{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart057.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart057.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart057.htm","text":"CHAPTER XII\nHow King Pellinore rode after the lady and the knight that\nled her away, and how a lady desired help of him, and\nhow he fought with two knights for that lady, of whom\nhe slew the one at the first stroke.\nTHEN King Pellinore armed him and mounted upon his horse, and\nrode more than a pace after the lady that the knight led away.\nAnd as he rode in a forest, he saw in a valley a damosel sit by a\nwell, and a wounded knight in her arms, and Pellinore saluted\nher. And when she was ware of him, she cried overloud, Help me,\nknight; for Christ's sake, King Pellinore. And he would not\ntarry, he was so eager in his quest, and ever she cried an\nhundred times after help. When she saw he would not abide, she\nprayed unto God to send him as much need of help as she had, and\nthat he might feel it or he died. So, as the book telleth, the\nknight there died that there was wounded, wherefore the lady for\npure sorrow slew herself with his sword. As King Pellinore rode\nin that valley he met with a poor man, a labourer. Sawest thou\nnot, said Pellinore, a knight riding and leading away a lady?\nYea, said the man, I saw that knight, and the lady that made\ngreat dole; and yonder beneath in a valley there shall ye see two\npavilions, and one of the knights of the pavilions challenged\nthat lady of that knight, and said she was his cousin near,\nwherefore he should lead her no farther. And so they waged\nbattle in that quarrel, the one said he would have her by force,\nand the other said he would have the rule of her, by cause he was\nher kinsman, and would lead her to her kin. For this quarrel he\nleft them fighting. And if <96>ye will ride a pace ye shall find\nthem fighting, and the lady was beleft with the two squires in\nthe pavilions. God thank thee, said King Pellinore.\nThen he rode a wallop till he had a sight of the two pavilions,\nand the two knights fighting. Anon he rode unto the pavilions,\nand saw the lady that was his quest, and said, Fair lady, ye must\ngo with me unto the court of King Arthur. Sir knight, said the\ntwo squires that were with her, yonder are two knights that fight\nfor this lady, go thither and depart them, and be agreed with\nthem, and then may ye have her at your pleasure. Ye say well,\nsaid King Pellinore. And anon he rode betwixt them, and departed\nthem, and asked them the causes why that they fought? Sir\nknight, said the one, I shall tell you, this lady is my kinswoman\nnigh, mine aunt's daughter, and when I heard her complain that\nshe was with him maugre her head, I waged battle to fight with\nhim. Sir knight, said the other, whose name was Hontzlake of\nWentland, and this lady I gat by my prowess of arms this day at\nArthur's court. That is untruly said, said King Pellinore, for\nye came in suddenly there as we were at the high feast, and took\naway this lady or any man might make him ready; and therefore it\nwas my quest to bring her again and you both, or else the one of\nus to abide in the field; therefore the lady shall go with me, or\nI will die for it, for I have promised it King Arthur. And\ntherefore fight ye no more, for none of you shall have no part of\nher at this time; and if ye list to fight for her, fight with me,\nand I will defend her. Well, said the knights, make you ready,\nand we shall assail you with all our power. And as King\nPellinore would have put his horse from them, Sir Hontzlake rove\nhis horse through with a sword, and said: Now art thou on foot\nas well as we are. When King Pellinore espied that his horse was\nslain, lightly he leapt from his horse and pulled out his sword,\nand put his shield afore him, and said, Knight, keep well thy\nhead, for thou shalt have a buffet for the slaying of my horse.\nSo King Pellinore gave him such a stroke upon the helm that he\nclave the head down to the chin, that he fell to the earth dead.\n<97>","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK III CHAPTER XII","type":"page"}