The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
Then Vivien looked upon King Arthur very bitterly, and she laughed with
great scorn, and said, “Thou art both a fool and a dotard,” and
therewith she vanished from the sight of all.
And after that, because King Arthur had rebuked her for her wickedness
in the presence of others, she hated him even more than Morgana le Fay
had hated him.
Some time after that, King Arthur heard how Merlin had been beguiled by
Vivien, and he sorrowed with great bitterness that Merlin was lost unto
the world in that wise.
So endeth the story of the passing of Merlin.
PART II
The Story of Sir Pellias
_Here followeth the story of Sir Pellias, surnamed by many the Gentle
Knight.
For Sir Pellias was of such a sort that it was said of him that all
women loved him without disadvantage to themselves, and that all men
loved him to their great good advantage.
Wherefore, when in the end he won for his beloved that beautiful Lady of
the Lake, who was one of the chiefest damoiselles of Faëry, and when he
went to dwell as lord paramount in that wonderful habitation which no
other mortal than he and Sir Launcelot of the Lake had ever beheld, then
were all men rejoiced at his great good fortune--albeit all the Court of
King Arthur grieved that he had departed so far away from them never to
return again.
So I believe that you will have pleasure in reading the history of the
things concerning Sir Pellias hereinafter written for your
edification._
[Illustration] Chapter First.
_How Queen Guinevere Went a-Maying and of How Sir Pellias Took Upon Him
a Quest in Her Behalf._
[Sidenote: _Queen Guinevere goeth a-Maying._]
Now it befell upon a pleasant day in the spring-time, that Queen
Guinevere went a-Maying with a goodly company of Knights and Ladies of
her Court. And among those Knights were Sir Pellias, and Sir Geraint,
and Sir Dinadan, and Sir Aglaval, and Sir Agravaine, and Sir Constantine
of Cornwall, and sundry others, so that the like of that Court was
hardly to be found in all of the world, either then or before or since.
The day was exceedingly pleasant with the sunlight all yellow, like to
gold, and the breeze both soft and gentle. The small birds they sang
with very great joy, and all about there bloomed so many flowers of
divers sorts that the entire meadows were carpeted with their tender
green. So it seemed to Queen Guinevere that it was very good to be
abroad in the field and beneath the sky at such a season.
[Sidenote: _There cometh a damsel to the May party._]
Now as the Queen and her Court walked in great joy among the blossoms,
one of the damsels attendant upon the Lady Guinevere cried out of a
sudden, “Look! Look! Who is that cometh yonder?” Thereupon Queen
Guinevere lifted up her eyes, and she beheld that there came across the
meadows a damsel riding upon a milk-white palfrey, accompanied by three
pages clad in sky-blue raiment. That damsel was also clad entirely in
azure, and she wore a finely wrought chain of gold about her neck and a
fillet of gold about her brows, and her hair, which was as yellow as
gold, was wrapped all about with bands of blue ribbon embroidered with
gold. And one of the pages that followed the damsel bare a square frame
of no very great size, and that the frame was enveloped and covered with
a curtain of crimson satin.
Now when the Queen beheld that goodly company approaching, she bade one
of the knights attendant upon her for to go forth to meet the damsel.
And the knight who went forth in obedience to her command was Sir
Pellias.
[Sidenote: _Sir Pellias talketh with the damsel._]
So when Sir Pellias met the damsel and her three pages, he spake to her
in this wise: “Fair damsel, I am commanded by yonder lady for to greet
you and to crave of you the favor of your name and purpose.”
“Sir Knight,” said the damsel, “I do perceive from your countenance and
address that you are some lord of very high estate and of great
nobility, wherefore I will gladly tell to you that my name is Parcenet,
and that I am a damsel belonging to the Court of a certain very high
dame who dwelleth at a considerable distance from here, and who is
called the Lady Ettard of Grantmesnle. Now I come hitherward desiring to
be admitted into the presence of Queen Guinevere. Accordingly, if you
can tell me whereabout I may find that noble lady, I shall assuredly be
very greatly beholden unto you.”
“Ha, Lady!” quoth Sir Pellias, “thou shalt not have very far to go to
find Queen Guinevere; for, behold! yonder she walketh, surrounded by her
Court of Lords and Ladies.” Then the damsel said, “I prithee bring me
unto her.”
So Sir Pellias led Parcenet unto the Queen, and Queen Guinevere received
her with great graciousness of demeanor, saying, “Damsel, what is it
that ye seek of us?”
[Sidenote: _The damsel telleth Queen Guinevere of the Lady Ettard._]
“Lady,” quoth the damsel, “I will tell you that very readily. The Lady
Ettard, my mistress, is considered by all in those parts where she
dwelleth to be the most beautiful lady in the world. Now, of late, there
hath come such a report of your exceeding beauty that the Lady Ettard
hath seen fit for to send me hitherward to see with mine own eyes if
that which is recorded of you is soothly true. And indeed, Lady, now
that I stand before you, I may not say but that you are the fairest dame
that ever mine eyes beheld unless it be the Lady Ettard aforesaid.”
Then Queen Guinevere laughed with very great mirth. And she said, “It
appears to me to be a very droll affair that thou shouldst have
travelled so great a distance for so small a matter.” Then she said,
“Tell me, damsel, what is that thy page beareth so carefully wrapped up
in that curtain of crimson satin?”
“Lady,” quoth the damsel, “it is a true and perfect likeness of the Lady
Ettard, who is my mistress.”
Then Queen Guinevere said, “Show it to me.”
[Sidenote: _The damsel showeth the Lady Ettard’s picture to the Queen
and her Court._]
Upon this the page who bore the picture dismounted from his palfrey and,
coming to Queen Guinevere, he kneeled down upon one knee and uncovered
the picture so that the Queen and her Court might look upon it.
Thereupon they all beheld that that picture was painted very cunningly
upon a panel of ivory framed with gold and inset with many jewels of
divers colors. And they saw that it was the picture of a lady of such
extraordinary beauty that all they who beheld it marvelled thereat.
“Hey, damsel!” quoth Queen Guinevere, “thy lady is, indeed, graced with
wonderful beauty. Now if she doth in sooth resemble that picture, then I
believe that her like to loveliness is not to be found anywhere in the
world.”
Upon this Sir Pellias spake out and said, “Not so, Lady; for I do
protest, and am willing to maintain my words with the peril of my body,
that thou thyself art much more beautiful than that picture.”
“Hey day, Sir Knight!” quoth the damsel Parcenet, “it is well that thou
dost maintain that saying so far away from Grantmesnle; for at that
place is a certain knight, hight Sir Engamore of Malverat, who is a very
strong knight indeed, and who maintaineth the contrary to thy saying in
favor of the Lady Ettard against all comers who dare to encounter him.”
[Sidenote: _Sir Pellias assumes the adventure in honor of the Queen._]
Then Sir Pellias kneeled down before Queen Guinevere, and set his palms
together. “Lady,” he said, “I do pray thee of thy grace that thou wilt
so far honor me as to accept me for thy true knight in this matter. For
I would fain assay an adventure in thy behalf if I have thy permission
for to do so. Wherefore, if thou grantest me leave, I will straightway
go forth to meet this knight of whom the damsel speaketh, and I greatly
hope that when I find him I shall cause his overthrow to the increasing
of thy glory and honor.”
Then Queen Guinevere laughed again with pure merriment. “Sir,” quoth
she, “it pleases me beyond measure that thou shouldst take so small a
quarrel as this upon thee in my behalf. For if, so be, thou dost assume
so small a quarrel, then how much more wouldst thou take a serious
quarrel of mine upon thee? Wherefore I do accept thee very joyfully for
my champion in this affair. So go thou presently and arm thyself in such
a way as may be fitting for this adventure.”
“Lady,” said Sir Pellias, “if I have thy leave, I will enter into this
affair clad as I am. For I entertain hopes that I shall succeed in
winning armor and accoutrements upon the way, in the which case this
adventure will be still more to thy credit than it would otherwise be.”
At this the Queen was very much pleased, that her knight should
undertake so serious an adventure clad only in holiday attire; wherefore
she said, “Let it be as thou wouldst have it.” Thereupon she bade her
page, Florian, for to go fetch the best horse that he might obtain for
Sir Pellias; and Florian, running with all speed, presently returned
with a noble steed, so black of hue that I believe there was not a
single white hair upon him.
Then Sir Pellias gave adieu to Queen Guinevere, and her merry May-court,
and they gave him adieu and great acclaim, and thereupon he mounted his
horse and rode away with the damsel Parcenet and the three pages clad in
blue.
Now when these had gone some distance the damsel Parcenet said, “Sir, I
know not thy name or thy condition, or who thou art?”
Unto this Sir Pellias said, “Damsel, my name is Pellias and I am a
knight of King Arthur’s Round Table.”
[Sidenote: _Sir Pellias and Parcenet discourse together._]
At that Parcenet was very much astonished, for Sir Pellias was held by
many to be the best knight-at-arms alive, saving only King Arthur and
King Pellinore. Wherefore she cried out, “Messire, it will assuredly be
a very great honor for Sir Engamore to have to do with so famous a
knight as thou.” Unto this Sir Pellias said, “Damsel, I think there are
several knights of King Arthur’s Round Table who are better knights than
I.” But Parcenet said, “I cannot believe that to be the case.”
Then after awhile Parcenet said to Sir Pellias, “Messire, how wilt thou
get thyself armor for to fight Sir Engamore?” “Maiden,” said Sir
Pellias, “I do not know at these present where I shall provide me armor;
but before the time cometh for me to have to do with Sir Engamore, I
have faith that I shall find armor fit for my purpose. For thou must
know that it is not always the defence that a man weareth upon his body
that bringeth him success, but more often it is the spirit that
uplifteth him unto his undertakings.”
Then Parcenet said, “Sir Pellias, I do not believe that it is often the
case that a lady hath so good a knight as thou for to do battle in her
behalf.” To which Sir Pellias said very cheerfully, “Damsel, when thy
time cometh I wish that thou mayst have a very much better knight to
serve thee than I.” “Sir,” quoth Parcenet, “such a thing as that is not
likely to befall me.” At the which Sir Pellias laughed with great
lightness of heart. Then Parcenet said, “Heigh ho! I would that I had a
good knight for to serve me.”
To this Sir Pellias made very sober reply, “Maiden, the first one that I
catch I will give unto thee for thy very own. Now wouldst thou have him
fair or dark, or short or tall? For if thou wouldst rather have him
short and fair I will let the tall, dark one go; but if thou wouldst
have him tall and dark, I will let go the other sort.”
Then Parcenet looked very steadily at Sir Pellias, and she said, “I
would have him about as tall as thou art, and with the same color of
hair and eyes, and with a straight nose like unto thine, and with a good
wit such as thou hast.”