his damosel with him. And this day
twelvemonth ye must meet here again, and God send you your lives, and
thereto ye must plight your troth. This is well said, said Sir Marhaus.

CHAPTER XIX. How Sir Marhaus, Sir Gawaine, and Sir Uwaine met three damosels, and
each of them took one.[*1]

[*1] Misnumbered xx. by Caxton.

NOW shall everych of us choose a damosel. I shall tell you, said Sir
Uwaine, I am the youngest and most weakest of you both, therefore I will
have the eldest damosel, for she hath seen much, and can best help me
when I have need, for I have most need of help of you both. Now, said
Sir Marhaus, I will have the damosel of thirty winter age, for she
falleth best to me. Well, said Sir Gawaine, I thank you, for ye have
left me the youngest and the fairest, and she is most liefest to me.
Then every damosel took her knight by the reins of his bridle, and
brought him to the three ways, and there was their oath made to meet
at the fountain that day twelvemonth an they were living, and so they
kissed and departed, and each knight set his lady behind him. And Sir
Uwaine took the way that lay west, and Sir Marhaus took the way that lay
south, and Sir Gawaine took the way that lay north. Now will we begin
at Sir Gawaine, that held that way till that he came unto a fair manor,
where dwelled an old knight and a good householder, and there Sir
Gawaine asked the knight if he knew any adventures in that country. I
shall show you some to-morn, said the old knight, and that marvellous.
So, on the morn they rode into the forest of adventures to a laund, and
thereby they found a cross, and as they stood and hoved there came by
them the fairest knight and the seemliest man that ever they saw,
making the greatest dole that ever man made. And then he was ware of Sir
Gawaine, and saluted him, and prayed God to send him much worship. As
to that, said Sir Gawaine, gramercy; also I pray to God that he send
you honour and worship. Ah, said the knight, I may lay that aside, for
sorrow and shame cometh to me after worship.

CHAPTER XX. How a knight and a dwarf strove for a lady.

AND therewith he passed unto the one side of the laund; and on the other
side saw Sir Gawaine ten knights that hoved still and made them ready
with their shields and spears against that one knight that came by Sir
Gawaine.

Then this one knight aventred a great spear, and one of the ten knights
encountered with him, but this woful knight smote