I am at your comaundement, to kysse quen yow lyke3,
3e may lach quen yow lyst, & leue quen yow þynkke3,
in space."
1504 [H] Þe lady loute3 a-doun,
& comlyly kysses his face,
Much speche þay þer expoun,
Of druryes greme & grace.
[Sidenote A: The lady of the castle again visits Sir Gawayne.]
[Sidenote B: Softly she sits by his side,]
[Sidenote C: and tells the knight that he has forgotten what she taught him
the day before.]
[Sidenote D: "I taught you of kissing," she says, "that becomes every
knight."]
[Sidenote E: Gawayne says that he must not take that which is forbidden.]
[Sidenote F: He is told that he is strong enough to enforce it.]
[Sidenote G: The knight replies that every gift is worthless that is not
given willingly.]
[Sidenote H: The lady stoops down and kisses him.]
[Footnote 1: sayde (?).]
[Footnote 2: de vaye, in MS.]
XV.
1508 [A] "I woled[1] wyt at yow, wy3e," þat worþy þer sayde,
"& yow wrathed not þer-wyth, what were þe skylle,
Þat so 3ong & so 3epe, as 3e [ar] at þis tyme,
So cortayse, so kny3tyly, as 3e ar knowen oute,
1512 [B] & of alle cheualry to chose, þe chef þyng a-losed,
Is[2] þe lel layk of luf, þe lettrure of armes;
F[or] to telle of þis tenelyng of þis trwe kny3te3,
Hit is þe tytelet, token, & tyxt of her werkke3,
1516 How le[des] for her lele luf hor lyue3 han auntered,
Endured for her drury dulful stounde3,
& after wenged with her walour & voyded her care,
[C] & bro3t blysse in-to boure, with bountees hor awen.
1520 & 3e ar kny3t com-lokest kyd of your elde,
Your worde & your worchip walke3 ay quere, [Fol. 111b.]
& I haf seten by your-self here sere twyes,
[D] 3et herde I neuer of your hed helde no worde3
1524 Þat euer longed to luf, lasse ne more;
[E] & 3e, þat ar so cortays & coynt of your hetes,
Oghe to a 3onke þynk 3ern to schewe,
& teche sum tokene3 of trweluf craftes.
1528 Why ar 3e lewed, þat alle þe los welde3,
Oþer elles 3e demen me to dille, your dalyaunce to herken?
for schame!
I com hider sengel, & sitte,
1532 To lerne at yow sum game,
[F] Dos, teche3 me of your wytte,
Whil my lorde is fro hame."
[Sidenote A: "I would learn," she says, "why you, who are so young and
active,]
[Sidenote B: so skilled in the true sport of love,]
[Sidenote C: and so renowned a knight,]
[Sidenote D: have never talked to me of love.]
[Sidenote E: You ought to show a young thing like me some token of
'true-love's crafts.']
[Sidenote F: So teach me of your 'wit' while my lord is from home."]
[Footnote 1: wolde (?).]
[Footnote 2: In (?).]
XVI.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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