Then straight thro' the ring he passed him, and a costly coat he bare, 735 And 'twas wrought of silk all shining, in Orient woven fair; And before the host he halted as he sate there within the ring, And he spake aloud, 'God's favour be on thee, thou gracious king, And upon these knights and ladies--To all whom mine eyes here see, I offer, in greeting, service, yet be _one_ from my greeting free; 740 For ne'er will I do him service, nay, rather I choose his hate, If ill-will he beareth to me, mine ill-will with his may mate!' 'And 'twere well that I name him to ye. Alas! alas! woe is me! My heart he so sore hath wounded, mine anguish o'er-great shall be! And here doth he sit, Sir Gawain, whom all men were wont to praise, 745 High standeth his fame, yet dishonour it ruleth, methinks, his ways; Since avarice to this betrayed him, in greeting my lord he slew, The kiss once by Judas given, it taught him such guile anew. Many thousand hearts hath he wounded--'Twas murder base, abhorred, And he, upon whom he wrought it, erewhile was my dearest lord. 750 An Sir Gawain would here deny it, true answer our strife shall yield, Forty days from to-day shall he meet me, and face me on battlefield, Before Askalon's king and ruler, in the city of Schamfanzon; Thus I bid him in honour face me, and for conflict his armour don.' 'And this grace shall he not refuse me, but thither his shield shall bear; 755 And yet further shall he bethink him, by the helmet he weareth fair, And the life that a knight beseemeth, who two treasures in pledge doth hold, True shame, and a faith unwavering, and their fame shall be new, as old. But from shame may Gawain ne'er free him, if a knight of the Table Round, Whose heroes stand here before me, he thinketh he may be found. 760 For its honour and fame are vanished, if false knight sit its board beside-- Methinks ye have heard mine errand, and ye know I came not to chide, For here would I not blame, but battle, and death shall my guerdon be, An it be not a life of honour, that Good Fortune shall hold for me!'