Stanzas XVI–XXX

Thus his maistry mekes he,
With dyntus that werun duȝte,
Were he neuyr so harde,
Thus bidus that brothe ;
The kinge with a nobulle brande,
He mette the bore comande,
On his squrd tille his hande,
He rennes fulle rathe.
He bare him inne atte the throte,
He hade no myrthe of that mote,
He began to dotur and dote,
Os he hade keghet scathe ;
With sit siles he a-downe,
To brittun him the king was bowne,
And sundurt in that sesun,
His brode schildus bothe.

The king couthe of venery,
Colurt him fulle kyndely,
The bed of that hardy,
He sette on a stake ;
Sethun brittuns he the best,
As venesun in forest,
Bothe the ȝonge and lees,
He hongus on a noke.
There downe knelys hee,
That loues her that is free,
Sayd, " This socur thou hase send me,
For thi Sune sake !"
If he were in a dale depe,
He hade no knyȝte him to kepe,
For werre slidus he on slepe,
No lengur myȝte he wake.

The king base fillut his avowe ;
Of Kay carpe we nowe,
How that he come fro his prowe,
ȝe schalle here more ;
Als he rode in the nyȝte,
In the forest he mette a knyȝte,
Ledand a birde bryȝte,
Ho wepputte wundur sore.
Ho sayd, " Sayn Mare myȝte me spede,
And saue me my madun-hede,
And giffe the knyȝte, for his dede,
Bothe soro and care !"

Thus ho talkes him tille,
Quille ho hade sayd alle hur wille,
And Kay held him fulle stille,
And in the holte houes ;
He prekut oute prestely,
And aure-hiet him radly,
And on the knyȝte conne cry,
And pertely him reproues.
And sayd, " Recraiand knyȝte !
Here I profur the to fiȝte,
Be chesun of that biurde briȝte,
I bede the my glouus !"
The tother vnsquarut him with skille,
And sayd, " I am redy, at thi wille,
That forward to fulfille,
In alle the me be-houus."

" Now quethun art thou !" quod Kay,
" Or quethur is thou on way ?
Thi riȝte name thou me say,
Quere wan thou that wiȝte ?"
The tother vnsquarut him agayn,
"Mi riȝte name is, noȝte to layn,
Sir Menealfe of the Mountayn,
My gode-fadur hiȝte.
And this lady sum I the telle,
I fochet hur atte Ledelle,
Ther hur frindus con he felle,
As foes in a fiȝte ;
So I talket hom tille,
That muche blode conne I spille,
And all a-ȝaynus thayre awne wille,
There wan I this wiȝte."

Quod Kay, " The batelle I take,
Be chesun of the birdus sake,
And I schalle wurche the wrake !"
And sqwithely con squere ;
Thenne thay rode to-gedur ryȝte,
As frekes redy to fiȝte,
Be chesun of that birde bryȝte,
Gay in hor gere !
Menealfe was the more myȝty,
He stroke Kay stifly,
Witte ȝe, Sirs, witturly,
With a scharpe spere ;
All to-schildurt his schilde,
And aure his sadulle gerut him to held,
And felle him flatte in the filde,
And toke him vppe on werre.

Thus hase he wonun Kay on werre,
And alle to-spild in his spere,
And mekille of othir gere,
Is holden to the pees ;
Thenne unsquarut Kay aȝayn,
And sayd, " Sir, atte Tarnewathelan,
Bidus me Sir Gauan,
Is derwurthe on dese !
Wold ȝe thethur be bowne,
Or ȝe turnut to the towne,
He wold pay my rawunsone,
With-owtyn delees."
He sayd, " Sir Kay, thi lyfe I the heȝte,
For a cowrce of that knyȝte ;"
ȝette Menealfe, or the mydnyȝte,
Him ruet alle his rees.

Thus thay turnut to the Torne,
With the thriuand thorne,
Kay callut on Gauan ȝorne,
Asshes, " duo is there ?"
He sayd, " I, Kay, that thou knawes,
That owte of tyme bostus and blawus,
Butte thou me lese with thi lawes,
I lif neuyr more.
For as I rode in the nyȝte,
In the forest I mette a knyȝte,
Ledand a birde bryȝte,
Ho wepput wundur sore ;
There to-gedur faȝte we,
Be chesun of that lady free,
On werre thus hase he wonun me,
Gif that me lothe ware !

This knyȝte, that is of renowun,
Hase takyn me to presowun,
And thou mun pay my rawunsun,
Gawan, with thi leue."
Then vnsquarutte Gauan,
And sayd godely agayn,
" I wille, wundur fayne,
Quatt schalle I geue ?"
" Quen thou art armut in thi gere,
Take thi schild and thi spere,
And ride to him a course on werre,
Hit schalle the noȝte greue."
Gauan asshes, " Is hit soe ?"
To tother knyȝt grauntus, ȝe,
He sayd, " Then to-gedur schulle we goe,
How-sumeuyr hit cheuis."

And these knyȝtus kithum hor crafte,
And aythir gripus a schafte,
Was als rude as a rafte,
So runnun thay to-gedur ;
So somun conne tha hie,
That nauthir scaput for-bye,
Gif Menealfe was the more myȝtie,
ȝette dyntus gerut him to dedur.
He stroke him sadde and sore,
Squithe squonut he thore,
The blonke him a-boute bore,
Wiste he neuyr quedur !
Quod Kay, " Thou hase that thou hase soȝte,
Mi rauunsun is alle redy boȝte,
Gif thou were ded I ne roȝte,
For-thi come I hedur.

Thus Kay scornus the knyȝte,
And Gauan rydus to him ryȝte,
In his sadul sette him on hiȝte,
Speke gif he may ;
Of his helme con he draw,
Lete the wynde on him blaw,
He speke with a vois law,
" Delyueryt hase thou Kay.
With thi laa hase made him leyce,
Butte him is lothe to be in pece,
And thou was aye curtase,
And prins of iche play ;
Wold thou here a stowunde bide,
A-nother course wold I ride,
This that houes by my side,
In wedde I wold hur lay !"

Then vnsquarut Gauan,
Sayd godely a-gayn,
" I am wundur fayn,
For hur for to fiȝte."
These knyȝtus kithum thay gere,
And aythir gripus a spere,
Runnun to-gedur on werre,
Os hardy and wiȝte.
So somen that thay ȝode,
That Gauan bare him fro his stede,
That bothe his brees con blede,
On growunde qwen he liȝte ;
Thenne Kay con on him calle,
And sayd, " Sir, thou hade a falle,
And thi wenche lost with-alle,
Mi trauthe I the pliȝte !"

Quod Kay, " Thi leue hase thou loste,
For alle thi brag or thi boste,
If thou haue oȝte on hur coste,
I telle hit for tente !"
Thenne speke Gauan to Kay,
" A mon's happe is notte ay,
Is none so sekur of a say,
Butte he may harmes hente."
Gauan rydus to him ryȝte,
And toke vppe the tother knyȝte,
That was dilfully dyȝte,
And stonet in that stynte ;
Kay wurdus tenut him mare,
Thenne alle the harmes that he hente thare,
He sayd, " And we allone ware,
This stryf schuld I stynte."

" ȝe, hardely !" quod Kay,
" Butte thou hast lost thi fayre may,
And thi liffe I dar lay,"
Thus talkes he him tille;
And Gauan sayd, " Gode forbede !
For he is duȝti in dede,"
Prayes the knyȝte gud spede,
To take hit to none ille,
If Kay speke wurdes kene,
" Take thou this dameselle schene,
Lede hur to Gaynour the quene,
This forward to fulfille ;
And say, that Gawan hur knyȝte,
Sende hur this byurde briȝte,
And rawunsun the a-non riȝte,
Atte hur awne wille."

Ther-to grawuntus the knyȝte,
And truly his trauthe pliȝte,
Inne saue-ward that byurde bryȝte,
To Carlele to bringe ;
And as thay houet and abode,
He squere on the squrd brode ;
Be he his othe hade made,
Thenne waknut the king.
Thenne the day be-ganne to daw,
The kinge his bugulle con blaw,
His knyȝtus couthe hitte welle knaw,
His was a sekurthinge;
Sethun thay busket hom ȝare,
Sqwith with owtun any mare,
To wete the kingus welefare,
With-owtun letting.