Le Morte Darthur
blood, for so foul and shamefully did never woman rule a knight as I
have done you, and ever courteously ye have suffered me, and that came
never but of a gentle blood.
Damsel, said Beaumains, a knight may little do that may not suffer a
damsel; for whatsoever ye said unto me I took none heed to your words,
for the more ye said the more ye angered me, and my wrath I wreaked
upon them that I had ado withal. And therefore all the missaying that
ye missayed me furthered me in my battle, and caused me to think to
shew and prove myself at the end what I was; for peradventure though I
had meat in king Arthur’s kitchen, yet I might have had meat enough in
other places; but all that I did it for to prove and to assay my
friends, and that shall be known another day, and whether that I be a
gentleman born or none, I let you wit, fair damsel, I have done you
gentleman’s service, and peradventure better service yet will I do or I
depart from you. Alas, she said, fair Beaumains, forgive me all that I
have missaid or done against thee. With all my heart, said he, I
forgive it you, for ye did nothing but as ye should do, for all your
evil words pleased me; and damsel, said Beaumains, since it liketh you
to say thus fair to me, wit ye well it gladdeth mine heart greatly, and
now me seemeth there is no knight living but I am able enough for him.
CHAP. XII.
_How Sir Beaumains fought with Sir Persant of Inde, and made him to be
yielden._
With this Sir Persant of Inde had espied them as they hoved in the
field, and knightly he sent to them whether he came in war or in peace.
Say to thy lord, said Beaumains, I take no force, but whether as him
list himself. So the messenger went again unto Sir Persant, and told
him all his answer. Well, then will I have ado with him to the
utterance. And so he purveyed him and rode against him. And Beaumains
saw him and made him ready, and there they met with all that ever their
horses might run, and brake their spears either in three pieces, and
their horses rushed so together that both their horses fell dead to the
earth, and lightly they avoided their horses, and put their shields
afore them, and drew their swords, and gave many great strokes, that
sometime they hurtled together that they fell groveling on the ground.
Thus they fought two hours and more, that their shields and their
hauberks were all forhewn, and in many places they were wounded. So at
the last Sir Beaumains smote him through the side of the body, and then
he drew him back here and there, and knightly maintained his battle
long time. And at the last, though him loth were, Beaumains smote Sir
Persant above upon the helm that he fell groveling to the earth, and
then he lept upon him overthwart, and unlaced his helm to have slain
him. Then Sir Persant yielded him and asked him mercy. With that came
the damsel, and prayed to save his life. I will well, for it were pity
that this noble knight should die. Gramercy, said Persant, gentle
knight and damsel; for certainly now I wot well it was ye that slew my
brother the black knight, at the black thorn; he was a full noble
knight, his name was Sir Percard. Also, I am sure that ye are he that
won mine other brother the green knight, his name was Sir Pertolepe.
Also, ye won my brother the red knight Sir Perimones. And now since ye
have won these, this shall I do for to please you; ye shall have homage
and fealty of me, and an hundred knights, to be always at your
commandment, to go and ride where ye will command us. And so they went
unto Sir Persant’s pavilion, and drank the wine and eat spices. And
afterward Sir Persant made him to rest upon a bed until supper time,
and after supper to bed again. And so we leave him there till on the
morn.
CHAP. XIII.
_Of the goodly communication between Sir Persant and Beaumains, and how
he told him that his name was Sir Gareth._
And so on the morn the damsel and Sir Beaumains heard mass and brake
their fast, and so took their leave. Fair damsel, said Persant,
whitherward are ye away leading this knight? Sir, she said, this knight
is going to the siege that besiegeth my sister in the castle dangerous.
Ah, ah, said Persant, that is the knight of the red lawn, the which is
the most perilous knight that I know now living, and a man that is
without mercy, and men say that he hath seven men’s strength. God save
you, said he to Beaumains, from that knight, for he doth great wrong to
that lady, and that is great pity, for she is one of the fairest ladies
of the world, and me seemeth that your damsel is her sister. Is not
your name Linet? said he. Yea, sir, said she, and my lady my sister’s
name is dame Liones. Now shall I tell you, said Sir Persant, this red
knight of the red lawn hath lain long at the siege, well nigh this two
years, and many times he might have had her and he had would, but he
prolongeth the time to this intent for to have Sir Launcelot du Lake to
do battle with him, or Sir Tristram, or Sir Lamorak de Galis, or Sir
Gawaine: and this is his tarrying so long at the siege. Now, my lord
Sir Persant of Inde, said the damsel Linet, I require you that ye will
make this gentleman knight, or ever he fight with the red knight. I
will with all my heart, said Sir Persant, and it please him to take the
order of knighthood of so simple a man as I am. Sir, said Beaumains, I
thank you for your good will, for I am better sped, for certainly the
noble knight Sir Launcelot made me knight. Ah, said Persant, of a more
renowned knight might ye not be made knight. For of all knights he may
be called chief of knighthood: and so all the world saith that betwixt
three knights is parted clearly knighthood that is Launcelot du Lake,
Sir Tristram de Liones, and Sir Lamorak de Galis: these bear now the
renown. There be many other knights, as Sir Palamides the Saracen, and
Sir Sasere his brother; also Sir Bleoberis, and Sir Blamore de Ganis
his brother; also Sir Bors de Ganis, and Sir Ector de Maris, and Sir
Percivale de Galis; these and many more be noble knights, but there be
none that pass the three above said; therefore God speed you well, said
Sir Persant, for and ye may match the red knight ye shall be called the
fourth of the world. Sir, said Beaumains, I would fain be of good fame
and of knighthood. And I let you wit I came of good men, for I dare say
my father was a noble man, and so that ye will keep it in close, and
this damsel, I will tell you of what kin I am. We will not discover
you, said they both, till ye command us, by the faith we owe unto God.
Truly then, said he, my name is Gareth of Orkney, and king Lot was my
father, and my mother is king Arthur’s sister; her name is dame
Morgawse, and Sir Gawaine is my brother, and Sir Agravaine, and Sir
Gaheris, and I am the youngest of them all. And yet wot not king Arthur
nor Sir Gawaine what I am.
CHAP. XIV.
_How the lady that was besieged had word from her sister how she had
brought a knight to fight for her, and what battles he had achieved._
So the book saith that the lady that was besieged had word of her
sister’s coming by the dwarf, and a knight with her, and how he had
passed all the perilous passages. What manner a man is he? said the
lady. He is a noble knight, truly, madam, said the dwarf, and but a
young man, but he is as likely a man as ever ye saw any. What is he,
said the lady, and of what kin is he come, and of whom was he made
knight? Madam, said the dwarf, he is the king’s son of Orkney, but his
name I will not tell you as at this time; but wit ye well, of Sir
Launcelot was he made knight, for of none other would he be made
knight, and Sir Kay named him Beaumains. How escaped he, said the lady,
from the brethren of Persant? Madam, he said, as a noble knight should.
First, he slew two brethren at a passage of a water. Ah! said she, they
were good knights, but they were murderers, the one hight Gherard de
Breusse, and that other knight hight Sir Arnold de Breusse. Then,
madam, he recountered with the black knight, and slew him in plain
battle, and so he took his horse and his armour and fought with the
green knight, and wan him in plain battle, and in likewise he served
the red knight, and after in the same wise he served the blue knight,
and wan him in plain battle. Then, said the lady, he hath overcome Sir
Persant of Inde, one of the noblest knights of the world. And the dwarf
said, He hath won all the four brethren, and slain the black knight.
And yet he did more tofore: he overthrew Sir Kay, and left him nigh
dead upon the ground; also he did a great battle with Sir Launcelot,
and there they departed on even hands: and then Sir Launcelot made him
knight. Dwarf, said the lady, I am glad of these tidings, therefore go
thou in an hermitage of mine here by, and there shalt thou bear with
thee of my wine in two flaggons of silver, they are of two gallons, and
also two cast of bread, with fat venison baked, and dainty fowls; and a
cup of gold here I deliver thee, that is rich and precious, and bear
all this to mine hermitage, and put it in the hermit’s hands. And then
go thou unto my sister and greet her well, and command me unto that
gentle knight, and pray him to eat and to drink, and make him strong;
and say ye him I thank him of his courtesy and goodness, that he would
take upon him such labour for me that never did him bounty nor
courtesy. Also pray him that he be of good heart and good courage, for
he shall meet with a full noble knight, but he is neither of bounty,
courtesy, nor gentleness, for he attendeth unto no thing but to murder,
and that is the cause I cannot praise him nor love him. So this dwarf
departed and came to Sir Persant, where he found the damsel Linet and
Sir Beaumains, and there he told them all as ye have heard, and then
they took their leave; but Sir Persant took an ambling hackney and
conveyed them on their ways and then beleft them to God. And so within
a little while they came to that hermitage, and there they drank the
wine, and eat the venison and the fowls baken.
And so when they had repasted them well, the dwarf returned again with
his vessel unto the castle again, and there met with him the red knight
of the red lawns, and asked him from whence that he came, and where he
had been. Sir, said the dwarf, I have been with my lady’s sister of
this castle, and she hath been at king Arthur’s court, and brought a
knight with her. Then I account her travail but lost. For though she
had brought with her Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, Sir Lamorak, or Sir
Gawaine, I would think myself good enough for them all. It may well be,
said the dwarf, but this knight hath passed all the perilous passages,
and hath slain the black knight, and other two more, and won the green
knight, the red knight, and the blue knight. Then is he one of these
four that I have afore rehearsed. He is none of those, said the dwarf,
but he is a king’s son. What is his name? said the red knight of the
red lawn. That will I not tell you, said the dwarf, but Sir Kay upon
scorn named him Beaumains. I care not, said the knight, what knight
soever he be, for I shall soon deliver him; and if I ever match him he
shall have a shameful death, as many other have had. That were pity,
said the dwarf, and it is marvel that ye make such shameful war upon
noble knights.
CHAP. XV.
_How the damsel and Beaumains came to the siege, and came to a sycamore
tree, and there Beaumains blew a horn, and then the knight of the red
lawns came to fight with him._
Now leave we the knight and the dwarf, and speak we of Beaumains, that
all night lay in the hermitage, and upon the morn he and the damsel