XXI.

Wild ways now Gawayne rides. Wylde wayeȝ in þe worlde Wowen now rydeȝ, 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 tyȝt, at þis tyme, in tale to remene. The wound in his neck became whole. 2484 Þe hurt watȝ 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 watȝ tane in tech of a faute; Thus he comes to the Court of King Arthur. & þus he commes to þe court, knyȝt al in sounde. Great then was the joy of all. Þer wakned wele in þat wone, when wyst þe grete, Þat gode G: watȝ commen, gayn hit hym þoȝt; The king and his knights ask him concerning his journey. 2492 Þe kyng kysseȝ þe knyȝt, & þe whene alce, & syþen mony syker knyȝt, þat soȝt hym to haylce, Gawayne tells them of his adventures, Of his fare þat hym frayned, & ferlyly he telles; Biknowoȝ alle þe costes of care þat he hade,— 2496 Þe chaunce of þe chapel, þe chere of þe knyȝt, [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 laȝt 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.