V.

"I have brought you hither, "For I haf wonnen yow hider, wy3e, at þis tyme, 2092 & now nar 3e not fer fro þat note place, ye are not now far from the noted place. Þat 3e han spied & spuryed so specially after; Bot I schal say yow for soþe, syþen I yow knowe, & 3e ar a lede vpon lyue, þat I wel louy, 2096 Wolde 3e worch bi my wytte, 3e worþed þe better. Full perilous is it esteemed. Þe place þat 3e prece to, ful perelous is halden; The lord of that 'waste' is stiff and stern. Þer wone3 a wy3e in þat waste, þe worst vpon erþe; For he is stiffe, & sturne, & to strike louies, 2100 & more he is þen any mon vpon myddelerde, His body is bigger 'than the best four in Arthur's house.' & his body bigger þen þe best fowre. Þat ar in Arþure3 hous, Hestor¹ oþer oþer. He cheue3 þat chaunce at þe chapel grene; None passes by the Green Chapel, 'that he does not ding to death with dint of his hand.' 2104 Þer passes non bi þat place, so proude in his armes, Þat he ne dynne3 hym to deþe, with dynt of his honde; For he is a mon methles, & mercy non vses, For be it churl or chaplain, monk, mass-priest, 'or any man else,' he kills them all. For be hit chorle, oþer chaplayn, þat bi þe chapel rydes, 2108 Monk, oþer masse-prest, oþer any mon elles, Hym þynk as queme hym to quelle, as quyk go hym seluen. For-þy I say þe as soþe as 3e in sadel sitte, Com 3e þere, 3e be kylled, [I] may þe kny3t rede, 2112 Trawe 3e me þat trwely, þa3 3e had twenty lyues to spende; He has lived there full long. He hat3 wonyd here ful 3ore, On bent much baret bende, Against his dints sore ye may not defend you. 2116 A3ayn his dynte3 sore, 3e may not yow defende." ¹ Hector (?).