Le Morte Darthur
the poor man called the porter, and anon he was let into the castle,
and so told the lord how he brought him a knight errant and a damsel
that would be lodged with him. Let him in, said the lord, it may happen
he shall repent that they took their lodging here. So Sir Marhaus was
let in with torch light, and there was a goodly sight of young men that
welcomed him. And then his horse was led into the stable, and he and
the damsel were brought into the hall, and there stood a mighty duke,
and many goodly men about him. Then this lord asked him what he hight,
and from whence he came, and with whom he dwelt. Sir, said he, I am a
knight of king Arthur’s, and knight of the Table Round, and my name is
Sir Marhaus, and born I am in Ireland. And then said the duke to him,
That me sore repenteth: the cause is this: for I love not thy lord, nor
none of thy fellows of the Table Round, and therefore ease thyself this
night as well as thou mayest, for as to-morn I and my six sons shall
match with you. Is there no remedy but that I must have ado with you
and your six sons at once? said Sir Marhaus. No, said the duke, for
this cause I made mine avow, for Sir Gawaine slew my seven sons in a
recounter, therefore I made mine avow that there should never knight of
king Arthur’s court lodge with me, or come there as I might have ado
with him, but that I would have a revenging of my sons’ death. What is
your name? said Sir Marhaus; I require you tell me, and it please you.
Wit ye well that I am the duke of South Marches. Ah, said Sir Marhaus,
I have heard say that ye have been a long time a great foe unto my lord
Arthur and to his knights. That shall ye feel to-morn, said the duke.
Shall I have ado with you? said Sir Marhaus. Yea, said the duke,
thereof shalt thou not choose, and therefore take you to your chamber,
and ye shall have all that to you belongeth. So Sir Marhaus departed,
and was led to a chamber, and his damsel was led unto her chamber. And
on the morn the duke sent unto Sir Marhaus, and bad make him ready. And
so Sir Marhaus arose and armed him, and then there was a mass sung
afore him, and he brake his fast, and so mounted on horseback in the
court of the castle, there they should do the battle. So there was the
duke already on horseback, clean armed, and his six sons by him, and
every each had a spear in his hand, and so they encountered, where as
the duke and his two sons brake their spears upon him, but Sir Marhaus
held up his spear and touched none of them.
CHAP. XXV.
_How Sir Marhaus fought with the duke and his six sons, and made them
to yield them._
Then came the four sons by couples, and two of them brake their spears,
and so did the other two. And all this while Sir Marhaus touched them
not. Then Sir Marhaus ran to the duke, and smote him with his spear
that horse and man fell to the earth. And so he served his sons. And
then Sir Marhaus alight down, and bad the duke yield him or else he
would slay him. And then some of his sons recovered, and would have set
upon Sir Marhaus. Then Sir Marhaus said to the duke, Cease thy sons, or
else I will do the uttermost to you all. When the duke saw he might not
escape the death, he cried to his sons, and charged them to yield them
to Sir Marhaus. And they kneeled all down and put the pommels of their
swords to the knight, and so he received them. And then they holp up
their father, and so by their common assent promised unto Sir Marhaus
never to be foes unto king Arthur, and thereupon at Whitsuntide after,
to come he and his sons, and put them in the king’s grace. Then Sir
Marhaus departed, and within two days his damsel brought him where as
was a great tournament that the lady de Vawse had cried. And who that
did best should have a rich circlet of gold worth a thousand besaunts.
And there Sir Marhaus did so nobly that he was renowned, and had some
time down forty knights, and so the circlet of gold was rewarded him.
Then he departed from thence with great worship. And so within seven
nights the damsel brought him to an earl’s place, his name was the earl
Fergus, that after was Sir Tristram’s knight. And this earl was but a
young man, and late come into his lands, and there was a giant fast by
him that hight Taulurd, and he had another brother in Cornwall that
hight Taulas, that Sir Tristram slew when he was out of his mind. So
this earl made his complaint unto Sir Marhaus, that there was a giant
by him that destroyed all his lands, and how he durst nowhere ride nor
go for him. Sir, said the knight, whether useth he to fight on
horseback or on foot? Nay, said the earl, there may no horse bear him.
Well, said Sir Marhaus, then will I fight with him on foot. So on the
morn Sir Marhaus prayed the earl that one of his men might bring him
whereas the giant was, and so he was, for he saw him sit under a tree
of holly, and many clubs of iron and gisarms about him. So this knight
dressed him to the giant, putting his shield afore him, and the giant
took an iron club in his hand, and at the first stroke he clave Sir
Marhaus’s shield in two pieces. And there he was in great peril, for
the giant was a wily fighter, but at the last Sir Marhaus smote off his
right arm above the elbow. Then the giant fled, and the knight after
him, and so he drove him into a water, but the giant was so high that
he might not wade after him. And then Sir Marhaus made the earl
Fergus’s man to fetch him stones, and with those stones the knight gave
the giant many sore knocks, till at the last he made him fall down into
the water, and so was he there dead. Then Sir Marhaus went unto the
giant’s castle, and there he delivered twenty-four ladies and twelve
knights out of the giant’s prison, and there he had great riches
without number, so that the days of his life he was never poor man.
Then he returned to the earl Fergus, the which thanked him greatly and
would have given him half his lands, but he would none take. So Sir
Marhaus dwelled with the earl nigh half a year, for he was sore bruised
with the giant, and at the last he took his leave. And as he rode by
the way, he met with Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine, and so by adventure he
met with four knights of king Arthur’s court, the first was Sir
Sagramore le Desirous, Sir Osanna, Sir Dodinas le Savage, and Sir Felot
of Listinoise; and there Sir Marhaus with one spear smote down these
four knights, and hurt them sore. So he departed to meet at his day
afore set.
CHAP. XXVI.
_How Sir Uwaine rode with the damsel of threescore years of age, and
how he got the prize at tourneying._
Now turn we unto Sir Uwaine, that rode westward with his damsel of
threescore winter of age, and she brought him there as was a tournament
nigh the march of Wales. And at that tournament Sir Uwaine smote down
thirty knights, therefore was given him the prize, and that was a
gerfalcon and a white steed trapped with cloth of gold. So then Sir
Uwaine did many strange adventures by the means of the old damsel, and
so she brought him unto a lady that was called the lady of the Rock,
the which was much courteous. So there were in the country two knights
that were brethren, and they were called two perilous knights, the one
hight Sir Edward of the Red Castle, and the other hight Sir Hue of the
Red Castle. And these two brethren had disherited the lady of the Rock
of a barony of lands by their extortion. And as this knight was lodged
with this lady, she made her complaint to him of these two knights.
Madam, said Sir Uwaine, they are to blame, for they do against the high
order of knighthood and the oath that they made; and if it like you I
will speak with them, because I am a knight of king Arthur’s, and I
will entreat them with fairness; and if they will not, I shall do
battle with them, and in the defence of your right. Gramercy! said the
lady, and there as I may not acquit you, God shall. So on the morn the
two knights were sent for, that they should come hither to speak with
the lady of the Rock. And wit ye well they failed not, for they came
with an hundred horse. But when this lady saw them in this manner so
big, she would not suffer Sir Uwaine to go out to them upon no surety
nor for no fair language, but she made him speak with them over a
tower. But finally these two brethren would not be entreated, and
answered that they would keep that they had. Well, said Sir Uwaine,
then will I fight with one of you, and prove that ye do this lady
wrong. That will we not, said they, for and we do battle we two will
fight with one knight at once, and therefore if ye will fight so we
will be ready at what hour ye will assign. And if ye win us in battle
the lady shall have her lands again. Ye say well, said Sir Uwaine,
therefore make you ready, so that ye be here tomorn in the defence of
the lady’s right.
CHAP. XXVII.
_How Sir Uwaine fought with two knights, and overcame them._
So was there agreement made on both parties, that no treason should be
wrought on neither party. So then the knights departed and made them
ready. And that night Sir Uwaine had great cheer. And on the morn he
arose early and heard mass, and brake his fast, and so he rode unto the
plain without the gates, where hoved the two brethren abiding him. So
they rode together passing sore, that Sir Edward and Sir Hue brake
their spears upon Sir Uwaine. And Sir Uwaine smote Sir Edward that he
fell over his horse, and yet his spear brast not. And then he spurred
his horse and came upon Sir Hue, and overthrew him; but they soon
recovered and dressed their shields and drew their swords, and bad Sir
Uwaine alight and do his battle to the uttermost. Then Sir Uwaine
avoided his horse suddenly, and put his shield afore him and drew his
sword, and so they dressed together, and either gave other such
strokes, and there these two brethren wounded Sir Uwaine passing
grievously, that the lady of the Rock wend he should have died. And
thus they fought together five hours as men enraged out of reason. And
at the last Sir Uwaine smote Sir Edward upon the helm such a stroke
that his sword carved unto his collarbone, and then Sir Hue abated his
courage. But Sir Uwaine pressed fast to have slain him. That saw Sir
Hue: he kneeled down and yielded him to Sir Uwaine. And he of his
gentleness received his sword, and took him by the hand and went into
the castle together. Then the lady of the Rock was passing glad, and
the other brother made great sorrow for his brother’s death. Then the
lady was restored of all her lands, and Sir Hue was commanded to be at
the court of king Arthur at the next feast of Pentecost. So Sir Uwaine
dwelt with the lady nigh half a year, for it was long or he might be
whole of his great hurts. And so when it drew nigh the term-day that
Sir Gawaine, Sir Marhaus, and Sir Uwaine should meet at the cross way,
then every knight drew him thither to hold his promise that they had
made. And Sir Marhaus and Sir Uwaine brought their damsels with them,
but Sir Gawaine had lost his damsel, as it is afore rehearsed.
CHAP. XXVIII.
_How at the year’s end all three knights with their three damsels met
at the fountain._
Right so at the twelvemonth’s end they met all three knights at the
fountain, and their damsels. But the damsel that Sir Gawaine had could
say but little worship of him. So they departed from the damsels and
rode through a great forest, and there they met with a messager that
came from king Arthur, that had sought them well nigh a twelvemonth
throughout all England, Wales, and Scotland, and charged if ever he
might find Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine, to bring them to the court
again. And then were they all glad. And so prayed they Sir Marhaus to