His fairė steede in his prikýnge

So swatte that men myghte him wrynge,
His sydes were al blood.

Sire Thopas eek so wery was
For prikyng, on the softė gras,-

So fiers was his corage,-
That doun he leyde him in that plas
To make his steedė som solas,

And gaf hym good forage.

"O seïnte Marie, benedicite!
What eyleth this love at me

To byndė me so soore?

Me dremed al this nyght, pardee,
An Elf-queene shal my lemman be
And slepe under my goore.

1965

1970

1975

Into his sadel he clamb anon,

And priketh over stile and stoon
An Elf-queene for tespye;

Til he so longe hadde riden and goon
That he foond in a pryvė woon

1990

The contree of Fairye,

So wilde;

For in that contree was ther noon

That to him dorstė ryde or goon,

Neither wyf ne childe;

Til that ther cam a greet geaunt,
His name was sire Olifaunt,

A perilous man of dede.

He seydė, "Child, by Termagaunt!

But if thou prike out of myn haunt,

Anon I sle thy steede

With mace!

Heere is the queene of Faïrye,

1995

2000

With harpe, and pipe, and symphonye,

2005

Dwellynge in this place."

The child seyde, "Al so moote I thee!
Tomorwe wol I meete with thee,

Whan I have myn armoure.

And yet I hopė, par ma fay,

That thou shalt with this launcėgay

1991. woon, place.

1995. That to him, etc., from H only; E6 omit.

2005. pipe, H lute.

2010

2007. Al so moote I thee, so

may I thrive.

"Do come," he seyde, "my mynstrales,
And geestours for to tellen tales,

Anon in myn armýnge;

Of rómances that been roiales,

Of Popes and of Cardinales,

And eek of love-likýnge."

They sette hym first the sweetė wyn
And mede eek in a mazelyn,

And roial spicerye ;

And gyngébreed that was ful fyn,

And lycorys, and eek comyn,

With sugre that is so trye.

He didė next his white leere
Of clooth of lake, fyn and cleere,
A breech and eek a sherte;
And next his sherte an akėtoun,
And over that an haubergeoun

For percynge of his herte ;

And over that a fyn hawberk,
Was al y-wroght of Jewės werk,
Ful strong it was of plate;

And over that his cote armour,

2035

2040

2045

2050

2055

As whit as is a lilye flour,

In which he wol debate.

His sheeld was al of gold so reed,

And ther-inne was a bores heed,

A charbocle bisyde;

And there he swoor, on ale and breed,
How that the geaunt shal be deed,

"Bityde what bityde!"

2060

Hise jambeux were of quyrboilly,

2065

His swerdės shethe of yvory,

His helm of laton bright;

His sadel was of rewel boon;
His brydel as the sonné shoon,
Or as the moonė light.

His spere it was of fyn ciprees,
That bodeth werre, and no thyng pees,
The heed ful sharpe y-grounde;

His steedė was al dappull-gray,

It gooth an ambil in the way

Ful softély and rounde

In londe.

Loo, lordės myne, heere is a Fit;

2058. debate, do battle.

2061. charbocle, carbuncle. bisyde, H by his syde.

2065. jambeux, leggings.

2070

2075

2065. quyrboilly, leather boiled

and hardened.

2067. laton, brass.

2068. rewel boon, smooth [?]

bone.