Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VII CHAPTER XXVII

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 CHAPTER XXVII
 
 How King Arthur went to the tournament with his knights,
 and how the lady received him worshipfully, and how
 the knights encountered.
 
 AND then there came with King Arthur Sir Gawaine, Agravaine,
 Gaheris, his brethren.  And then his nephews Sir Uwaine le
 Blanchemains, and Sir Aglovale, Sir Tor, Sir Percivale de Galis,
 and Sir Lamorak de Galis.  Then came Sir Launcelot du Lake with
 his brethren, nephews, and cousins, as Sir Lionel, Sir Ector de
 Maris, Sir Bors de Ganis, and Sir Galihodin, Sir Galihud, and
 many more of Sir Launcelot's blood, and Sir Dinadan, Sir La Cote
 Male Taile, his brother, a good knight, and Sir Sagramore, a good
 knight; and all the most part of the Round Table.  Also there
 came with King Arthur these knights, the King of Ireland, King
 Agwisance, and the King of Scotland, King Carados and King Uriens
 of the land of Gore, and King Bagdemagus and his son Sir
 Meliaganus, and Sir Galahault the noble prince.  All these kings,
 princes, and earls, barons, and other noble knights, as Sir
 Brandiles, Sir Uwaine les Avoutres, and Sir Kay, Sir Bedivere,
 Sir Meliot <260>de Logres, Sir Petipase of Winchelsea, Sir
 Godelake: all these came with King Arthur, and more that cannot
 be rehearsed.
 
 Now leave we of these kings and knights, and let us speak of the
 great array that was made within the castle and about the castle
 for both parties.  The Lady Dame Lionesse ordained great array
 upon her part for her noble knights, for all manner of lodging
 and victual that came by land and by water, that there lacked
 nothing for her party, nor for the other, but there was plenty to
 be had for gold and silver for King Arthur and his knights.  And
 then there came the harbingers from King Arthur for to harbour
 him, and his kings, dukes, earls, barons, and knights.  And then
 Sir Gareth prayed Dame Lionesse and the Red Knight of the Red
 Launds, and Sir Persant and his brother, and Sir Gringamore, that
 in no wise there should none of them tell not his name, and make
 no more of him than of the least knight that there was, For, he
 said, I will not be known of neither more nor less, neither at
 the beginning neither at the ending.  Then Dame Lionesse said
 unto Sir Gareth: Sir, I will lend you a ring, but I would pray
 you as you love me heartily let me have it again when the
 tournament is done, for that ring increaseth my beauty much more
 than it is of himself.  And the virtue of my ring is that, that
 is green it will turn to red, and that is red it will turn in
 likeness to green, and that is blue it will turn to likeness of
 white, and that is white it will turn in likeness to blue, and so
 it will do of all manner of colours.  Also who that beareth my
 ring shall lose no blood, and for great love I will give you this
 ring.  Gramercy, said Sir Gareth, mine own lady, for this ring is
 passing meet for me, for it will turn all manner of likeness that
 I am in, and that shall cause me that I shall not be known.  Then
 Sir Gringamore gave Sir Gareth a bay courser that was a passing
 good horse; also he gave him good armour and sure, and a noble
 sword that sometime Sir Gringamore's father won upon an heathen
 tyrant.  And so thus every knight made him ready to that
 tournament.  And King Arthur was come two days to-fore the
 <261>Assumption of our Lady.  And there was all manner of royalty
 of all minstrelsy that might be found.  Also there came Queen
 Guenever and the Queen of Orkney, Sir Gareth's mother.
 
 And upon the Assumption Day, when mass and matins were done,
 there were heralds with trumpets commanded to blow to the field. 
 And so there came out Sir Epinogrus, the king's son of
 Northumberland, from the castle, and there encountered with him
 Sir Sagramore le Desirous, and either of them brake their spears
 to their hands.  And then came in Sir Palamides out of the
 castle, and there encountered with him Gawaine, and either of
 them smote other so hard that both the good knights and their
 horses fell to the earth.  And then knights of either party
 rescued their knights.  And then came in Sir Safere and Sir
 Segwarides, brethren to Sir Palamides; and there encountered Sir
 Agravaine with Sir Safere and Sir Gaheris encountered with Sir
 Segwarides.  So Sir Safere smote down Agravaine, Sir Gawaine's
 brother; and Sir Segwarides, Sir Safere's brother.  And Sir
 Malegrine, a knight of the castle, encountered with Sir Uwaine le
 Blanchemains, and there Sir Uwaine gave Sir Malegrine a fall,
 that he had almost broke his neck.