[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 (?).]