[Sidenote A: Gawayne tells her that he prefers
her conversation before that
of all others.]
[Sidenote B: The lady declares by Mary,] [Sidenote
C: that were she about to choose her a lord,]
[Sidenote D: she would select Gawayne before any
man on earth.] [Sidenote E: Gawayne tells her
that he will become her own knight and
faithful servant.]
[Sidenote F: The remembrance of his adventure
prevents him from thinking of
love.]
[Sidenote G: The lady takes leave of Sir Gawayne.]
[Footnote 1: and (?)] [Footnote 2: sclulde,
in Ms.]
VII.
[A] Þenne ho gef hym god-day,
& wyth a glent la3ed.
& as ho stod, ho stonyed hym wyth ful stor
worde3:
1292 [B] “Now he þat spede3 vche spech, þis
disport 3elde yow!
Bot þat 3e be Gawan, hit got3 in mynde.”
“Quer-fore?” quod þe freke, &
freschly he aske3,
Ferde lest he hade fayled in fourme of his
castes;
1296 Bot þe burde hym blessed, & bi þis skyl sayde,
“So god as Gawayn gaynly is halden,
[Fol. 108b.]
& cortaysye is closed so clene in hym-seluen,
[C] Couth not ly3tly haf lenged so long wyth
a lady,
1300 Bot he had craued a cosse, bi his courtaysye,
Bi sum towch of summe tryfle, at sum tale3
ende.”
[D] Þen quod Wowen, “I-wysse, worþe as
yow lyke3,
I schal kysse at your comaundement, as a
kny3t falle3,
1304 & fire[1] lest he displese yow, so[2] plede
hit no more.”
[E] Ho comes nerre with þat, & cache3 hym in
arme3,
Loute3 luflych adoun, & þe leude kysse3;
Þay comly bykennen to Kryst ayþer oþer;
1308 Ho dos hir forth at þe dore, with-outen dyn
more.
& he ryches hym to ryse, & rapes hym sone,
[F] Clepes to his chamberlayn, choses his wede,
Bo3e3 forth, quen he wat3 boun, blyþely to
masse,
1312 & þenne he meued to his mete, þat menskly
hym keped,
[G] & made myry al day til þe mone rysed,
with game;
With[3] neuer freke fayrer fonge,
1316 [H] Bitwene two so dyngne dame,
Þe alder & þe 3onge,
Much solace set þay same.
[Sidenote A: With a laughing glance, she says,] [Sidenote B: “I am doubtful whether ye be Gawayne.] [Sidenote C: Were it he, surely, ere this, he would have craved a kiss.”] [Sidenote D: “I shall kiss,” says the knight, “at your commandment.”] [Sidenote E: With that the lady catches him in her arms and kisses him.] [Sidenote F: Gawayne then rises and goes to mass.] [Sidenote G: He makes mirth all day till the moon rises,] [Sidenote H: between the “two dames,” the older and the younger.] [Footnote 1: fere (?).] [Footnote 2: fo, in Ms.] [Footnote 3: Was (?) Nas (?).]
VIII.
[A] And ay þe lorde of þe londe
is lent on his gamne3,
1320 To hunt in holte3 & heþe, at hynde3 barayne,
Such a sowme he þer slowe bi þat þe sunne
heldet,
Of dos & of oþer dere, to deme were wonder.
Þenne fersly þay flokked in folk at þe laste,
1324 [B] & quykly of þe quelled dere a querre þay