Version 1

Notes de lecture
99
Le texte de base est celui de ldition de Janet Cowen, Penguin Classics (2 vol.).

BOOK V

CHAPTER 10. Of a battle done by Gawain against a Saracen, which after was yolden
and became Christian
1 Then they took their spears and ran each at other with all the might they had, and smote each
other through their shields into their shoulders, wherefore anon they pulled out their swords, and
smote great strokes that the re sprang out of their helms. Then Sir Gawain was all abashed, and
with Galatine his good sword he smote through shield and thick hauberk made of thick mails, and
all to-rushed and brake the precious stones, and made him a large wound, that men might see
both liver and lung. Then groaned that knight, and addressed him to Sir Gawain, and with an
awke stroke gave him a great wound and cut a vein, which grieved Gawain sore, and he bled sore.
Then the knight said to Sir Gawain, Bind thy wound or thy blee change, for thou be-bleedest all thy
horse and thy fair arms, for all the barbers of Brittany shall not can staunch thy blood, for whosomever is
hurt with this blade he shall never be staunched of bleeding.
Then answered Gawain, It grieveth me but little, thy great words shall not fear me nor lessen my
courage, but thou shalt suer tene and sorrow or we depart, but tell me in haste who may staunch my bleeding.
That may I do, said the knight, if I will, and so will I if thou wilt succour and aid me, that I may be
christened and believe on God, and thereof I require thee of thy manhood, and it shall be great merit for thy
soul.
I grant, said Gawain, so God help me, to accomplish all thy desire, but rst tell me what thou soughtest here thus alone, and of what land and liegiance thou art of.
Sir, he said, my name is Priamus, and a great prince is my father, and he hath been rebel unto Rome
and overridden many of their lands. My father is lineally descended of Alexander and of Hector by right line.
And Duke Joshua and Maccabus were of our lineage. I am right inheritor of Alexandria and Africa, and all
the out isles, yet will I believe on thy Lord that thou believest on; and for thy labour I shall give thee treasure
enough. I was so elate and hauteyn in my heart that I thought no man my peer, nor to me semblable. I was
sent into this war with seven score knights, and now I have encountered with thee, which hast given to me of
ghting my ll, wherefore sir knight, I pray thee to tell me what thou art.

I am no knight, said Gawain, I have been brought up in the guardrobe with the noble King Arthur
many years, for to take heed to his armour and his other array, and to point his paltocks that longen to himself. At Yule last he made me yeoman, and gave to me horse and harness, and an hundred pound in money;
and if fortune be my friend, I doubt not but to be well advanced and holpen by my liege lord.
Ah, said Priamus, if his knaves be so keen and erce, his knights be passing good: now for the Kings
love of Heaven, whether thou be a knave or a knight, tell thou me thy name.
By God, said Sir Gawain, now will I say thee sooth, my name is Sir Gawain, and known I am in his
court and in his chamber, and one of the knights of the Round Table, he dubbed me a duke with his own
hand. Therefore grudge not if this grace is to me fortuned, it is the goodness of God that lent to me my
strength.
Now am I better pleased, said Priamus, than thou hadst given to me all the Provence and Paris the
rich. I had lever to have been torn with wild horses, than any varlet had won such loos, or any page or pricker should have had prize on me. But now sir knight I warn thee that hereby is a Duke of Lorraine with his
army, and the noblest men of Dauphin, and lords of Lombardy, with the garnison of Gotthard, and Saracens
of Southland, numbered sixty thousand of good men of arms; wherefore but if we hie us hence, it will harm
us both, for we be sore hurt, never like to recover; but take heed to my page, that he no horn blow, for if he
do, there be hoving here fast by an hundred knights awaiting on my person, and if they take thee, there shall
no ransom of gold ne silver acquit thee.
2 Then Sir Gawain rode over a water for to save him, and the knight followed him, and so rode
forth till they came to his fellows which were in the meadow, where they had been all the night.
Anon as Sir Wisshard was ware of Sir Gawain and saw that he was hurt, he ran to him sorrowfully
weeping, and demanded of him who had so hurt him; and Gawain told how he had foughten with
that man, and each of them had hurt other, and how he had salves to heal them; but I can tell you
other tidings, that soon we shall have ado with many enemies.
Then Sir Priamus and Sir Gawain alighted, and let their horses graze in the meadow, and unarmed them, and then the blood ran freshly from their wounds. And Priamus took from his page a
vial full of the four waters that came out of Paradise, and with certain balm anointed their wounds,
and washed them with that water, and within an hour after they were both as whole as ever they
were.
And then with a trumpet were they all assembled to council, and there Priamus told unto
them what lords and knights had sworn to rescue him, and that without fail they should be assailed with many thousands, wherefore he counselled them to withdraw them.
Then Sir Gawain said, it were great shame to them to avoid without any strokes; wherefore I
advise to take our arms and to make us ready to meet with these Saracens and misbelieving men, and with
the help of God we shall overthrow them and have a fair day on them. And Sir Florence shall abide still in
this eld to keep the stale as a noble knight, and we shall not forsake yonder fellows.
Now, said Priamus, cease your words, for I warn you ye shall nd in yonder woods many perilous
knights; they will put forth beasts to call you on, they be out of number, and ye are not past seven hundred,
which be over few to ght with so many.
Nevertheless, said Sir Gawain, we shall once encounter them, and see what they can do, and the best
shall have the victory.

Gauvain aronte un Sarrasin qui, savouant vaincu, se convertit au christianisme

1 Ils saisirent alors leur lance et se rurent de toutes leurs forces lun contre lautre et leurs coups,
traversant le bouclier, senfoncrent dans lpaule ; aussitt, ils dgainrent leur pe et frapprent
avec tant de violence que des tincelles jaillirent des casques. Sire Gauvain, tout abasourdi, abattit sa
bonne pe Galantine, transperant le bouclier et lpais haubert aux grosses mailles, crasant et brisant les pierres prcieuses, et inigeant une blessure dune telle taille quelle laissait apercevoir foie et
poumon. Lautre chevalier poussa alors un gmissement et, visant sire Gauvain, lui porta un coup en
revers qui t une large plaie et sectionna une veine, do une grande sourance de Gauvain, qui
saignait abondamment.

Son adversaire sadressa alors Gauvain : Panse ta plaie avant de devenir blme : tu ensanglantes tout
ton cheval et tes belles armes, et tous les barbiers de Bretagne ne russiront pas tancher ton hmorragie, car
quiconque est bless par cette lame subit un panchement de sang que jamais rien narrtera.
Gauvain lui rpondit : Je ne ressens gure de sourance et tes grands mots ne mintimideront pas ni naffaibliront ma dtermination, alors que toi tu connatras douleur et chagrin avant que nous ne nous quittions ;
mais hte-toi de me dire qui est capable dtancher mon hmorragie.
Jen ai la possibilit, rpondit le chevalier, condition que jen dcide ainsi, et cest ce que je ferai si tu
acceptes de me porter aide et assistance an que je reoive le baptme et croie en Dieu, ce que je te demande
instamment au nom de ta condition dhomme, et ton me ne manquera pas dy acqurir grand mrite.
Je taccorde, rpondit Gauvain, Dieu aidant, de raliser ton dsir, mais dis-moi en premier lieu ce que tu
cherches ici, tout seul, de quel pays tu es et de qui tu es lige.
Messire, expliqua-t-il, je mappelle Priamus. Mon pre est un grand prince qui a secou le joug de Rome,
dont il a ravag certains territoires ; il descend en ligne directe dAlexandre [le Grand] et dHector en droite ligne,
et le duc Josu et [Judas] Maccabe appartenaient notre lignage. Bien quhritier lgitime dAlexandrie et de
lAfrique avec toutes les les attenantes, je veux croire au Seigneur auquel tu crois, et pour ta peine je te ferai prsent de nombreux trsors. Jtais tellement imbu de ma supriorit et arrogant dans mon cur qu mes yeux nul
ntait mon gal ni mon semblable. Jai t envoy la guerre avec cent quarante chevaliers [sous mes ordres],
et voil que je croise le fer avec toi, qui mas donn mon saoul de bataille ; par consquent, messire chevalier, je te
prie de me dire qui tu es.
Je ne suis aucunement chevalier, rpondit Gauvain, jai t form pendant de nombreuses annes dans
la garde-robe du noble roi Arthur prendre soin de son armure et du reste de son quipement ainsi qu lacer ses
pourpoints personnels. Nol dernier, il a fait de moi un serviteur attach sa personne, ma fait don dun cheval
avec son harnachement et de cent livres [sterling] en trennes ; si la fortune me sourit, je suis sr de faire une
belle carrire avec laide de mon seigneur lige.
Pour sr, scria Priamus, si ses domestiques sont ce point sur la brche et acharns, ses chevaliers sortent de lordinaire ; allons, pour lamour du Roi des Cieux, que tu sois domestique ou chevalier, dis-moi donc ton
nom.
Par Dieu, rpondit sire Gauvain, je vais maintenant te dire ce quil en est vraiment : je mappelle sire
Gauvain, on me connat la cour dArthur et en son conseil, je fais partie des chevaliers de la Table Ronde et le roi
ma fait duc de sa propre main. Par consquent, ne vois pas dun mauvais il que cette grce me soit accorde, car
cest la bont de Dieu qui ma prt ma force.
Jen suis bien plus aise, rpondit Priamus, que si tu mavais fait cadeau la fois de toute la Provence et
de Paris lopulente. Jaimerais encore mieux avoir t cartel par des chevaux sauvages que de voir le moindre
valet mriter un tel loge [ mes dpens], ou le moindre page ou le premier cavalier venu lemporter sur moi.
Mais maintenant, messire chevalier, je tavertis que, tout prs, se trouve le duc de Lorraine avec son arme, les
plus nobles chevaliers du Dauphin, des seigneurs de Lombardie, avec la garnison du [Saint-] Gothard et des
Sarrasins du Midi, dont les eectifs slvent soixante mille bons guerriers ; par consquent, moins de quitter
les lieux, nous allons en ptir, car nous sommes grivement blesss, sans pouvoir escompter gurir. Surtout, ne
perds pas mon page de vue, veille ce quil ne soue pas dans sa trompe, car sil le fait, il y a tranant dans les
parages une centaine de chevaliers de ma garde personnelle et si eux semparent de toi, aucune ranon dargent
ni mme dor ne te rendra la libert.
2 Sire Gauvain franchit alors avec sa monture un cours deau pour se sauver, suivi du chevalier, et
ils chevauchrent jusqu ce quils rejoignent ses compagnons, qui se trouvaient dans la prairie o ils
avaient pass la nuit. Ds que sire Wisshard aperut sire Gauvain et le vit bless, il accourut, pleurant
de chagrin, et lui demanda qui lavait bless ainsi ; Gauvain lui expliqua quil avait livr combat
lhomme ici prsent, que chacun deux avait inig des blessures lautre, et quil avait des baumes
pour les gurir ; mais jai dautres nouvelles tapprendre : nous ne tarderons pas livrer bataille des ennemis en grand nombre.
Sire Priamus et sire Gauvain descendirent alors de leurs montures, mirent leurs chevaux patre
dans la prairie, puis se dsarmrent, sur quoi le sang recommena jaillir de leurs blessures. Priamus
prit son page une ole remplie deau provenant des quatre euves du Paradis et oignit leurs blessures dun certain baume, puis les lava avec cette eau et, dans lheure qui suivit, tous deux se retrouvrent en aussi bonne sant quils lavaient jamais t.
Une sonnerie de trompette convoqua tous les prsents au conseil, o Priamus les informa des
seigneurs et chevaliers qui staient jurs de venir sa rescousse ; ils devaient donc sattendre un

assaut invitable par des milliers dhommes et il leur conseillait donc de se retirer.
Sire Gauvain prit alors la parole pour faire observer que ce serait une honte pour eux de se retirer
sans donner un coup de lance ou dpe et je prconise, par consquent, que nous prenions nos armes et
nous prparions aronter ces mcrants de Sarrasins : avec laide de Dieu, nous les vaincrons et ce sera un beau
jour pour nous leurs dpens. Sire Florence restera ici pour garder la position, en noble chevalier quil est, et nous
nabandonnerons pas nos compagnons de lautre rive.
Allons, interrompit Priamus, trve de discours car, sachez-le, vous trouverez dans les bois de lautre ct
de nombreux chevaliers prts prendre des risques : ils mettront en avant du btail pour vous attirer, ils sont
innombrables et vous ntes pas plus de sept cents, ce qui est bien peu pour se battre contre une telle multitude.
Quimporte, conclut sire Gauvain, nous allons les aronter une fois pour voir de quoi ils sont capables, et
que le meilleur gagne !

1 was yolden (J. Cowen : yielden) Malory+Caxton : yolden ; ancien verbe fort.
2 all to-rushed and brake to- asunder, in twain, to pieces, cf. allemand zer- entzwei, auseinander (volet 22, 13) ; rushed pera (voir volet 23, 18).
3 that men might see on : man linstar de lallemand man et du nerlandais men
fait partie des quivalents de notre indni on qui, comme on sait, remonte au
latin hmnem, accusatif singulier de hm tre humain, homme (cf. volet 29, 9).
4 both liver and lung prcision emprunte, comme bien dautres, cf. alliterative Morte
Arthure (aMA) : With the light of the sun men might see his liver et, dans un autre passage,
With a launce of Lettow* he thirles his sides / That the liver and the lunges on the launce lenges
(* Lettonie ou Lithuanie)
5 with an awke stroke

OED :

[prob. a. ON. afug, fug, g (Sw. afvig) turned the wrong way, back foremost, cogn. with OHG.
apuh, apah, MHG. ebech, ebich, mod.G. dial. bich, OS. aich, aoh; a deriv. of af away, identied by
Fick with OSkr. apk, apch turned away. Old Northumbrian has *afuh in afu(h)lic perverse, in
Prol. to Lindisf. Gospels; but the later use of the word was probably from ON. The phonetic change
of afug to awk, is the same as in hafoc, hawk.]

An Icelandic-English Dictionary by Cleasby/Vigfusson (1874):

FIGR or fugr, adj., agr, N.G.L. i. 376; in old writers contracted, fgu, fgir, etc., but in mod.
usage uncontracted throughout: [from af- and vegr; Ulf. Ibuks = *; Swed. afvig; Dan.
avet; Old Engl. awk (which survives in awk-ward), meaning left, Fr. gauche]: turning the wrong
way, tail or back foremost; klvar beinum fram ea augu huakka aptan, ok afgu lki llu, N.G.L. i.
376; hljp Gunnarr aptr yr fugr, Nj. 46: at gkk fugt um hsit ok annslis, Eb. 268, Grett. 151;
at var brag hans at hann gkk gr, Finnb. 246; gr fll hann aptr bak, Ska R.; hann stkkr
t af vegginum fugr, Fr. 112; skru af tjar ok bundu fgar undir ftr sr, .H. 152; rlaug
drap vi hendi fgri, the back of the hand, Lv. 38; hj hann fgri hendi til Knts konungs, Fms. xi.
367; at er misvgi, ef mar er viginn fgum vpnum, with the butt-end of a weapon, N.G.L. i. 80: fin
her fug verit, Fs. 8, v.l.; var at fgu heilli, Rm. 181; mla fugt or til e-s, Sturl. ii. 201;
hvrigir lgu rum fugt or, Grett. 113 new Ed.; ldr-ml fug, Sdm. * en arrire, rebours

J. de Vries (1971), Nederlands Etymologisch Woordenboek :

averechts bw., mnl. averecht (dus nog zonder bijw. s) omver, andersom, verkeerd, als bnw. verkeerd, omgekeerd, mnd. averecht (term uit de weverij); gevormd uit ave (zie: af) en recht. Met
dezelfde betekenis zijn van af afgeleid: os. auh, avuh afgewend, verkeerd, ohd. abuh, abah, oe.
awkward ( < oe. *afoc), on. fugr, naast got. Ibuks osl. opak wederom, opae terug, oi. apkaachteraan gelegen. Mogelijk ook mnl. Aves omgekeerd, averechts (indien uit avichs).

Cf. VIII, 25, volet 179 : And therewithal Sir Tristram strode unto him and took his lady from
him, and with an awke stroke o her head clean.
En partant de contresens, rebours , les commentateurs ont compris un coup donn tantt
en revers (back-handed), tantt obliquement, de biais (slantwise) : diagonalement sur le
ct droit.

6 or thy blee change

vieil-anglais blo, blo couleur, nuance ; teint MED :
chaungen (blenken) ~, grow pale or livid.
Cf. Monime, dans Mithridate : Nous nous aimions Seigneur, vous changez de viage ! et
Brnice : Prince, vous vous troublez et changez de viage ? [donc : vous devenez blme/
livide, vous plissez]
Emprunt tel quel aMA : Us bus have a blood-band ere thy blee change!
7 thou be-bleedest Voir IV, 9, volet 70, 5. Caxton : thou bybledet.

Bosworth-Toller

8 shall not can staunch thy blood vieil-anglais cunnan, moyen-anglais cnnen, can,
to con et cunning. Ds le vieil-anglais, le verbe a la double acception savoir et
pouvoir .

Caxton : For alle the Barbours of Bretayne hal not conne taunche thy blood.
Cf. though ye spare them all this day they will never can you thank (XX, 13, volet 481).
Mariane, dans lAvare : Que aurois-je vous dire ? ... je ne aurois me roudre lui donner du
dplaiir.
9 thou shalt suer tene and sorrow (cf. la locution tray and tene, volet 43); Miranda sadressant son pre, Prospero (The Tempest, I, 2): O, my heart bleeds To think othteens that I
have turned you to, Which is from my remembrance. (Le cur me saigne la pense des
tourments que je vous ai occasionns et dont ma mmoire ne garde nulle trace.)
10 my name is Priamus Linsistance sur la ligne troyenne (Hector) est telle quon est
presque tent de traduire par Priam
11 Duke Joshua dj mentionn dans la prface de Caxton
12 he dubbed me a duke Si le sens du verbe est limpide ( adouber ), lhistoire de
lensemble des formes franaises et anglaises, commencer par leur tymologie, reste
tablir.
13 had won such loos ancien-franais los, du latin laus loge, louange
14 or any page or pricker MED : a horseman; mounted warrior; also, a scout.
15 there shall no ransom of gold ne silver acquit thee unique mention du terme, mais les
allusions ne manquent pas. Les ranons (redemptio rachat ) prleves sur les ennemis vaincus constituaient une importante source de revenus (pour les tats, ou ce qui en
tenait lieu, comme pour les nobles de tous niveaux).
16 the four waters that came out of Paradise Voir Gense, 2, 10-14.

Winchester de folio 89r, ligne 14 folio 91v, ligne 6 :

han hir launcis they handylde by craufte of armys
And com on pedyly with full yker dyntes and there
they hotte thorow hyldys and mayles and thorow there
hene huldyrs they were thorow borne the brede of an
hande Than were they o wroth at a way wolde they neuer
but rathly ruhed oute er werdys and hyttys on er hel
mys with hatefull dyntys and tabbis at hir tomakys with
werdys well teled o freyhly o fre men fyghtes on the
grounde whyle e amynge fyre owe oute of hir hel
mys Than Sir Gawayne was grevid wondirly ore &
wynges his werde Galantyne and grymly he trykys
and clevys e knyghtes hylde In undir & thorow oute the
thycke haubirke made of ure mayles and e Rubyes that
were ryche he ruhed hem In undir at men myght be hol
de e lyvir and longes Than groned e knyght for his gryme
woundis and gyrdis to ir Gawayne and awkewarde hym
trykes and bratyth the rere brace and e vawm brace
bothe and but thorow a vayne at Gawayne ore greved for

folio 89r
15

20

25

30

o worched his wounde at his wytte chonged And er with all

his armure was all blody be rene Than at knyght tal
ked to Sir Gawayne and bade hym bynde vp his wounde
or thy ble chonge for ou all be bledis this hore & thy bryt
wedys for all e barbers of Bretayne hall nat thy blood
taunche For who at is hurte with this blaade bleed hal
he euer Be god ayde Sir Gawayne hit grevys me but
lytyll yet halt ou nat feare me for all thy grete wordis
Thow trowyte with thy talkyne to tame my herte But
yet ou be tydys tene or ou te hene but ou telle me In has
te who may tanche my bledynge That may I do and
I woll o ou wolt uccour me at I myght be fayre crytynde
and be com meke for my mydedis Now mercy I Jhu be
eche and I hall be com cryten and In god tedfatly be
leve & ou mayte for thy manhode haue mede to thy oule
I graunte eyde Sir Gawayne So god me helpe to full
fyll all thy deyre ou hate gretly hit deeruyd So ou ay me
e oth what ou ought here thus engly thy elf a lone and
What lorde or legeaunte ou art vndir Sir he eyde I hyt
Priamus and a Prynce is my fadir & he hath bene Re
bell vnto Rome and ouer redyn muche of hir londis &
my fadir is com of Alyaundirs bloode at was ouer leder of
kynges And of Ector alo was he com by e ryght lyne
& many mo were of my kynrede bothe Judas Macabeus
And deuke Joue And ayre I am aler nexte of Alyaundir
and of Anfryke and of all e oute Iles yet woll I be leue
on thy lorde at ou belevyt on and take e for thy labour treour
I now for I was o haute In my herte I helde no man
my pere So was I ent In to this werre by e aente
of my fadir with vij core knyghtes And now I haue enco
untred with one hath geevyn fyghtyng my fylle There

folio 89v

fore ir knyght for thy kynges ake telle me thy name

Sir eyde Sir Gawayne I am no knyght but I haue
be brought vp in the wardrope with e noble kyng Arthure
wyntyrs and dayes for to take hede to his armoure &
all his oer wedis and to poynte all e paltokkys at longe
to hym elf and to dres doublettis for deukys & Erlys
and at yole he made me yoman and ga me good gy
tys more than an C pounde and hore & harneye rych
And yf I haue happe my hele to erue my lyege lorde I
hall be well holpyn In hate A ayde Sir Priamus
and his knavys be o kene his knyghtes ar paynge good
Now for thy kynges lone of hevyn and for thy kyngys
love wheer ou be knave oer knyght tell ou me thy name Be
god eyde Sir Gawayne Now woll I telle e oth I am kno
wyn In his courte & kyd In his chambir and Rolled with e
Rychet of e Rounde table And I am a deuke dubbed wyth
his owne hondis er fore grucche nat good ir if me this
grace is be happened hit is e goodnee of god at lente
me this trength Now am I bettir pleaed ayde Sir

folio 90r

10

15

20

25

30

5
Yule

10

15

Pryamus than ou haddet gy me e provynce of yie e

20
e ryche for I had levir haue be toryn with iiij wylde hore
than ony yoman had uche a looe wonne of me oer els ony
page oer prycker holde wyne of me e pryce In this felde
gotyn But now I warne e ir knyght of e rounde table
here is by e deuke of Lorayne with his knyghtes and e dough
25
tyete of Dolphyne landys with many hye duchemen &
many lordis of Lumbardy and e garneon of godarde &
men of wet walle worhypfull kynges And of Syoyne
Saxony / Sachsen / Saxe
and of Southlonde Sarezyns many nubirde and there
named ar In Rollys Sixti Ml of yker men of armys
30
ou
e
There fore but hye fro this heth hit woll harme

vs both and ore be we hurte neuer lyke to recouer But ta

ke ou hede in haynxman1 at he no horne blow for and he
do than loke at he be hewyn on pecis for here hovys at thy
honde a C of good knyghtes at ar of my retynew and to
a wayte vppon my one For and ou be raught with at rout
raunom noer rede golde woll they none ake Than
Sir Gawayne rode ouer a water for to gyde hym elf and at
worhypfull knyght hym folowed ore wounded & o they
rode tylle they com to er ferys at were baytand hir horys
In a low medow where lay many lordys lenyng on there
hyldys with lawyng and Japyng & many lowde wordys
Anone as ir Wycharde was ware of ir Gawayne &
apyed at he was hurte he wente towarde hym wepyng
& wryngyng his hondys Than Sir Gawayne tolde
hym how he had macched with at myghty man of trengthe
there fore greve yow nat good Sir for thoue my hylde
be now thirled & my holdir horne yett thys knyght Sir
Pryamus hath many eloue woundys But he hath aluys
he eyth at woll hele vs bothe But here is new note In
honde nere than ye wene fore by an houre aftir none I
trow hit woll noy vs all Than ir Pryamus and Sir
Gawayne a lyght bothe & lette hir horys bayte In e fayre
medow Than they lette brayde of hir banettys & hir brode
hyldys than eythir bled o muche at euery man had wondir at
they myght itte In er adyls or tonde vppon erthe Now
fecche me eyde Sir Pryamus my vyall at hangys by the
gurdyll of my haynxman for hit is full of e oure of e
iiij good watyrs at pais from adye e mykyll fruyte
In fallys at at one day fede hall vs all putt at watir In
oure eyh where e yde is tamed & we hall be hole with
In iiij houres Than they lette clene er woundys with colde

folio 90v

whyght wyne And than they lete a noynte them with bawme
ouer & ouer and holer men than they were with In an houres pace

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MED : hengest-man (n.) Also henxt-, hengs-, henks-, henx-, hainx- & hens-, hein(e)s-, heince-, hins- & (late) hans(e-, hensh-,
henche-. [From hengest & man; ?modeled after ON; cp. OI hesta-mar horse boy, groom.] An attendant upon a king, nobleman,
lord mayor, etc., a high-ranking servant (usually of gentle birth). Cest donc lanctre de henchman.
1

was neuer lyvyng yn god e worlde made So whan they

were clened & hole they broched barellys & brought them
e wyne wyth brede & brawme & many ryche byrdys And
whan they had etyn Sir Gawayne eyde lordynges go to ar
mys And whan they were armed & aembled to gedyrs with
A clere Claryon callys them to gedir to counceyle And ir
Gawayne of e cae hem tellys Now tell vs ir Pryamus
All e hole purpoe of yondir pryce knyghtes Sirs eyde
Sir Pryamus for to recow me they have made a vowe
oer ellys manfully on this molde to be marred all at onys
This was e pure purpoe whan I paed thens at hir el
lys to pre me vppon payne of er lyvys Now good men
eyde Sir Gawayne grype vp your hertes & yf we gyltles
go this a way hit woll gree oure kynge And Sir Florens
In this fyght hall here a byde for to kepe e tale as a knyt
noble for he was choyn & charged In chambir with e kynge
chyten of this chekke and chey of vs all And whethir he
woll fyght oer e we hall folow aftir For as for me for all
yondir folkys faare for ake hem hall I neuer A fadir eyde
Florens full fayre now ye peke for I am but a fauntekyn
to frayted men of armys and yf I ony foly do e faute mu
te be youres There fore lee nat youre worhyp my wytt
is but ymple & ye ar oure all er governoure er fore worke
as ye lykys Now fayre lordys eyde Sir Pryamus
Cee youre wordys I warne you be tyme for ye hall fynde
In yondir woodys many ellus knyghtes they woll putte
furth beytys to bayte you oute of nubir and ye ar fraykis
In this fryth nat pate vijC and at is feythfully to fewe
to fyght with o many for harlottys and haynxmen wol helpe

vs but a lytyll for they woll hyde them In hate for all er hye
wordys ye ey well eyde Sir Gawayne o god me helpe
Now fayre one ayde Sir Gawayne vnto Florens woll
ye take youre felyhyp of e bete provyd men to e nubir of a
C knyghtes and tly prove your elf & yondir pray wynne I a
ent me with good hert eyde Florence

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enfantelet, enfanon

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folio 91v