XVII.

Gawayne rises, hears mass, and then dines. Then ruþes hym þe renk, & ryses to þe masse, [Fol. 112.] & siþen hor diner watȝ dyȝt & derely serued. Meanwhile the lord pursues the wild boar, 1560 Þe lede with þe ladyeȝ layked alle day, Bot þe lorde ouer þe londeȝ launced ful ofte, Sweȝ his vncely swyn, þat swyngeȝ bi þe bonkkeȝ, that bit the backs of his hounds asunder, & bote þe best of his bracheȝ þe bakkeȝ in sunder; 1564 Þer he bode in his bay, tel¹ bawe-men hit breken, & made² hym, maw-gref his bed, forto mwe vtter; and caused the stiffest of the hunters to start. So felle floneȝ per flete, when þe folk gedered; Bot ȝet þe styffest to start bi stoundeȝ he made, 1568 Til at þe last he watȝ so mat, he myȝt no more renne, The boar runs into a hole in a rock by the side of a brook. Bot in þe hast þat he myȝt, he to a hole wynneȝ, Of a rasse, bi a rokk, þer renneȝ þe boerne, He gete þe bonk at his bak, bigyneȝ to scrape, The froth foams at his mouth. 1572 Þe froþe femed³ at his mouth vnfayre bi þe wykeȝ, Whetteȝ his whyte tuscheȝ; with hym þen irked Alle þe burneȝ so bolde, þat hym by stoden, None durst approach him, To nye hym on-ferum, bot neȝe hym non durst 1576 for woþe; He hade hurt so mony byforne, Þat al þuȝt⁴ þenne ful loþe, so many had he torn with his tusks. Be more wyth his tuscheȝ torne, 1580 Þat breme watȝ [&] brayn-wod bothe. ¹ til (?). ² madee, in MS. ³ fomed (?). ⁴ þoȝt (?).