Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VII CHAPTER XVIII

Sacred Texts  Legends and Sagas  Index  BOOK VII  Previous  Next 

 CHAPTER XVIII
 
 How the knight yielded him, and how Beaumains made him
 to go unto King Arthur's court, and to cry Sir Launcelot mercy.
 
 THEN came there many earls, and barons, and noble knights, and
 prayed that knight to save his life, and take him to your
 prisoner.  And all they fell upon their knees, <241>and prayed
 him of mercy, and that he would save his life; and, Sir, they all
 said, it were fairer of him to take homage and fealty, and let
 him hold his lands of you than for to slay him; by his death ye
 shall have none advantage, and his misdeeds that be done may not
 be undone; and therefore he shall make amends to all parties, and
 we all will become your men and do you homage and fealty.  Fair
 lords, said Beaumains, wit you well I am full loath to slay this
 knight, nevertheless he hath done passing ill and shamefully; but
 insomuch all that he did was at a lady's request I blame him the
 less; and so for your sake I will release him that he shall have
 his life upon this covenant, that he go within the castle, and
 yield him there to the lady, and if she will forgive and quit
 him, I will well; with this he make her amends of all the
 trespass he hath done against her and her lands.  And also, when
 that is done, that ye go unto the court of King Arthur, and there
 that ye ask Sir Launcelot mercy, and Sir Gawaine, for the evil
 will ye have had against them.  Sir, said the Red Knight of the
 Red Launds, all this will I do as ye command, and siker assurance
 and borrows ye shall have.  And so then when the assurance was
 made, he made his homage and fealty, and all those earls and
 barons with him.
 
 And then the maiden Linet came to Sir Beaumains, and unarmed him
 and searched his wounds, and stinted his blood, and in likewise
 she did to the Red Knight of the Red Launds.  And there they
 sojourned ten days in their tents; and the Red Knight made his
 lords and servants to do all the pleasure that they might unto
 Sir Beaumains.  And so within a while the Red Knight of the Red
 Launds yede unto the castle, and put him in her grace.  And so
 she received him upon sufficient surety, so all her hurts were
 well restored of all that she could complain.  And then he
 departed unto the court of King Arthur, and there openly the Red
 Knight of the Red Launds put him in the mercy of Sir Launcelot
 and Sir Gawaine, and there he told openly how he was overcome and
 by whom, and also he told all the battles from the beginning unto
 the <242>ending.  Jesu mercy, said King Arthur and Sir Gawaine,
 we marvel much of what blood he is come, for he is a noble
 knight.  Have ye no marvel, said Sir Launcelot, for ye shall
 right well wit that he is come of a full noble blood; and as for
 his might and hardiness, there be but few now living that is so
 mighty as he is, and so noble of prowess.  It seemeth by you,
 said King Arthur, that ye know his name, and from whence he is
 come, and of what blood he is.  I suppose I do so, said
 Launcelot, or else I would not have given him the order of
 knighthood; but he gave me such charge at that time that I should
 never discover him until he required me, or else it be known
 openly by some other.