XIV.
Reading edition
He let fall his loom on the bare He lyftes ly3tly his lome, & let hit doun fayre, [Fol. 122.] neck of Sir Gawayne. With þe barbe of þe bitte bi þe bare nek Þa3 he homered heterly, hurt hym no more, 2312 Bot snyrt hym on þat on syde, þat seuered þe hyde; The sharp weapon pierced the flesh so that the blood flowed. Þe scharp schrank to þe flesche þur3 þe schyre grece, Þat þe schene blod over his schulderes schot to þe erþe. When the knight saw the blood on the snow, & quen þe burne se3 þe blode blenk on þe snawe, 2316 He sprit forth spenne fote more þen a spere lenþe, Hent heterly his helme, & on his hed cast, Schot with his schuldere3 his fayre schelde vnder, he unsheathed his sword, and thus spake: Brayde3 out a bry3t sworde, & bremely he speke3; 2320 Neuer syn þat he wat3 burne borne of his moder, Wat3 he neuer in þis worlde, wy3e half so blyþe:— "Cease, man, of thy blow. "Blynne, burne, of þy bur, bede me no mo; I haf a stroke in þis sted with-oute stryf hent, If thou givest me any more, readily shall I requite thee. 2324 & if þow reche3 me any mo, I redyly schal quyte, & 3elde 3ederly a3ayn, & þer to 3e tryst, & foo; Our agreement stipulates only one stroke." Bot on stroke here me falle3, 2328 Þe couenaunt schop ry3t so, [Sikered]1 in Arþure3 halle3, & þer-fore, hende, now hoo!" 1 Illegible.