forest, wondrously wild, surrounded by
high hills on every side, where he found hoary oaks full huge, a
hundred together. The hazel and the hawthorn intermingled were all
overgrown with moss, and upon their boughs sat many sad birds that
piteously piped for pain of the cold. Gawayne besought the Lord and
Mary to guide him to some habitation where he might hear mass (ll.
730-762). Scarcely had he crossed himself thrice, when he perceived a
dwelling in the wood set upon a hill. It was the loveliest castle he
had ever beheld. It was pitched on a prairie, with a park all about it,
enclosing many a tree for more than two miles. It shone as the sun
through the bright oaks (ll. 763-772).

Gawayne urges on his steed Gringolet, and finds himself at the "chief
gate." He called aloud, and soon there appeared a "porter" on the wall,
who demanded his errand.

"Good sir," quoth Gawayne, "wouldst thou go to the high lord of this
house, and crave a lodging for me?"

"Yea, by Peter!" replied the porter, "well I know that thou art welcome
to dwell here as long as thou likest."

The drawbridge is soon let down, and the gates opened wide to receive
the knight. Many noble ones hasten to bid him welcome (ll. 773-825).
They take away his helmet, sword, and shield, and many a proud one
presses forward to do him honour. They bring him into the hall, where a
fire was brightly burning upon the hearth. Then the lord of the land[1]
comes from his chamber and welcomes Sir Gawayne, telling him that he is
to consider the place as his own. Our knight is next conducted to a
bright bower, where was noble bedding--curtains of pure silk, with
golden hems, and Tarsic tapestries upon the walls and the floors (ll.
826-859). Here the knight doffed his armour and put on rich robes,
which so well became him, that all declared that a more comely knight
Christ had never made (ll. 860-883).

[Footnote 1: Gawayne is now in the castle of the Green Knight, who,
divested of his elvish or supernatural character, appears to our
knight merely as a bold one with a beaver-hued beard.]

A table is soon raised, and Gawayne, having washed, proceeds to meat.
Many dishes are set before him--"sews" of various kinds, fish of all
kinds, some baked in bread, others broiled on the embers, some boiled,
and others seasoned with spice