Le Morte Darthur
Camelot; but it was so near night he might not pass but little farther.
Know ye any lodging? said Tor. I know none, said the dwarf, but here
beside is an hermitage, and there ye must take lodging as ye find. And
within awhile they came to the hermitage and took lodging; and was
there grass, oats, and bread, for their horses; soon it was sped, and
full hard was their supper; but there they rested them all the night
till on the morn, and heard a mass devoutly, and took their leave of
the hermit, and Sir Tor prayed the hermit to pray for him. He said he
would, and betook him to God: and so he mounted on horseback, and rode
towards Camelot a long while. With that they heard a knight call loud
that came after them, and he said, Knight, abide and yield my brachet
that thou tookest from my lady. Sir Tor returned again and beheld him
how he was a seemly knight and well horsed, and well armed at all
points; then Sir Tor dressed his shield, and took his spear in his
hands, and the other came fiercely upon him and smote both horse and
man to the earth. Anon they arose lightly and drew their swords as
eagerly as lions, and put their shields afore them, and smote through
the shields, and the cantels fell off of both parts. Also they hewed
their helms, that the hot blood ran out, and the thick mails of their
hauberks they carved and rove in sunder, that the hot blood ran to the
earth, and both they had many wounds and were passing weary. But Sir
Tor espied that the other knight fainted, and then he sued fast upon
him, and doubled his strokes, and made him go to the earth on the one
side. Then Sir Tor bad him yield him. That will I not, said Abelleus,
while my life lasteth and the soul is within my body, unless that thou
wilt give me the brachet. That will I not do, said Sir Tor, for it was
my quest to bring again thy brachet, thee, or both.
CHAP. XI.
_How Sir Tor overcame the knight, and how he lost his head at the
request of a lady._
With that came a damsel riding on a palfrey as fast as she might drive
and cried with a loud voice unto Sir Tor. What will ye with me? said
Sir Tor. I beseech thee, said the damsel, for king Arthur’s love, give
me a gift; I require thee, gentle knight, as thou art a gentleman. Now,
said Sir Tor, ask a gift, and I will give it you. Gramercy, said the
damsel. Now, I ask the head of the false knight Abelleus, for he is the
most outrageous knight that liveth, and the greatest murderer. I am
loth, said Sir Tor, of that gift I have given you; let him make amends
in that he hath trespassed unto you. Now, said the damsel, he may not,
for he slew mine own brother afore mine own eyes, that was a better
knight than he, and he had had grace; and I kneeled half an hour afore
him in the mire for to save my brother’s life, that had done him no
damage, but fought with him by adventure of arms, and so for all that I
could do he struck off his head; wherefore, I require thee, as thou art
a true knight, to give me my gift, or else I shall shame thee in all
the court of king Arthur; for he is the falsest knight living, and a
great destroyer of good knights. Then when Abelleus heard this, he was
more afeard, and yielded him and asked mercy. I may not now, said Sir
Tor, but if I should be found false of my promise, for while I would
have taken you to mercy ye would none ask, but if ye had the brachet
again that was my quest. And therewith he took off his helm, and he
arose and fled, and Sir Tor after him, and smote off his head quite.
Now, sir, said the damsel, it is near night; I pray you come and lodge
with me here at my place, it is here fast by. I will well, said Sir
Tor; for his horse and he had fared evil since they departed from
Camelot, and so he rode with her, and had passing good cheer with her;
and she had a passing fair old knight to her husband that made him
passing good cheer, and well eased both his horse and him. And on the
morn he heard his mass, and brake his fast, and took his leave of the
knight and of the lady, that besought him to tell them his name. Truly,
he said, my name is Sir Tor, that late was made knight, and this was
the first quest of arms that ever I did, to bring again that this
knight Abelleus took away from king Arthur’s court. O fair knight, said
the lady and her husband, and ye come here in our marches, come and see
our poor lodging, and it shall be always at your commandment. So Sir
Tor departed, and came to Camelot on the third day by noon. And the
king and the queen and all the court was passing fain of his coming,
and made great joy that he was come again; for he went from the court
with little succour, but as king Pellinore his father gave him an old
courser, and king Arthur gave him armour and a sword, and else had he
none other succour, but rode so forth himself alone. And then the king
and the queen by Merlin’s advice made him to swear to tell of his
adventures, and so he told and made proofs of his deeds as it is afore
rehearsed, wherefore the king and the queen made great joy. Nay, nay,
said Merlin, these be but jests to that he shall do; he shall prove a
noble knight of prowess, as good as any is living, and gentle and
courteous, and of good parts, and passing true of his promise, and
never shall outrage. Where through Merlin’s words king Arthur gave him
an earldom of lands that fell unto him. And here endeth the quest of
Sir Tor, king Pellinore’s son.
CHAP. XII.
_How king Pellinore rode after the lady and the knight that led her
away, and how a lady desired help of him, and how he fought with two
knights for that lady, of whom he slew the one at the first stroke._
Then king Pellinore armed him and mounted upon his horse, and rode more
than a pace after the lady that the knight led away. And as he rode in
a forest, he saw in a valley a damsel sit by a well, and a wounded
knight in her arms, and Pellinore saluted her. And when she was ware of
him, she cried over loud, Help me knight, for Christ’s sake, king
Pellinore! And he would not tarry he was so eager in his quest, and
ever she cried an hundred times after help. When she saw he would not
abide, she prayed unto God to send him as much need of help as she had,
and that he might feel it or he died. So as the book telleth, the
knight died that there was wounded, wherefore the lady for pure sorrow
slew herself with his sword. As king Pellinore rode in that valley he
met with a poor man, a labourer: Sawest thou not, said Pellinore, a
knight riding and leading away a lady? Yea, said the poor man, I saw
that knight, and the lady that made great dole. And yonder beneath in a
valley there shall ye see two pavilions, and one of the knights of the
pavilions challenged that lady of that knight, and said she was his
cousin near, wherefore he should lead her no farther. And so they waged
battle in that quarrel; the one said he would have her by force, and
the other said he would have the rule of her because he was her
kinsman, and would lead her to her kin. For this quarrel I left them
fighting, and if ye will ride a pace ye shall find them fighting, and
the lady was beleft with the two squires in the pavilions. I thank
thee, said king Pellinore. Then he rode a wallop till that he had a
sight of the two pavilions, and the two knights fighting. Anon he rode
unto the pavilions, and saw the lady that was his quest, and said, Fair
lady, ye must go with me unto the court of king Arthur. Sir knight,
said the two squires that were with her, yonder are two knights that
fight for this lady, go thither and depart them, and be agreed with
them, and then ye may have her at your pleasure. Ye say well, said king
Pellinore. And anon he rode betwixt them, and departed them, and asked
them the cause why that they fought. Sir knight, said the one, I shall
tell you. This lady is my kinswoman nigh, mine aunt’s daughter, and
when I heard her complain that she was with him maugre her head, I
waged battle to fight with him. Sir knight, said the other, whose name
was Hontzlake of Wentland, and this lady I gat by my prowess of arms
this day at Arthur’s court. That is untruly said, said king Pellinore,
for ye came in suddenly there as we were at the high feast, and took
away this lady or any man might him ready, and therefore it was my
quest for to bring her again and you both, or else the one of us to
abide in the field; therefore the lady shall go with me, or I will die
for it, for I have promised it king Arthur. And therefore fight ye no
more, for none of you shall have no part of her at this time, and if ye
list to fight for her, fight with me, and I will defend her. Well, said
the knights, make you ready, and we shall assail you with all our
power. And as king Pellinore would have put his horse from them, Sir
Hontzlake rove his horse through with a sword, and said: Now art thou
on foot as well we are. When king Pellinore espied that his horse was
slain, lightly he leapt from his horse and pulled out his sword, and
put his shield afore him, and said: Knight, keep well thy head, for
thou shalt have a buffet for the slaying of my horse. So king Pellinore
gave him such a stroke upon the helm that he clave the head down to the
chin, that he fell to the earth dead.
CHAP. XIII.
_How king Pellinore gat the lady and brought her to Camelot to the
court of king Arthur._
And then he turned him to the other knight that was sore wounded. But
when he saw the other’s buffet he would not fight, but kneeled down and
said, Take my cousin, the lady, with you at your request, and I require
you, as ye be a true knight, put her to no shame nor villainy. What,
said king Pellinore, will ye not fight for her? No, sir, said the
knight. I will not fight with such a knight of prowess as ye be. Well,
said Pellinore, ye say well, I promise you she shall have no villainy
by me, as I am true knight; but now me lacketh an horse, said
Pellinore, but I will have Hontzlake’s horse. Ye shall not need, said
the knight, for I shall give you such a horse as shall please you, so
that ye will lodge with me, for it is near night. I will well, said
king Pellinore, abide with you all night. And there he had with him
right good cheer, and fared of the best with passing good wine, and had
merry rest that night. And on the morrow he heard a mass, and dined:
and then was brought him a fair bay courser, and king Pellinore’s
saddle set upon him. Now, what shall I call you? said the knight,
inasmuch as ye have my cousin at your desire of your quest. Sir, I
shall tell you; my name is king Pellinore, of the Isles, and knight of
the Table Round. Now I am glad, said the knight, that such a noble man
shall have the rule of my cousin. What is now your name? said
Pellinore, I pray you tell me. Sir, my name is Sir Meliot of Logurs,
and this lady my cousin, hight Nimue, and the knight that was in the
other pavilion is my sworn brother, a passing good knight, and his name
is Brian of the Isles, and he is full loth to do wrong, and full loth
to fight with any man, but if he be sore sought on, so that for shame
he may not leave it. It is marvel, said Pellinore, that he will not
have ado with me. Sir, he will not have ado with no man but if it be at
his request. Bring him to the court, said Pellinore, one of these days.
Sir, we will come together. And ye shall be welcome, said king
Pellinore, to the court of king Arthur, and greatly allowed for your
coming. And so he departed with the lady, and brought her to Camelot.
So as they rode in a valley it was full of stones, and there the lady’s
horse stumbled and threw her down, wherewith her arm was sore bruised,
and near she swooned for pain. Alas! sir, said the lady, mine arm is