Chapter XXI

[A] Wylde waye3 in þe worlde Wowen now ryde3,
2480 On Gryngolet, þat þe grace hade geten of his lyue;
[B] Ofte he herbered in house, & ofte al þeroute,
& mony a-venture in vale, & venquyst ofte,
Þat I ne ty3t, at þis tyme, in tale to remene.
2484 [C] Þe hurt wat3 hole, þat he hade hent in his nek,
[D] & þe blykkande belt he bere þeraboute,
A belef as a bauderyk, bounden bi his syde,
Loken vnder his lyfte arme, þe lace, with a knot,
2488 [E] In tokenyng he wat3 tane in tech of a faute;
[F] & þus he commes to þe court, kny3t al in sounde.
[G] Þer wakned wele in þat wone, when wyst þe grete,
Þat gode G: wat3 commen, gayn hit hym þo3t;
2492 [H] Þe kyng kysse3 þe kny3t, & þe whene alce,
& syþen mony syker kny3t, þat so3t hym to haylce,
[I] Of his fare þat hym frayned, & ferlyly he telles;
Biknowo3 alle þe costes of care þat he hade,--
2496 Þe chaunce of þe chapel, þe chere of þe kny3t,
[J] Þe luf of þe ladi, þe lace at þe last. [Fol. 124b.]
Þe nirt in þe nek he naked hem schewed,
[K] Þat he la3t for his vnleute at þe leudes hondes,
2500 for blame;
He tened quen he schulde telle,
[L] He groned for gref & grame;
Þe blod in his face con melle,
2504 When he hit schulde schewe, for schame.

[Sidenote A: Wild ways now Gawayne rides.] [Sidenote B: Oft he harboured in house and oft thereout.] [Sidenote C: The wound in his neck became whole.] [Sidenote D: He still carried about him the belt,] [Sidenote E: in token of his fault.] [Sidenote F: Thus he comes to the Court of King Arthur.] [Sidenote G: Great then was the joy of all.] [Sidenote H: The king and his knights ask him concerning his journey.] [Sidenote I: Gawayne tells them of his adventures,] [Sidenote J: the love of the lady, and lastly of the lace.] [Sidenote K: He showed them the cut in his neck.] [Sidenote L: He groaned for grief and shame, and the blood rushed into his face.]