And, that thai lufed him mekil mor,
Than him that lord was thare byfor.
The bridal sat, for soth to tell,
Til kyng Arthur come to the well,
With al his knyghtes everilkane,
Byhind leved thar noght ane.

Than sayd sir Kay, Now whar es he
That made slike bost her forto be,
Forto venge his cosyn-germayne?
I wist his wordes war al in vayne;
He made grete boste bifor the quene,
And her now dar he noght be sene;
His prowd wordes er now al purst,
For, in fayth, ful ill he durst
Anes luke opon that knyght,

1270

Lord, he sayd, i am Ywayne.
Than was the king ferly fayne.
A sari man than was sir Kay,
That said that he was stollen oway,
Al descumfite he lay on grownde,
To him that was a sary stownde.
The king and his men war ful glad,
That thai so syr Ywayne had,
And ful glad was sir Gawayne,
Of the welefar of sir Ywayne,
For nane was to him half so der
Of all that in the court were.

The king sir Ywayn sone bisoght,
To tel him al how he had wroght,
And sone sir Ywaine gan him tell
Of al his far how it byfell,

1350

1360

With the knight how that he sped,
And how he had the lady wed,

And how the mayden hym helpid wele:
Thus tald he to him ilka dele.

Sir kyng, he sayd, i yow byseke,
And al yowr menye milde and meke,
That ye wald grante to me that grace
And wend with me to my purchace,
And se my kastel and my towre,
Than myght ye do me grete honowr.
The kyng granted him ful right
To dwel with him a fowretenyght.
Sir Ywayne thanked him oft sith,
The knyghtes war al glad and blyth
With sir Ywaine forto wend,

And sone a squier has he send :
Unto the kastel the way he nome,

That half hir cumforth tel kowth.

Hastily that lady hende

Cumand al hir men to wende,
And dight tham in thair best aray,
To kepe the king that ilk day.
Thai keped him in riche wede,
Rydeand on many a nobil stede,
Thai hailsed him ful curtaysly,
And also al his cumpany.
Thai said he was worthy to dowt,
That so fele folk led obowt.
Thar was grete joy, i yow bihete,
With clothes spred'in ilka strete,

And damysels danceand ful wele,

With trompes, pipes, and with fristele:
The castel and ceté rang

With mynstralsi and nobil sang;

Thai ordand tham ilkane in fer,
To kepe the king on fair maner.
The lady went withowten towne,
And with hir many bald barowne,
Cled in purpur and ermyne,
With girdels al of gold ful fyne.
The lady made ful meri chere,

Sho was al dight with drewries der;

The MS. reads "spered," the d above being in a modern hand.

1370

1380

1390

1400

Abowt hir was ful mekyl thrang.
The puple cried, and sayd omang,
Welkum ertou, kyng Arthoure,
Of al this werld thou beres the flowr,
Lord kyng of all kynges,

And blessed be he that the brynges.

When the lady the kyng saw,
Unto him fast gan sho draw,
To hald his sterap whils he lyght,
Bot sone when he of hir had syght,
With mekyl myrth thai samen met,
With hende wordes sho him gret.
A thowsand sithes, Welkum, sho says,
And so es sir Gawayne the curtayse.
The king said, Lady, white so flowr,
God gif the joy and mekil honowr,
For thou ert fayr with body gent ;
With that he hir in armes hent,
And ful fair he gan hir falde,
Thar was many to bihalde.

It es no man with tong may tell

The mirth that was tham omell;
Of maidens was thar so gude wane,

That ilka knight myght tak ane.

Ful mekil joy syr Ywayn made,

That he the king til his hows hade,
The lady omang tham al samen
Made ful mekyl joy and gamen.
In the kastel thus thai dwell,
Ful mekyl myrth wase tham omell.
The king was thare with his knyghtes
Aght dayes and aght nyghtes,

1410

1420

1430

And Ywayn tham ful mery made,

With alkyn gamyn tham for to glade ;

1440

He prayed the kyng to thank the may
That hym had helpid in his jornay,
And ilk day had thai solace ser
Of huntyng and als of revere,
For thar was a ful fayre cuntrè,

With wodes and parkes grete plentè,

And castels wroght with lyme and stane,

That Ywayne with his wife had tane.
Now wil the king no langer lende,
Bot til his cuntre wil he wende.
Ay whils thai war thar, for sertayne,
Syr Gawayn did al his mayne
To pray sir Ywaine, on al maner,
For to wende with tham in fere ;

1450

If i so fayr a leman had ;

That i ne most leve al chevalry,
At hame ydel with hir to ly,
Bot.yit a fole, that litel kan,
May wele cownsail another man.
So lang sir Gawayn prayed so,
Sir Ywayne grantes him forto go
Unto the lady, and tak his leve;
Loth him was hir forto greve.
Til hyr onane the way he nome,
Bot sho ne wist noght whi he come ;
In his arms he gan hir mete,

And thus he said, My leman swete,

1480