[Sidenote: The sable knight, still fearless,] [B]ot he that was w{i}t{h}owten any dred, In ſabill cled, and ſaw the gret ned, Aſſemblyt al his falowis, and arayd; [Sidenote: harangues his men, saying,] And thus to them in manly t{er}mes ſaid: 3444 “What that ȝe ar I knaw not yhour eſtat, [Fol. 42b.] [Sidenote: “I know not who ye are, but I know that ye ought to be commended.] Bot of ma{n}hed and worſchip, well I wat, Out throuch this warld yhe aw to be {com}me{n}dit, This day ȝe have ſo kny{ch}tly yhow defendit. 3448 [Sidenote: Ye see how your enemies, as night approaches, are striving to give you an outrage or a fright.] And now yhe ſee how that, aȝanis the ny{ch}t, Yhour ennemys p{re}tendit w{i}t{h} thar myght Of multitud, and w{i}t{h} thar new oſt, And w{i}t{h} thar buglis and thar wynd{is} boſt 3452 Freſchly cu{m}myng In to ſich aray, To ifyne yhow one owtrag[T77] or affray. And now almoſt cu{m}myne Is the ny{ch}t, [Sidenote: Employ then your courage, so that the honour ye have won be not again lost.] Quharfor yhour ſtrenth, yhour curag, & yhovr my{ch}t 3456 Yhe occupye in to ſo manly wyß, That the worſchip of kny{ch}thed & empryß That yhe have wonyng, and ye g{re}t renown Be not yloſt, be not ylaid doune. 3460 For one hour the ſufferyng of diſtreß, Gret harm It war yhe tyne the hie encreß Of vorſchip, ſ{er}uit al this day before. And to yhow al my conſell is, tharfore, 3464 [Sidenote: Resolve then to meet them sharply, without fear, so that they may feel the cold spear in their hearts.] W{i}t{h} manly curag, but radour, yhe p{re}tend To met tham ſcharply at the ſperis end, So that thei feil the cold ſperis poynt Out-throw thar ſcheld{is}, in thar hart{is} poynt. 3468 So ſal thai fynd we ar no-thing affrayt; Whar-throuch we ſall the well leß be aſſayt. [Sidenote: Perhaps then the foremost will make the rest afraid.”] If that we met them ſcharply in the berd, The formeſt ſal mak al the laif afferd.” 3472 And w{i}t{h} o woyß thai cry al, “ſ{ir} kny{ch}t, Apone yhour manhed, and yhour gret my{ch}t, [Sidenote: They promise to stand firm.] We ſal abid, for no man ſhall eſchef Frome yhow this day, his ma{n}hed for to pref.” 3476 [Sidenote: Sir Yvan also bids his men be comforted; for that they see all the strength of their enemies.] And to his oſt the lord ſ{ir} yvane ſaid, “Yhe comfort yow, yhe be no-thing affrayd, Ws ned no more to dreding of ſuppriß; We ſe the ſtrenth of al our ennemys.” 3480 Thus he ſaid, for he wend thai var no mo, [Sidenote: Sir Gawane, however, knew better.] Bot ſ{ir} gawan knew well It vas not ſo;