{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart056.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart056.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart056.htm","text":"CHAPTER XI\nHow Sir Tor overcame the knight, and how he lost his head\nat the request of a lady.\nWITH that came a damosel riding on a palfrey as fast as she might\ndrive, and cried with a loud voice unto Sir Tor. What will ye\nwith me? said Sir Tor. I beseech thee, said the damosel, for\nKing Arthur's love, give me a gift; I require thee, gentle\nknight, as thou art a gentleman. Now, said Tor, ask a gift and I\nwill give it you. Gramercy, said the damosel; now I ask the head\nof the false knight Abelleus, for he is the most outrageous\nknight that liveth, and the greatest murderer. I am loath, said\nSir Tor, of that gift I have given you; let him make amends in\nthat he hath trespassed unto you. Now, said the damosel, he may\nnot, for he slew mine own brother before mine own eyes, that was\na better knight than he, an he had had grace; and I kneeled half\nan hour afore him in the mire for to save my brother's life, that\nhad done him no damage, but fought with him by adventure of arms,\nand so for all that I could do he struck off his head; wherefore\nI require thee, <94>as thou art a true knight, to give me my\ngift, or else I shall shame thee in all the court of King Arthur;\nfor he is the falsest knight living, and a great destroyer of\ngood knights. Then when Abelleus heard this, he was more afeard,\nand yielded him and asked mercy. I may not now, said Sir Tor,\nbut if I should be found false of my promise; for while I would\nhave taken you to mercy ye would none ask, but if ye had the\nbrachet again, that was my quest. And therewith he took off his\nhelm, and he arose and fled, and Sir Tor after him, and smote off\nhis head quite.\nNow sir, said the damosel, it is near night; I pray you come and\nlodge with me here at my place, it is here fast by. I will well,\nsaid Sir Tor, for his horse and he had fared evil since they\ndeparted from Camelot, and so he rode with her, and had passing\ngood cheer with her; and she had a passing fair old knight to her\nhusband that made him passing good cheer, and well eased both his\nhorse and him. And on the morn he heard his mass, and brake his\nfast, and took his leave of the knight and of the lady, that\nbesought him to tell them his name. Truly, he said, my name is\nSir Tor that was late made knight, and this was the first quest\nof arms that ever I did, to bring again that this knight Abelleus\ntook away from King Arthur's court. O fair knight, said the lady\nand her husband, an ye come here in our marches, come and see our\npoor lodging, and it shall be always at your commandment. So Sir\nTor departed and came to Camelot on the third day by noon, and\nthe king and the queen and all the court was passing fain of his\ncoming, and made great joy that he was come again; for he went\nfrom the court with little succour, but as King Pellinore his\nfather gave him an old courser, and King Arthur gave him armour\nand a sword, and else had he none other succour, but rode so\nforth himself alone. And then the king and the queen by Merlin's\nadvice made him to swear to tell of his adventures, and so he\ntold and made proofs of his deeds as it is afore rehearsed,\nwherefore the king and the queen made great joy. Nay, nay, said\nMerlin, these be but japes to that he shall do; for he shall\nprove a noble knight of prowess, as good as any is living,\n<95>and gentle and courteous, and of good tatches, and passing\ntrue of his promise, and never shall outrage. Wherethrough\nMerlin's words King Arthur gave him an earldom of lands that fell\nunto him. And here endeth the quest of Sir Tor, King Pellinore's\nson.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK III CHAPTER XI","type":"page"}