XXXIV.

kissing them sorrowfully.

With care & wyth kyssyng he carppeȝ hem tille,

& fele þryuande þonkkeȝ he þrat hom to haue,

& þay ȝelden hym aȝay[n] ȝeply þat ilk;

Þay bikende hym to Kryst, with ful colde sykyngeȝ.

Syþen fro þe meyny he menskly de-partes;

Vche mon þat he mette, he made hem a þonke,

For his seruyse, & his solace, & his sere pyne,

Þat þay wyth busynes had ben, aboute hym to serue;

& vche segge as sore, to seuer with hym þere,

As þay hade wonde worþyly with þat wlonk euer.

Þen with ledes & lyȝt he watȝ ladde to his chambre,

& blybely broȝt to his bedde, to be at his rest;

ȝif he ne slepe soundyly, say ne dar I,

For he hade muche on þe morn to mynne, ȝif he wolde,

in þoȝt;

Let hym lyȝe þere stille,

He hatȝ1 nere þat he soȝt,

& ȝe wyl a whyle be stylle,

I schal telle yow how þay wroȝt.

1 watȝ (?).

[FYTTE THE FOURTH.]

I.

New Year's Day approaches.

Now neȝeȝ þe nwȝere, & þe nyȝt passeȝ,

Þe day dryueȝ to þe derk, as dryȝtyn biddeȝ;

Bot wylde wedereȝ of þe worlde wakned þeroute,

Clowdes kesten kenly þe colde to þe erþe,

Wyth nyȝe1 in-noghe of þe norþe, þe naked to tene;

Þe snawe snitered ful snart, þat snayped þe wylde;

Þe werbelande wynde wapped fro þe hyȝe,

& drof vche dale ful of dryftes ful grete.

Þe leude lystened ful wel, þat leȝ in his bedde,

Þaȝ he lowkeȝ his liddeȝ, ful lyttel he slepes;

Bi vch kok þat crue, he knwe wel þe steuen.

De-liuerly he dressed vp, er þe day sprenged,

For þere watȝ lyȝt of a lau[m]pe, þat lemed in his chambre;

He called to his chamberlayn, þat cofly hym swared,

& bede hym bryng hym his bruny, & his blonk sadel;

Þat oþer ferkeȝ hym vp, & fecheȝ hym his wedeȝ,

& grayþeȝ me sir Gawayn vpon a grett wyse.

Fyrst he clad hym in his cloþeȝ, þe colde for to were;

& syþen his oþer harnays, þat holdely watȝ keped,

Boþe his paunce, & his plateȝ, piked ful clene,

Þe ryngeȝ2 rokked of þe roust, of his riche bruny;

& al watȝ fresch as vpon fyrst, & he watȝ fayn þenne

to þonk;

He hade vpon vche pece,

Wypped ful wel & wlonk;

Þe gayest in to Grece,

Þe burne bede bryng his blonk.

1 nywe (?). 2 rynkeȝ (?).