XVIII.
Reading edition
After dinner the company go to the chapel, 928 Bi þat þe diner watȝ done, & þe dere vp, Hit watȝ neȝ at þe niyȝt neȝed þe tyme; Chaplayneȝ1 to þe chapeles chosen þe gate, Rungen ful rychely, ryȝt as þay schulden, to hear the evensong of the great season. 932 To þe hersum euensong of þe hyȝe tyde. Þe lorde loutes þerto, & þe lady als, In-to a comly closet coyntly ho entreȝ; Gawan glydeȝ ful gay, & gos þeder sone; 936 Þe lorde laches hym by þe lappe, & ledeȝ hym to sytte, & couþly hym knoweȝ, & calleȝ hym his nome, & sayde he watȝ þe welcomest wyȝe of þe worlde; The lord of the castle and Sir Gawayne sit together during service. & he hym þonkked þroly, & ayþer halched oþer. 940 & seten soberly samen þe seruise-quyle; Þenne lyst þe lady to loke on þe knyȝt. His wife, accompanied by her maids, leaves her seat. Þenne com ho of hir closet, with mony cler burdeȝ, Ho watȝ þe fayrest in felle, of flesche & of lyre, 944 & of compas, & colour, & costes of alle oþer, She appeared even fairer than Guenever. & wener þen Wenore, as þe wyȝe þoȝt. He ches þurȝ þe chaunsel, to cheryche þat hende; An older lady (an ancient one she seemed) led her by the hand. An oþer lady hir lad bi þe lyft honde, 948 Þat watȝ alder þen ho, an auncian hit semed, & heȝly honowred with haþeleȝ aboute. Very unlike were these two. Bot yn-lyke on to loke þo ladyes were, if the young one was fair the other was yellow, For if þe ȝonge watȝ ȝep, ȝolȝe watȝ þat oþer; 952 Riche red on þat on rayled ay quere, and had rough and wrinkled cheeks. Rugh ronkled chekeȝ þat oþer on rolled; Kerchofes of þat on wyth mony cler perleȝ The younger had breast and throat "bare displayed." Hir brest & hir bryȝt þrote bare displayed, 956 Schon schyrer þen snawe, þat scheder2 on hilleȝ; Þat oþer wyth a gorger watȝ gered ouer þe swyre, Chymbled ouer hir blake chyn with mylk-quyte vayles, The ancient one exposed only her "black brows," her two eyes, Hir frount folden in sylk, enfoubled ay quere, 960 Toret & treieted with tryfleȝ aboute, [Fol. 104.] nose, and naked lips, all sour and bleared. Þat noȝt watȝ bare of þat burde bot þe blake broȝes. Þe tweyne yȝen, & þe nase, þe naked lyppeȝ, & þose were soure to se, & sellyly blered; 964 A mensk lady on molde mon may hir calle, for gode; Her body was short and thick; Hir body watȝ schort & þik. her buttocks broad and round. Hir buttokeȝ bay & brode, 968 More lykker-wys on to lyk, Watȝ þat scho hade on lode. 1 MS. [claplayneȝ.] 2 schedes (?).