{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart038.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart038.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart038.htm","text":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK II CHAPTER XII\n \n Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends and Sagas\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n BOOK II\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n CHAPTER XII\n \n How a sorrowful knight came before Arthur, and how Balin\n fetched him, and how that knight was slain by a knight invisible.\n \n WITHIN a day or two King Arthur was somewhat sick, and he let\n pitch his pavilion in a meadow, and there he <66>laid him down on\n a pallet to sleep, but he might have no rest. Right so he heard\n a great noise of an horse, and therewith the king looked out at\n the porch of the pavilion, and saw a knight coming even by him,\n making great dole. Abide, fair sir, said Arthur, and tell me\n wherefore thou makest this sorrow. Ye may little amend me, said\n the knight, and so passed forth to the castle of Meliot. Anon\n after there came Balin, and when he saw King Arthur he alighted\n off his horse, and came to the King on foot, and saluted him. By\n my head, said Arthur, ye be welcome. Sir, right now came riding\n this way a knight making great mourn, for what cause I cannot\n tell; wherefore I would desire of you of your courtesy and of\n your. gentleness to fetch again that knight either by force or\n else by his good will. I will do more for your lordship than\n that, said Balin; and so he rode more than a pace, and found the\n knight with a damosel in a forest, and said, Sir knight, ye must\n come with me unto King Arthur, for to tell him of your sorrow. \n That will I not, said the knight, for it will scathe me greatly,\n and do you none avail. Sir, said Balin, I pray you make you\n ready, for ye must go with me, or else I must fight with you and\n bring you by force, and that were me loath to do. Will ye be my\n warrant, said the knight, an I go with you? Yea, said Balin, or\n else I will die therefore. And so he made him ready to go with\n Balin, and left the damosel still. And as they were even afore\n King Arthur's pavilion, there came one invisible, and smote this\n knight that went with Balin throughout the body with a spear. \n Alas, said the knight, I am slain under your conduct with a\n knight called Garlon; therefore take my horse that is better than\n yours, and ride to the damosel, and follow the quest that I was\n in as she will lead you, and revenge my death when ye may. That\n shall I do, said Balin, and that I make vow unto knighthood; and\n so he departed from this knight with great sorrow. So King\n Arthur let bury this knight richly, and made a mention on his\n tomb, how there was slain Herlews le Berbeus, and by whom the\n treachery was done, the knight Garlon. But ever the <67>damosel\n bare the truncheon of the spear with her that Sir Herlews was\n slain withal.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK II CHAPTER XII","type":"page"}