{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart022.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart022.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart022.htm","text":"CHAPTER XXIII\nHow twelve knights came from Rome and asked truage for this land\nof Arthur, and how Arthur fought with a knight.\nWHEN the knight saw him lie so on the ground, he alighted, and\nwas passing heavy, for he weened he had slain him, and then he\nunlaced his helm and gat him wind, and so with the truncheon he\nset him on his horse, and so betook him to God, and said he had a\nmighty heart, and if he might live he would prove a passing good\nknight. And so Sir Griflet rode to the court, where great dole\nwas made for him. But through good leeches he was healed and\nsaved. Right so came into the court twelve knights, and were\naged men, and they came from the Emperor of Rome, and they asked\nof Arthur truage for this realm, other else the emperor would\ndestroy him and his land. Well, said King Arthur, ye are\nmessengers, therefore ye may say what ye will, other else ye\nshould die therefore. But this is mine answer: I owe the emperor\nno truage, nor none will I hold him, but on a fair field I shall\ngive him my truage that shall be with a sharp spear, or else with\na sharp sword, and that shall not be long, by my father's soul,\nUther Pendragon. And therewith the messengers departed passingly\nwroth, and King Arthur as wroth, for in evil time came they then;\nfor the king was passingly wroth for the hurt of Sir Griflet.\nAnd so he commanded a privy man of his chamber that or it be day\nhis best horse and armour, with all that longeth unto his person,\nbe without the city or to-morrow day. Right so or to-morrow day\nhe met with his man and his horse, and so mounted up and\n<42>dressed his shield and took his spear, and bade his\nchamberlain tarry there till he came again. And so Arthur rode a\nsoft pace till it was day, and then was he ware of three churls\nchasing Merlin, and would have slain him. Then the king rode\nunto them, and bade them: Flee, churls! then were they afeard\nwhen they saw a knight, and fled. O Merlin, said Arthur, here\nhadst thou been slain for all thy crafts had I not been. Nay,\nsaid Merlin, not so, for I could save myself an I would; and thou\nart more near thy death than I am, for thou goest to the\ndeathward, an God be not thy friend.\nSo as they went thus talking they came to the fountain, and the\nrich pavilion there by it. Then King Arthur was ware where sat a\nknight armed in a chair. Sir knight, said Arthur, for what cause\nabidest thou here, that there may no knight ride this way but if\nhe joust with thee? said the king. I rede thee leave that\ncustom, said Arthur. This custom, said the knight, have I used\nand will use maugre who saith nay, and who is grieved with my\ncustom let him amend it that will. I will amend it, said Arthur.\nI shall defend thee, said the knight. Anon he took his horse and\ndressed his shield and took a spear, and they met so hard either\nin other's shields, that all to-shivered their spears. Therewith\nanon Arthur pulled out his sword. Nay, not so, said the knight;\nit is fairer, said the knight, that we twain run more together\nwith sharp spears. I will well, said Arthur, an I had any more\nspears. I have enow, said the knight; so there came a squire and\nbrought two good spears, and Arthur chose one and he another; so\nthey spurred their horses and came together with all their\nmights, that either brake their spears to their hands. Then\nArthur set hand on his sword. Nay, said the knight, ye shall do\nbetter, ye are a passing good jouster as ever I met withal, and\nonce for the love of the high order of knighthood let us joust\nonce again. I assent me, said Arthur. Anon there were brought\ntwo great spears, and every knight gat a spear, and therewith\nthey ran together that Arthur's spear all to-shivered. But the\nother knight hit him so hard in midst of the <43>shield, that\nhorse and man fell to the earth, and therewith Arthur was eager,\nand pulled out his sword, and said, I will assay thee, sir\nknight, on foot, for I have lost the honour on horseback. I will\nbe on horseback, said the knight. Then was Arthur wroth, and\ndressed his shield toward him with his sword drawn. When the\nknight saw that, he alighted, for him thought no worship to have\na knight at such avail, he to be on horseback and he on foot, and\nso he alighted and dressed his shield unto Arthur. And there\nbegan a strong battle with many great strokes, and so hewed with\ntheir swords that the cantels flew in the fields, and much blood\nthey bled both, that all the place there as they fought was\noverbled with blood, and thus they fought long and rested them,\nand then they went to the battle again, and so hurtled together\nlike two rams that either fell to the earth. So at the last they\nsmote together that both their swords met even together. But the\nsword of the knight smote King Arthur's sword in two pieces,\nwherefore he was heavy. Then said the knight unto Arthur, Thou\nart in my daunger whether me list to save thee or slay thee, and\nbut thou yield thee as overcome and recreant, thou shalt die. As\nfor death, said King Arthur, welcome be it when it cometh, but to\nyield me unto thee as recreant I had liefer die than to be so\nshamed. And therewithal the king leapt unto Pellinore, and took\nhim by the middle and threw him down, and raced off his helm.\nWhen the knight felt that he was adread, for he was a passing big\nman of might, and anon he brought Arthur under him, and raced off\nhis helm and would have smitten off his head.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK I CHAPTER XXIII","type":"page"}