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enne he wayted hym aboute, & wylde hit hym ? o3t,
2164 [C] & se3e no syngne of resette, bisyde3 nowhere,
Bot hy3e bonkke3 & brent, vpon bo? e halue,
& ru3e knokled knarre3, with knorned stone3;
? e skwe3 of ? e scowtes skayued[1] hym ? o3t.
2168 ? enne he houed, & wyth-hylde his hors at ? at tyde,
& ofte chaunged his cher, ? e chapel to seche;
[D] He se3 non suche in no syde, & selly hym ? o3t,
Sone a lyttel on a launde, a lawe as hit we[re];
2172 [E] A bal3 ber3, bi a bonke, ? e brymme by-syde,
Bi a for3 of a flode, ? at ferked ? are;
? e borne blubred ? er-inne, as hit boyled hade.
[F] ? e kny3t kache3 his caple, & com to ? e lawe,
2176 [G] Li3te3 doun luflyly, & at a lynde tache3
? e rayne, & his riche, with a ro3e braunche;
[H] ? en[n]e he bo3e3 to ? e ber3e, aboute hit he walke,
D[e]batande with hym-self, quat hit be my3t.
2180 Hit hade a hole on ? e ende, & on ay? er syde,
& ouer-growen with gresse in glodes ay where,
& al wat3 hol3 in-with, nobot an olde caue,
[I] Or a creuisse of an olde cragge, he cou? e hit no3t deme
2184 with spelle,
"We,[2] lorde," quod ? e gentyle kny3t,
"Whe? er ? is be ? e grene chapelle;
[J] He my3t aboute myd-ny3t,
2188 [? ]e dele his matynnes telle! "

[Sidenote A: Then he pursues his journey,]
[Sidenote B: rides through the dale, and looks about. ]
[Sidenote C: He sees no sign of a resting-place, but only high and steep
banks. ]
[Sidenote D: No chapel could he discern. ]
[Sidenote E: At last he sees a hill by the side of a stream;]
[Sidenote F: thither he goes,]
[Sidenote G: alights and fastens his horse to a branch of a tree. ]
[Sidenote H: He walks around the hill, debating with himself what it might
be,]
[Sidenote I: and at last finds an old cave in the crag. ]
[Sidenote J: He prays that about midnight he may tell his matins. ]
[Footnote 1: skayned (? ). ]
[Footnote 2: wel (? ). ]

IX.

[A] "Now i-wysse," quod Wowayn, "wysty is here;
? is oritore is vgly, with erbe3 ouer-growen;
[B] Wel biseme3 ? e wy3e wruxled in grene
2192 Dele here his deuocioun, on ? e deuele3 wyse;
Now I fele hit is ? e fende, in my fyue wytte3,
? at hat3 stoken me ? is steuen, to strye me here;
[C] ? is is a chapel of meschaunce, ? at chekke hit by-tyde,
2196 Hit is ? e corsedest kyrk, ? at euer i com inne! "
With he3e helme on his hede, his launce in his honde, [Fol. 120b. ]
[D] He rome3 vp to ? e rokke of ? o ro3 wone3;
? ene herde he of ? at hy3e hil, in a harde roche,
2200 [E] Bi3onde ? e broke, in a bonk, a wonder breme noyse,
[F] Quat! hit clatered in ? e clyff, as hit cleue schulde,
As one vpon a gryndelston hade grounden a sy? e;
[G] What! hit wharred, & whette, as water at a mulne,
2204 What! hit rusched, & ronge, raw? e to here.
? enne "bi Godde," quod Gawayn, "? at gere as[1] I trowe,
Is ryched at ? e reuerence, me renk to mete,
bi rote;
2208 Let God worche we loo,
[H] Hit helppe3 me not a mote,
My lif ? a3 I for-goo,
Drede dot3 me no lote. "

[Sidenote A: "Truly," says Sir Gawayne, "a desert is here,]
[Sidenote B: a fitting place for the man in green to 'deal here his
devotions in devil fashion. ']
[Sidenote C: It is most cursed kirk that ever I entered. "]
[Sidenote D: Roaming about he hears a loud noise,]
[Sidenote E: from beyond the brook. ]
[Sidenote F: It clattered like the grinding of a scythe on a grindstone. ]
[Sidenote G: It whirred like a mill-stream. ]
[Sidenote H: "Though my life I forgo," says the knight, "no noise shall
terrify me. "]
[Footnote 1: at, in MS. ]

X.

2212 [A] Thenne ? e kny3t con calle ful hy3e,
[B] "Who sti3tle3 in ? is sted, me steuen to holde?
[C] For now is gode Gawayn goande ry3t here,
If any wy3e o3t wyl wynne hider fast,
2216 O? er now, o? er neuer, his nede3 to spede. "
[D] "Abyde," quod on on ? e bonke, abouen ouer his hede,
"& ? ou schal haf al in hast, ? at I ? e hy3t ones. "
3et he rusched on ? at rurde, rapely a ? rowe,
2220 & wyth quettyng a-wharf, er he wolde ly3t;
[E] & sy? en he keuere3 bi a cragge, & come3 of a hole,
Whyrlande out of a wro, wyth a felle weppen,
[F] A dene3 ax nwe dy3t, ? e dynt with [t]o 3elde
2224 With a borelych bytte, bende by ? e halme,
Fyled in a fylor, fowre fote large,
Hit wat3 no lasse, bi ? at lace ? at lemed ful bry3t.
[G] & ? e gome in ? e erene gered as fyrst,
2228 Bo? e ? e lyre & ? e legge3, lokke3, & berde,
Saue ? at fayre on his fote he founde3 on ? e er? e,
Sette ? e stele to ? e stone, & stalked bysyde.
[H] When he wan to ? e watter, ? er he wade nolde,
2232 He hypped ouer on hys ax, & orpedly stryde3,
Bremly bro? e on a bent, ? at brode wat3 a-boute,
on snawe.
[I] Sir Gawayn ? e kny3t con mete. [Fol. 121. ]
2236 He ne lutte hym no ? yng lowe,
[J] ? at o? er sayde, "now, sir swete,
Of steuen mon may ? e trowe. "

[Sidenote A: Then cried he aloud,]
[Sidenote B: "Who dwells here discourse with me to hold? "]
[Sidenote C: Now is the good Gawayne going aright]
[Sidenote D: He hears a voice commanding him to abide where he is. ]
[Sidenote E: Soon there comes out of a hole, with a fell weapon,]
[Sidenote F: a Danish axe, quite new,]
[Sidenote G: the "knight in green," clothed as before. ]
[Sidenote H: When he reaches the stream, he hops over and strides about. ]
[Sidenote I: He meets Sir Gawayne without obeisance. ]
[Sidenote J: The other tells him that he is now ready for conversation]

XI.

[A] "Gawayn," quod ? at grene gome, "God ? e mot loke!
2240 I-wysse ? ou art welcom,[1] wy3e, to my place,
[B] & ? ou hat3 tymed ? i trauayl as true[2] mon schulde;
[C] & ? ou knowe3 ? e couenaunte3 kest vus by-twene,
At ? is tyme twelmonyth ? ou toke ? at ? e falled,
2244 [D] & I schulde at ? is nwe 3ere 3eply ? e quyte.
[E] & we ar in ? is valay, verayly oure one,
Here ar no renkes vs to rydde, rele as vus like3;
[F] Haf ? y[3] helme of ? y hede, & haf here ? y pay;
2248 Busk no more debate ? en I ? e bede ? enne,
"When ? ou wypped of my hede at a wap one. "
[G] "Nay, bi God," quod Gawayn, "? at me gost lante,
I schal gruch ? e no grwe, for grem ? at falle3;
2252 Botsty3tel ? e vpon on strok, & I schal stonde stylle,
& warp ? e no wernyng, to worch as ? e lyke3,
no whare. "
[H] He lened with ? e nek, & lutte,
2256 & schewed ? at schyre al bare,
& lette as he no3t dutte,
[I] For drede he wolde not dare.

[Sidenote A: "God preserve thee! " says the Green Knight,]
[Sidenote B: "as a true knight 'thou hast timed thy travel']
[Sidenote C: Thou knowest the covenant between us,]
[Sidenote D: that on New Year's day I should return thy blow]
[Sidenote E: Here we are alone,]
[Sidenote F: Have off thy helmet and take thy pay at once. "]
[Sidenote G: "By God," quoth Sir Gawayne, "I shall not begrudge thee thy
will. "]
[Sidenote H: Then he shows his bare neck,]
[Sidenote I: and appears undaunted. ]
[Footnote 1: welcon, in MS. ]
[Footnote 2: truee in MS. ]
[Footnote 3: MS. ? y ? y. ]

XII.

[A] Then ? e gome in ? e grene gray? ed hym swy? e,
2260 Gedere3 yp hys grymme tole, Gawayn to smyte;
[B] With alle ? e bur in his body he ber hit on lofte,
Munt as ma3tyly, as marre hym he wolde;
Hade hit dryuen adoun, as dre3 as he atled,
2264 ? er hade ben ded of his dynt, ? at do3ty wat3 euer.
Bot Gawayn on ? at giserne glyfte hym bysyde,
[C] As hit com glydande adoun, on glode hym to schende,
[D] & schranke a lytel with ? e schulderes, for ? e scharp yrne.
2268 ? at o? er schalk wyth a schunt ? e schene wythhalde3,
[E] & ? enne repreued he ? e prynce with mony prowde worde3:
[F] "? ou art not Gawayn," quod ? e gome, "? at is so goud halden,
? at neuer ar3ed for no here, by hylle ne be vale,
2272 [G] & now ? ou fles for ferde, er ? ou fele harme3; [Fol. 121b.
]
Such cowardise of ? at kny3t cow? e I neuer here.
[H] Naw? er fyked I, ne fla3e, freke, quen ? ou myntest,
Ne kest no kauelacion, in kynge3 hous Arthor,
2276 [I] My hede fla3 to my fote, & 3et fla3 I neuer;
& ? ou, er any harme hent, ar3e3 in hert,
[J] Wherfore ? e better burne me burde be called
? er-fore. "
2280 [K] Quod G:, "I schunt one3,
& so wyl I no more,
Bot pa3 my hede falle on ? e stone3,
I con not hit restore.

[Sidenote A: Then the man in green seizes his grim tool. ]
[Sidenote B: With all his force he raises it aloft. ]
[Sidenote C: As it came gliding down,]
[Sidenote D: Sir Gawayne shrank a little with his shoulders. ]
[Sidenote E: The other reproved him, saying,]
[Sidenote F: "Thou art not Gawayne that is so good esteemed,]
[Sidenote G: for thou fleest for fear before thou feelest harm. ]
[Sidenote H: I never flinched when thou struckest. ]
[Sidenote I: My head flew to my foot, yet I never fled,]
[Sidenote J: wherefore I ought to be called the better man. "]
[Sidenote K: "I shunted once," says Gawayne, "but will no more. ]

XIII.

2284 [A] Bot busk, burne, bi ? i fayth, & bryng me to ? e poynt,
Dele to me my destine, & do hit out of honde,
For I schal stonde ? e a strok, & start no more,
Til ? yn ax haue me hitte, haf here my traw? e. "
2288 [B] "Haf at ? e ? enne," quod ? at o? er, & heue3 hit alofte,
& wayte3 as wro? ely, as he wode were;
[C] He mynte3 at hym ma3tyly, bot not ? e mon ryue3,[1]
With-helde heterly h[i]s honde, er hit hurt my3t.
2292 [D] Gawayn gray? ely hit byde3, & glent with no membre,
Bot stode stylle as ? e ston, o? er a stubbe au? er,
? at ra? eled is in roche grounde, with rote3 a hundreth.
? en muryly efte con he mele, ? e mon in ? e grene,
2296 [E] "So now ? ou hat3 ? i hert holle, hitte me bihou[e]s;
Halde ? e now ? e hy3e hode, ? at Ar? ur ? e ra3t,
& kepe ? y kanel at ? is kest, 3if hit keuer may. "
G: ful gryndelly with greme ? enne sayde,
2300 [F] "Wy ? resch on, ? ou ? ro mon, ? ou ? rete3 to longe,
I hope ? at ? i hert ar3e wyth ? yn awen seluen. "
"For so? e," quod ? at o? er freke, "so felly ? ou speke3,
I wyl no lenger on lyte lette ? in ernde,
2304 ri3t nowe. "
[G] ? enne tas he[2] hym stry? e to stryke,
& frounses bo? e lyppe & browe,
No meruayle ? a3 hym myslyke,
2308 ? at hoped of no rescowe.

[Sidenote A: Bring me to the point; deal me my destiny at once. "]
[Sidenote B: "Have at thee, then," says the other. ]
[Sidenote C: With that he aims at him a blow. ]
[Sidenote D: Gawayne never flinches, but stands as still as a stone. ]
[Sidenote E: "Now," says the Green Knight, "I must hit thee, since thy
heart is whole. "]
[Sidenote F: "Thrash on," says the other. ]
[Sidenote G: Then the Green Knight makes ready to strike. ]
[Footnote 1: ? ryne3 Touches. ]
[Footnote 2: he he, in MS. ]

XIV.

[A] He lyftes ly3tly his lome, & let hit doun fayre,
[B] With ? e barbe of ? e bitte bi ? e bare nek [Fol. 122. ]
? a3 he homered heterly, hurt hym no more,
2312 Bot snyrt hym on ? at on syde, ? at seuered ? e hyde;
[C] ? e scharp schrank to ? e flesche ? ur3 ? e schyre grece,
? at ? e schene blod over his schulderes schot to ? e er? e.
[D] & quen ? e burne se3 ? e blode blenk on ? e snawe,
2316 He sprit forth spenne fote more ? en a spere len? e,
Hent heterly his helme, & on his hed cast,
Schot with his schuldere3 his fayre schelde vnder,
[E] Brayde3 out a bry3t sworde, & bremely he speke3;
2320 Neuer syn ? at he wat3 burne borne of his moder,
Wat3 he neuer in ? is worlde, wy3e half so bly? e:--
[F] "Blynne, burne, of ? y bur, bede me no mo;
I haf a stroke in ? is sted with-oute stryf hent,
2324 [G] & if ? ow reche3 me any mo, I redyly schal quyte,
& 3elde 3ederly a3ayn, & ? er to 3e tryst,
& foo;
[H] Bot on stroke here me falle3,
2328 ? e couenaunt schop ry3t so,
[Sikered][1] in Ar? ure3 halle3,
& ? er-fore, hende, now hoo! "

[Sidenote A: He let fall his loom on the bare]
[Sidenote B: neck of Sir Gawayne. ]
[Sidenote C: The sharp weapon pierced the flesh so that the blood flowed. ]
[Sidenote D: When the knight saw the blood on the snow,]
[Sidenote E: he unsheathed his sword, and thus spake:]
[Sidenote F: "Cease, man, of thy blow. ]
[Sidenote G: If thou givest me any more, readily shall I requite thee. ]
[Sidenote H: Our agreement stipulates only one stroke. "]
[Footnote 1: Illegible. ]

XV.

[A] The ha? el heldet hym fro, & on his ax rested,
2332 Sette ? e schaft vpon schore, & to be scharp lened,
[B] & loked to ? e leude, ? at on ? e launde 3ede,
How ? at do3ty dredles deruely ? er stonde3,
Armed ful a3le3; in hert hit hym lyke3.
2336 ? enn he mele3 muryly, wyth a much steuen,
[C] & wyth a r[a]ykande rurde he to ? e renk sayde,
"Bolde burne, on ? is bent be not so gryndel;
No mon here vn-manerly ? e mys-boden habbe,
2340 Ne kyd, bot as couenaunde, at kynge3 kort schaped;
[D] I hy3t ? e a strok, & ? ou hit hat3, halde ? e wel payed,
I relece ? e of ? e remnaunt, of ry3tes alle o? er;
3if[1] I deliuer had bene, a boffet, paraunter,
2344 [E] I cou? e wro? eloker haf waret, [&] to ? e haf wro3t anger. [2]
Fyrst I mansed ? e muryly, with a mynt one,
[F] & roue ? e wyth no rof, sore with ry3t I ? e profered,
For ? e forwarde that we fest in ? e fyrst ny3t, [Fol. 122b. ]
2348 & ? ou trystyly ? e traw? e & trwly me halde3,
Al ? e gayne ? ow me gef, as god mon shulde;
[G] ? at o? er munt for ? e morne, mon, I ? e profered,
? ou kyssedes my clere wyf, ? e cosse3 me ra3te3,
2352 For bo? e two here I ? e bede bot two bare myntes,
boute sca? e;
[H] Trwe mon trwe restore,
? enne ? ar mon drede no wa? e;
2356 [I] At ? e ? rid ? ou fayled ? ore,
& ? er-for ? at tappe ta ? e.

[Sidenote A: The Green Knight rested on his axe,]
[Sidenote B: looked on Sir Gawayne, who appeared bold and fearless,]
[Sidenote C: and addressed him as follows: "Bold knight, be not so wroth,]
[Sidenote D: I promised thee a stroke and thou hast it, be satisfied. ]
[Sidenote E: I could have dealt worse with thee. ]
[Sidenote F: I menaced thee with one blow for the covenant between us on
the first night. ]
[Sidenote G: Another I aimed at thee because thou kissedst my wife. ]
[Sidenote H: A true man should restore truly, and then he need fear no
harm. ]
[Sidenote I: Thou failedst at the third time, and therefore take thee that
tap. (See l. 1861. )]
[Footnote 1: uf, in MS. ]
[Footnote 2: This word is doubtful. ]

XVI.

[A] For hit is my wede ? at ? ou were3, ? at ilke wouen girdel,
Myn owen wyf hit ? e weued, I wot wel forso? e;
2360 [B] Now know I wel ? y cosses, & ? y costes als,
& ? e wowyng of my wyf, I wro3t hit myseluen;
[C] I sende hir to asay ? e, & sothly me ?