V.

[Fol. 99a.] Thus arrayed the knight hears mass, When he wat3 hasped in armes, his harnays wat3 ryche, Þe lest lachet ou[þ]er loupe lemed of golde; 592 So harnayst as he wat3 he herkne3 his masse, Offred & honoured at þe he3e auter; and afterwards takes leave of Arthur and his court. Syþen he come3 to þe kyng & to his cort fere3, Lache3 lufly his leue at lorde3 & ladye3; 596 & þay hym kyst & conueyed, bikende hym to kryst. By that time his horse Gringolet was ready, Bi þat wat3 Gryngolet grayth, & gurde with a sadel, Þat glemed ful gayly with mony golde frenges, Ay quere naylet ful nwe for þat note ryched; 600 Þe brydel barred aboute, with bry3t golde bounden; the harness of which glittered like the "gleam of the sun." Þe apparayl of þe payttrure, & of þe proude skyrte3, Þe cropore, & þe couertor, acorded wyth þe arsoune3; & al wat3 rayled on red ryche golde nayle3, 604 Þat al glytered & glent as glem of þe sunne. Then Sir Gawayne sets his helmet upon his head, Þenne hentes he þe holme, & hastily hit kysses, Þat wat3 stapled stifly, & stoffed wyth-inne: Hit wat3 hy3e on his hede, hasped bihynde, fastened behind with a "urisoun," 608 Wyth a ly3tli vrysoun ouer þe auentayle, richly embroidered with gems. Enbrawden & bounden wyth þe best gemme3, On brode sylkyn borde, & brydde3 on seme3, As papiaye3 paynted pernyng bitwene, 612 Tortors & trulofe3 entayled so þyk, As mony burde þer aboute had ben seuen wynter in toune; The circle around the helmet was decked with diamonds. Þe cercle wat3 more o prys, 616 Þat vmbe-clypped hys croun, Of diamaunte3 a deuys, Þat boþe were bry3t & broun.