Chapter VII

[A] Þenne ho gef hym god-day, & wyth a glent la3ed.
& as ho stod, ho stonyed hym wyth ful stor worde3:
1292 [B] "Now he þat spede3 vche spech, þis disport 3elde yow!
Bot þat 3e be Gawan, hit got3 in mynde."
"Quer-fore?" quod þe freke, & freschly he aske3,
Ferde lest he hade fayled in fourme of his castes;
1296 Bot þe burde hym blessed, & bi þis skyl sayde,
"So god as Gawayn gaynly is halden, [Fol. 108b.]
& cortaysye is closed so clene in hym-seluen,
[C] Couth not ly3tly haf lenged so long wyth a lady,
1300 Bot he had craued a cosse, bi his courtaysye,
Bi sum towch of summe tryfle, at sum tale3 ende."
[D] Þen quod Wowen, "I-wysse, worþe as yow lyke3,
I schal kysse at your comaundement, as a kny3t falle3,
1304 & fire[1] lest he displese yow, so[2] plede hit no more."
[E] Ho comes nerre with þat, & cache3 hym in arme3,
Loute3 luflych adoun, & þe leude kysse3;
Þay comly bykennen to Kryst ayþer oþer;
1308 Ho dos hir forth at þe dore, with-outen dyn more.
& he ryches hym to ryse, & rapes hym sone,
[F] Clepes to his chamberlayn, choses his wede,
Bo3e3 forth, quen he wat3 boun, blyþely to masse,
1312 & þenne he meued to his mete, þat menskly hym keped,
[G] & made myry al day til þe mone rysed,
with game;
With[3] neuer freke fayrer fonge,
1316 [H] Bitwene two so dyngne dame,
Þe alder & þe 3onge,
Much solace set þay same.

[Sidenote A: With a laughing glance, she says,] [Sidenote B: "I am doubtful whether ye be Gawayne.] [Sidenote C: Were it he, surely, ere this, he would have craved a kiss."] [Sidenote D: "I shall kiss," says the knight, "at your commandment."] [Sidenote E: With that the lady catches him in her arms and kisses him.] [Sidenote F: Gawayne then rises and goes to mass.] [Sidenote G: He makes mirth all day till the moon rises,] [Sidenote H: between the "two dames," the older and the younger.] [Footnote 1: fere (?).] [Footnote 2: fo, in MS.] [Footnote 3: Was (?) Nas (?).]