Fragment of the Marriage of Sir Gawaine

The transformation on which the story turns is found also in Chaucer'sWife of Bath's Tale, in Gower's tale of Florent and the King ofSicily's Daughter; (Confessio Amantis, Book I.) in the ballad ofKing Henry (page 147 of this volume); and in an Icelandic saga ofthe Danish king Helgius, quoted by Scott in his illustrations to KingHenry, Minstrelsy, iii. 274.

Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile,And seemely is to see;And there he hath with him Queene Genever,That bride so bright of blee.

And there he hath with him Queene Genever,That bride soe bright in bower;And all his barons about him stoode,That were both stiffe and stowre.

The King kept a royall Christmasse,Of mirth & great honor;... when ...

"And bring me word what thing it isThis shalbe thy ransome, Arthur," he sayes,"For Ile haue no other hier."

King Arthur then held vp his hand,According thene as was the law;He tooke his leaue of the baron there,And homword can he draw.

And when he came to merry Carlile,To his chamber he is gone;And ther came to him his cozen, Sir Gawaine,As he did make his mone.

That was a curteous knight;"Why sigh you soe sore, vnckle Arthur," he said,"Or who hath done thee vnright?"

"O peace! o peace! thou gentle Gawaine,That faire may thee beffall;For if thou knew my sighing soe deepe,Thou wold not meruaile att all.

"Ffor when I came to Tearne-wadling,A bold barron there I fand;With a great club vpon his backe,Standing stiffe & strong.

"And he asked me wether I wold fightOr from him I shold be gone;And soe depart him from.

"To fight with him I saw noe cause,Me thought it was not meet;For he was stiffe and strong with all;His strokes were nothing sweete.

"Therefor this is my ransome, Gawaine,I ought to him to pay;I must come againe, as I am sworne,Vpon the Newyeers day.

Then King Arthur drest him for to ryde,In one soe riche array,Towards the foresaid Tearne-wadling,That he might keepe his day.

And as he rode over a more,Hee see a lady, where shee sate,Betwixt an oke and a greene hollen;She was clad in red scarlett.

Then there as shold have stood her mouth,Then there was sett her eye;The other was in her forhead fast,The way that she might see.

Her nose was crooked, & turnd outward,Her mouth stood foule a-wry;A worse formed lady then shee was,Neuer man saw with his eye.

To halch vpon him, King Arthur,This lady was full faine;But King Arthur had forgott his lesson,What he shold say againe.

"What knight art thou," the lady sayd,"That wilt not speake to me?Of me be thou nothing dismayd,Tho I be vgly to see.

"For I haue halched you curteouslye,And you will not me againe;Yett I may happen, Sir knight," shee said,"To ease thee of thy paine."

"Giue thou ease me, lady," he said,"Or helpe me any thing,Thou shalt haue gentle Gawaine, my cozen,And marry him with a ring."

"Why if I helpe thee not, thou noble King Arthur,Of thy owne hearts desiringe,Of gentle Gawaine....

And when he came to the Tearne-wadling,With a great weapon on his backe,Standinge stiffe and stronge.

And then he tooke King Arthurs letters in his hands,And away he cold them fling;And then he puld out a good browne sword,And cryd himselfe a king.

And he sayd, "I haue thee, & thy land, Arthur,To doe as it pleaseth me;For this is not thy ransome sure,Therfore yeeld thee to me."

And then bespoke him noble Arthur,"And give me leave to speake my mind,In defence of all my land."

He said, "as I came over a[L100] more,I see a lady, where shee sate,Betweene an oke & a green hollen;Shee was clad in red scarlette.

"And she says a woman will haue her will,And this is all her cheef desire;Doe me right, as thou art a baron of sckill,This is thy ransome, & all thy hyer."

He sayes, "an early vengeance light on her!She walkes on yonder more;It was my sister, that told thee this,She is a misshapen hore.

"But heer Ile make mine avow to God,To do her an euill turne;For an euer I may thate fowle theefe get,In a fyer I will her burne."