And there he hath with him queen Genever, That bride so bright of blee.

King Arthur lives in merry Carleile,

And seemely is to see;

And there "with him queene Guenever,
That bride so bright of blee.

And there he hath with him queen Genever,
That bride so bright in bower,

And all his barons about him stoode,
That were both stiffe and stowre.

And there "with him queene Guenever,
That bride so bright in bowre;

And all his barons about him stoode
That were both stiffe and stowre.

The king kept a royall Christmasse
Of mirth and great honor,

. . when ...

[About nine stanzas wanting].

The king "a royale Christmasse kept,"
"With" mirth and "princelye cheare,"
To him repaired many a knighte,

That came both farre and neare.

And when they were to dinner sette,
And cups went freely round;
Before them came a faire damselle.
And knelt upon the ground.

A boone, a boone, O kinge Arthure,
I beg a boone of thee;

Avenge me of a carlish knighte,

Who hath shent my love and mee.

At Tearne-Wadling his castle stands,
Near to that lake so fair,

And proudlye rise the battlements,
And streamers deck the air.

Noe gentle knighte, nor ladye gay,
May passe that castle-walle;

But from that foule discourteous knighte
Mishappe will them befalle.

Hee's twyce the size of common men,

Wi' thewes, and sinewes stronge,

And on his backe he bears a clubbe
That is both thicke and longe.

This grimme baròne 'twas our hard happe,
But yester morne to see;

Went to his bowre he bare my love,

And sore misused mee.

And when I told him, king Arthure,
As lyttle shold him spare;

Goe tell, sayd hee, that cuckold kinge,
To meete mee if he dare.

Upp then sterted king Arthure
And sware by hille and dale,
He ne'er wolde quilt that grimme baròne,
Till he had made him quail.

Go fetch my sword Excalibar;
Goe saddle mee my steede;

Now, by my faye, that grimme baròne
Shall rue this ruthfulle deede.

And when he came to Tearne Wadlinge,

Benethe the castle walle:

Come forth! come forth! thou proude baròne,
Or yielde thyself my thralle.

On magicke grounde that castle stoode,
And fenced with many a spelle:
Noe valiant knighte could tread theron,
But straite his courage felle.

Forth then rush'd that carlish knight,
King Arthur felte the charme,
His sturdy sinewes lost their strengthe,
Downe sunke his feeble arme.

Nowe yield thee, yield thee, king Arthure,
Now yield thee, unto mee,

Or fighte with mee, or lose thy lande,
No better termes maye bee.

Unlesse thou sweare upon the rood,
And promise on thy faye,

Here to returne to Tearne Wadling,
Upon the new-yeare's daye;

And bring me word what thing it is
That? a woman most desire.

This shal be thy ransome Arthur, he sayes,
For Ile have noe other hier.

And bring me worde what thing it is,
"All" women moste desyre;

This "is" thy ransome, Arthur, he sayes,
Ile have noe other hyre.

King Arthur then held up his hand
According thene as was the law,
He tooke his leave of the baron there
And homword can he draw.

King Arthur then held up his hande,

"And sware upon his faye,"

"Then" tooke his leave of the "grimme barone,"

And "faste hee rode awaye."

And when he came to merry Carlile,

To his chamber he is gone,

And ther cam to him his cozen, Sir Gawaine,

As he did make his mone.

And there came to him his cozen, Sir Gawaine, That was a curteous knight,

Why sigh you soe sore unckle Arthur, he said, Or who hath done thee unright?

0 peace, O peace, thou gentle Gawaine,
That faire may thee befall;

For if thou knew my sighing soe deepe,
Thou wold not mervaille att all.

For when I came to Tearne Wadling,
A bold barron there I fand,
With a great club upon his backe
Standing stiffe and strong.

And he asked me wether I wold fight,
Or from him I shold be gone,
O[r] else I must him a ransome pay,
And soe depart him from.

To fight with him I saw noe cause,
Me thought it was not meet,
For he was stiffe and strong with all,
His strokes were nothing sweete.

Therfor this is my ransome Gawaine,
I ought to him to pay,

I must come againe as I am sworne,
Upon the new yeers day.

And he rode east, and he rode west,
And did of all inquyre,

What thing it is all women crave,

And what they most desyre.

And I must bring him word what thing it is
[About nine stanzas wanting].

Some told him riches, pompe, or state,
Some rayment fine and brighte;
Some told him mirthe, some flatterye ;
And some a jollye knight.

Then king Arthur drest him for to ryde,
In one so rich array,

Toward the foresaid Tearne Wadling,
That he might keepe his day.

In letters all king Arthur wrote,

And sealed them with his ringe;
But still his mind was helde in doubt,
Each told a different thinge.

And as he rode over a more,

Hee see a lady where shee sate,
Betwixt an oke and a greene hollen,
She was cladd in red scarlett,

"As ruthfulle " he rode over a more,
He "saw" a ladye "sette,"

"Betweene an oke, and a greene "holléye,”
"All" clad in red scarlette.

Then there as shold have stood her mouth,
Then there was sett her eye;

The other was in her forehead fast,

The way that she might see.

Her nose was crookt and turnd outward;
Her "chin" stood "all" awrye;

"And where" as sholde have "been " her mouthe,
"Lo"! there was set her eye.

Her nose was crooked and turned outward
Her mouth stood foule awry,

A worse formed lady then shee was,
Never man saw with his eye.

Her haires, like serpents, clung aboute,
Her cheekes of deadlye hewe:

A worse-formed lady than she was,
No man "mote ever viewe."

To halch upon him, king Arthur,
The lady was full faine;

But king Arthur had forgott his lesson,
What he should say againe.

To "haile the king in seemelye sorte,"
"This" ladye was fulle faine;
But king Arthure "at fore amaz'd,"
"No aunswere made" againe.

What knight art thou, the lady sayd,
That wilt not speake to me?
Of me thou nothing [be] dismayed
Tho I be ugly to see.

What "wight" art thou, the ladye sayd,
That wilt not speake to mee;

"Sir, I may chance to ease thy paine,"
Though I be "foule" to see.

For I have halched you courteouslye,
And you will not me againe,

Yett I may happen, sir knight, shee said,
To ease thee of thy paine.

Give thou ease me, lady, he said,

Or helpe me anything,

Thou shalt have gentle Gawaine, my cozen,
And marry him with a ring.

"If" thou (wilt) ease "my paine," he sayd,
"And" helpe me "in my neede ";

"Ask what" thou wilt, thou grimme ladyè,
And it shall be thy meede.

Why if I helpe thee not, thou noble king Arthur,
Of thy owne hearts desiringe,

Of gentle Gawaine . . . .

[About nine stanzas wanting].

O sweare mee this upon the roode,
And promise on thy faye;
And here the secrette I will telle,
That shall thy ransome paye.

King Arthur promised on his faye,
And sware upon the roode;
The secrette then the ladye told,
As lightlye well she cou'de.

Now this shall be my paye, sir king,

And this my guerdon bee,

That some yong, fair, and courtlye knighte,
Thou bringe to marrye mee.

Fast then pricked king Arthure,

Ore hille, and dale, and downe;

And soone he founde the barone's bowre;
And soone the grimme baròune.

And when he came to Tearne Wadling
The baron there cold he frinde (finde),
With a great weapon on his backe,
Standing stiffe and stronge.

"He bare his clubbe" upon his backe,
"He stood bothe" stiffe and stronge;
"And when he had the letters reade"
Awaye "the lettres flunge."

And then he tooke king Arthurs letters in his hands, And away he cold them fling;

And then he puld out a good browne sword,

And cryd himself a King.

And he sayd, I have thee and thy land, Arthur,

To doe as it pleaseth mee;

For this is not thy ransome sure

Therfore yeeld thee to mee.

"Nowe yielde" thee, Arthur, and thy "lands,"
"All forfeit unto mee";

For this is not thy "paye, sir king,

Nor many thy ransome bee."