III.

[A] Þus layke3 þis lorde by lynde wode3 eue3, & G. þe god mon, in gay bed lyge3, 1180 [B] Lurkke3 quyl þe day-ly3t lemed on þe wowes, Vnder couertour ful clere, cortyned aboute; & as in slomeryng he slode, sle3ly he herde [C] A littel dyn at his dor, & derfly vpon; 1184 & he heue3 vp his hed out of þe cloþes, A corner of þe cortyn he ca3t vp a lyttel, [Fol. 107.] & wayte3 warly þider-warde, quat hit be my3t. [D] Hit wat3 þe ladi, loflyest to be-holde, 1188 Þat dro3 þe dor after hir ful dernly[1] & stylle, [E] & bo3ed to-warde þe bed; & þe burne schamed. & layde hym doun lystyly, & let as he slepte. [F] & ho stepped stilly. & stel to his bedde, 1192 [G] Kest vp þe cortyn, & creped with-inne, & set hir ful softly on þe bed-syde, & lenged þere selly longe, to loke quen he wakened. Þe lede lay lurked a ful longe quyle, 1196 [H] Compast in his concience to quat þat cace my3t Mene oþer amount, to meruayle hym þo3t; Bot 3et he sayde in hym-self, "more semly hit were To aspye wyth my spelle [in] space quat ho wolde." 1200 [I] þen he wakenede, & wroth, & to hir warde torned, [J] & vn-louked his y3e-lydde3, & let as hym wondered, & sayned hym, as bi his sa3e þe sauer to worthe, with hande; 1204 Wyth chynne & cheke ful swete, Boþe quit & red in-blande, Ful lufly con ho lete, Wyth lyppe3 smal la3ande.

[Sidenote A: All this time Gawayne lies a-bed.] [Sidenote B: under "coverture full clear".] [Sidenote C: He hears a noise at his door.] [Sidenote D: A lady, the loveliest to behold, enters softly.] [Sidenote E: She approaches the bed.] [Sidenote F: Gawayne pretends to be asleep.] [Sidenote G: The lady casts up the curtain and sits on the bedside.] [Sidenote H: Gawayne has much wonder thereat.] [Sidenote I: He rouses himself up,] [Sidenote J: unlocks his eyes, and looks as if he were astonished.] [Footnote 1: deruly (?).]