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, & heueȝ hit alofte, & wayteȝ as wroþely, as he wode were; With that he aims at him a blow. He mynteȝ at hym maȝtyly, bot not þe mon ryueȝ,1 With-helde heterly h[i]s honde, er hit hurt myȝt. Gawayne never flinches, but stands as still as a stone. 2292 Gawayn grayþely hit bydeȝ, & glent with no membre, Bot stode stylle as þe ston, oþer a stubbe auþer, Þat raþeled is in roche grounde, with roteȝ 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 hatȝ þi hert holle, hitte me bihou[e]s; Halde þe now þe hyȝe hode, þat Arþur þe raȝt, & kepe þy kanel at þis kest, ȝif hit keuer may." G: ful gryndelly with greme þenne sayde, "Thrash on," says the other. 2300 "Wy þresch on, þou þro mon, þou þreteȝ to longe, I hope þat þi hert arȝe wyth þyn awen seluen." "For soþe," quod þat oþer freke, "so felly þou spekeȝ, I wyl no lenger on lyte lette þin ernde, 2304 riȝt nowe." Then the Green Knight makes ready to strike. Þenne tas he2 hym stryþe to stryke, & frounses boþe lyppe & browe, No meruayle þaȝ hym myslyke, 2308 Þat hoped of no rescowe. 1 ? ryneȝ = touches. 2 he he, in MS.