IX.

[A] Wel gay wat3 þis gome gered in grene,
180 & þe here of his hed of his hors swete;
Fayre fannand fax vmbe-foldes his schulderes;
[B] A much berd as[1] a busk ouer his brest henges,
Þat wyth his hi3lich here, þat of his hed reches,
184 Wat3 euesed al vmbe-torne, a-bof his elbowes,
Þat half his armes þer vnder were halched in þe wyse
Of a kynge3 capados, þat closes his swyre.
[C] Þe mane of þat mayn hors much to hit lyke,
188 Wel cresped & cemmed wyth knottes ful mony,
Folden in wyth fildore aboute þe fayre grene,
Ay a herle of þe here, an oþer of golde;
[D] Þe tayl & his toppyng twynnen of a sute,
192 & bounden boþe wyth a bande of a bry3t grene,
Dubbed wyth ful dere stone3, as þe dok lasted,
Syþen þrawen wyth a þwong a þwarle knot alofte,
Þer mony belle3 ful bry3t of brende golde rungen.
196 [E] Such a fole vpon folde, ne freke þat hym rydes,
Wat3 neuer sene in þat sale wyth sy3t er þat tyme,
with y3e;
He loked as layt so ly3t,
200 So sayd al þat hym sy3e,
[F] Hit semed as no mon my3t,
Vnder his dyntte3 dry3e.

[Sidenote A:  Gaily was the knight attired.] [Sidenote B:  His great beard, like a bush, hung on his breast.] [Sidenote C:  The horse’s mane was decked with golden threads.] [Sidenote D:  Its tail was bound with a green band.] [Sidenote E:  Such a foal nor a knight were never before seen.] [Sidenote F:  It seemed that no man might endure his dints.] [Footnote 1:  as as, in Ms.]

X.

[A] Wheþer hade he no helme ne hawb[e]rgh nauþer,
204 Ne no pysan, ne no plate þat pented to armes,
Ne no schafte, ne no schelde, to schwne ne to smyte,
[B] Bot in his on honde he hade a holyn bobbe,
Þat is grattest in grene, when greue3 ar bare,
208 [C] & an ax in his oþer, a hoge & vn-mete,
A spetos sparþe to expoun in spelle quo-so my3t;
Þe hede of an eln3erde þe large lenkþe hade,
Þe grayn al of grene stele & of golde hewen,
212 [D] Þe bit burnyst bry3t, with a brod egge,
As wel schapen to schere as scharp rasores;
Þe stele of a stif staf þe sturne hit bi-grypte,
Þat wat3 wounden wyth yrn to þe wande3 ende, [Fol. 94.]
216 [E] & al bigrauen with grene, in gracios[1] werkes;
A lace lapped aboute, þat louked at þe hede,
& so after þe halme halched ful ofte,
Wyth tryed tassele3 þerto tacched in-noghe,
220 [F] On botoun3 of þe bry3t grene brayden ful ryche. 
Þis haþel helde3 hym in, & þe halle entres,
Driuande to þe he3e dece, dut he no woþe,
[G] Haylsed he neuer one, bot he3e he ouer loked.
224 Þe fyrst word þat he warp, “wher is,” he sayd,
[H] “Þe gouernour of þis gyng? gladly I wolde
Se þat segg in sy3t, & with hym self speke
raysoun.”
228 To kny3te3 he kest his y3e,
& reled hym vp & doun,
[I] He stemmed & con studie,
Quo walt þer most renoun.