Parts of the Poem:

1. There hurtles in at the hall-door an unknown rider,

One the greatest on ground in growth of his frame: From broad neck to buttocks so bulky and thick, And his loins and his legs so long and so great, Half a giant on earth hold him to be, !ut belie"e him no less than the largest of men, And the seemliest in his stature to see, as he rides, For in back and in breast though his body was grim, His waist in its width was worthily small, And formed with e"ery feature in fair accord was he. #reat wonder grew in hall At his hue most strange to see, For man and gear and all $ere green as green could be. %1&'(1)*+

,. #awain was glad to begin those games in hall,

!ut if the end be harsher, hold it no wonder, For though men are merry in mind after much drink, A year -asses a-ace, and -ro"es e"er new: First things and final conform but seldom. %./)(.//+

&. 0T1here ho"ed a great hall and fair:

Turrets rising in tiers, with tines at their to-s, 2-ires set beside them, s-lendidly long, $ith finials well-fashioned, as filigree fine. 3halk-white chimneys o"er chambers high #leamed in gay array u-on gables and roofs4 The -innacles in -ano-ly, -ointing in air, 2o "ied there for his "iew that "erily it seemed A castle cut of -a-er for a king5s feast. The good knight on #ringolet thought it great luck f he could but contri"e to come there within To kee- the 3hristmas feast in that castle fair and bright. %6/.(7*'+

.. 82ir, if you be #awain, it seems a great wonder9

A man so well-meaning, and mannerly dis-osed, And cannot act in com-any as courtesy bids, And if one takes the trouble to teach him, :tis all in "ain. That lesson learned lately is lightly forgot, Though -ainted it as -lain as my -oor wit allowed.;

8$hat lesson, dear lady<; he asked all alarmed4 8 ha"e been much to blame, if your story be true.; 8=et my counsel was of kissing,; came her answer then, 8$here fa"or has been found, freely to claim As accords with the conduct of courteous knights.; %1.71(1./1+

). !ut if a dullard should dote, deem it no wonder,

And through the wiles of a woman be wooed into sorrow, For so was Adam by one, when the world began, And 2olomon by many more, and 2amson the mighty9 >elilah was his doom, and >a"id thereafter $as beguiled by !athsheba, and bore much distress4 ................... For these were -roud -rinces, most -ros-erous of old, ?ast all lo"ers lucky, that languished under hea"en, bemused. And one and all fell -rey To women they had used4 f be led astry, @ethinks may be eAcused. %,.1.(,.1/, ,.,,(,.,7+