V.

"I have brought you hither, "For I haf wonnen yow hider, wyȝe, at þis tyme, 2092 & now nar ȝe not fer fro þat note place, ye are not now far from the noted place. Þat ȝe han spied & spuryed so specially after; Bot I schal say yow for soþe, syþen I yow knowe, & ȝe ar a lede vpon lyue, þat I wel louy, 2096 Wolde ȝe worch bi my wytte, ȝe worþed þe better. Full perilous is it esteemed. Þe place þat ȝe prece to, ful perelous is halden; The lord of that 'waste' is stiff and stern. Þer woneȝ a wyȝe 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 Arþureȝ hous, Hestor¹ oþer oþer. He cheueȝ 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 dynneȝ 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 he 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 ȝe in sadel sitte, Com ȝe þere, ȝe be kylled, [I] may þe knyȝt rede, 2112 Trawe ȝe me þat trwely, þaȝ ȝe had twenty lyues to spende; He has lived there full long. He hatȝ wonyd here ful ȝore, On bent much baret bende, Against his dints sore ye may not defend you. 2116 Aȝayn his dynteȝ sore, Ȝe may not yow defende." ¹ Hector (?).