I halde hit hardily[1] hole, ? e harme ? at I hade;
[B] ? ou art confessed so clene, be-knowen of ? y mysses,
2392 & hat3 ? e penaunce apert, of ? e poynt of myn egge,
[C] I halde ? e polysed of ? at ply3t, & pured as clene,
As ? ou hade3 neuer forfeted, sy? en ? ou wat3 fyrst borne.
[D] & I gif ? e, sir, ? e gurdel ? at is golde hemmed;
2396 For hit is grene as my goune, sir G:, 3e maye
? enk vpon ? is ilke ? repe, ? er ? ou forth ? rynge3
Among prynces of prys, & ? is a pure token
[E] Of ? e chaunce of ? e grene chapel, at cheualrous kny3te3;
2400 [F] & 3e schal in ? is nwe 3er a3ayn to my wone3,
& we schyn reuel ? e remnaunt of ? is ryche fest,
ful bene. "
? er la? ed hym fast ? e lorde,
2404 & sayde, "with my wyf, I wene,
We schal yow wel acorde,
? at wat3 your enmy kene. "
[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 so? e," quod ? e segge, & sesed hys helme,
2408 & hat3 hit of hendely, & ? e ha? el ? onkke3,
[B] "I haf soiorned sadly, sele yow bytyde,
& he 3elde hit yow 3are, ? at 3arkke3 al menskes!
[C] & comaunde3 me to ? at cortays, your comlych fere,
2412 Bo? e ? at on & ? at o? er, myn honoured ladye3.
? at ? us hor kny3t wyth hor kest han koyntly bigyled.
[D] Bot hit is no ferly, ? a3 a fole madde,
& ? ur3 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 ? er-after
Wat3 blended with Barsabe, ? at much bale ? oled.
2420 Now ? ese were wrathed wyth her wyles, hit were a wynne huge,
[F] To luf hom wel, & leue hem not, a leude ? at cou? e,
For ? es wer forne[1] ? e freest ? at fol3ed alle ? e sele, [Fol. ]
Ex-ellently of alle ? yse o? er, vnder heuen-ryche, [123b. ]
2424 ? at mused;
& alle ? ay were bi-wyled,
With[2] wymmen ? at ? ay vsed,
[G] ? a3 I be now bigyled,
2428 Me ? ink 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!
? at wyl I welde wyth good wylle, not for ? e wynne golde,
Ne ? e saynt, ne ? e sylk, ne ? e syde pendaundes,
2432 For wele, ne for worchyp, ne for ? e wlonk werkke3,
[B] Bot in syngne of my surfet I schal se hit ofte;
When I ride in renoun, remorde to myseluen
? e faut & ? e fayntyse of ? e flesche crabbed,
2436 How tender hit is to entyse teches of fyl? e;
[C] & ? us, quen pryde schal me pryk, for prowes of armes,
[D] ? e loke to ? is luf lace schal le? e my hert.
Bot on I wolde yow pray, displeses yow neuer;
2440 Syn 3e be lorde of ? e 3onde[r] londe, ? er I haf lent inne,
Wyth yow wyth worschyp,--? e wy3e hit yow 3elde
? at vp-halde3 ? e heuen, & on hy3 sitte3,--
[E] How norne 3e yowre ry3t nome, & ? enne no more? "
2444 "? at schal I telle ? e trwly," quod ? at o? er ? enne,
[F] "Bernlak de Hautdesert I hat in ? is londe,
? ur3 my3t of Morgne la Faye, ? at in my hous lenges,
&[1] koyntyse of clergye, bi craftes wel lerned,
2448 ? e maystres of Merlyn, mony ho[2] taken;
For ho hat3 dalt drwry ful dere sum tyme,
With ? at conable klerk, ? at knowes alle your kny3te3
at hame;
2452 Morgne ? e goddes,
? er-fore hit is hir name;
[G] Welde3 non so hy3e hawtesse,
? at 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 ? is wyse to your wynne halle,
For to assay ? e surquidre, 3if hit soth were,
? at rennes of ? e grete renoun of ? e Rounde Table;
Ho wayned me ? is wonder, your wytte3 to reue,
2460 [B] For to haf greued Gaynour, & gart hir to dy3e. [Fol. 124. ]
With gopnyng[1] of ? at ilke gomen, ? at gostlych speked,
With his hede in his honde, bifore ? e hy3e table.
? at is ho ? at is at home, ? e auncian lady;
2464 [C] Ho is euen ? yn aunt, Ar? ure3 half suster,
? e duches do3ter of Tyntagelle, ? at dere Vter after
[D] Hade Ar? ur vpon, ? at a? el is now? e.
? erfore I e? e ? e, ha? el, to com to ? y naunt,
2468 Make myry in my hous, my meny ? e louies,
& I wol ? e as wel, wy3e, bi my faythe,
As any gome vnder God, for ? y grete trau? e. "
[E] & he nikked hym naye, he nolde bi no wayes;
2472 ? ay acolen & kyssen, [bikennen] ay? er o? er
To ? e prynce of paradise, & parten ry3t ? ere,
on coolde;
[F] Gawayn on blonk ful bene,
2476 To ? e kynge3 bur3 buske3 bolde,
& ? e kny3t in ? e 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 ? e worlde Wowen now ryde3,
2480 On Gryngolet, ? at ? e grace hade geten of his lyue;
[B] Ofte he herbered in house, & ofte al ? eroute,
& mony a-venture in vale, & venquyst ofte,
? at I ne ty3t, at ? is tyme, in tale to remene.
2484 [C] ? e hurt wat3 hole, ? at he hade hent in his nek,
[D] & ? e blykkande belt he bere ? eraboute,
A belef as a bauderyk, bounden bi his syde,
Loken vnder his lyfte arme, ?
e lace, with a knot,
2488 [E] In tokenyng he wat3 tane in tech of a faute;
[F] & ? us he commes to ? e court, kny3t al in sounde.
[G] ? er wakned wele in ? at wone, when wyst ? e grete,
? at gode G: wat3 commen, gayn hit hym ? o3t;
2492 [H] ? e kyng kysse3 ? e kny3t, & ? e whene alce,
& sy? en mony syker kny3t, ? at so3t hym to haylce,
[I] Of his fare ? at hym frayned, & ferlyly he telles;
Biknowo3 alle ? e costes of care ? at he hade,--
2496 ? e chaunce of ? e chapel, ? e chere of ? e kny3t,
[J] ? e luf of ? e ladi, ? e lace at ? e last. [Fol. 124b. ]
? e nirt in ? e nek he naked hem schewed,
[K] ? at he la3t for his vnleute at ? e leudes hondes,
2500 for blame;
He tened quen he schulde telle,
[L] He groned for gref & grame;
? e 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 ? e leude, & ? e lace hondeled,
"? is is ? e bende of ? is blame I bere [in] my nek,
? is is ? e la? e & ? e losse, ? at I la3t haue,
2508 [B] Of couardise & couetyse, ? at I haf ca3t ? are,
? is is ? e token of vn-traw? e, ? at 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 ? er hit one3 is tachched, twynne wil hit neuer. "
[D] ? e kyng comforte3 ? e kny3t, & alle ? e court als,
La3en loude ? er-at, & luflyly acorden,
? at lordes & ladis, ? at longed to ? e Table,
2516 [E] Vche burne of ? e bro? er-hede a bauderyk schulde haue,
A bende, a belef hym aboute, of a bry3t grene,
[F] & ? at, for sake of ? at segge, in swete to were.
For ? at wat3 acorded ? e renoun of ? e Rounde Table,
2520 [G] & he honoured ? at hit hade, euer-more after,
As hit is breued in ? e best boke of romaunce.
[H] ? us in Arthurus day ? is aunter bitidde,
? e Brutus bokees ? er-of beres wyttenesse;
2524 Sy? en Brutus, ? e bolde burne, bo3ed hider fyrst,
After ? e segge & ? e asaute wat3 sesed at Troye,
I-wysse;
Mony auntere3 here bi-forne,
2528 Haf fallen suche er ? is:
[I] Now ? at bere ? e croun of ? orne,
He bryng vus to his blysse! AMEN.
[Sidenote A: "Lo! " says he, handling the lace, "this is the band of blame,]
[Sidenote B: a token of my cowardice and covetousness,]
[Sidenote C: I must needs wear it as long as I live. "]
[Sidenote D: The king comforts the knight, and all the court too. ]
[Sidenote E: Each knight of the brotherhood agrees to wear a bright green
belt,]
[Sidenote F: for Gawayne's sake,]
[Sidenote G: who ever more honoured it. ]
[Sidenote H: Thus in Arthur's day this adventure befell. ]
[Sidenote I: He that bore the crown of thorns bring us to His bliss! ]
* * * * *
NOTES.
Line 8 Ricchis turns, goes,
The king . . .
Ricchis his reynys and the Renke metys:
Girden to gedur with ? ere grete speires. --T. B. l. 1232.
37 ? is kyng lay at Camylot vpon kryst-masse.
Camalot, in Malory's "Morte Arthure," is said to be the same as
Winchester. Ritson supposes it to be Caer-went, in Monmouthshire,
and afterwards confounded with Caer-wynt, or Winchester. But
popular tradition here seems the best guide, which assigned the site
of Camalot to the ruins of a castle on a hill, near the church of
South Cadbury, in Somersetshire (Sir F. Madden).
65 Nowel nayted o-newe, neuened ful ofte.
Christmas celebrated anew, mentioned full often.
Sir F. Madden leaves the word nayted unexplained in his Glossary
to "Syr Gawayne. "
124 syluener ylueren, i. e. silver dishes.
139 lyndes endes, loins.
142 in his muckel, in his greatness.
184 Wat3 euesed al umbe-torne--? was trimmed, all cut evenly around;
umbe-torne may be an error for vmbe-corue ,ut round.
216 in gracios werkes. Sir F. Madden reads gracons for gracios, and
suggests Greek as the meaning of it.
244-5 As al were slypped vpon slepe so slaked hor lote3
in hy3e.
As all were fallen asleep so ceased their words
in haste (suddenly).
Sir F. Madden reads slaked horlote3, instead of slaked hor lote3,
which, according to his glossary, signifies drunken vagabonds.
He evidently takes horlote3 to be another (and a very uncommon) form
of harlote3 earlots. But harlot, or vagabond, would be a very
inappropriate term to apply to the noble Knights of the Round Table.
Moreover, slaked never, I think, means drunken. The general sense of
the verb slake is to let loose, lessen, cease. Cf. lines 411-2,
where sloke, another form of slake, occurs with a similar meaning:
-- layt no fyrre;
bot slokes.
-- seek no further,
but stop (cease).
Sir F. Madden suggests blows as the explanation of slokes. It
is, however, a verb in the imperative mood.
286 Brayn. Matzner suggests brayn-wod.
296 barlay mar loi. This word is exceedingly common in the T. Book
(see l. 3391).
I bid you now, barlay, with besines at all
? at ye set you most soverainly my suster to gete. --T. B. l. 2780.
394 siker. Sir F. Madden reads swer.
440 bluk. Sir F. Madden suggests blunk (horse). I am inclined to keep to
the reading of the MS. , and explain bluk as {ulk hrunk. Cf. the
use of the word Blok in "Early English Alliterative Poems,"
p. 100, l. 272.
558 derue doel, etc. nreat grief. Sir F. Madden reads derne, i. e. secret,
instead of derue (}erf). Cf. line 564.
577 knaged, fastened.
The braunches were borly, sum of bright gold,
With leuys full luffly, light of the same;
With burions aboue bright to beholde;
And fruit on yt fourmyt of fairest of shap,
Of mony kynd that was knyt, knagged aboue. --T. B. l. 4973.
629 & ay quere hit is endele3, etc.
And everywhere it is endless, etc.
Sir F. Madden reads emdele3, i. e. with equal sides.
652 for-be oor-bi urpassing, beyond.
681 for Hadet read Halet taled nxiled (? ). See line 1049.
806 auinant ~uenaunt, pleasantly. Sir F. Madden reads amnant.
954 of. Should we not read on (? ).
957 ? at o?
