XXII.

[A] Then frayned þe freke ful fayre at him-seluen, Quat derne[1] dede had hym dryuen, at þat dere tyme, 1048 So kenly fro þe kynge3 kourt to kayre al his one, Er þe halidaye3 holly were halet out of toun? [B] "For soþe sir," quod þe segge, "3e sayn bot þe trawþe A he3e ernde & a hasty me hade fro þo wone3, 1052 For I am sumned my selfe to sech to a place, I wot[2] in worlde wheder warde to wende, hit to fynde; I nolde, bot if I hit negh my3t on nw3eres morne, For alle þe londe in-wyth Logres, so me oure lorde help! 1056 For-þy, sir, þis enquest I require yow here, [C] Þat 3e me telle with trawþe, if euer 3e tale herde Of þe grene chapel, quere hit on grounde stonde3, & of þe kny3t þat hit kepes, of colour of grene? 1060 Þer wat3 stabled bi statut a steuen vus by-twene, [D] To mete þat mon at þat mere, 3if I my3t last; & of þat ilk nw3ere hot neked now wonte3, & I wolde loke on þat lede, if God me let wolde, 1064 Gladloker, bi Godde3 sun, þen any god welde! For-þi, I-wysse, bi 3owre wylle, wende me bi-houes, [E] Naf I now to busy bot bare þre daye3, & me als fayn to falle feye as fayly of myyn ernde." 1068 [F] Þenne la3ande quod þe lorde, "now leng þe by-houes, For I schal teche yow to þa[t] terme bi þe tyme3 ende, Þe grene chapayle vpon grounde, greue yow no more; Bot 3e schal be in yowre bed, burne, at þyn ese, 1072 Quyle forth dayej, & ferk on pe fyrst of pe 3ere, & cum to þat merk at mydmorn, to make quat yow like3 [Fol. 105b] in spenne; Dowelle3 whyle new 3eres daye, 1076 & rys, & rayke3 þenne, [G] Mon schal yow sette in waye, Hit is not two myle henne."

[Sidenote A: He desires to know what had driven Sir Gawayne from Arthur's court before the end of the Christmas holidays.] [Sidenote B: The knight replies that "a high errand and a hasty one" had forced him to leave the court.] [Sidenote C: He asks his host whether he has ever heard of the Green Chapel,] [Sidenote D: for he has to be there on New Year's-day.] [Sidenote E: He wonld as lief die as fail in his errand.] [Sidenote F: The prince tells Sir Gawayne that he will teach him the way.] [Sidenote G: The Green chapel is not more than two miles from the castle.] [Footnote 1: derue (?).] [Footnote 2: not (?).]