[Sidenote A:  He asks permission to leave the table; he says,] [Sidenote B:  it is not meet that Arthur should be active in the matter,] [Sidenote C:  while so many bold ones sit upon bench.] [Sidenote D:  Although the weakest, he is quite ready to meet the Green
  Knight.]
[Sidenote E:  The nobles entreat Arthur to “give Gawayne the game.”]

XVII.

Þen comaunded þe kyng þe kny3t for to ryse; [Fol. 96.]
& he ful radly vp ros, & ruchched hym fayre,
368 [A] Kneled doun bifore þe kyng, & cache3 þat weppen;
& he luflyly hit hym laft, & lyfte vp his honde,
& gef hym godde3 blessyng, & gladly hym biddes
[B] Þat his hert & his honde schulde hardi be boþe.
372 “Kepe þe cosyn,” quod þe kyng, “þat þou on kyrf sette,
& if þou rede3 hym ry3t, redly I trowe,
Þat þou schal byden þe bur þat he schal bede after. 
Gawan got3 to þe gome, with giserne in honde,
376 & he baldly hym byde3, he bayst neuer þe helder
[C] Þen carppe3 to sir Gawan þe kny3t in þe grene,
“Refourme we oure for-wardes, er we fyrre passe. 
Fyrst I eþe þe, haþel, how þat þou hattes,
380 Þat þou me telle truly, as I tryst may?”
[D] “In god fayth,” quod þe goode kny3t, “Gawan I hatte,
Þat bede þe þis buffet, quat-so bi-falle3 after,
& at þis tyme twelmonyth take at þe anoþer,
384 Wyth what weppen so[1] þou wylt, & wyth no wy3 elle3,
on lyue.” 
Þat oþer on-sware3 agayn,
“Sir Gawan, so mot I þryue,
388 [E] As I am ferly fayn. 
Þis dint þat þou schal dryue.”

[Sidenote A:  The king gives his nephew his weapon,] [Sidenote B:  and tells him to keep heart and hand steady.] [Sidenote C:  The Green Knight enquires the name of his opponent.] [Sidenote D:  Sir Gawayne tells him his name, and declares that he is
  willing to give and receive a blow.]
[Sidenote E:  The other thereof is glad.] [Footnote 1:  Ms. fo.]

XVIII.

[A] “Bigog,” quod þe grene kny3t, “sir Gawan, melykes,
Þat I schal fange at þy fust þat I haf frayst here;
392 & þou hat3 redily rehersed, bi resoun ful trwe,
Clanly al þe couenaunt þat I þe kynge asked,
Saf þat þou schal siker me, segge, bi þi trawþe,
Þat þou schal seche me þi-self, where-so þou hopes
396 I may be funde vpon folde, & foch þe such wages
[B] As þou deles me to day, bifore þis douþe ryche.”
[C] “Where schulde I wale þe,” quod Gauan, “where is þy place? 
I wot neuer where þou wonyes, bi hym þat me wro3t,
400 Ne I know not þe, kny3t, þy cort, ne þi name.
[D] Bot teche me truly þer-to, & telle me howe þou hattes,
& I schal ware alle my wyt to wynne me þeder,
& þat I swere þe for soþe, & by my seker traweþ.” [Fol. 96b.]
404 “Þat is in-nogh in nwe 3er, hit nedes no more,”
Quod þe gome in þe grene to Gawan þe hende,
[E] “3if I þe telle trwly, quen I þe tape haue,
& þou me smoþely hat3 smyten, smartly I þe