XIII.
Reading edition
Bring me to the point; deal me my destiny at once." 2284 Bot busk, burne, bi þi fayth, & bryng me to þe poynt, Dele to me my destiné, & do hit out of honde, For I schal stonde þe a strok, & start no more, Til þyn ax haue me hitte, haf here my trawþe." "Have at thee, then," says the other. 2288 "Haf at þe þenne," quod þat oþer, & heue3 hit alofte, & wayte3 as wroþely, as he wode were; With that he aims at him a blow. He mynte3 at hym ma3tyly, bot not þe mon ryue3,1 With-helde heterly h[i]s honde, er hit hurt my3t. Gawayne never flinches, but stands as still as a stone. 2292 Gawayn grayþely hit byde3, & glent with no membre, Bot stode stylle as þe ston, oþer a stubbe auþer, Þat raþeled is in roche grounde, with rote3 a hundreth. Þen muryly efte con he mele, þe mon in þe grene, "Now," says the Green Knight, "I must hit thee, since thy heart is whole." 2296 "So now þou hat3 þi hert holle, hitte me bihou[e]s; Halde þe now þe hy3e hode, þat Arþur þe ra3t, & kepe þy kanel at þis kest, 3if hit keuer may." G: ful gryndelly with greme þenne sayde, "Thrash on," says the other. 2300 "Wy þresch on, þou þro mon, þou þrete3 to longe, I hope þat þi hert ar3e wyth þyn awen seluen." "For soþe," quod þat oþer freke, "so felly þou speke3, I wyl no lenger on lyte lette þin ernde, 2304 ri3t nowe." Then the Green Knight makes ready to strike. Þenne tas he2 hym stryþe to stryke, & frounses boþe lyppe & browe, No meruayle þa3 hym myslyke, 2308 Þat hoped of no rescowe. 1 ? ryne3 = touches. 2 he he, in MS.