XXXIV.

kissing them sorrowfully.

With care & wyth kyssyng he carppe3 hem tille,

& fele þryuande þonkke3 he þrat hom to haue,

& þay 3elden hym a3ay[n] 3eply þat ilk;

Þay bikende hym to Kryst, with ful colde sykynge3.

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 & ly3t he wat3 ladde to his chambre,

& blybely bro3t to his bedde, to be at his rest;

3if he ne slepe soundyly, say ne dar I,

For he hade muche on þe morn to mynne, 3if he wolde,

in þo3t;

Let hym ly3e þere stille,

He hat31 nere þat he so3t,

& 3e wyl a whyle be stylle,

I schal telle yow how þay wro3t.

1 wat3 (?).

[FYTTE THE FOURTH.]

I.

New Year's Day approaches.

Now ne3e3 þe nw3ere, & þe ny3t passe3,

Þe day dryue3 to þe derk, as dry3tyn bidde3;

Bot wylde wedere3 of þe worlde wakned þeroute,

Clowdes kesten kenly þe colde to þe erþe,

Wyth ny3e1 in-noghe of þe norþe, þe naked to tene;

Þe snawe snitered ful snart, þat snayped þe wylde;

Þe werbelande wynde wapped fro þe hy3e,

& drof vche dale ful of dryftes ful grete.

Þe leude lystened ful wel, þat le3 in his bedde,

Þa3 he lowke3 his lidde3, 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 wat3 ly3t 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 ferke3 hym vp, & feche3 hym his wede3,

& grayþe3 me sir Gawayn vpon a grett wyse.

Fyrst he clad hym in his cloþe3, þe colde for to were;

& syþen his oþer harnays, þat holdely wat3 keped,

Boþe his paunce, & his plate3, piked ful clene,

Þe rynge32 rokked of þe roust, of his riche bruny;

& al wat3 fresch as vpon fyrst, & he wat3 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 rynke3 (?).