← Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight / An Alliterative Romance-Poem (c. 1360 A.D.)
VI
Then þay schewed hym þe schelde, þat was of schyr goule3,
Wyth þe pentangel de-paynt of pure golde hwe3;
He brayde3 hit by þe baude-ryk, aboute þe hals kestes,
Þat bisemed þe segge semlyly fayre.
& quy þe pentangel apende3 to þat prynce noble,
I am in tent yow to telle, þof tary hyt me schulde;
Hit is a syngne þat Salamon set sum-quyle,
In bytoknyng of trawþe, bi tytle þat hit habbe3,
For hit is a figure þat halde3 fyue poynte3,
& vche lyne vmbe-lappe3 & louke3 in oþer,
& ay quere hit is endele3, & Englych hit callen
Ouer-al, as I here, þe endeles knot.
For-þy hit acorde3 to þis kny3t, & to his cler arme3,
For ay faythful in fyue & sere fyue syþe3,
Gawan wat3 for gode knawen, & as golde pured,
Voyded of vche vylany, wyth vertue3 ennourned
in mote;
For-þy þe pen-tangel nwe
He ber in schelde & cote,
As tulk of tale most trwe,
& gentylest kny3t of lote.
MS emdele3. MS verertue3