XXI.

Wild ways now Gawayne rides. Wylde waye3 in þe worlde Wowen now ryde3, 2480 On Gryngolet, þat þe grace hade geten of his lyue; Oft he harboured in house and oft thereout. Ofte he herbered in house, & ofte al þeroute, & mony a-venture in vale, & venquyst ofte, Þat I ne ty3t, at þis tyme, in tale to remene. The wound in his neck became whole. 2484 Þe hurt wat3 hole, þat he hade hent in his nek, He still carried about him the belt, & þe blykkande belt he bere þeraboute, A belef as a bauderyk, bounden bi his syde, Loken vnder his lyfte arme, þe lace, with a knot, in token of his fault. 2488 In tokenyng he wat3 tane in tech of a faute; Thus he comes to the Court of King Arthur. & þus he commes to þe court, kny3t al in sounde. Great then was the joy of all. Þer wakned wele in þat wone, when wyst þe grete, Þat gode G: wat3 commen, gayn hit hym þo3t; The king and his knights ask him concerning his journey. 2492 Þe kyng kysse3 þe kny3t, & þe whene alce, & syþen mony syker kny3t, þat so3t hym to haylce, Gawayne tells them of his adventures, Of his fare þat hym frayned, & ferlyly he telles; Biknowo3 alle þe costes of care þat he hade,— 2496 Þe chaunce of þe chapel, þe chere of þe kny3t, [Fol. 124b.] the love of the lady, and lastly of the lace. Þe luf of þe ladi, þe lace at þe last. Þe nirt in þe nek he naked hem schewed, He showed them the cut in his neck. Þat he la3t for his vnleute at þe leudes hondes, 2500 for blame; He tened quen he schulde telle, He groaned for grief and shame, and the blood rushed into his face. He groned for gref & grame; Þe blod in his face con melle, 2504 When he hit schulde schewe, for schame.