Book VII · OBILOT, part 5 of 11

¶Quoth Duke Astor, 'The king, thy nephew, O sire fought before the gate With his army of Lys--Should thine army here slumber o'er-long and late The while these others battled? Say when didst thou teach such lore? Must I slumber while others battle then I'll slumber as ne'er of yore! Yet believe me, had I not been there then the Burgers had won them fame, 355 And a fair prize their hand had taken--I have guarded thee here from shame; In God's Name be no longer wrathful! Such valour thy folk have shown, They won more than they lost,--I think me fair Obie the same will own!'

¶Yet Poidikonjonz was wrathful with his nephew, Meljanz the king, Tho' of many a joust the token the young knight from the field must bring, 360 And youthful fame ne'er mourneth such pledge of strife, I ween-- Now hear ye again of the maiden who the cause of this strife had been.

¶Hate enow did she bear to Gawain who was guiltless of ill intent, And shame would she bring upon him--A servant the maiden sent Below, to Gawain as he sat there, 'Now ask thou, without delay, 365 If his steeds be for sale--In his coffers, perchance, he doth bear alway Goodly raiment that we may purchase; say thou if it so shall be, Then we ladies above in the castle will buy of him readily.'

¶So the serving man went, and his greeting was wrath, for Sir Gawain's eye Taught fear to his heart, and in terror the lad from his face would fly, 370 And he asked not, nor gave the message his lady had bid him bear. Nor Gawain held his peace, 'Thou rascal, from hence shalt thou swiftly fare, For many a blow will I give thee if again thou dost dare draw near!' Then the lad hied him back to his lady; what she did shall ye straightway hear:

¶For she bade one speak to the Burg-grave, Scherules they called his name, 375 Saying, 'This shall he do at my bidding for the sake of his manly fame; 'Neath the olive-trees by the Burg-moat stand seven steeds, I trow, In them shall he find his guerdon, and riches beside enow. A merchant will here deal falsely--I pray he prevent such deed. I trust in his hand; none shall blame him, if the goods he doth hold for meed.' 380

¶The squire went below as she bade him, and his lady's plaint he bare; 'From knavery must we guard us,' quoth Scherules, 'I forth will fare.' So he rode where Gawain was seated whose courage might never fail, And he found there all weakness lacking, high heart that for naught would quail, And a face so fair to look on--Scherules he saw him well, 385 And his arms and hands so skilful that a knightly tale might tell. And he spake, 'Thou art here a stranger, Sir Knight, sure good wit we need Since here thou hast found no lodging; as sin shalt thou count such deed. I will now myself be marshal, folk and goods, all I call mine own That freely shall do thee service; nor host to his guest hath shown 390 Such favour as I would show thee.' 'Thy favour,' quoth Knight Gawain, 'As yet shall be undeservèd, yet to follow thee am I fain.'

¶Then Scherules, of honour worthy, he spake of a true heart free, 'Since the office hath fallen to me, thy guardian 'gainst loss I'll be, If the outer host would rob thee, thou shalt call to thine aid mine hand,' 395 Then, smiling, he spake to the servants whom he saw round their master stand, 'Now load ye again your harness that never a piece shall fail, For hence must we ride, and shelter shall ye find in the lower vale.'

¶With the Burg-grave he rode, Sir Gawain, nor Obie her wrong would own, But she sent a minstrel maiden whom her father right well had known, 400 And she bade her bear the tidings, a false coiner had passed that way, 'And goodly and rich is his lading; by his knighthood my father pray, Since many a hireling serves him for steed, and garb, and gold, That he here let them take their payment, 'twere enow, were they sevenfold.'

¶To the prince did she tell, the minstrel, all that his daughter said-- 405 Now to win so rich a booty that his hirelings may be well paid, The need right well he knoweth who hath ridden forth to war, And Lippaut, the prince so faithful, by his soldiers was pressed full sore-- Then he thought, 'I must win this treasure or by love or by force to-day.' And swiftly he rode; but Scherules, he met him upon his way, 410 'Now whither dost ride so swiftly?' 'A knave would I here pursue, A false coiner is he, I think me, if the tale I have heard be true! Now guiltless in sooth was Gawain, 'twas but thro' his steeds and gold That suspicion on him had lighted--Then loud laughed the Burg-grave bold, And he quoth, 'Nay, sire, they misled thee, they lied who thus told the tale 415 Were it wife, or man, or maiden--Nor knighthood my guest shall fail, Far otherwise shalt thou judge him, no die he methinks shall hold; Ne'er bare he the purse of the changer, if the tale shall aright be told. Look thou on his mien, and hearken his word, in my house is he, An knighthood aright thou readest then thou knighthood in him shalt see, 420 And ne'er was he bold in falsehood--Whoever hath done him wrong, An my child it were, or my father; whose wrath waxeth fierce and strong, An my kinsman it be, or my brother, then the rudder of strife shall turn 'Gainst myself, for I will defend him from the wrong that he ne'er did earn, If I with thy will may do so. The knight's garb would I gladly change 425 For the hermit's robe of sackcloth, and afar thro' the wide world range In a land where none may know me, than here thou shouldst reap thee shame! Methinks it would better fit thee to welcome such guests as came, Who have heard the tale of thy sorrow, than to rob them of goods and gold; 'Twould better beseem my master as treason such deed to hold!' 430

¶The prince spake, 'I fain would see him.' 'Methinks 'twill not harm my guest.' So he rode where he looked on Gawain, and two eyes and a heart confessed (The eyes and the heart of Lippaut) that the stranger was fair to see, And knighthood and manly virtue the mate to his mien should be.