[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xxiij

RYght as she promysed she came / and she was not soo soone in his bedde / but she aspyed an armed knyghte comyng toward the bedde / there with alle she warned syr Ga∣reth / and lyghtly thorou the good helpe of Dame Lyones he was armed / and they hurtled to gyders with grete Ire & ma∣lyce al aboute the halle / and there was grete lyght as it had ben the nombre of xx torches bothe before and behynd / soo that syr Gareth strayned hym / soo that his old wounde braste a∣geyne on bledyng / but he was hote and couragyous and to∣ke no kepe / but with his grete force he stroke doune that kny∣ghte / and voyded his helme / and strake of his hede / Thenne he hewe the hede in an honderd pyeces / And whan he had done so he took vp alle tho pyeces and threwe hem oute at a wyndow in to the dyches of the castel / and by this done / he was so faynt that vnnethes he myght stande for bledyng / And by thenne he was al most vnarmed / he felle in a dedely swoune in the ••lo∣re / And thenne dame Lyones cryed soo that syr Gryngamor herd / And whan he cam and fond syr Gareth in that plyte he made grete sorou / & there he awaked sir Gareth / and gaf hym a drynke that releued hym wonderly wel / but the sorou that Dame Lyones made there maye no tonge telle / for she soo fa∣ryd with her self as she wold haue dyed / ¶Ryghte soo cam this damoysel Lynet before hem al / and she had fette alle the gobbets of the hede that syr Gareth had throwen out at a wyn¦dowe / and there she enoynted hem as she had done to fore / & set them to gyder ageyn / wel damoisel Lynet said syre Gareth /

I haue not deserued alle this despyte that ye doo vnto me / sir knyghte she said / I haue no thynge do / but I will auowe / And al that I haue done shalle be to your worship and to vs al / And thenne was syre Gareth staūched of his bledyng But the le••••s said / that ther was no man that bare the lyf / sholde bele hym thorou oute of his wounde / but yf they he••ed hym that caused that stroke by enchauntement / So leue we syr Gareth there with syr Gryngamore and his systers / and tor∣ne we vnto kynge Arthur that at the nexte feest of Pentecost helde his feest / and there cam the grene knyʒt with fyfty kny∣ghtes / and yelded hem all vnto kynge Arthur / And so there came the reed knyghte his broder / and yelded hym to kyng Ar¦thur and thre s••ore knyghtes with hym / Also there came the blewe knyghte to broder to them with an honderd knyghtes / & yelded hem vnto kynge Arthur / and the grene knyghtes na∣me was Partolype / and the reed knyghtes name was Pe∣rymones / and the blewe knyghtes name was syr Persant of Inde / these thre bretheren told kynge Arthur how they were ouercome by a knyghte that a damoysel had with her / and called hym Beaumayns / Ihesu sayd the kyng I mer∣ueylle what knyghte he is / and of what lygnage he is come / He was with me a twelue monethe / and pourely and sha∣mefully he was ••ostred / and syre kay in scorne named hym Beaumayns / Soo ryghte as the kyng stode soo talkyng with these thre bretheren / there come syr Launcelot du lake and told the kynge that there was come a goodly lord with vj C kn∣ghtes with hym / thenne the kynge wente oute of Carlyon / for there was the feest / and there came to hym this lord / and ••alewed the kynge in a goodly manere / What wylle ye sayd kyng Arthur / and what is youre erand / Syr he said my na¦me is the reed knyghte of the reed laundes / but my name is syr Ironsyde / and syre wete ye wel / here I am sente to yow / of a knyght that is called Beaumayns / for he wanne me in playne bataille hande for hand / and soo dyd neuer no kny∣ght but he that euer had the better of me this xxx wynter / the whiche commaunded to yelde me to yow at youre wylle / ye are welcom said the kyng / for ye haue ben long a grete foo to me and my Courte / and now I truste to god I shalle

soo entreate you that ye shal be my frend / Syre / bothe I and these fyue honderd knyghtes shal alweyes be at your somons to doo you seruyse as maye lye in oure powers / Ihesu mercy said kyng Arthur I am moche beholdynge vnto that knyght / that hath put soo his body in deuoyre to worshippe me & my Courte / And as to the Ironsyde that art called the reed kn∣yghte of the reed laundes thou arte called a peryllous knyʒt And yf thou wylt holde of me I shal worshippe the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ma¦ke the knyghte of the table round / but thenne thou must be no more a murtherer / Syre as to that I haue promysed vnto syre Beaumayns neuer more to vse suche custommes / for all the shameful customes that I vsed I dyd at the request of a lady that I loued / and therfor I must goo vnto syr Laun∣celot and vnto syre Gawayne / and aske them foryeuenes of the euyll wylle I had vnto them / for alle that I put to deth was al only for the loue of syr Launcelot and of syr Gawa∣yne / They ben here now said the kynge afore the / now maye ye saye to them what ye wylle / And thenne he kneled doune vn¦to syre Launcelot and to syre Gawayne and prayd them of foryeuenes of his enemytee that euer he had ageynste them /