XLI.
[He keruet of the cantel that couurt the knyȝte, [A leaf has been lost in the Thornton MS., containing the stanzas xli. to xlvi. inclusively, and part of xlvii. The missing portion has been sup|plied here from the Ireland Text. D. cautelle?]
Thro his shild and his shildur a schaft-mun he share; [D. shiand.]
Then the latelest lord loghe opon heȝte,
And Gauan grechut ther-with, and greuut wundur sore;
Sayd, "he shuld rewarde the this route, and I con rede o-ryȝte."
He foundes into the freke with a fresche fare;
Line 526
Throȝt basynet and breny, that burnyschet wos bryȝte,
With a bytand brand euyn throghet he him bare;
He bare thruȝe his brenys, that burneyst were bryȝte.
Then gloppunt that gaye,
Line 530
Hit was no ferly, in faye,
His stedes startun on straye,
With steroppus fulle stryȝte.
XLII.
Thenne with steroppus fulle streȝte stifly he strikes,
Waynes atte Sir Wawane, ryȝte as he were wode;
Line 535
Thenne his lemmon on lofte scrilles and scrykes,
Quenne the balefulle birde blenked on his blode.
Other lordus and lades thayre laykes welle likes,
Thonked God of his grace, for Gawan the gode.
With a sqwappe of his squrde squeturly him strykes,
Line 540
Smote of Gauan stede heued, in styd quere he stode.
The fayre fole foundret, and felle bi the rode;
Gauan was smyther and smert,
Owte of his steroppus he sterte,
As he that was of herte,
Line 545
For Greselle the gode.
XLIII.
"Greselle," quod Gauan, "gone is, God ote!
He wos the burlokke[st] blonke, ther euyr bote brede!
