VIII.

[A] He sperred þe sted with þe spure3, & sprong on his way, So stif þat þe ston fyr stroke out þer-after; 672 [B] Al þat se3 þat semly syked in hert, & sayde soþly al same segges til oþer, Carande for þat comly, "bi Kryst, hit is scaþe, Þat þou, leude, schal be lost, þat art of lyf noble! 676 [C] To fynde hys fere vpon folde, in fayth is not eþe; Warloker to haf wro3t had more wyt bene, & haf dy3t 3onder dere a duk to haue worþed; [D] A lowande leder of lede3 in londe hym wel seme3, 680 & so had better haf ben þen britned to no3t, [E] Hadet wyth an aluisch mon, for angarde3 pryde. Who knew euer any kyng such counsel to take, As kny3te3 in caueloun3 on cryst-masse gomne3!" 684 [F] Wel much wat3 þe warme water þat waltered of y3en, When þat semly syre so3t fro þo wone3 þat[1] daye; He made non abode, 688 Bot wy3tly went hys way, [G] Mony wylsum way he rode, Þe bok as I herde say.

[Sidenote A: He spurs his horse and goes on his way.] [Sidenote B: All that saw that seemly one mourned in their hearts.] [Sidenote C: They declared that his equal was not to be found upon earth.] [Sidenote D: It would have been better for him to have been a leader of men,] [Sidenote E: than to die by the hands of "an elvish man."] [Sidenote F: Much was the warm water that poured from eyes that day.] [Sidenote G: Meanwhile many a weary way goes Sir Gawayne.] [Footnote 1: MS. þad.]