[A] Then þay schewed hym þe schelde, þat was of schyr goule3,
620 Wyth þe pentangel de-paynt of pure golde hwe3;
He brayde3 hit by þe baude-ryk, aboute þe hals kestes,
Þat bisemed þe segge semlyly fayre.
[B] & quy þe pentangel apende3 to þat prynce noble,
624 I am in tent yow to telle, þof tary hyt me schulde;
Hit is a syngne þat Salamon set sum-quyle,
In bytoknyng of trawþe, bi tytle þat hit habbe3,
For hit is a figure þat halde3 fyue poynte3, [Fol. 99b]
628 & vche lyne vmbe-lappe3 & louke3 in oþer,
[C] & ay quere hit is endele3,[1] & Englych hit callen
Ouer-al, as I here, þe endeles knot.
For-þy hit acorde3 to þis kny3t, & to his cler arme3,
632 For ay faythful in fyue & sere fyue syþe3,
[D] Gawan wat3 for gode knawen, & as golde pured,
Voyded of vche vylany, wyth vertue3[2] ennourned
in mote;
636 For-þy þe pen-tangel nwe
He ber in schelde & cote,
[E] As tulk of tale most trwe,
& gentylest kny3t of lote.
[Sidenote A: Then they show him his shield with the "pentangle" of pure
gold.]
[Sidenote B: The "pentangle" was devised by Solomon as a token of truth.]
[Sidenote C: It is called the endless knot]
[Sidenote D: It well becomes the good Sir Gawayne,]
[Sidenote E: a knight the truest of speech and the fairest of form.]
[Footnote 1: MS emdele3.]
[Footnote 2: MS verertue3]