¶ Capitulum ix

THenne syr Percyual promysed her alle the helpe that he myghte / And thenne she thanked hym / And at that tyme the wheder was hote / thenne she called vnto her a gentylwoman and badde her brynge forth a pauelione / And soo she dyd / and pyght hit vpon the grauel / Sire sayd she / Now maye ye reste yow in this hete of the day / Thenne he thanked her / and she put of his helme and his sheld / and there he slepte a grete whyle / And thenne he awoke / and asked her / yf she had ony mete / and she sayd ye / also ye shalle haue ynough / and soo there was sette ynough vpon the table / and theron soo moche þ^t he had merueil / for there was all maner of metes þ^t he coude thynke on / Also he dranke ther the strengest wyn that euer he dranke / hym thoughte / and there with he was a lytel chafed more than he oughte to be / with that he beheld the gentilwoman / and hym thought / she was the fayrest creature that euer he sawe / And thenne syre Percyual proferd her loue and prayd her that she wold be his / Thenne she refused hym in a maner whan he requyred her for the cause he shold be the more ardant on her / and euer he seased not to pray her of loue / And whanne she sawe hym wel enchauffed / thenne she sayd syr Percyuale wete yow wel I shall not fulfylle youre wylle / but yf ye swere from hensforth ye shalle be my true seruaunt / and to doo no thynge but that I shall commaunde Page  654 [leaf 327v] yow / wyl ye ensure me this as ye be a true knyghte / ye sayd he fayr lady by the feythe of my body / wel sayd she now shal ye doo with me what soo hit please yow / and now wete ye well / ye are the knyghte in the world that I haue moost desyre to / And thenne two squyers were commaunded to make a bed in myddes of the pauelione / And anone she was vnclothed & leyd therin / And thenne syre Percyual leyd hym doune by her naked / and by aduenture and grace he sawe his suerd lye on the ground naked / in whoos pomel was a reede crosse and the synge of the crucyfyxe therin / and bethoughte hym on his knyghthode and his promyse made to fore hand vnto the good man / thenne he made a synge of the crosse in his forhede / & there with the pauelione torned vp so doune / and thenne it chaunged vnto a smoke / and a blak clowde / and thenne he was adradde and cryed alowde /