{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart077.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart077.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart077.htm","text":"CHAPTER XVII\nHow Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine met with twelve fair\ndamosels, and how they complained on Sir Marhaus.\nTHEN Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine went and saluted them, and asked\nwhy they did that despite to the shield. Sir, said the damosels,\nwe shall tell you. There is a knight in this country that owneth\nthis white shield, and he is a passing good man of his hands, but\nhe hateth all ladies and gentlewomen, and therefore we do all\nthis despite to the shield. I shall say you, said Sir Gawaine,\nit beseemeth evil a good knight to despise all ladies and\ngentlewomen, and peradventure though he hate you he hath some\ncertain cause, and peradventure he loveth in some other places\nladies and gentlewomen, and to be loved again, an he be such a\nman of prowess as ye speak of. Now, what is his name? Sir, said\nthey, his name is Marhaus, the king's son of Ireland. I know him\nwell, said Sir Uwaine, he is a passing good knight as any is\nalive, for I saw him once proved at a jousts where many knights\nwere gathered, and <128>that time there might no man withstand\nhim. Ah! said Sir Gawaine, damosels, methinketh ye are to blame,\nfor it is to suppose, he that hung that shield there, he will not\nbe long therefrom, and then may those knights match him on\nhorseback, and that is more your worship than thus; for I will\nabide no longer to see a knight's shield dishonoured. And\ntherewith Sir Uwaine and Gawaine departed a little from them, and\nthen were they ware where Sir Marhaus came riding on a great\nhorse straight toward them. And when the twelve damosels saw Sir\nMarhaus they fled into the turret as they were wild, so that some\nof them fell by the way. Then the one of the knights of the\ntower dressed his shield, and said on high, Sir Marhaus, defend\nthee. And so they ran together that the knight brake his spear\non Marhaus, and Marhaus smote him so hard that he brake his neck\nand the horse's back. That saw the other knight of the turret,\nand dressed him toward Marhaus, and they met so eagerly together\nthat the knight of the turret was soon smitten down, horse and\nman, stark dead.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IV CHAPTER XVII","type":"page"}