XXIX.

[A] "Now forsake 3e þis silke." sayde þe burde þenne, "For hit is symple in hit-self. & so hit wel seme3? 1848 Lo! so hit is littel, & lasse hit is worþy; [B] Bot who-so knew þe costes þat knit ar þer-inne, He wolde hit prayse at more prys, parauenture; [C] For quat gome so is gorde with þis grene lace, 1852 While he hit hade hemely halched aboute, Þer is no haþel vnder heuen to-hewe hym þat my3t; [D] For he my3t not he slayn, for sly3t vpon erþe." Þen kest þe kny3t, & hit come to his hert, 1856 [E] Hit were a Iuel for þe Iopardé, þat hym iugged were, When he acheued to þe chapel, his chek forto fech; [F] My3[1] he haf slypped to þe vn-slayn, þe sle3t were noble. Þenne ho þulged with hir þrepe, & þoled hir to speke, [Fol. 116.] 1860 & ho bere on hym þe belt, & bede hit hym swyþe, [G] & he granted, & [ho] hym gafe with a goud wylle, & biso3t hym, for hir sake, disceuer hit neuer, Bot to lelly layne for[2] hir lorde; þe leude hym acorde3. 1864 Þat neuer wy3e schulde hit wyt, Iwysse, bot þay twayne, for no3te; He þonkked hir oft ful swyþe, Ful þro with hert & þo3t. 1868 [H] Bi þat on þrynne syþe, He hat3 kyst þe kny3t so to3t.

[Sidenote A: "Do you refuse it," says the lady, because it is simple?] [Sidenote B: Whoso knew the virtues that it possesses, would highly prize it.] [Sidenote C: For he who is girded with this green lace,] [Sidenote D: cannot be wounded or slain."] [Sidenote E: The knight thinks of his adventure at the Green Chapel.] [Sidenote F: The lady presses him to accept the lace.] [Sidenote G: He consents not only to take the girdle, but to keep the possession of it a secret.] [Sidenote H: By that time the lady has kissed him thrice.] [Footnote 1: my3t (?).] [Footnote 2: fro (?).]