THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAIN
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Percy MS., p. 46. Hales & Furnivall, I, 105; Madden's Syr Gawayne, p. 288;
Percy's Reliques, ed. 1794, III, 350.
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Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile,
And seemely is to see,
And there he hath with him Queene Genever,
That bride soe bright of blee.
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And there he hath with [him] Queene Genever,
That bride soe bright in bower,
And all his barons about him stoode,
That were both stiffe and stowre.
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The king kept a royall Christmasse,
Of mirth and great honor,
And when [OMITTED]
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‘And bring me word what thing it is
That a woman [will] most desire;
This shalbe thy ransome, Arthur,’ he sayes,
‘For Ile haue noe other hier.’
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King Arthur then held vp his hand,
According thene as was the law;
He tooke his leaue of the baron there,
And homward can he draw.
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And when he came to merry Carlile,
To his chamber he is gone,
And ther came to him his cozen Sir Gawaine,
As he did make his mone.
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And there came to him his cozen Sir Gawaine,
That was a curteous knight;
‘Why sigh you soe sore, vnckle Arthur,’ he said,
‘Or who hath done thee vnright?’
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‘O peace, O peace, thou gentle Gawaine,
That faire may thee beffall!
For if thou knew my sighing soe deepe,
Thou wold not meruaile att all.
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‘Ffor when I came to Tearne Wadling,
A bold barron there I fand,
With a great club vpon his backe,
Standing stiffe and strong.
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‘And he asked me wether I wold fight
Or from him I shold begone,
O[r] else I must him a ransome pay,
And soe depart him from.
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‘To fight with him I saw noe cause;
Methought it was not meet;
For he was stiffe and strong with-all,
His strokes were nothing sweete.
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‘Therefor this is my ransome, Gawaine,
I ought to him to pay;
I must come againe, as I am sworne,
Vpon the New Yeers day;
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‘And I must bring him word what thing it is
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Then king Arthur drest him for to ryde,
In one soe rich array,
Toward the fore-said Tearne Wadling,
That he might keepe his day.
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And as he rode over a more,
Hee see a lady where shee sate
Betwixt an oke and a greene hollen;
She was cladd in red scarlett.
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Then there as shold haue stood her mouth,
Then there was sett her eye;
The other was in her forhead fast,
The way that she might see.
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Her nose was crooked and turnd outward,
Her mouth stood foule a-wry;
A worse formed lady than shee was,
Neuer man saw with his eye.
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To halch vpon him, King Arthur,
This lady was full faine,
But King Arthur had forgott his lesson,
What he shold say againe.
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‘What knight art thou,’ the lady sayd,
‘That will not speak to me?
Of me be thou nothing dismayd,
Tho I be vgly to see.
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‘For I haue halched you curteouslye,
And you will not me againe;
Yett I may happen Sir Knight,’ shee said,
‘To ease thee of thy paine.’
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‘Giue thou ease me, lady,’ he said,
‘Or helpe me any thing,
Thou shalt have gentle Gawaine, my cozen,
And marry him with a ring.’
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‘Why, if I help thee not, thou noble King Arthur,
Of thy owne hearts desiringe,
Of gentle Gawaine [OMITTED]
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And when he came to the Tearne Wadling,
The baron there cold he finde,
With a great weapon on his backe,
Standing stiffe and stronge.
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And then he tooke King Arthurs letters in his hands,
And away he cold them fling,
And then he puld out a good browne sword,
And cryd himselfe a king.
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And he sayd, I have thee and thy land, Arthur,
To doe as it pleaseth me,
For this is not thy ransome sure,
Therfore yeeld thee to me.
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And then bespoke him noble Arthur,
And bad him hold his hand:
‘And giue me leaue to speake my mind
In defence of all my land.’
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He said, As I came over a more,
I see a lady where shee sate
Betweene an oke and a green hollen;
Shee was clad in red scarlett.
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And she says a woman will haue her will,
And this is all her cheef desire:
Doe me right, as thou art a baron of sckill,
This is thy ransome and all thy hyer.
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He sayes, An early vengeance light on her!
She walkes on yonder more;
It was my sister that told thee this,
And she is a misshappen hore.
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But heer Ile make mine avow to God
To doe her an euill turne,
For an euer I may thate fowle theefe get,
In a fyer I will her burne.
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Sir Lancelott and Sir Steven bold,
They rode with them that day,
And the formost of the company
There rode the steward Kay.
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Soe did Sir Banier and Sir Bore,
Sir Garrett with them soe gay,
Soe did Sir Tristeram that gentle knight,
To the forrest fresh and gay.
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And when he came to the greene forrest,
Vnderneath a greene holly tree,
Their sate that lady in red scarlet
That vnseemly was to see.
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Sir Kay beheld this ladys face,
And looked vppon her swire;
‘Whosoeuer kisses this lady,’ he sayes,
‘Of his kisse he stands in feare.’
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Sir Kay beheld the lady againe,
And looked vpon her snout;
‘Whosoeuer kisses this lady,’ he saies,
‘Of his kisse he stands in doubt.’
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‘Peace, cozen Kay,’ then said Sir Gawaine,
‘Amend thee of thy life;
For there is a knight amongst vs all
That must marry her to his wife.’
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‘What! wedd her to wiffe!’ then said Sir Kay,
‘In the diuells name anon!
Gett me a wiffe where-ere I may,
For I had rather be slaine!’
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Then some tooke vp their hawkes in hast,
And some tooke vp their hounds,
And some sware they wold not marry her
For citty nor for towne.
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And then be-spake him noble King Arthur,
And sware there by this day,
‘For a litle foule sight and misliking
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Then shee said, Choose thee, gentle Gawaine,
Truth as I doe say,
Wether thou wilt haue me in this liknesse
In the night or else in the day.
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And then bespake him gentle Gawaine,
Was one soe mild of moode,
Sayes, Well I know what I wold say,
God grant it may be good!
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To haue thee fowle in the night
When I with thee shold play —
Yet I had rather, if I might,
Haue thee fowle in the day.
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‘What! when lords goe with ther feires,’ shee said,
‘Both to the ale and wine,
Alas! then I must hyde my selfe,
I must not goe withinne.’
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And then bespake him gentle Gawaine,
Said, Lady, that's but skill;
And because thou art my owne lady,
Thou shalt haue all thy will.
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Then she said, Blesed be thou, gentle Gawain,
This day that I thee see,
For as thou seest me att this time,
From hencforth I wilbe.
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My father was an old knight,
And yett it chanced soe
That he marryed a younge lady
That brought me to this woe.
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Shee witched me, being a faire young lady,
To the greene forrest to dwell,
And there I must walke in womans liknesse,
Most like a feend of hell.
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She witched my brother to a carlish b [OMITTED]
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‘That looked soe foule, and that was wont
On the wild more to goe.’
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‘Come kisse her, brother Kay,’ then said Sir Gawaine,
‘And amend thé of thy liffe;
I sweare this is the same lady
That I marryed to my wiffe.’
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Sir Kay kissed that lady bright,
Standing vpon his ffeete;
He swore, as he was trew knight,
The spice was neuer soe sweete.
52
‘Well, cozen Gawaine,’ sayes Sir Kay,
‘Thy chance is fallen arright,
For thou hast gotten one of the fairest maids
I euer saw with my sight.’
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‘It is my fortune,’ said Sir Gawaine;
‘For my vnckle Arthurs sake
I am glad as grasse wold be of raine,
Great ioy that I may take.’
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Sir Gawaine tooke the lady by the one arme,
Sir Kay tooke her by the tother,
They led her straight to King Arthur,
As they were brother and brother.
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King Arthur welcomed them there all,
And soe did Lady Geneuer his queene,
With all the knights of the Round Table,
Most seemly to be seene.
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King Arthur beheld that lady faire
That was soe faire and bright,
He thanked Christ in Trinity
For Sir Gawaine that gentle knight.
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Soe did the knights, both more and lesse,
Reioyced all that day
For the good chance that hapened was
To Sir Gawaine and his lady gay.
