The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
him that it was easier to bear his shame in the darkness, wherefore when
he had come to the glade of trees he would not enter the pavilion where
his friends were. And also, when Sir Ewaine and Sir Marhaus came out
unto him and bade him to come in, he would not do so but stayed without
in the darkness; for he said unto himself, “If I go in where is a light,
haply they will behold the mark of Sir Pellias his hand upon my face.”
So he stayed without in the darkness and bade them to go away and leave
him alone.
But when they had gone he called his esquire unto him and he said, “Take
this red armor off me and carry it into the pavilion of Sir Pellias, for
I hate it.” So the esquire did as Sir Gawaine commanded, and Sir Gawaine
walked up and down for the entire night, greatly troubled in spirit and
in heart.
[Illustration] Chapter Sixth.
_How the Lady of the Lake Took Back Her Necklace From Sir Pellias._
[Sidenote: _Sir Gawaine issues challenge to Sir Pellias._]
Now, when the next morning had come, Sir Gawaine summoned his esquire
unto him and said, “Fetch hither my armor and case me in it.” And the
esquire did so. Then Sir Gawaine said, “Help me unto my horse,” and the
esquire did so. And the morning was still very early, with the grass all
lustrous and sparkling with dew, and the little birds singing with such
vehemence that it might have caused anyone great joy to be alive.
Wherefore, when Sir Gawaine was seated a-horseback and in armor, he
began to take more courage unto himself, and the dark vapors that had
whilom overshadowed him lifted themselves a little. So he bespoke his
esquire with stronger voice, saying, “Take this glove of mine and bear
it to Sir Pellias and tell him that Sir Gawaine parades in the meadow in
front of the castle and that he there challenges Sir Pellias for to meet
him a-horse or afoot, howsoever that knight may choose.”
At these that esquire was very much astonished, for Sir Gawaine and Sir
Pellias had always been such close friends that there was hardly their
like for friendship in all that land, wherefore their love for one
another had become a byword with all men. But he held his peace
concerning his thoughts and only said, “Wilt thou not eat food ere thou
goest to battle?” And Sir Gawaine said, “Nay, I will not eat until I
have fought. Wherefore do thou go and do as I have bid thee.”
So Sir Gawaine’s esquire went to Sir Pellias in his pavilion and he gave
unto that knight the glove of Sir Gawaine, and he delivered Sir
Gawaine’s message to him. And Sir Pellias said, “Tell thy master that I
will come forth to meet him as soon as I have broken my fast.”
Now, when the news of that challenge had come to the ears of Sir
Brandiles and Sir Mador de la Porte and Sir Ewaine and Sir Marhaus,
those knights were greatly disturbed thereat, and Sir Ewaine said to
the others, “Messires, let us go and make inquiries concerning this
business.” So the four knights went to the white pavilion where Sir
Pellias was breaking his fast.
And when they had come into the presence of Sir Pellias, Sir Ewaine said
to him, “What is this quarrel betwixt my kinsman and thee?” And Sir
Pellias made reply, “I will not tell thee, so, let be and meddle not
with it.”
Then Sir Ewaine said, “Wouldst thou do serious battle with thy friend?”
To which Sir Pellias said, “He is a friend to me no longer.”
Then Sir Brandiles cried out, “It is a great pity that a quarrel should
lie betwixt such friends as thou and Sir Gawaine. Wilt thou not let us
make peace betwixt you?” But Sir Pellias replied, “Ye cannot make peace,
for this quarrel cannot be stayed until it is ended.”
Then those knights saw that their words could be of no avail and they
went away and left Sir Pellias.
So when Sir Pellias had broken his fast he summoned an esquire named
Montenoir, and he bade him case him in that red armor that he had worn
for all this time, and Montenoir did so. Then, when Sir Pellias was clad
in that armor, he rode forth into the meadow before the castle where Sir
Gawaine paraded. And when he had come thither those four other knights
came to him again and besought him that he would let peace be made
betwixt him and Sir Gawaine, but Sir Pellias would not listen to them,
and so they went away again and left him, and he rode forth into the
field before the castle of Grantmesnle.
Now a great concourse of people had come down upon the castle walls for
to behold that assault-at-arms, for news thereof had gone all about that
place. And it had also come to be known that the knight that would do
combat with Sir Pellias was that very famous royal knight hight Sir
Gawaine, the son of King Lot of Orkney, and a nephew of King Arthur;
wherefore all the people were very desirous to behold so famous a knight
do battle.
Likewise the Lady Ettard came down to the walls and took her stand in a
lesser tower that overlooked the field of battle. And when she had taken
her stand at that place she beheld that Sir Pellias wore that necklace
of emeralds and opal stones and gold above his body armor, and her heart
went out to him because of it, wherefore she hoped that he might be the
victor in that encounter.
[Sidenote: _Sir Pellias and Sir Gawaine do battle._]
[Sidenote: _Sir Pellias overthroweth Sir Gawaine._]
Then each knight took his station in such place as seemed to him to be
fitting, and they dressed each his spear and his shield and made him
ready for the assault. Then, when they were in all ways prepared, Sir
Marhaus gave the signal for the assault. Thereupon each knight instantly
quitted that station which he held, dashing against the other with the
speed of lightning, and with such fury that the earth thundered and
shook beneath their horses’ hoofs. So they met fairly in the centre of
the course, each knight striking the other in the very midst of his
defences. And in that encounter the spear of Sir Gawaine burst even to
the hand-guard, but the spear of Sir Pellias held, so that Sir Gawaine
was cast out of his saddle with terrible violence, smiting the earth
with such force that he rolled thrice over in the dust and then lay
altogether motionless as though bereft of life.
At this, all those people upon the walls shouted with a great voice, for
it was an exceedingly noble assault-at-arms.
Then the four knights who stood watching that encounter made all haste
unto Sir Gawaine where he lay; and Sir Pellias also rode back and sat
his horse nigh at hand. Then Sir Ewaine and Sir Gawaine’s esquire
unlaced the helmet of Sir Gawaine with all speed, and, behold! his face
was the color of ashes and they could not see that he breathed.
Thereupon Sir Marhaus said, “I believe that thou hast slain this knight,
Sir Pellias,” and Sir Pellias said, “Dost thou think so?” “Yea,” quoth
Sir Marhaus, “and I deem it a great pity.” Unto which Sir Pellias made
reply, “He hath not suffered more than he deserved.”
At these words Sir Ewaine was filled with great indignation, wherefore
he cried out, “Sir Knight, I think that thou forgettest the quality of
this knight. For not only is he a fellow-companion of the Round Table,
to whom thou hast vowed entire brotherhood, but he is also the son of a
king and the nephew of King Arthur himself.”
But to this Sir Pellias maintained a very steadfast countenance and
replied, “I would not repent me of this were that knight a king in his
own right instead of the son of a king.”
Then Sir Ewaine lifted up his voice with great indignation, crying out
upon Sir Pellias, “Begone! or a great ill may befall thee.” “Well,” said
Sir Pellias, “I will go.”
Upon this he turned his horse and rode away from that place and entered
the woodland and so was gone from their sight.
[Sidenote: _Sir Pellias departs into the forest._]
Then those others present lifted up Sir Gawaine and bare him away unto
the pavilion late of Sir Pellias, and there they laid him upon the couch
of Sir Pellias. But it was above an hour ere he recovered himself again;
and for a great part of that while those nigh unto him believed him to
have been dead.
[Sidenote: _Sir Pellias is sore wounded._]
But not one of those knights wist what was the case; to wit, that Sir
Pellias had been so sorely wounded in the side in that encounter that it
was not to be hoped that he could live for more than that day. For,
though the spear of Sir Gawaine had burst, and though Sir Pellias had
overthrown him entirely, yet the head of Sir Gawaine’s spear had pierced
the armor of Sir Pellias, and had entered his side and had there broken
off, so that of the iron of the spear, the length of the breadth of a
palm had remained in the body of Sir Pellias a little above the midriff.
Wherefore, while Sir Pellias sat there talking so steadfastly unto those
four knights, he was yet whiles in a great passion of pain, and the
blood ran down into his armor in abundance. So, what with the loss of
the blood, and of the great agony which he suffered, the brain of Sir
Pellias swam as light as a feather all the time that he held talk with
those others. But he said not a word unto them concerning the grievous
wound he had received, but rode away very proudly into the forest.
But when he had come into the forest he could not forbear him any
longer, but fell to groaning very sorely, crying out, “Alas! alas! I
have certes got my death-wound in this battle!”
Now it chanced that morn that the damsel Parcenet had ridden forth to
fly a young gerfalcon, and a dwarf belonging to the Lady Ettard had
ridden with her for company. So, as the damsel and the dwarf rode
through a certain part of the forest skirt, not a very great distance
from Grantmesnle, where the thicker part of the woodland began and the
thinner part thereof ceased, the damsel heard a voice in the woodlands,
lamenting with very great dolor. So she stopped and harkened, and by and
by she heard that voice again making a great moan. Then Parcenet said to
the dwarf, “What is that I hear? Certes, it is the voice of someone in
lamentation. Now let us go and see who it is that maketh such woful
moan.” And the dwarf said, “It shall be as thou sayest.”
[Sidenote: _How Parcenet findeth Sir Pellias wounded in the forest._]
So the damsel and the dwarf went a little way farther and there they
beheld a knight sitting upon a black horse beneath an oak-tree. And that
knight was clad altogether in red armor, wherefore, Parcenet knew that
it must be Sir Pellias. And she saw that Sir Pellias leaned with the
butt of his spear upon the ground and so upheld himself upon his horse
from which he would otherwise have fallen because of his great weakness,
and all the while he made that great moan that Parcenet had heard. So,
seeing him in this sorry condition, Parcenet was overcome with great
pity, and she made haste to him crying out, “Alas! Sir Pellias, what
ails thee?”
Then Sir Pellias looked at her as though she were a great way removed
from him, and, because of the faintness of his soul, he beheld her, as
it were, through thin water. And he said, very faintly, “Maiden, I am
sore hurt.” Thereupon she said, “How art thou hurt, Sir Pellias?” And he
replied, “I have a grievous wound in my side, for a spear’s point
standeth therein nigh a palm’s breadth deep so that it reaches nearly to
my heart, wherefore, meseems that I shall not live for very long.”
Upon this the maiden cried out, “Alas! alas! what is this!” and she made
great lament and smote her hands together with sorrow that that noble
knight should have come to so grievous an extremity.
Then the dwarf that was with Parcenet, seeing how greatly she was
distracted by sorrow, said, “Damsel, I know of a certain place in this