[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.]