Chapter XIV

1476 [A] Ho commes to þe cortyn, & at þe kny3t totes,
Sir Wawen her welcumed worþy on fyrst,
& ho hym 3elde3 a3ayn, ful 3erne of hir worde3,
[B] Sette3 hir sof[t]ly by his syde, & swyþely ho la3e3,
1480 & wyth a luflych loke ho layde[1] hym þyse worde3:
"Sir, 3if 3e be Wawen, wonder me þynkke3,
Wy3e þat is so wel wrast alway to god,
& conne3 not of compaynye þe coste3 vnder-take,
1484 & if mon kennes yow hom to knowe, 3e kest hom of your mynde;[Fol.]
[C] Þou hat3 for-3eten 3ederly þat 3isterday I ta3tte [111]
alder-truest token of talk þat I cowþe."
"What is þat?" quod þe wyghe, "I-wysse I wot neuer,
1488 If hit be sothe þat 3e breue, þe blame is myn awen."
[D] "3et I kende yow of kyssyng," quod þe clere þenne,
"Quere-so countenaunce is couþe, quikly to clayme,
Þat bicumes vche a kny3t, þat cortaysy vses."
1492 "Do way," quod þat derf mon, "my dere, þat speche,
[E] For þat durst I not do, lest I denayed were,
If I were werned, I were wrang I-wysse, 3if I profered."
"Ma fay," quod þe mere wyf, "3e may not be werned,
1496 [F] 3e ar stif in-noghe to constrayne wyth strenkþe, 3if yow lyke3,
3if any were so vilanous þat yow denaye[2] wolde."
"3e, be God," quod Gawayn, "good is your speche,
Bot þrete is vn-þryuande in þede þer I lende,
1500 [G] & vche gift þat is geuen not with goud wylle;
I am at your comaundement, to kysse quen yow lyke3,
3e may lach quen yow lyst, & leue quen yow þynkke3,
in space."
1504 [H] Þe lady loute3 a-doun,
& comlyly kysses his face,
Much speche þay þer expoun,
Of druryes greme & grace.

[Sidenote A: The lady of the castle again visits Sir Gawayne.] [Sidenote B: Softly she sits by his side,] [Sidenote C: and tells the knight that he has forgotten what she taught him the day before.] [Sidenote D: "I taught you of kissing," she says, "that becomes every knight."] [Sidenote E: Gawayne says that he must not take that which is forbidden.] [Sidenote F: He is told that he is strong enough to enforce it.] [Sidenote G: The knight replies that every gift is worthless that is not given willingly.] [Sidenote H: The lady stoops down and kisses him.] [Footnote 1: sayde (?).] [Footnote 2: de vaye, in MS.]