English Medieval Literature

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight II

vv. 800 - 900

(800) So mony pynacle paynted was

poudred aywhere,

Among the castel carneles clambred so

thik,

That pared out of papure purely hit

semed.

The fre freke on the fole hit fayr

innogh thogh

If he myght kever to com the cloyster

withinne,

To herber in that hostel while

haliday lasted.

Avinant.

He called and sone there come

A porter pure plesaunt;

On the walle his erande he nome

(810)

And haylsed the knight erraunt.

"Good sir," quoth Gawayn,

"woldes thou go myne erande

To the high lord of this house,

herber to crave ?"

"Ye, Peter," quoth the

porter, "and purely I trowe

That ye be, wye, welcom to wone while

yow likes."

Then yede the wye yerne and come

ayayn swythe,

And folk frely him to fonge the

knight.

Thay let doun the grete draght and

derely out yeden

And kneled doun on her knes upon the

colde erthe

To welcom this ilk wye as worthy hem

thoght.

(820) Thay yolden him the brode yate

yarked up wyde,

And he hem raysed rekenly and rode

over the brygge.

Sere segges him sesed by sadel while

he light,

And sithen stabeled his stede stif

men innowe.

Knightes and swyeres comen doun then

For to bryng this burn with blysse

into halle.

When he hef up his helme there hyed

innowe

For to hent hit at his hande, the

hende to serven;

His bronde and his blasoun both thay

token.

Then haylsed he ful hendly the

hatheles uchone,

(830) And mony proud mon there presed

that prynce to honour.

All hasped in his high wede to halle

thay him wonnen,

There fayr fire upon flet feersly

brenned.

Then the lord of the lede loutes fro

his chamber

For to mete with mensk the mon on the

flore.

He sayd, "Ye are welcom to wone

as yow likes;

That here is, all is your owen, to

have at your wille

And welde."

"Grant merci," quoth Gawayn,

"There Cryst hit yow foryelde."

(840)

As frekes that semed fayn

Ayther other in armes con felde.

Gawayn glyght on the gnome that

goodly him gret,

And thoght hit a bold burn that the

burgh aghte,

A huge hathel for the nones and of

high elde.

Sturn, stif on the strythe on

stalworth schankes,

Felle face as the fire and fre of his

speche;

And wel him semed for sothe, as the

segge thoght,

To lede a lordschyp in lee of ledes

ful good.

(850) The lord him charred to a

chamber and chefly comaundes

To delyver him a lede him lowly to

serve;

And there were boun at his bode

burnes innowe

That broght him a bryght boure there

beddyng was noble,

Of cortaynes of clene silk with clere

gold hemmes,

And covertoures ful curious with

comly panes

Of bryght blaunner above, enbrawded

bisides,

Rudeles rennande on ropes, red gold

rynges,

Tapites tyght to the wowe of tuly and

tars,

And under fete on the flet of

folwande sute.

(860) There he was dispoyled with

speches of mirthe,

The burn of his bruny and of his

bryght wedes.

Rich robes ful rad renkes him

broghten

For to charge and to chaunge and

chose of the best.

Sone as he one hent and happed

therinne,

That sate on him semely with saylande

skyrtes,

The ver by his visage verayly hit

semed

Welngh to uch hathel, all on hewes,

Lowande and lovely all his lymmes

under,

That a comloker knight never Cryst

made

(870)

Hem thoght.

Whethen in worlde he were,

Hit semed as he moght

Be prynce withouten pere

In felde there felle men foght.

A cheyer before the chymny, there

charcole brenned,

Was graythed for Sir Gawayn graythly

with clothes,

Whyssynes upon queldepoyntes that

quaynt were both;

And then a mery mantyle was on that

mon cast

Of a broun bleaunt, embrawded ful

rich

(880) And fayr furred withinne with

felles of the best,

All of ermyn in erde, his hode of the

same.

And he sate in that settle semely

rich

And achaufed him chefly, anf then his

chere mended.

Sone was telded up a table on trestes

ful fayr,

Clad with a clene cloth that clere

whyte schewed,

Sanap and salure and sylveren spones.

The wye wesche at his wille and went

to his mete.

Segges him served semely innowe

With sere sewes and ste, sesounde of

the best,

(890) DOublefelde, as hit falles, and

fele kyn fisches,

Sum baken in bred, sum brad on the

gledes,

Sum sothen, sum in sewe savered with

spyces,

And ay sawses so sleye that the segge

liked.

The freke called hit a fest ful frely

and oft

Ful hendly, when all the hatheles

rehayted him at ones

As hende:

"This penaunce now ye take

And eft hit schal amende."

That mon much mirthe con make

(900)

For wyne in hid hed that wende.





Sir Gawain and the Green Knight II