[A] Now ride3 þis renk þur3 þe ryalme of Logres,
692 Sir Gauan on Gode3 halue, þa3 hym no gomen þo3t;
Oft, leudle3 alone, he lenge3 on ny3te3,
Þer he fonde no3t hym byfore þe fare þat he lyked;
[B] Hade he no fere bot his fole, bi frythe3 & doune3,
696 Ne no gome bot God, bi gate wyth to karp,
[C] Til þat he ne3ed ful noghe[1] in to þe Norþe Wale3;
Alle þe iles of Anglesay on lyft half he halde3,
& fare3 ouer þe forde3 by þe for-londe3,
700 [D] Ouer at þe Holy-Hede, til he hade eft bonk
In þe wyldrenesse of Wyrale; wonde þer bot lyte
[E] Þat auþer God oþer gome wyth goud hert louied. [Fol. 100b]
& ay he frayned, as he ferde, at freke3 þat he met,
704 [F] If þay hade herde any karp of a kny3t grene,
In any grounde þer-aboute, of þe grene chapel;[2]
& al nykked hym wyth nay, þat neuer in her lyue
[G] Þay se3e neuer no segge þat wat3 of suche hwe3
708 of grene.
Þe kny3t tok gates straunge,
In mony a bonk vnbene,
[H] His cher ful oft con chaunge,
712 Þat chapel er he my3t sene.
[Sidenote A: Now rides the knight through the realms of England.]
[Sidenote B: He has no companion but his horse.]
[Sidenote C: No men does he see till he approaches North Wales.]
[Sidenote D: From Holyhead he passes into Wirral.]
[Sidenote E: There he finds but few that loved God or man.]
[Sidenote F: He enquires after the Green Knight of the Green Chapel,]
[Sidenote G: but can gain no tidings of him.]
[Sidenote H: His cheer oft changed before he found the Chapel.]
[Footnote 1: nyghe (?).]
[Footnote 2: MS. clapel.]