Sir Gareth of Orkney

Summary

IN ARTHURS DAYES, whan he helde the Rounde Table moste plenoure, hit fortuned the kynge commaunded that the hyghe feste of Pentecoste sholde be holden at a cité and a castell in tho dayes that was called Kynke Kenadoune, uppon the sondys that marched nyghe Walys. So evir the kynge had a custom that at the feste of Pentecoste in especiall afore other festys in the yere, he wolde nat go that day to mete unto that he had herde other sawe of a grete mervayle. And for that custom all maner of strange adventures com byfore Arthure as at that feste before all other festes.

And so Sir Gawayne, a lytyll tofore the none of the day of Pentecoste, aspyed at a wyndowe thre men uppon horsebak and a dwarfe uppon foote. And so the thre men alyght, and the dwarff kepte theire horsis, and one of the men was hyghar than the tothir tweyne by a foote and an half. Than Sir Gawayne wente unto the kyng and sayde, “Sir, go to your mete, for here at hande commyth strange adventures.”

So the kynge wente unto his mete with many other kynges, and there were all the Knyghtes of the Rounde Table, onles that ony were presoners other slayne at recountyrs. Than at the hyghe feste evermore they sholde be fulfylled the hole numbir of an hondred and fyffty, for than was the Rounde Table fully complysshed.

Ryght so com into the halle too men well besayne and rychely, and uppon theire sholdyrs there lened the goodlyest yonge man and the fayreste that ever they all sawe. And he was large and longe and brode in the shuldyrs, well-vysaged, and the largyste and the fayreste handid that ever man sye. But he fared as he myght nat go nothir bere hymself but yf he lened uppon theire shuldyrs. Anone as the kynge saw hym, there was made peas and rome, and ryght so they yode with hym unto the hyghe deyse withoute seyynge of ony wordys.