X.
Reading edition
The knight carried neither spear nor shield, 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, In one hand was a holly bough, Bot in his on honde he hade a holyn bobbe, Þat is grattest in grene, when greueȝ ar bare, in the other an axe, 208 & an ax in his oþer, a hoge & vn-mete, A spetos sparþe to expoun in spelle quo-so myȝt; Þe hede of an elnȝerde þe large lenkþe hade, Þe grayn al of grene stele & of golde hewen, the edge of which was as keen as a sharp razor, 212 Þe bit burnyst bryȝt, with a brod egge, As wel schapen to schere as scharp rasores; Þe stele of a stif staf þe sturne hit bi-grypte, [Fol. 94.] Þat watȝ wounden wyth yrn to þe wandeȝ ende, and the handle was encased in iron, curiously "graven with green, in gracious works." 216 & al bigrauen with grene, in gracios1 werkes; A lace lapped aboute, þat louked at þe hede, & so after þe halme halched ful ofte, Wyth tryed tasseleȝ þerto tacched in-noghe, Thus arrayed the Green Knight enters the hall, 220 On botounȝ of þe bryȝt grene brayden ful ryche. Þis haþel heldeȝ hym in, & þe halle entres, Driuande to þe heȝe dece, dut he no woþe, without saluting any one. Haylsed he neuer one, bot heȝe he ouer loked. 224 Þe fyrst word þat he warp, "wher is," he sayd, He asks for the "governor" of the company, "Þe gouernour of þis gyng? gladly I wolde Se þat segg in syȝt, & with hym self speke raysoun." 228 To knyȝteȝ he kest his yȝe, & reled hym vp & doun, and looks for the most renowned. He stemmed & con studie, Quo walt þer most renoun. 1 looks like gracons in MS.