Le Morte Darthur
knights, and there he slew the eldest brother in the water, and smote
him upon the head such a buffet that he fell down in the water and
there he was drowned, and his name was Gherard le Breusse: and after he
slew the other brother upon the land, and his name was Sir Arnold le
Breusse.
CHAP. XXV.
_How the queen of Orkney came to this feast of Pentecost, and Sir
Gawaine and his brethren came to ask her blessing._
So then the king and they went to meat, and were served in the best
manner. And as they sat at the meat, there came in the queen of Orkney,
with ladies and knights a great number. And then Sir Gawaine, Sir
Agravaine and Gaheris arose and went to her, and saluted her upon their
knees and asked her blessing: for in fifteen year they had not seen
her. Then she spake on high to her brother king Arthur: Where have ye
done my young son Sir Gareth. He was here amongst you a twelvemonth,
and ye made a kitchen knave of him, the which is shame to you all.
Alas, where have ye done my dear son that was my joy and bliss? Oh dear
mother, said Sir Gawaine, I knew him not. Nor I, said the king, that
now me repenteth, but thanked be God he is proved a worshipful knight
as any is now living of his years, and I shall never be glad till I may
find him. Ah brother, said the queen unto king Arthur, and to Sir
Gawaine, and to all her sons, ye did yourself great shame when ye
amongst you kept my son Gareth in the kitchen and fed him like a poor
hog. Fair sister, said king Arthur, ye shall right well wit I knew him
not, nor no more did Sir Gawaine nor his brethren. But since it is so
that he is thus gone from us all, we must shape a remedy to find him.
Also, sister, me seemeth ye might have done me to wit of his coming,
and then, and I had not done well to him, ye might have blamed me. For
when he came to this court he came leaning upon two men’s shoulders, as
though he might not have gone. And then he asked me three gifts, and
one he asked the same day, that was that I would give him meat enough
that twelvemonth. And the other two gifts he asked that day a
twelvemonth, and that was that he might have the adventure of the
damsel Linet, and the third was that Sir Launcelot should make him
knight when he desired him. And so I granted him all his desire, and
many in this court marvelled that he desired his sustenance for a
twelvemonth, and thereby we deemed many of us that he was not come of a
noble house. Sir, said the queen of Orkney unto king Arthur her
brother, wit you well that I sent him unto you right well armed and
horsed, and worshipfully beseen of his body, and gold and silver plenty
to spend. It may be, said the king, but thereof saw we none, save that
same day as he departed from us, knights told me that there came a
dwarf hither suddenly, and brought him armour and a good horse, full
well and richly beseen, and thereat we had all marvel from whence that
riches came, that we deemed all that he was come of men of worship.
Brother, said the queen, all that ye say I believe, for ever since he
was grown he was marvellously witted: and ever he was faithful and true
of his promise. But I marvel, said she, that Sir Kay did mock him and
scorn him, and gave him that name Beaumains: yet Sir Kay, said the
queen, named him more righteously than he wend; for I dare say, and he
be on live, he is as fair an handed man and well disposed as any is
living. Sister, said Arthur, let this language be still, and by the
grace of God he shall be found and he be within these seven realms, and
let all this pass, and be merry, for he is proved to be a man of
worship, and that is my joy.
CHAP. XXVI.
_How king Arthur sent for the lady Liones, and how she let cry a
tourney at her castle, where as came many knights._
Then said Sir Gawaine and his brethren unto Arthur, Sir, and ye will
give us leave we will go and seek our brother. Nay, said Sir Launcelot,
that shall ye not need, and so said Sir Baudwin of Britain: for as by
our advice the king shall send unto dame Liones a messager, and pray
her that she will come to the court in all the haste that she may, and
doubt ye not she will come, and then she may give you best counsel
where ye shall find him. This is well said of you, said the king. So
then goodly letters were made, and the messager sent forth, that night
and day he went till he came unto the castle perilous. And then the
lady dame Liones was sent for there as she was with Sir Gringamore her
brother and Sir Gareth. And when she understood this message, she bad
him ride on his way unto king Arthur, and she would come after in all
goodly haste. Then when she came to Sir Gringamore and to Sir Gareth,
she told them all how king Arthur had sent for her. That is because of
me, said Sir Gareth. Now advise me, said dame Liones, what shall I say,
and in what manner I shall rule me. My lady and my love, said Sir
Gareth, I pray you in no manner of wise be ye aknown where I am, but
well I wot my mother is there and all my brethren, and they will take
upon them to seek me; and I wot well that they do. But this, madam, I
would ye said and advised the king, when he questioneth with you of me:
then may ye say, this is your advice, that, and it like his good grace,
ye will do make a cry against the feast of the Assumption of our Lady,
that what knight there proveth him best, he shall weld you and all your
land. And if so be that he be a wedded man, that his wife shall have
the degree and a coronal of gold, beset with stones of virtue to the
value of a thousand pound, and a white jerfalcon.
So dame Liones departed and came to king Arthur, where she was nobly
received, and there she was sore questioned of the king, and of the
queen of Orkney. And she answered, where Sir Gareth was she could not
tell. But thus much she said unto Arthur; Sir, I will let cry a
tournament, that shall be done before my castle at the Assumption of
our Lady, and the cry shall be this, that you my lord Arthur shall be
there and your knights, and I will purvey that my knights shall be
against yours: and then I am sure ye shall hear of Sir Gareth. This is
well advised, said king Arthur: and so she departed. And the king and
she made great provision for that tournament. When dame Liones was come
to the Isle of Avilion, that was the same isle there as her brother Sir
Gringamore dwelt, then she told him all how she had done, and what
promise she had made to king Arthur. Alas, said Sir Gareth, I have been
so wounded by mishap sithen I came into this castle, that I shall not
be able to do at that tournament like a knight, for I was never
thoroughly whole since I was hurt. Be ye of good cheer, said the damsel
Linet, for I undertake within these fifteen days for to make you whole,
and as lusty as ever ye were. And then she laid an ointment and a salve
to him as it pleased her, that he was never so fresh nor so lusty. Then
said the damsel Linet: Send you unto Sir Persant of Inde, and summon
him and his knights to be here with you as they have promised. Also,
that ye send unto Sir Ironside, that is the red knight of the red
lawns, and charge him that he be ready with you with his whole sum of
knights, and then shall ye be able to match with king Arthur and his
knights. So this was done, and all knights were sent for unto the
castle perilous. And then the red knight answered and said unto dame
Liones, and to Sir Gareth, Madam, and my lord Sir Gareth, ye shall
understand that I have been at the court of king Arthur, and Sir
Persant of Inde and his brethren, and there we have done our homage as
ye commanded us. Also, Sir Ironside said, I have taken upon me with Sir
Persant of Inde and his brethren to hold party against my lord Sir
Launcelot and the knights of that court. And this have I done for the
love of my lady dame Liones, and you my lord Sir Gareth. Ye have well
done, said Sir Gareth. But wit you well ye shall be full sore matched
with the most noble knights of the world, therefore we must purvey us
of good knights, where we may get them. That is well said, said Sir
Persant, and worshipfully. And so the cry was made in England, Wales,
and Scotland, Ireland, and Cornwall, and in all the out isles, and in
Britany, and in many countries; that at the feast of the Assumption of
our Lady next coming, men should come to the castle perilous, beside
the Isle of Avilion, and there all the knights that there came should
have the choice whether them list to be on the one party with the
knights of the castle, or on the other party with king Arthur. And two
months was to the day that the tournament should be. And so there came
many good knights that were at large, and held them for the most part
against king Arthur and his knights of the Round Table, and came on the
side of them of the castle. For Sir Epinogrus was the first, and he was
the king’s son of Northumberland, and Sir Palamides the Saracen was
another, and Sir Safere his brother, and Sir Sagwarides his brother,
but they were christened, and Sir Malegrine another, and Sir Brian de
les Isles, a noble knight, and Sir Grummore Gummursum, a good knight of
Scotland, and Sir Carados of the dolorous tower, a noble knight, and
Sir Turquin his brother, and Sir Arnold and Sir Gauter, two brethren,
good knights of Cornwall: there came Sir Tristram de Liones, and with
him Sir Dinadan the seneschal and Sir Sadok; but this Sir Tristram was
not at that time knight of the Table Round, but he was one of the best
knights of the world. And so all these noble knights accompanied them
with the lady of the castle, and with the red knight of the red lawns,
but as for Sir Gareth, he would not take upon him more but as other
mean knights.
CHAP. XXVII.
_How king Arthur went to the tournament with his knights, and how the
lady received him worshipfully, and how the knights encountered._
And then there came with king Arthur Sir Gawaine, Agravaine and
Gaheris, his brethren. And then his nephews Sir Uwaine le Blanchemains,
and Sir Aglovale, Sir Tor, Sir Percivale de Galis, and Sir Lamorak de
Galis. Then came Sir Launcelot du Lake with his brethren, nephews, and
cousins, as Sir Lionel, Sir Ector de Maris, Sir Bors de Ganis, and Sir
Galihodin, Sir Galihud, and many more of Sir Launcelot’s blood; and Sir
Dinadan, Sir La Cote Male Taile his brother, a good knight, and Sir
Sagramore, a good knight; and all the most part of the Round Table.
Also there came with king Arthur these knights, the king of Ireland,
king Agwisaunce, and the king of Scotland, king Carados, and king
Uriens of the land of Gore, and king Bagdemagus, and his son Sir
Meliaganus, and Sir Galahault the noble prince. All these kings,
princes, earls, barons, and other noble knights, as Sir Brandiles, Sir
Uwaine les Avoutres, and Sir Kay, Sir Bedivere, Sir Meliot de Logris,
Sir Petipase of Winchelsea, Sir Godelake. All these came with king
Arthur, and many more that cannot be rehearsed.
Now leave we of these kings and knights, and let us speak of the great
array that was made within the castle and about the castle for both
parties. The lady dame Liones ordained great array upon her part for
her noble knights, for all manner of lodging and victual that came by
land and by water, that there lacked nothing for her party, nor for the
other, but there was plenty to be had for gold and silver for king
Arthur and his knights. And then there came the harbingers from king
Arthur, for to harbour him and his kings, dukes, earls, barons, and
knights. And then Sir Gareth prayed dame Liones, and the red knight of
the red lawns, and Sir Persant and his brother, and Sir Gringamore,
that in no wise there should none of them tell his name, and make no