Best kepit Is the Riches well diſpendit.
O ȝhe, the wich that king{is} ben, fore ſham
Remembrith yhow, this world hath bot o naam̅ 1820
Of good or ewill, eft{er} ȝhe ar gone!
And wyſly tharfor cheſſith yhow the toñ
Wich moſt accordith to nobilitee,
And knytith larges to yhour hie degre. 1824
For qwhar that fredome In O p{ri}nce Ri{n}gnis,
It bryngith In the victory of king{is},
And makith realmys and puple boith to dout,
And ſubect{is}[T45] of the cuntre al about. 1828
[Sidenote: Whoso will be a conqueror, let him not reck to give
largely.]
And qwho that thinkith ben o co{n}querour,
Suppos his largeß ſumquhat pas myſour,
Ne rak he nat, bot frely iffith ay;
And as he wynyth, beis var al-way 1832
To mych nor ȝhit to gredy that he hold,
Wich ſal the hart{is} of the puple colde.
[Sidenote: Both love and fear spring from liberality.]
And low and radour cu{m}myth boith two
Of larges; Reid and ȝhe ſal fynd It ſo. 1836
Alex{ander} this lord the warld that wan,
Firſt w{i}t{h} the ſuerd of larges he began,
[Sidenote: Alexander gave so liberally,]
And as he wynith ifith largely,
He rakith No thing bot of cheuelry; 1840
Wharfor of hyme ſo paſſith the Renown,
[Sidenote: that many cities desired to have such a lord,]
That many o cetee, and many o ſtrang towñ
Of his worſchip that herith the Recorde,
Diſſirith ſo to haveing ſich o lorde; 1844
[Sidenote: and offered themselves peaceably to him, though they
were manly men of war.]
And offerith them w{i}t{h}-outen ſtrok of ſpere,
Suppos that thei war manly men of were,
But only for his gentilleß that thei
Have hard; and ſo he louit was al-way 1848
For his larges, humilitee, and manhed,
W{i}t{h} his awn folk, that neu{er}more, we Reid,
For al his weris nor his gret trawell, [Fol. 23b.]
In al his tym that thei hyme onys faill; 1852
Bot in his worſchip al thar beſynes
Thei ſet, and lewith in to no diſtres;
Whar-throw the ſuerd of victory he berith.
[Footnote T45: Or “subett{is}.”]
[Headnote: BUT UNJUST ONES DESPOIL THEM.]
[Sidenote: Many princes bear the palm of victory, through
liberality;]
And many prince full oft the palm werith, 1856
As has ben hard, by largeß, of before,
In conqueringe of Rignis & of glore.
[Sidenote: while miserliness hath made realms desolate.]
And wrechitnes Richt ſo, in the contrar,
Haith Realmys maid ful deſolat & bare, 1860
And king{is} broght doun from ful hie eſtat;
And who that Red ther old buk{is}, wat
The vicis lef, the wertew have in mynde,
And takith larges In his awn kynd; 1864
[Sidenote: Choose the mean between prodigality and avarice.]
A-myd ſtanding of the vicis two,
Prodegalitee and awerice alſo.
Wharfor her-of It nedith not to more,
So mych ther-of haith clerk{is} vrit to-fore. 1868
[Sidenote: Whoso chooses to be liberal,]
Bot who the wertw of larges & the law
Sal cheß, mot ned conſidir well & knaw
[Sidenote: must understand three things: the _amount he has_,
to _whom_ he giveth, and the _fit time_ for giving.]
In to hyme-ſelf, and thir thre wnd{er}ſtande,
The ſubſtans firſt, the powar of his land, 1872
Whome to he iffith, and the cauß wharfore,
The nedful tyme awatith eu{er}more.
Kepith thir thre; for qwho that ſal exced
His rent, he fallith ſodandly in nede. 1876
[Sidenote: (1) The king that becomes _indigent_ overthrows his
subjects.]
And ſo the king, that on to myſt{er} drowis,
His subiett{is} and his puple he our-thrawis,
And them diſpolȝeith boith of lond and Rent;
So is the king, ſo is the puple ſchent. 1880
[Sidenote: For the voice of the oppressed shrieketh up ceaselessly
to heaven;]
For-quhi the woice It ſcrik[i]th vp ful ewyne
W{i}t{h}-out abaid, and paſſith to the hewyne,
Whar god hyme-ſelf reſauith ther the crye
Of the oppreſioune and the teranny, 1884
[Sidenote: and God smiteth down with the sword of vengeance.]
And vith the ſuerd of wengans dou{n} y-ſmytith,
The wich that caruith al to ſor, and bitith,
And hyme diſtroyth, as has ben hard or this
Of euery king that wirkith ſich o mys. 1888
For ther is few eſchapith them, It ſall
[Sidenote: For God hath given the king the wand of justice:]
Boith vpone hyme & his ſucceſſione fall;
For he forſuth haith ifyne hyme the wond
To Iuſtefy and Reull in pece his lond, 1892 [Fol. 24a.]
The puple all ſubmytit to his cure;
And he aȝan one to no creatur
Save only ſhall vn to his gode obey.
[Headnote: BEWARE OF INJUSTICE AND FLATTERY.]
And if he paſſith ſo far out of the wey, 1896
[Sidenote: and if he oppresses them whom he should rule,]
Them to oppreß, that he ſhuld reul & gid,
Ther heritag, there gwdis to dewide,
Ye, wnd{er} whome that he moſt nedis ſtond,
[Sidenote: God shall stretch His mighty hand for correction.]
At correccioune ſal ſtrek his my{ch}ty hond, 1900
Not euery day, bot ſhal at onys fall
On hyme, mayhap, and his ſucceſcione all.
[Sidenote: Herein, alas! is the blindness of kings.]
In this, allace! the blynd{is} of the king{is},
And Is the fall of princ{is} and of Rygnis. 1904
The moſt wertew, the gret Intellegens,
[Sidenote: The blessed token of a king’s wisdom is for him to
restrain his hand from his people’s riches.]
The bleſſit tokyne of wyſdom and prudens
Iſß, in o king, for to reſtren his honde
Frome his pupleis Riches & ther lond. 1908
Mot euery king have this wice i{n} mynd
In tyme, and not when that he ned fynde!
And in thi larges beith war, I pray,
[Sidenote: (2) Choose a _fitting time_.]
Of nedful tyme, for than is beſt alway. 1912
[Sidenote: (3) Take care _to whom_ you give.]
Awyß the ek quhome to that thow ſalt if,
Of there fam, and ek how that thei leif;
[Sidenote: Let not the virtuous and the vicious stand in the same
degree.]
And of the wertws and wicious folk alſo,
I the beſeich dewidith well thir two, 1916
So that thei ſtond no{ch}t in[to] o degree;
Diſcreccioune ſall mak the diu{er}ſitee,
Wich clepith the mod{er} of al vertewis.
[Headnote: FLATTERERS SUCCEED WHEN KINGS ARE FOOLISH.]
[Sidenote: Beware of flattery.]
And beith war, I the beſeich of this, 1920
That is to ſay of flatry, wich that longith
To court, and al the king{is} larges fongith.
The vertuouß man no thing thar-of reſauith,
The flatterer{is} now ſo the king diſſauith 1924
And blyndith them that wot no thing, I-wyß,
When thei do well, or quhen thei do o myß;
And latith king{is} oft til wnd{er}ſtonde
Thar vicis, and ek ye falt{is} of ther lond. 1928
In to the realme about o king Is holde
[Sidenote: A flatterer is worse than a storm or a pestilence.]
O flatterere were than is the ſtormys cold,
Or peſtelens, and mor the realme anoyith;
For he the law and puple boith diſtroyith. 1932
[Sidenote: Three things make flatterers in favour.]
And in to principall ben ther three thing{is}, [Fol. 24b.]
That cauſſith flattereris ſtonding w{i}t{h} the king{is};
[Sidenote: First, the blind ignorance of kings.]
And on, It is the blyndit Ignorans
Of king{is}, wich that hath no gou{er}nans 1936
To wnd{er}ſtond who doith ſich o myß;
But who that fareſt ſchewith hym, I-wyß,
Moſt ſuffiſith and beſt to his pleſans.
Wo to the realme that havith ſich o chans! 1940
[Sidenote: Secondly, where a king is vicious himself.]
And ſecundly, quhar that o king Is
Weciuß hyme-ſelf, he cheriſſith, ywys,
Al them the wich that one to vicis ſoundith,
Whar-throw that vicis and flattery ek aboundith. 1944
[Sidenote: Thirdly, where the king is so foolish, that he knows
their flattery, yet withdraws from reproving them.]
The thrid, is the ilk ſchrewit harrmful wice,
Wich makith o king w{i}t{h}in hyme-ſelf ſo nyce,
That al thar flattry and ther gilt he knowith
In to his wit, and ȝhit he hyme w{i}t{h}-drowith 1948
Them to repref, and of ther vicis he wot;
And this It is wich that diſſemblyng hot,
That in no way accordith for o king.
Is he not ſet abuf apone his Ri{n}gne, 1952
As ſou{er}ane his puple for to lede?
[Sidenote: Why should a king spare to say the truth?]
Whi ſchuld he ſpare, or quhom of ſchuld he dred
To ſay the treuth, as he of Right is hold?
And if ſo ware that al the king{is} wold, 1956
When that his leg{is} comytit ony wyce,
As beith not to ſchamful, nore to nyce,
That thei preſume that he is negligent,
[Sidenote: He should reprove without dissembling, as it is fitting.]
But als far as he thinkith that thei myß-went, 1960
But diſſemblyng reprewith as afferis;
And pwnice them quhar pwnyſing Requeris,
Sauf only m{er}cy in the tyme of ned.
And ſo o king he ſchuld his puple led, 1964
That no treſpaß, that cu{m}myth in his way,
Shuld paß his hond wne-pwniſt away;
Nore no good deid in to the ſamyn degree,
Nore no wertew, ſuld wn-Reuardid bee. 1968
[Sidenote: Then flattery, that now is high, should be low.]
Than flattry ſhuld, that now is he, be low,
And wice from the king{is} court w{i}t{h}-drow;
His miniſt{er}is that ſhuld the Iuſtice reull,
Shuld kep well furt{h} of quiet & reull, 1972
That now, god wat, as It conſerwit Is,
The ſtere is loſt, and al is gon amys;
And vertew ſhuld hame to the court hyme dreß, [Fol. 25a.]
That exillith goith in to the wild{er}nes. 1976
[Headnote: WISE KINGS MAKE A WISE PEOPLE.]
[Sidenote: If a king thus stood like his own degree, his people
would be virtuous and wise.]
Thus if o king ſtud lyk his awn degree,
Wertwis and wyß than ſhuld his puple bee,
Only ſet by vertew hyme to pleß,
And ſore adred his wiſdom to diſpleß. 1980
And if that he towart the vicis draw,
His folk ſall go on to that ilk law;
What ſhal hyme pleß that wil no{ch}t ell{is} fynd,
Bot ther-apon ſetith al ther mynde. 1984
[Sidenote: Thus the rule of his people and kingdom standeth only
in the king’s virtue.]
Thus only in the wertew of o king
The reull ſtant of his puple & his ringne,
If he be wyß and, but diſſemblyng, ſchewis,
As I have ſaid, the vicis one to ſchrewis. 1988
And ſo thus, ſ{ir}, It ſtant apone thi will
For to omend thi puple, or to ſpill;
Or have thi court of vertewis folk, or fullis;
[Sidenote: Since thou art wholly master of the schools, teach them,
and they shall gladly learn.”]
Sen yow art holl maiſt{er} of the ſcoullis 1992
Teichith them, and thei ſal gladly leir,
That is to ſay, that thei may no thing heir[T46]
Sauf only wertew towart thyn eſtat;
And cheriß them that wertews ben algait. 1996
And thinkith what that wertew is to thee;
It pleſſith god, vphaldith thi degree.”
[Sidenote: Arthur considers his counsel profitable.]
“Maiſt{er},” q{uo}d he, “me think ry{ch}t profitable
Yowr conſeell Is, and wond{er} honorable 2000
For me, and good; ry{ch}t well I have {con}ſauit,
And in myne hart{is} Inwartneß reſauit.
I ſhal fulfill and do yowr ordynans
Als far of wit as I have ſuffiſans; 2004
Bot y beſeich yow, in til hartly wyß,
[Sidenote: He beseeches him to expound his dream,]
That of my drem ȝhe ſo to me dewyß,
The wich ſo long haith occupeid my mynd,
[Sidenote: how he shall only find help through the water-lion,
the leech, and the flower.]
How that I ſhal no man{er} ſucour fynd 2008
Bot only throw the wattir lyon, & ſyne
The leich that is w{i}t{h}outen medyſyne;
And of the conſell of the flour; wich ayre
Wond{er}is lyk that no man can duclar.” 2012
[Footnote T46: Or, “leir.” MS. apparently has “leir,” corrected
to “heir.”]
[Headnote: THE WATER-LION MEANS GOD.]
++“Now, ſ{ir},” q{uod} he, “and I of them al thre,
What thei betakyne ſhal I ſchaw to the,
[Sidenote: The master’s explanation.]
Such as the clerk{is} at them ſpecifiit;
Thei vſit no thing what thei ſignefiit. 2016 [Fol. 25b.]
[Sidenote: The water-lion is the very God.]
The wattir lyone Is the god werray,
God to the lyone is lyknyt many way;
But thei have hyme In to the wattir ſeñ,
Confuſit were ther wittis al, y weñ; 2020
[Sidenote: The water is men’s fragility;]
The wattir was ther awn fragelitee,
And thar treſpas, and thar Inequitee
In to this world, the wich thei ſtond y-cloſit;
That was the wattir wich thei have ſuppoſit, 2024
That haith there knowlag maad ſo Inp{er}fyt;
Thar ſyne & ek ther worldis gret delyt,
As clowdy wattir, was eu{er}more betweñ,
[Sidenote: whereby they see not the lion perfectly.]
That thei the lyone p{er}fitly hath no{ch}t ſeñ; 2028
Bot as the wattir, wich was y{er} awn ſyn{n}e,
That eu{er}mor thei ſtond confuſit In.
[Sidenote: Had men been always religious, they had seen the lion
not in water, but clearly.]
If thei haith ſtond in to religioñ clen,
Thei had the lyone Not in watt{er} ſen, 2032
Bot clerly vp in to the hewyne abuf,
Et{er}naly whar he ſhal not remufe.
And eu{er}more in vatt{er} of ſyne vas hee,
For-quhi It is Impoſſeble for to bee;[T47] 2036
[Sidenote: The world is enclosed in the darkness of their sin.]
And thus the world, wich that thei ar In,
Y-cloſit Is in dyrknes of ther ſyne;
And ek the thikneß of the air betwen
The lyone mad in vattir to be ſen. 2040
For It was no{ch}t bot ſtrenth of ther clergy
Wich thei have here, and It is bot erthly,
That makith them there reſou{n}s dewyß,
And ſe the lyone thus in erthly wyß. 2044
[Sidenote: The lion is God’s son, Jesu Christ.]
This is the lyone, god, and goddis sone,
Ih{es}u criſt, wich ay in hewyne ſal won{n}e.
For as the lyone of euery beſt is king,
So is he lord and maiſt{er} of al thing, 2048
That of the bleſſit vyrgyne vas y-bore.
Ful many a natur the lyone haith, quhar-fore
That he to god reſemblyt is, bot I
Lyk not mo at this tyme ſpecify. 2052
This is the lyone, thar-of have yow no dred,
That ſhal the help and comfort In thi ned.
[Footnote T47: “see”(?).]
[Headnote: THE LEECH WITHOUT MEDICINE IS CHRIST.]
++The ſentens here now woll I the defyne
[Sidenote: The leech without medicine is also God.]
Of hyme, the lech w{i}t{h}outen medyſyne, 2056
Wich is the god that euery thing hath vroght.
For yow may know that vther Is It noght, [Fol. 26a.]
[Sidenote: Not as surgeons,]
As ſurgynis and feſicianis, wich that delith
W{i}t{h} mortell thing{is}, and mortell thing{is} helyth, 2060
[Sidenote: whose art is in medicine,]
And al thar art is in to medyſyne,
As it is ordanit be the my{ch}t dewyne,
[Sidenote: and in plaisters, drinks, and various anointments; who
know the quality of the year, and the disposition of the planets.]
As plaſt{er}is, drink{is}, and anouy{n}tme{n}t{is}[T48] ſeir,
And of the qualyte watyng of the yher; 2064
And of the planet{is} diſpoſiciou{n}e,
And of the naturis of compleccyoune,
And in the diu{er}ß changing of hwmowr{is}.
Thus wnd{er} reull lyith al there cwris; 2068
And yhit thei far as blynd man In the way,
Oft quhen that deith thar craft liſt to aſſay.
Bot god, the wich that is the ſou{er}an lech,
Nedith no man{er} medyſyne to ſech; 2072
For ther is no Infyrmyte, nore wound,
Bot as hyme lykith al is holl and ſound.
[Sidenote: But God can heal infirmity of thought,]
So can he heill Infyrmytee of thoght,
Wich that one erdly medeſyne can noght; 2076
[Sidenote: and also the soul that goeth to confusion.]
And als the ſaul that to confuſioune goith,
And haith with hyme and vther p{ar}teis boith,
His dedly wound god helyth frome the ground;
On to his cure no medyſyne is found. 2080
This Is his my{ch}t that neu{er} more ſhall fyne,
This is the leich w{i}t{h}outen medyſyne;
And If that yhow at confeſſioune hath ben
And makith the of al thi ſyn{n}is clen, 2084
[Sidenote: He shall be thy leech in all necessity.]
Yow art than holl, and this ilk ſamyn is he
Schall be thi leich In al neceſſitee.
[Footnote T48: MS. “anoñytmēt{is},” or “anoūytmēt{is}.”]
[Headnote: THE FLOWER IS THE VIRGIN MARY.]
++Now of the flour y woll to the diſcerñ:
This is the flour that haith[T49] the froyt eterñ, 2088
This is the flour, this fadith for no ſchour,
This is the flour of euery flouris floure;
[Footnote T49: The word, though indistinct, is almost certainly
“haith.” Stevenson has “high;” but this gives no sense.]
[Sidenote: The flower is she of whom the eternal fruit was born,]
This is the flour, of quhom the froyt vas borñ,
This ws redemyt eft{er} that we war lorñ; 2092
This Is the flour that eu{er} ſpryngith new,
This is the flour that changith neu{er} hew;
[Sidenote: the virgin that bore the Saviour,]
This is the vyrgyne, this is the bleſſit flour
That Ih{es}u bur is our salweour, 2096
This flour wnwe{m}myt of hir wirginitee;
This is the flour of our felicitee,
This is the flour to quhom ve ſhuld exort,
[Sidenote: that ceaseth not to support us caitiffs,]
This is the flour not ſeſſith to ſupport 2100
In prayere, conſell, and in byſſynes,
Vs catifis ay In to our wrechitnes [Fol. 26b.]
On to hir sone, the quich hir conſell herith;
This is the flour that al our gladneß ſterith, 2104
[Sidenote: through whose prayer are many saved.]
Throuch whois prayer mony one is ſawit,
That to the deth et{er}naly war reſawit,
Ne war hir hartly ſuplicatioune.
This is the flour of our ſaluatioune, 2108
Next hir sone, the froyt of euery flour;
This is the ſam that ſhal be thi ſuccour,
If that the lykith hartly Reu{er}ans
And ſ{er}uice ȝeld one to hir excellens, 2112
Syne worſchip hir w{i}t{h} al thi byſſyneß;
Sche ſal thi harm, ſche ſall thi ned redreß.
[Sidenote: She shall so counsel the lion and the leech, that thou
need not despair.]
Sche ſall ſice conſell if one to the two,
The lyone and the ſou{er}ane lech alſo, 2116
Yow ſall not Ned yi drem̅ for to diſpar,
Nor ȝhit no thing that is in thi contrare.
Now--q{uo}d the maiſt{er}--yow may well wnd{er}ſtand
Tueching thi drem as I have born on hande; 2120
And planly haith the mat{er} al declarith,
That yhow may know of wich yow was diſparith.
The lech, the lyone, and the flour alſo,
Yow worſchip them, yow ſerve them eu{er}mo; 2124
And ples the world as I have ſaid before;
In gou{er}nans thus ſtondith al thi glore.
[Sidenote: Do now as thou list, for all is in thy hand.]
Do as yow liſt, for al is in thi honde,
To tyne thi-ſelf, thi honore, and thi londe, 2128
Or lyk o prince, o {con}querour, or king,
In honore and in worſchip for to Ringe.”
[Headnote: ARTHUR IS COMFORTED.]
[Sidenote: The king replies,]
“Now,” q{uod} the king, “I fell that the ſupport
Of yhour conſell haith don me ſich comfort, 2132
[Sidenote: that his heart is eased from fear;]
Of euery raddour my hart is In to eß,
To ȝhour {com}mand, god will, y ſal obeß.
Bot o thing is yneuch wn to me,
[Sidenote: but inquires if Galiot will win over the red knight,
and what is his name.]
How galiot makith his awant that he 2136
Shall have the kny{ch}t, that only by his honde
And manhed, was defendour of my londe;
If that ſhall fall y pray yhow tellith me,
And quhat he hecht, and of quhat lond is hee?” 2140
“What that he hecht yow ſhall no fory{er} know,
[Sidenote: The master evades reply.]
His dedis ſall her-eft{er}wart hyme ſchaw;
Bot {con}trar the he ſhall be found no way.
No more thar-of as now y will the ſay.”[T50] 2144
With that the king haith at his maiſtir tone [Fol. 27a.]
[Sidenote: The king and the host return home.]
His leve, one to to his cuntre for to goñe;
And al the oſt makith none abyde,
To paſſing home anone thei can p{ro}wid; 2148
And to ſ{ir} gawane thei haith o lytt{er} maad,
Ful ſore ywound, and hyme on w{i}t{h} them haade.
[Footnote T50: At the bottom of the page is the catch-word,
“With that the king.”]
[T]he king, as that the ſtory can declar,
[Sidenote: The king sojourns twenty-four days at Cardole, in Wales.]
Paſſith to o Cete that was Right fair, 2152
And clepit cardole, In to walis, was,
For that tyme than It was the n{er}eſt place,
And thar he ſoiornyt xxiiijti days
In ryall feſting, as the auttore ſays. 2156
So diſcretly his puple he haith cherit,
That he thar hartis holy haith {con}querit.
[Sidenote: Sir Gawan is healed in fifteen days.]
And ſ{ir} gawan, helyt holl and ſound
Be xv dais he was of euery wounde; 2160
Right blyt{h} therof in to the court war thei.
[Headnote: ARTHUR AGAIN BECOMES MOURNFUL.]
And ſo befell, the xxiiij[T51] day,
[Sidenote: The king becomes mournful, as he sits at the mess.]
The king to fall in to o hewynes,
Right ate his table ſiting at the meß; 2164
[Sidenote: Gawan rebukes him.]
And ſ{ir} gawan cu{m}myth hyme before,
And ſaid hyme, “ſ{ir}, yhour thoght is al to ſore,
Conſid{er}ing the diu{er}ß kny{ch}t{is} ſere
Ar of wncouth and ſtrang land{is} here.” 2168
[Sidenote: The king answers in “matalent,”]
The king anſuert, as in to matalent,
“S{ir}, of my tho{ch}t, or ȝhit of myne entent,
Yhe have the wrang me to repref, for-quhy
Thar lewith none that ſhuld me blam, for I 2172
[Sidenote: that he was thinking of the worthiest knight living;]
Was thinkand one the worthieſt that lewyt,
That al the worſchip In to armys prewyt;
And how the thonk of my defens he had,
And of the wow that galiot haith mad. 2176
But I have ſen, when that of my houſhold
Thar was, and of my falowſchip, that wold,
If that thei wiſt, quhat thing ſhuld me pleß,
Thei wald no{ch}t leif for trawell nor for eß. 2180
And ſum tyme It p{re}ſwmyt was & ſaid,
[Sidenote: that he once had the flower of knighthood in his
household, but now this flower is away.]
That in my houſhold of al this world I had
The flour of kny{ch}thed and of chevalry;
Bot now thar-of y ſe the contrarye, 2184
Sen that the flour of kny{ch}thed is away.”
“Schir,” q{uod} he, “of Reſone ſuth yhe ſay;
And if god will, In al this warld ſo Round [Fol. 27b.]
He ſal be ſoght, if that he may he found.” 2188
[Footnote T51: MS. “xxviij,” altered to “xxiiij.”]
[Headnote: GAWANE’S EXPEDITION.]
[Sidenote: Gawan departs to seek Lancelot.]
Than gawan goith w{i}t{h} o kny{ch}tly chere,
At the hal dure he ſaith In this maner:
“In this paſag who lykith for to wend?
It is o Iorne moſt for to comend 2192
That In my tyme In to the court fallith,
To knyght{is} wich that chewellry lowith
Or trawell In to armys for to hant;
And lat no kny{ch}t fra thyne-furt{h} hyme awant 2196
[Sidenote: All the knights rise to go with him.]
That it denyith;”--w{i}t{h} that onon thei roß,
Al the kny{ch}t{is}, and frome the burdis goß.
The king that ſauch In to his hart was wo,
[Sidenote: Arthur reproves him.]
And ſaid, “ſ{ir} gawan, nece, why dois yow ſo? 2200
Knowis yow no{ch}t I myne houſhold ſuld encreß,
In kny{ch}thed, and in honore, and largeß?
And now yow thinkith mak me diſſolat
Of kny{ch}t{is}, and my houß tranſulat, 2204
To ſek o kny{ch}t, and It was neu{er} more
Hard ſich o ſemble makith o before.”
[Sidenote: Gawan explains.]
“S{ir},” q{uod} he, “als few as may yhow pleſß;
For what I said was no thing for myne eß, 2208
Nor for deſir of falouſchip, for-why
To paß alone, but cumpany, think I;
And ilk kny{ch}t to paß o ſundry way;
The mo thei paß the fewar eſchef thay, 2212
Bot thus ſhal pas no mo bot as yhow leſt.”
[Sidenote: Arthur assigns him forty companions.]
“Takith,” q{uod} he, “of quhom ȝhe lykith beſt,
Fourty in this paſag for to go;”
At this {com}mand and gawan cheſit ſo 2216
Fourty, quhich that he louit, & that was
Richt glaid in to his falowſchip to pas.
[Headnote: GAWANE AND HIS FELLOWS DEPART.]