🧚 Opening, part 6

“What is that?” quoth the knight.1 “I trow I know not.2 If it be sooth that ye say, then is the blame mine own.”3

“But I taught ye of kissing,” quoth the fair lady.4 “Wherever a fair countenance is shown him, it behoves a courteous knight quickly to claim a kiss.”5

“Nay, my dear,” said Sir Gawain, “cease that speech; that durst I not do lest I were denied, for if I were forbidden I wot I were wrong did I further entreat.”6

“I’ faith,” quoth the lady merrily, “ye may not be forbid, ye are strong enough to constrain by strength an ye will, were any so discourteous as to give ye denial.”7

“Yea, by Heaven,” said Gawain, “ye speak well; but threats profit little in the land where I dwell, and so with a gift that is given not of good will!8 I am at your commandment to kiss when ye like, to take or to leave as ye list.”9

Then the lady bent her down and kissed him courteously.10

How the lady strove to beguile Sir Gawain with words of love11

And as they spake together she said, “I would learn somewhat from ye, an ye would not be wroth, for young ye are and fair, and so courteous and knightly as ye are known to be, the head of all chivalry, and versed in all wisdom of love and war—’tis ever told of true knights how they adventured their lives for their true love, and endured hardships for her favours, and avenged her with valour, and eased her sorrows, and brought joy to her bower; and ye are the fairest knight of your time, and your fame and your honour are everywhere, yet I have sat by ye here twice, and never a word have heard of love!12 Ye who are so courteous and skilled in such lore ought surely to teach one so young and unskilled some little craft of true love!13 Why are ye so unlearned who art otherwise so famous?14 Or is it that ye deem me unworthy to hearken to your teaching?15 For shame, Sir Knight!16 I come hither alone and sit at your side to learn of ye some skill; teach me of your wit, while my lord is from home.”17

“In good faith,” quoth Gawain, “great is my joy and my profit that so fair a lady as ye are should deign to come hither, and trouble ye with so poor a man, and make sport with your knight with kindly countenance, it pleaseth me much.18 But that I, in my turn, should take it upon me to tell of love and such like matters to ye who know more by half, or a hundred fold, of such craft than I do, or ever shall in all my lifetime, by my troth ’twere folly indeed!19 I will work your will to the best of my might as I am bounden, and evermore will I be your servant, so help me Christ!”20

Then often with guile she questioned that knight that she might win him to woo her, but he defended himself so fairly that none might in any wise blame him, and naught but bliss and harmless jesting was there between them.21 They laughed and talked together till at last she kissed him, and craved her leave of him, and went her way.22

How the boar was slain23

Then the knight arose and went forth to Mass, and afterward dinner was served, and he sat and spake with the ladies all day.24 But the lord of the castle rode ever over the land chasing the wild boar, that fled through the thickets, slaying the best of his hounds and breaking their backs in sunder; till at last he was so weary he might run no longer, but made for a hole in a mound by a rock.25 He got the mound at his back and faced the hounds, whetting his white tusks and foaming at the mouth.26 The huntsmen stood aloof, fearing to draw nigh him; so many of them had been already wounded that they were loth to be torn with his tusks, so fierce he was and mad with rage.27 At length the lord himself came up, and saw the beast at bay, and the men standing aloof.28 Then quickly he sprang to the ground and drew out a bright blade, and waded through the stream to the boar.29

When the beast was ware of the knight with weapon in hand, he set up his bristles and snorted loudly, and many feared for their lord lest he should be slain.30 Then the boar leapt upon the knight so that beast and man were one atop of the other in the water; but the boar had the worst of it, for the man had marked, even as he sprang, and set the point of his brand to the beast’s chest, and drove it up to the hilt, so that the heart was split in twain, and the boar fell snarling, and was swept down by the water to where a hundred hounds seized on him, and the men drew him to shore for the dogs to slay.31

Then was there loud blowing of horns and baying of hounds, the huntsmen smote off the boar’s head, and hung the carcase by the four feet to a stout pole, and so went on their way homewards.32 The head they bore before the lord himself, who had slain the beast at the ford by force of his strong hand.33

It seemed him o’er long ere he saw Sir Gawain in the hall, and he blew a blast on his horn to let all men know that he was come again to take his part in the covenant.34 And when he saw Gawain the lord laughed aloud, and bade them call the ladies and the household together, and he showed them the game, and told them the tale, how they had hunted the wild boar through the woods, and of his length and breadth and height; and Sir Gawain commended his deeds and praised him for his valour, well proven, for so mighty a beast had he never seen before.35

The keeping of the covenant36

Then they handled the huge head, and the lord said aloud, “Now, Gawain, this game is your own by sure covenant, as ye right well know.”37

“’Tis sooth,” quoth the knight, “and as truly will I give ye all I have gained.”38 He took the host round the neck, and kissed him courteously twice.39 “Now are we quits,” he said, “this eventide, of all the covenants that we made since I came hither.”40

And the lord answered, “By S. Giles, ye are the best I know; ye will be rich in a short space if ye drive such bargains!”41

Then they set up the tables on trestles, and covered them with fair cloths, and lit waxen tapers on the walls.42 The knights sat and were served in the hall, and much game and glee was there round the hearth, with many songs, both at supper and after; songs of Christmas, and new carols, with all the mirth one may think of.43 And ever that lovely lady sat by the knight, and with still stolen looks made such feint of pleasing him, that Gawain marvelled much, and was wroth with himself, but he could not for his courtesy return her fair glances, but dealt with her cunningly, however she might strive to wrest the thing.44

When they had tarried in the hall so long as it seemed them good, they turned to the inner chamber and the wide hearth-place, and there they drank wine, and the host proffered to renew the covenant for New Year’s Eve; but the knight craved leave to depart on the morrow, for it was nigh to the term when he must fulfil his pledge.45 But the lord would withhold him from so doing, and prayed him to tarry, and said,46