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 greue3 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 my3t; Þe hede of an eln3erde 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 bry3t, 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 wat3 wounden wyth yrn to þe wande3 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 tassele3 þerto tacched in-noghe, Thus arrayed the Green Knight enters the hall, 220 On botoun3 of þe bry3t grene brayden ful ryche. Þis haþel helde3 hym in, & þe halle entres, Driuande to þe he3e dece, dut he no woþe, without saluting any one. Haylsed he neuer one, bot he3e 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 sy3t, & with hym self speke raysoun." 228 To kny3te3 he kest his y3e, & 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.