{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart032.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart032.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart032.htm","text":"CHAPTER VI\nHow a damosel, which was love to Lanceor, slew herself\nfor love, and how Balin met with his brother Balan.\nTHEN he looked by him, and was ware of a damosel that came riding\nfull fast as the horse might ride, on a fair palfrey. And when\nshe espied that Lanceor was slain, she made sorrow out of\nmeasure, and said, O Balin, two bodies thou hast slain and one\nheart, and two hearts in one body, and two souls thou hast lost.\nAnd therewith she took the sword from her love that lay dead, and\nfell to the ground in a swoon. And when she arose she made great\ndole out of measure, the which sorrow grieved Balin passingly\nsore, and he went unto her for to have taken the sword out of her\nhand, but she held it so fast he might not take it out of her\nhand unless he should have hurt her, and suddenly she set the\npommel to the ground, and rove herself through the body. When\nBalin espied her deeds, he was passing heavy in his heart, and\nashamed that so fair a damosel had destroyed herself for the love\nof his death. Alas, said Balin, me repenteth sore the death of\nthis knight, for the love of this damosel, for there was much\ntrue love betwixt them both, and for sorrow might not longer\nbehold him, but turned his horse and looked toward a great\nforest, and there he was ware, by the arms, of his brother Balan.\nAnd when they were met they put off their helms and kissed\ntogether, and wept for joy and pity. Then Balan said, I little\nweened to have met with you at this sudden adventure; I am right\nglad of your deliverance out of your dolorous prisonment, for a\nman told me, in the castle of Four Stones, that ye were\ndelivered, and that man had seen you in the court of King Arthur,\nand therefore I came hither into this country, for here I\nsupposed to find you. Anon the knight Balin told his brother of\nhis adventure of the sword, and of the death of the Lady of the\nLake, and how King Arthur was <58>displeased with him. Wherefore\nhe sent this knight after me, that lieth here dead, and the death\nof this damosel grieveth me sore. So doth it me, said Balan, but\nye must take the adventure that God will ordain you. Truly, said\nBalin, I am right heavy that my Lord Arthur is displeased with\nme, for he is the most worshipful knight that reigneth now on\nearth, and his love will I get or else will I put my life in\nadventure. For the King Rience lieth at a siege at the Castle\nTerrabil, and thither will we draw in all haste, to prove our\nworship and prowess upon him. I will well, said Balan, that we\ndo, and we will help each other as brethren ought to do.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK II CHAPTER VI","type":"page"}