If þou craue batayl bare,
Here fayle3 þou not to fy3t."

[Sidenote A: Arthur salutes the Green Knight.]
[Sidenote B: bids him welcome, and invites him to stay awhile.]
[Sidenote C: The knight says that he will not tarry.]
[Sidenote D: He seeks the most valiant that he may prove him.]
[Sidenote E: He comes in peace.]
[Sidenote F: At home, however, he has both shield and spear.]
[Sidenote G: Arthur assures him that he shall not fail to find an opponent
worthy of him.]

XIII.

[A] "Nay, frayst I no fy3t, in fayth I þe telle,
280 [B] Hit arn aboute on þis bench bot berdle3 chylder;
If I were hasped in armes on a he3e stede,
[C] Here is no mon me to mach, for my3te3 so[1] wayke.
For-þy I craue in þis court a crystmas gomen,
284 [D] For hit is 3ol & nwe 3er, & here ar 3ep mony;
If any so hardy in þis hous holde3 hym-seluen,
[E] Be so bolde in his blod, brayn in hys hede,
Þat dar stifly strike a strok for an oþer,
288 I schal gif hym of my gyft þys giserne ryche,
[F] Þis ax, þat is heué in-nogh, to hondele as hym lykes,
& I schal bide þe fyrst bur, as bare as I sitte. [Fol. 95.]
If any freke be so felle to fonde þat I telle,
292 Lepe ly3tly me to, & lach þis weppen,
I quit clayme hit for euer, kepe hit as his auen,
[G] & I schal stonde hym a strok, stif on þis flet,