XXII.
Reading edition
He desires to know what had driven Sir Gawayne from Arthur's court before the end of the Christmas holidays. Then frayned þe freke ful fayre at him-seluen, Quat derne1 dede had hym dryuen, at þat dere tyme, 1048 So kenly fro þe kyngeȝ kourt to kayre al his one, Er þe halidayeȝ holly were halet out of toun? The knight replies that "a high errand and a hasty one" had forced him to leave the court. "For soþe sir," quod þe segge, "ȝe sayn bot þe trawþe A heȝe ernde & a hasty me hade fro þo woneȝ, 1052 For I am sumned my selfe to sech to a place, I wot2 in worlde wheder warde to wende, hit to fynde; I nolde, bot if I hit negh myȝt on nwȝeres morne, For alle þe londe in-wyth Logres, so me oure lorde help! 1056 For-þy, sir, þis enquest I require yow here, He asks his host whether he has ever heard of the Green Chapel, Þat ȝe me telle with trawþe, if euer ȝe tale herde Of þe grene chapel, quere hit on grounde stondeȝ, & of þe knyȝt þat hit kepes, of colour of grene? 1060 Þer watȝ stabled bi statut a steuen vus by-twene, for he has to be there on New Year's-day. To mete þat mon at þat mere, ȝif I myȝt last; & of þat ilk nwȝere hot neked now wonteȝ, & I wolde loke on þat lede, if God me let wolde, 1064 Gladloker, bi Goddeȝ sun, þen any god welde! For-þi, I-wysse, bi ȝowre wylle, wende me bi-houes, He wonld as lief die as fail in his errand. Naf I now to busy bot bare þre dayeȝ, & me als fayn to falle feye as fayly of myyn ernde." The prince tells Sir Gawayne that he will teach him the way. 1068 Þenne laȝande quod þe lorde, "now leng þe by-houes, For I schal teche yow to þa[t] terme bi þe tymeȝ ende, Þe grene chapayle vpon grounde, greue yow no more; Bot ȝe schal be in yowre bed, burne, at þyn ese, 1072 Quyle forth dayej, & ferk on pe fyrst of pe ȝere, [Fol. 105b] & cum to þat merk at mydmorn, to make quat yow likeȝ in spenne; Dowelleȝ whyle new ȝeres daye, 1076 & rys, & raykeȝ þenne, The Green chapel is not more than two miles from the castle. Mon schal yow sette in waye, Hit is not two myle henne." 1 derue (?). 2 not (?).