No More Learning

" The
head lifted up its eyelids and looked abroad, and thus much spoke with
its mouth as ye may now hear:

"Loke, Gawayne, thou be prompt to go as thou hast promised, and seek
till thou find me according to thy promise made in the hearing of these
knights. Get thee to the Green Chapel, I charge thee, to fetch such a
dint as thou hast dealt, to be returned on New Year's morn. As the
Knight of the Green Chapel I am known to many, wherefore if thou
seekest thou canst not fail to find me. Therefore come, or recreant be
called. " With a fierce start the reins he turns, rushes out of the
hall-door, his head in his hand, so that the fire of the flint flew
from the hoofs of his foal. To what kingdom he belonged knew none
there, nor knew they from whence he had come. What then?

"The king and Gawayne there
At that green (one) they laugh and grin. "

Though Arthur wondered much at the marvel, he let no one see that he
was at all troubled about it, but full loudly thus spake to his comely
queen with courteous speech:

"Dear dame, to-day be never dismayed, well happens such craft at
Christmas time. I may now proceed to meat, for I cannot deny that I
have witnessed a wondrous adventure this day" (ll. 440-475).

He looked upon Sir Gawayne and said, "Now, sir, hang up thine axe, for
enough has it hewn. " So the weapon was hung up on high that all might
look upon it, and "by true title thereof tell the wonder. " Then all the
knights hastened to their seats at the table, so did the king and our
good knight, and they were there served with all dainties, "with all
manner of meat and minstrelsy. "

Though words were wanting when they first to seat went, now are their
hands full of stern work, and the marvel affords them good subject for
conversation.
But a year passes full quickly and never returns,--the
beginning is seldom like the end; wherefore this Christmas passed away
and the year after, and each season in turn followed after another (ll.
476-520). Thus winter winds round again, and then Gawayne thinks of his
wearisome journey (ll. 521-535). On All-hallows day Arthur entertains
right nobly the lords and ladies of his court in honour of his nephew,
for whom all courteous knights and lovely ladies were in great grief.
Nevertheless they spoke only of mirth, and, though joyless themselves,
made many a joke to cheer the good Sir Gawayne (ll. 536-565). Early on
the morrow Sir Gawayne, with great ceremony, is arrayed in his armour
(ll. 566-589), and thus completely equipped for his adventure he first
hears mass, and afterwards takes leave of Arthur, the knights of the
Round Table, and the lords and ladies of the court, who kiss him and
commend him to Christ. He bids them all good day, as he thought, for
evermore (ll. 590-669);

"Very much was the warm water that poured from eyes that day. "

Now rides our knight through the realms of England with no companion
but his foal, and no one to hold converse with save God alone. From
Camelot, in Somersetshire, he proceeds through Gloucestershire and the
adjoining counties into Montgomeryshire, and thence through North Wales
to Holyhead, adjoining the Isle of Anglesea (ll. 670-700), from which
he passes into the very narrow peninsula of Wirral, in Cheshire, where
dwelt but few that loved God or man. Gawayne enquires after the Green
Knight of the Green Chapel, but all the inhabitants declare that they
have never seen "any man of such hues of green. "

The knight thence pursues his journey by strange paths, over hill and
moor, encountering on his way not only serpents, wolves, bulls, bears,
and boars, but wood satyrs and giants.