XV.
Reading edition
He assures the knight that no one is afraid of his great words. Ande sayde, "haþel, by heuen þyn askyng is nys, 324 & as þou foly hat3 frayst, fynde þe be-houes; I know no gome þat is gast of þy grete wordes. Gif me now þy geserne, vpon gode3 halue, & I schal bayþen þy bone, þat þou boden habbes." [Fol. 95b.] 328 Ly3tly lepe3 he hym to, & la3t at his honde; Þen feersly þat oþer freke vpon fote ly3tis. Arthur seizes his axe. Now hat3 Arthure his axe, & þe halme grype3, & sturnely sture3 hit aboute, þat stryke wyth hit þo3t. 332 Þe stif mon hym bifore stod vpon hy3t, Herre þen ani in þe hous by þe hede & more; The knight, stroking his beard, awaits the blow, and with a "dry countenance" draws down his coat. Wyth sturne schere1 þer he stod, he stroked his berde, & wyth a countenaunce dry3e he dro3 doun his cote, 336 No more mate ne dismayd for hys mayn dinte3, Þen any burne vpon bench hade bro3t hym to drynk of wyne, Sir Gawayne beseeches the king to let him undertake the blow. Gawan, þat sate bi þe quene, 340 To þe kyng he can enclyne, "I be-seche now with sa3e3 sene, Þis melly mot be myne." 1 chere (?).