[A] "In goud fayþe," quod Gawayn, "God yow for3elde, 1536 Gret is þe gode gle, & gomen to me huge, Þat so worþy 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 þe toruayle[1] to my-self, to trwluf expoun, & towche þe teme3 of tyxt, & tale3 of arme3, To yow þat, I wot wel, welde3 more sly3t Of þat art, bi þe half, or a hundreth of seche 1544 As I am, oþer euer schal, in erde þer I leue, Hit were a fole fele-folde, my fre, by my trawþe. [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!" Þus hym frayned þat fre, & fondet hym ofte, Forto haf wonnen hym to wo3e, what-so scho þo3t elle3, [E] Bot he de fended hym so fayr, þat no faut semed, 1552 Ne non euel on nawþer halue, nawþer þay wysten, bot blysse; Þay la3ed & layked longe, At þe 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 (?).]
[A] Then ruþes hym þe renk, & ryses to þe masse, & siþen hor diner wat3 dy3t & derely serued. [Fol. 112.] 1560 [B] Þe lede with þe ladye3 layked alle day, Bot þe lorde ouer þe londe3 launced ful ofte, Swe3 his vncely swyn, þat swynge3 bi þe bonkke3, [C] & bote þe best of his brache3 þe bakke3 in sunder; 1564 Þer 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 þe folk gedered; Bot 3et þe styffest to start bi stounde3 he made, 1568 Til at þe last he wat3 so mat, he my3t no more renne, [E] Bot in þe hast þat he my3t, he to a hole wynne3, Of a rasse, bi a rokk, þer renne3 þe boerne, He gete þe bonk at his bak, bigyne3 to scrape, 1572 [F] Þe froþe femed[3] at his mouth vnfayre bi þe wyke3, Whette3 his whyte tusche3; with hym þen irked Alle þe burne3 so bolde, þat hym by stoden, [G] To nye hym on-ferum, bot ne3e hym non durst 1576 for woþe; He hade hurt so mony byforne, Þat al þu3t[4] þenne ful loþe, [H] Be more wyth his tusche3 torne, 1580 Þat breme wat3 [&] brayn-wod bothe.