XVI.
Reading edition
"It is a great pleasure to me," says Sir Gawayne, "to hear you talk, "In goud fayþe," quod Gawayn, "God yow forȝelde, 1536 Gret is þe gode gle, & gomen to me huge, Þat so worþy as ȝe wolde wynne hidere, & pyne yow with so pouer a mon, as play wyth your knyȝt, With any skynneȝ countenaunce, hit keuereȝ me ese; but I cannot undertake the task to expound true-love and tales of arms. 1540 Bot to take þe toruayle1 to my-self, to trwluf expoun, & towche þe temeȝ of tyxt, & taleȝ of armeȝ, To yow þat, I wot wel, weldeȝ more slyȝt Of þat art, bi þe half, or a hundreth of seche 1544 As I am, oþer euer schal, in erde þer I leue, Hit were a fole fele-folde, my fre, by my trawþe. I will, however, act according to your will, I wolde yowre wylnyng worche at my myȝt, As I am hyȝly bihalden, & euer-more wylle and ever be your servant." 1548 Be seruaunt to your-seluen, so saue me dryȝtyn!" Þus hym frayned þat fre, & fondet hym ofte, Forto haf wonnen hym to woȝe, what-so scho þoȝt elleȝ, Thus Gawayne defends himself. Bot he de fended hym so fayr, þat no faut semed, 1552 Ne non euel on nawþer halue, nawþer þay wysten, bot blysse; Þay laȝed & layked longe, At þe last scho con hym kysse, The lady having kissed the knight, takes leave of him. 1556 Hir leue fayre con scho fonge, & went hir waye Iwysse. 1 tornayle (?).