]
[Sidenote E: The other
reproved
him, saying,]
[Sidenote F: "Thou art not Gawayne that is so good esteemed,]
[Sidenote G: for thou fleest for fear before thou feelest harm.
Gawaine and the Green Knight
121b.]
Such cowardise of ?at kny3t cow?e I neuer here.
[H] Naw?er fyked I, ne fla3e, freke, quen ?ou myntest,
Ne kest no kauelacion, in kynge3 hous Arthor,
2276 [I] My hede fla3 to my fote, & 3et fla3 I neuer;
& ?ou, er any harme hent, ar3e3 in hert,
[J] Wherfore ?e better burne me burde be called
?er-fore."
2280 [K] Quod G:, "I schunt one3,
& so wyl I no more,
Bot pa3 my hede falle on ?e stone3,
I con not hit restore.
[Sidenote A: Then the man in green seizes his grim tool.]
[Sidenote B: With all his force he raises it aloft.]
[Sidenote C: As it came gliding down,]
[Sidenote D: Sir Gawayne shrank a little with his shoulders.
]
[Sidenote E: The other
reproved
him, saying,]
[Sidenote F: "Thou art not Gawayne that is so good esteemed,]
[Sidenote G: for thou fleest for fear before thou feelest harm.
]
[Sidenote H: I never flinched when thou struckest.]
[Sidenote I: My head flew to my foot, yet I never fled,]
[Sidenote J: wherefore I ought to be called the better man."]
[Sidenote K: "I shunted once," says Gawayne, "but will no more.]
XIII.
2284 [A] Bot busk, burne, bi ?i fayth, & bryng me to ?e poynt,
Dele to me my destine, & do hit out of honde,
For I schal stonde ?e a strok, & start no more,
Til ?yn ax haue me hitte, haf here my traw?e."
2288 [B] "Haf at ?e ?enne," quod ?at o?er, & heue3 hit alofte,
& wayte3 as wro?
