Chapter IX

[A] "Now i-wysse," quod Wowayn, "wysty is here;
Þis oritore is vgly, with erbe3 ouer-growen;
[B] Wel biseme3 þe wy3e wruxled in grene
2192 Dele here his deuocioun, on þe deuele3 wyse;
Now I fele hit is þe fende, in my fyue wytte3,
Þat hat3 stoken me þis steuen, to strye me here;
[C] Þis is a chapel of meschaunce, þat chekke hit by-tyde,
2196 Hit is þe corsedest kyrk, þat euer i com inne!"
With he3e helme on his hede, his launce in his honde, [Fol. 120b.]
[D] He rome3 vp to þe rokke of þo ro3 wone3;
Þene herde he of þat hy3e hil, in a harde roche,
2200 [E] Bi3onde þe broke, in a bonk, a wonder breme noyse,
[F] Quat! hit clatered in þe clyff, as hit cleue schulde,
As one vpon a gryndelston hade grounden a syþe;
[G] What! hit wharred, & whette, as water at a mulne,
2204 What! hit rusched, & ronge, rawþe to here.
Þenne "bi Godde," quod Gawayn, "þat gere as[1] I trowe,
Is ryched at þe reuerence, me renk to mete,
bi rote;
2208 Let God worche we loo,
[H] Hit helppe3 me not a mote,
My lif þa3 I for-goo,
Drede dot3 me no lote."

[Sidenote A: "Truly," says Sir Gawayne, "a desert is here,] [Sidenote B: a fitting place for the man in green to 'deal here his devotions in devil fashion.'] [Sidenote C: It is most cursed kirk that ever I entered."] [Sidenote D: Roaming about he hears a loud noise,] [Sidenote E: from beyond the brook.] [Sidenote F: It clattered like the grinding of a scythe on a grindstone.] [Sidenote G: It whirred like a mill-stream.] [Sidenote H: "Though my life I forgo," says the knight, "no noise shall terrify me."] [Footnote 1: at, in MS.]