XVIII.
Reading edition
"Nay, forsooth," says Gawayne, "Nay, for soþe," quod þe segge, & sesed hys helme, 2408 & hatȝ hit of hendely, & þe haþel þonkkeȝ, "I have sojourned sadly, but bliss betide thee! "I haf soiorned sadly, sele yow bytyde, & he ȝelde hit yow ȝare, þat ȝarkkeȝ al menskes! Commend me to your comely wife and that other lady who have beguiled me. & comaundeȝ me to þat cortays, your comlych fere, 2412 Boþe þat on & þat oþer, myn honoured ladyeȝ. Þat þus hor knyȝt wyth hor kest han koyntly bigyled. But it is no marvel for a man to be brought to grief through a woman's wiles. Bot hit is no ferly, þaȝ a fole madde, & þurȝ wyles of wymmen be wonen to sorȝe; Adam, Solomon, Samson, and David were beguiled by women. 2416 For so watȝ Adam in erde with one bygyled, & Salamon with fele sere, & Samson eft soneȝ, Dalyda dalt hym hys wyrde, & Dauyth þer-after Watȝ blended with Barsabe, þat much bale þoled. How could a man love them and believe them not? 2420 Now þese were wrathed wyth her wyles, hit were a wynne huge, To luf hom wel, & leue hem not, a leude þat couþe, [Fol. 123b.] For þes wer forne1 þe freest þat folȝed alle þe sele, Ex-ellently of alle þyse oþer, vnder heuen-ryche, 2424 þat mused; & alle þay were bi-wyled, With2 wymmen þat þay vsed, Though I be now beguiled, methinks I should be excused. Þaȝ I be now bigyled, 2428 Me þink me burde be excused." 1 forme (?) 2 with wyth, in MS.