'Haf at þe þenne!' quod þat oþer, and heueȝ hit alofte, 220 And wayteȝ as wroþely as he wode were. He mynteȝ at hym maȝtyly, bot not þe mon ryueȝ, Withhelde heterly h<i>s honde, er hit hurt myȝt. Gawayn grayþely hit bydeȝ, and glent with no membre, Bot stode stylle as þe ston, oþer a stubbe auþer 225 Þat raþeled is in roché grounde with roteȝ a hundreth. Þen muryly efte con he mele, þe mon in þe grene: 'So now þou hatȝ þi hert holle, hitte me bihou<e>s. Halde þe now þe hyȝe hode þat Arþur þe raȝt, And kepe þy kanel at þis kest, ȝif hit keuer may.' 230 Gawayn ful gryndelly with greme þenne sayde: 'Wy! þresch on, þou þro mon, þou þreteȝ to longe. I hope þat þi hert arȝe wyth þyn awen seluen.' 'For soþe,' quod þat oþer freke, 'so felly þou spekeȝ, I wyl no lenger on lyte lette þin ernde 235 riȝt nowe.' Þenne tas he hym stryþe to stryke, And frounses boþe lyppe and browe. No meruayle þaȝ hym myslyke Þat hoped of no rescowe. 240 He lyftes lyȝtly his lome, and let hit doun fayre, With þe barbe of þe bitte bi þe bare nek, Þaȝ he homered heterly, hurt hym no more, Bot snyrt hym on þat on syde, þat seuered þe hyde; Þe scharp schrank to þe flesche þurȝ þe schyre grece 245 Þat þe schene blod ouer his schulderes schot to þe erþe; And quen þe burne seȝ þe blode blenk on þe snawe, He sprit forth spenne fote more þen a spere lenþe, Hent heterly his helme, and on his hed cast, Schot with his schuldereȝ, his fayre schelde vnder, 250 Braydeȝ out a bryȝt sworde, and bremely he spekeȝ;— Neuer syn þat he watȝ burne borne of his moder Watȝ he neuer in þis worlde wyȝe half so blyþe— 'Blynne, burne, of þy bur, bede me no mo! I haf a stroke in þis stede withoute stryf hent, 255 And if þow recheȝ me any mo, I redyly schal quyte, And ȝelde ȝederly aȝayn—and þer to ȝe tryst— and foo. Bot on stroke here me falleȝ— Þe couenaunt schop ryȝt so 260 <Schapen> in Arþureȝ halleȝ— And þerfore, hende, now hoo!' The haþel heldet hym fro, and on his ax rested, Sette þe schaft vpon schore, and to þe scharp lened, And loked to þe leude þat on þe launde ȝede, 265 How þat doȝty, dredles, deruely þer stondeȝ Armed, ful aȝleȝ: in hert hit hym lykeȝ. Þenn he meleȝ muryly wyth a much steuen, And wyth a ry<n>kande rurde he to þe renk sayde: 'Bolde burne, on þis bent be not so gryndel. 270 No mon here vnmanerly þe mysboden habbe<ȝ> Ne kyd, bot as couenaunde at kyngeȝ kort schaped. I hyȝt þe a strok and þou hit hatȝ; halde þe wel payed.