[Sidenote A: After dinner the company go to the
chapel,] [Sidenote B: to hear the evensong of
the great season.] [Sidenote C: The lord of the
castle and Sir Gawayne sit together during
service.]
[Sidenote D: His wife, accompanied by her maids,
leaves her seat.] [Sidenote E: She appeared even
fairer than Guenever.] [Sidenote F: An older
lady (an ancient one she seemed) led her by the
hand.]
[Sidenote G: Very unlike were these two.] [Sidenote
H: if the young one was fair the other was yellow,]
[Sidenote I: and had rough and wrinkled cheeks.]
[Sidenote J: The younger had breast and throat
“bare displayed.”] [Sidenote K: The
ancient one exposed only her “black brows,”
her two eyes,] [Sidenote L: nose, and naked lips,
all sour and bleared.] [Sidenote M: Her body
was short and thick;] [Sidenote N: her buttocks
broad and round.] [Footnote 1: Ms. [claplayne3.]]
[Footnote 2: schedes (?).]
XIX.
[A] When Gawayn gly3t on þat gay,
þat graciously loked,
Wyth leue la3t of þe lorde he went hem a3aynes;
972 [B] Þe alder he haylses, heldande ful lowe,
Þe loueloker he lappe3 a lyttel in arme3,
[C] He kysses hir comlyly, & kny3tly he mele3;
Þay kallen hym of a quoyntaunce, & he hit
quyk aske3
976 [D] To be her seruaunt sothly, if hem-self lyked.
Þay tan hym bytwene hem, wyth talkyng hym
leden
[E] To chambre, to chemne, & chefly þay asken
[F] Spyce3, þat vn-sparely men speded hom to
bryng,
980 & þe wynne-lych wyne þer-with vche tyme.
Þe lorde luflych aloft lepe3 ful ofte,
Mynned merthe to be made vpon mony syþe3.
[G] Hent he3ly of his hode, & on a spere henged,
984 & wayned hom to wynne þe worchip þer-of,
[H] Þat most myrþe my3t mene[1] þat crystenmas
whyle;
“& i schal fonde, bi my fayth, to fylter
wyth þe best,
Er me wont þe wede3, with help of my frende3.”
988 Þus wyth la3ande lote3 þe lorde hit tayt[2]
make3,
[I] For to glade sir Gawayn with gomne3 in halle
þat ny3t;
Til þat hit wat3 tyme,
992 Þe kyng comaundet ly3t,
[J] Sir Gawen his leue con nyme,
& to his bed hym di3t.
[Sidenote A: With permission of the lord,] [Sidenote B: Sir Gawayne salutes the elder,] [Sidenote C: but the younger he kisses,] [Sidenote D: and begs to be her servant.] [Sidenote E: To chamber all go,] [Sidenote F: where spices and wine are served.] [Sidenote G: The lord takes off his hood and places it on a spear.] [Sidenote H: He who makes most mirth is to win it.] [Sidenote I: Night approaches, and then] [Sidenote J: Sir Gawayne takes his leave and retires to rest.] [Footnote 1: meue (?).] [Footnote 2: layt (?).]
XX.
[A] On þe morne, as vch mon myne3
þat tyme,
996 [B] [Þ]at dry3tyn for oure destyne to de3e wat3
borne,
Wele waxe3 in vche a won in worlde, for his
sake;
[C] So did hit þere on þat day, þur3 dayntes
mony;
Boþe at mes & at mele, messes ful quaynt