Chapter XVIII

[A] "Nay, for soþe," quod þe segge, & sesed hys helme,
2408 & hat3 hit of hendely, & þe haþel þonkke3,
[B] "I haf soiorned sadly, sele yow bytyde,
& he 3elde hit yow 3are, þat 3arkke3 al menskes!
[C] & comaunde3 me to þat cortays, your comlych fere,
2412 Boþe þat on & þat oþer, myn honoured ladye3.
Þat þus hor kny3t wyth hor kest han koyntly bigyled.
[D] Bot hit is no ferly, þa3 a fole madde,
& þur3 wyles of wymmen be wonen to sor3e;
2416 [E] For so wat3 Adam in erde with one bygyled,
& Salamon with fele sere, & Samson eft sone3,
Dalyda dalt hym hys wyrde, & Dauyth þer-after
Wat3 blended with Barsabe, þat much bale þoled.
2420 Now þese were wrathed wyth her wyles, hit were a wynne huge,
[F] To luf hom wel, & leue hem not, a leude þat couþe,
For þes wer forne[1] þe freest þat fol3ed alle þe sele, [Fol.]
Ex-ellently of alle þyse oþer, vnder heuen-ryche, [123b.]
2424 þat mused;
& alle þay were bi-wyled,
With[2] wymmen þat þay vsed,
[G] Þa3 I be now bigyled,
2428 Me þink me burde be excused."

[Sidenote A: "Nay, forsooth," says Gawayne,] [Sidenote B: "I have sojourned sadly, but bliss betide thee!] [Sidenote C: Commend me to your comely wife and that other lady who have beguiled me.] [Sidenote D: But it is no marvel for a man to be brought to grief through a woman's wiles.] [Sidenote E: Adam, Solomon, Samson, and David were beguiled by women.] [Sidenote F: How could a man love them and believe them not?] [Sidenote G: Though I be now beguiled, methinks I should be excused.] [Footnote 1: forme (?)] [Footnote 2: with wyth, in MS.]