Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER XXI

Sacred Texts  Legends and Sagas  Index  BOOK X  Previous  Next 

 CHAPTER XXI
 
 How King Arthur let do cry a jousts, and how Sir
 Lamorak came in, and overthrew Sir Gawaine and
 many other.
 
 
 THEN within three days after the king let make a jousting
 at a priory.  And there made them ready many knights
 of the Round Table, for Sir Gawaine and his brethren
 made them ready to joust; but Tristram, Launcelot,
 nor Dinadan, would not joust, but suffered Sir Gawaine,
 for the love of King Arthur, with his brethren, to win
 the gree if they might.  Then on the morn they apparelled
 them to joust, Sir Gawaine and his four brethren, and
 did there great deeds of arms.  And Sir Ector de Maris
 did marvellously well, but Sir Gawaine passed all that
 fellowship; wherefore King Arthur and all the knights
 gave Sir Gawaine the honour at the beginning.
 
 Right so King Arthur was ware of a knight and two
 squires, the which came out of a forest side, with a shield
 covered with leather, and then he came slyly and hurtled
 here and there, and anon with one spear he had smitten
 down two knights of the Round Table.  Then with his
 hurtling he lost the covering of his shield, then was the
 king and all other ware that he bare a red shield.  O Jesu,
 said King Arthur, see where rideth a stout knight, he
 with the red shield.  And there was noise and crying
 Beware the Knight with the Red Shield.  So within a little
 while he had overthrown three brethren of Sir Gawaine's.
 So God me help, said King Arthur, meseemeth yonder is
 the best jouster that ever I saw.  With that he saw him
 encounter with Sir Gawaine, and he smote him down with
 so great force that he made his horse to avoid his
 saddle.  How now, said the king, Sir Gawaine hath a
 fall; well were me an I knew what knight he were with
 the red shield.  I know him well, said Dinadan, but as
 at this time ye shall not know his name.  By my head,
 said Sir Tristram, he jousted better than Sir Palomides,
 and if ye list to know his name, wit ye well his name is
 Sir Lamorak de Galis.
 
 As they stood thus talking, Sir Gawaine and he encountered
 together again, and there he smote Sir Gawaine
 from his horse, and bruised him sore.  And in the sight
 of King Arthur he smote down twenty knights, beside Sir
 Gawaine and his brethren.  And so clearly was the prize
 given him as a knight peerless.  Then slyly and marvellously
 Sir Lamorak withdrew him from all the fellowship
 into the forest side.  All this espied King Arthur, for his
 eye went never from him.  Then the king, Sir Launcelot,
 Sir Tristram, and Sir Dinadan, took their hackneys, and
 rode straight after the good knight, Sir Lamorak de Galis,
 and there found him.  And thus said the king:  Ah, fair
 knight, well be ye found.  When he saw the king he put
 off his helm and saluted him, and when he saw Sir Tristram
 he alighted down off his horse and ran to him to take him
 by the thighs, but Sir Tristram would not suffer him, but
 he alighted or that he came, and either took other in arms,
 and made great joy of other.  The king was glad, and
 also was all the fellowship of the Round Table, except Sir
 Gawaine and his brethren.  And when they wist that he
 was Sir Lamorak, they had great despite at him, and were
 wonderly wroth with him that he had put him to dishonour that day.
 
 Then Gawaine called privily in council all his brethren,
 and to them said thus:  Fair brethren, here may ye see,
 whom that we hate King Arthur loveth, and whom that
 we love he hateth.  And wit ye well, my fair brethren,
 that this Sir Lamorak will never love us, because we slew
 his father, King Pellinore, for we deemed that he slew our
 father, King of Orkney.  And for the despite of Pellinore,
 Sir Lamorak did us a shame to our mother, therefore I will
 be revenged.  Sir, said Sir Gawaine's brethren, let see how
 ye will or may be revenged, and ye shall find us ready.
 Well, said Gawaine, hold you still and we shall espy our
 time.