Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XI CHAPTER XII

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 CHAPTER XII
 
 How Sir Pervivale departed secretly from his brother, and
 how he loosed a knight bound with a chain, and of
 other doings.
 
 
 AND when this was done they rode into many countries,
 ever inquiring after Sir Launcelot, but never they could
 hear of him; and at the last they came to a castle that
 hight Cardican, and there Sir Percivale and Sir Aglovale
 were lodged together.  And privily about midnight Sir
 Percivale came to Aglovale's squire and said:  Arise and
 make thee ready, for ye and I will ride away secretly.
 Sir, said the squire, I would full fain ride with you where
 ye would have me, but an my lord, your brother, take me
 he will slay me.  As for that care thou not, for I shall be
 thy warrant.
 
 And so Sir Percivale rode till it was after noon, and then
 he came upon a bridge of stone, and there he found a
 knight that was bound with a chain fast about the waist
 unto a pillar of stone.  O fair knight, said that bound
 knight, I require thee loose me of my bonds.  What
 knight are ye, said Sir Percivale, and for what cause are
 ye so bound?  Sir, I shall tell you, said that knight:
 I am a knight of the Table Round, and my name is Sir
 Persides; and thus by adventure I came this way, and
 here I lodged in this castle at the bridge foot, and therein
 dwelleth an uncourteous lady; and because she proffered
 me to be her paramour, and I refused her, she set her men
 upon me suddenly or ever I might come to my weapon;
 and thus they bound me, and here I wot well I shall die but
 if some man of worship break my bands.  Be ye of good
 cheer, said Sir Percivale, and because ye are a knight of the
 Round Table as well as I, I trust to God to break your
 bands.  And therewith Sir Percivale pulled out his sword
 and struck at the chain with such a might that he cut
 a-two the chain, and through Sir Persides' hauberk and hurt
 him a little.  O Jesu, said Sir Persides, that was a mighty
 stroke as ever I felt one, for had not the chain been ye
 had slain me.
 
 And therewithal Sir Persides saw a knight coming out
 of a castle all that ever he might fling.  Beware, sir, said
 Sir Persides, yonder cometh a man that will have ado with
 you.  Let him come, said Sir Percivale.  And so he met
 with that knight in midst of the bridge; and Sir Percivale
 gave him such a buffet that he smote him quite from his
 horse and over a part of the bridge, that, had not been
 a little vessel under the bridge, that knight had been
 drowned.  And then Sir Percivale took the knight's horse
 and made Sir Persides to mount up him; and so they rode
 unto the castle, and bade the lady deliver Sir Persides'
 servants, or else he would slay all that ever he found;
 and so for fear she delivered them all.  Then was Sir
 Percivale ware of a lady that stood in that tower.  Ah,
 madam, said Sir Percivale, what use and custom is that in
 a lady to destroy good knights but if they will be your
 paramour?  Forsooth this is a shameful custom of a lady,
 and if I had not a great matter in my hand I should fordo
 your evil customs.
 
 And so Sir Persides brought Sir Percivale unto his own
 castle, and there he made him great cheer all that night.
 And on the morn, when Sir Percivale had heard mass and
 broken his fast, he bade Sir Persides ride unto King
 Arthur:  And tell the king how that ye met with me; and
 tell my brother, Sir Aglovale, how I rescued you; and
 bid him seek not after me, for I am in the quest to seek
 Sir Launcelot du Lake, and though he seek me he shall
 not find me; and tell him I will never see him, nor the
 court, till I have found Sir Launcelot.  Also tell Sir Kay
 the Seneschal, and to Sir Mordred, that I trust to Jesu to
 be of as great worthiness as either of them, for tell them
 I shall never forget their mocks and scorns that they did
 to me that day that I was made knight; and tell them I
 will never see that court till men speak more worship of
 me than ever men did of any of them both.  And so Sir
 Persides departed from Sir Percivale, and then he rode
 unto King Arthur, and told there of Sir Percivale.  And
 when Sir Aglovale heard him speak of his brother Sir
 Percivale, he said:  He departed from me unkindly.