[Sidenote: Sir Kay sends Gawane’s squire with a message to Sir Harwy that he ought not to suffer the best knight that ever bore arms to be surprised,] S{ir} kay, that hath ſ{ir} gawans qſquyar{is} ſen, 3204 He clepit hyme, and haith hyme prayt ſo, That to ſ{ir} harwy the rewell wil he go, And ſay to hyme, “ws think hyme ewil awyſit; For her throuch hyme he ſufferit be ſuppriſit 3208 The beſt kny{ch}t that eu{er} armys bur; And if it ſo befell of adwentur, In his defalt, that he be ded or lamyt, This warld ſal have hyme vtraly defamyt. 3212 [Sidenote: nor six knights of the Round Table to be discomfited.] And her ar of the round table alſo A falouſchip, that ſall in well and wo Abid w{i}t{h} hyme, and furt{h} for to endur Of lyf or deth, this day, thar adwentur; 3216 And if ſo fal diſcumfyt at thai bee, The king may ſay that wond{er} ewill haith he Contenit hyme, and kepit his honore, Thus for to tyne of chevalry the flour!” 3220 [Sidenote: The squire takes the message.] The ſqw[y]ar hard, and furt{h} his way Raid, In termys ſchort he al his meſag ſaid. S{ir} harwy ſaith, “y wytneß god, that I Neu{er} in my days comytit tratory, 3224 And if I now begyne In to myne eld, In ewill tyme fyrſt com I to this feld; [Sidenote: Sir Harwy says that Sir Kay shall have no cause to reprove him.] Bot, if god will, I ſal me ſon diſcharg. Say to ſ{ir} kay, I ſal not ber the charg, 3228 He ſal no mat{er} have me to rapref, I ſal amend this mys if that I lef.” The ſqwyar went and tellit to ſ{ir} kay; [Sidenote: Sir Harwy comes to support them;] ++And ſ{ir} harwy, in al the haſt he may, 3232 Aſſemblyt hath his oſt{is}, & onoñ In gret deſyre on the feld is gon [Fol. 40a.] Before his folk, and haldith furt{h} his way; Don goith his ſper, and ewyne before ſ{ir} kay 3236 So hard o kny{ch}t he ſtrykith in his ten That horß and he lay boith apone the gren. S{ir} gawan ſaw the count{er} that he maad, And leuch for al the ſarues that he had: 3240 [Sidenote: and proves himself a better warrior than might have been expected of one so old.] That day ſ{ir} harwy prewyt in the feld Of armys more than longith to his eld, For he was more than fyfty yher of ag, Set he was ferß and ȝong in his curag; 3244 And fro that he aſſemblyt his bataill [Sidenote: Galiot’s folk are beaten.] Doune goith the folk of galot{is} al haill; For to w{i}t{h}ſtond thai war of no poware, And yhit of folk x thouſand mo thei vare. 3248