Chapter XIV

[A] He lyftes ly3tly his lome, & let hit doun fayre,
[B] With þe barbe of þe bitte bi þe bare nek [Fol. 122.]
Þa3 he homered heterly, hurt hym no more,
2312 Bot snyrt hym on þat on syde, þat seuered þe hyde;
[C] Þe scharp schrank to þe flesche þur3 þe schyre grece,
Þat þe schene blod over his schulderes schot to þe erþe.
[D] & quen þe burne se3 þe blode blenk on þe snawe,
2316 He sprit forth spenne fote more þen a spere lenþe,
Hent heterly his helme, & on his hed cast,
Schot with his schuldere3 his fayre schelde vnder,
[E] Brayde3 out a bry3t sworde, & bremely he speke3;
2320 Neuer syn þat he wat3 burne borne of his moder,
Wat3 he neuer in þis worlde, wy3e half so blyþe:--
[F] "Blynne, burne, of þy bur, bede me no mo;
I haf a stroke in þis sted with-oute stryf hent,
2324 [G] & if þow reche3 me any mo, I redyly schal quyte,
& 3elde 3ederly a3ayn, & þer to 3e tryst,
& foo;
[H] Bot on stroke here me falle3,
2328 Þe couenaunt schop ry3t so,
[Sikered][1] in Arþure3 halle3,
& þer-fore, hende, now hoo!"

[Sidenote A: He let fall his loom on the bare] [Sidenote B: neck of Sir Gawayne.] [Sidenote C: The sharp weapon pierced the flesh so that the blood flowed.] [Sidenote D: When the knight saw the blood on the snow,] [Sidenote E: he unsheathed his sword, and thus spake:] [Sidenote F: "Cease, man, of thy blow.] [Sidenote G: If thou givest me any more, readily shall I requite thee.] [Sidenote H: Our agreement stipulates only one stroke."] [Footnote 1: Illegible.]