XXI.

[A] Wylde waye3 in þe worlde Wowen now ryde3, 2480 On Gryngolet, þat þe grace hade geten of his lyue; [B] Ofte he herbered in house, & ofte al þeroute, & mony a-venture in vale, & venquyst ofte, Þat I ne ty3t, at þis tyme, in tale to remene. 2484 [C] Þe hurt wat3 hole, þat he hade hent in his nek, [D] & þe blykkande belt he bere þeraboute, A belef as a bauderyk, bounden bi his syde, Loken vnder his lyfte arme, þe lace, with a knot, 2488 [E] In tokenyng he wat3 tane in tech of a faute; [F] & þus he commes to þe court, kny3t al in sounde. [G] Þer wakned wele in þat wone, when wyst þe grete, Þat gode G: wat3 commen, gayn hit hym þo3t; 2492 [H] Þe kyng kysse3 þe kny3t, & þe whene alce, & syþen mony syker kny3t, þat so3t hym to haylce, [I] Of his fare þat hym frayned, & ferlyly he telles; Biknowo3 alle þe costes of care þat he hade,-- 2496 Þe chaunce of þe chapel, þe chere of þe kny3t, [J] Þe luf of þe ladi, þe lace at þe last. [Fol. 124b.] Þe nirt in þe nek he naked hem schewed, [K] Þat he la3t for his vnleute at þe leudes hondes, 2500 for blame; He tened quen he schulde telle, [L] He groned for gref & grame; Þe blod in his face con melle, 2504 When he hit schulde schewe, for schame.

[Sidenote A: Wild ways now Gawayne rides.] [Sidenote B: Oft he harboured in house and oft thereout.] [Sidenote C: The wound in his neck became whole.] [Sidenote D: He still carried about him the belt,] [Sidenote E: in token of his fault.] [Sidenote F: Thus he comes to the Court of King Arthur.] [Sidenote G: Great then was the joy of all.] [Sidenote H: The king and his knights ask him concerning his journey.] [Sidenote I: Gawayne tells them of his adventures,] [Sidenote J: the love of the lady, and lastly of the lace.] [Sidenote K: He showed them the cut in his neck.] [Sidenote L: He groaned for grief and shame, and the blood rushed into his face.]