[A] When he wat3 hasped in armes, his harnays wat3 ryche, [Fol. 99a.]
Þe lest lachet ou[þ]er loupe lemed of golde;
592 So harnayst as he wat3 he herkne3 his masse,
Offred & honoured at þe he3e auter;
[B] Syþen he come3 to þe kyng & to his cort fere3,
Lache3 lufly his leue at lorde3 & ladye3;
596 & þay hym kyst & conueyed, bikende hym to kryst.
[C] Bi þat wat3 Gryngolet grayth, & gurde with a sadel,
Þat glemed ful gayly with mony golde frenges,
Ay quere naylet ful nwe for þat note ryched;
600 Þe brydel barred aboute, with bry3t golde bounden;
[D] Þe apparayl of þe payttrure, & of þe proude skyrte3,
Þe cropore, & þe couertor, acorded wyth þe arsoune3;
& al wat3 rayled on red ryche golde nayle3,
604 Þat al glytered & glent as glem of þe sunne.
[E] Þenne hentes he þe holme, & hastily hit kysses,
Þat wat3 stapled stifly, & stoffed wyth-inne:
Hit wat3 hy3e on his hede, hasped bihynde,
608 [F] Wyth a ly3tli vrysoun ouer þe auentayle,
[G] Enbrawden & bounden wyth þe best gemme3,
On brode sylkyn borde, & brydde3 on seme3,
As papiaye3 paynted pernyng bitwene,
612 Tortors & trulofe3 entayled so þyk,
As mony burde þer aboute had ben seuen wynter
in toune;
[H] Þe cercle wat3 more o prys,
616 Þat vmbe-clypped hys croun,
Of diamaunte3 a deuys,
Þat boþe were bry3t & broun.
[Sidenote A: Thus arrayed the knight hears mass,]
[Sidenote B: and afterwards takes leave of Arthur and his court.]
[Sidenote C: By that time his horse Gringolet was ready,]
[Sidenote D: the harness of which glittered like the "gleam of the sun."]
[Sidenote E: Then Sir Gawayne sets his helmet upon his head,]
[Sidenote F: fastened behind with a "urisoun,"]
[Sidenote G: richly embroidered with gems.]
[Sidenote H: The circle around the helmet was decked with diamonds.]