{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart119.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart119.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart119.htm","text":"CHAPTER I\nHow Beaumains came to King Arthur's Court and\ndemanded three petitions of King Arthur.\nWHEN Arthur held his Round Table most plenour, it fortuned that\nhe commanded that the high feast of Pentecost should be holden at\na city and a castle, the which in those days was called Kynke\nKenadonne, upon the sands that marched nigh Wales. So ever the\nking had a custom that at the feast of Pentecost in especial,\nafore other feasts in the year, he would not go that day to meat\nuntil he had heard or seen of a great marvel. And for that\ncustom all manner of strange adventures came before Arthur as at\nthat feast before all other feasts. And so Sir Gawaine, a little\nto-fore noon of the day of Pentecost, espied at a window three\nmen upon horseback, and a dwarf on foot, and so the three men\nalighted, and the dwarf kept their horses, and one of the three\nmen was higher than the other twain by a foot and an half. Then\nSir Gawaine went unto the king and said, Sir, go to your meat,\nfor here at the hand come strange adventures. So Arthur went\nunto his meat with many other kings. And there were all the\nknights of the Round Table, [save] only those that were prisoners\nor slain at a recounter. Then at the high feast evermore they\nshould be fulfilled the whole number of an hundred and fifty, for\nthen was the Round Table fully complished.\nRight so came into the hall two men well beseen and <210>richly,\nand upon their shoulders there leaned the goodliest young man and\nthe fairest that ever they all saw, and he was large and long,\nand broad in the shoulders, and well visaged, and the fairest and\nthe largest handed that ever man saw, but he fared as though he\nmight not go nor bear himself but if he leaned upon their\nshoulders. Anon as Arthur saw him there was made peace and room,\nand right so they yede with him unto the high dais, without\nsaying of any words. Then this much young man pulled him aback,\nand easily stretched up straight, saying, King Arthur, God you\nbless and all your fair fellowship, and in especial the\nfellowship of the Table Round. And for this cause I am come\nhither, to pray you and require you to give me three gifts, and\nthey shall not be unreasonably asked, but that ye may\nworshipfully and honourably grant them me, and to you no great\nhurt nor loss. And the first don and gift I will ask now, and\nthe other two gifts I will ask this day twelvemonth, wheresomever\nye hold your high feast. Now ask, said Arthur, and ye shall have\nyour asking.\nNow, sir, this is my petition for this feast, that ye will give\nme meat and drink sufficiently for this twelvemonth, and at that\nday I will ask mine other two gifts.\nMy fair son, said Arthur, ask better, I counsel thee, for this is\nbut a simple asking; for my heart giveth me to thee greatly, that\nthou art come of men of worship, and greatly my conceit faileth\nme but thou shalt prove a man of right great worship. Sir, he\nsaid, thereof be as it be may, I have asked that I will ask.\nWell, said the king, ye shall have meat and drink enough; I never\ndefended that none, neither my friend nor my foe. But what is\nthy name I would wit? I cannot tell you, said he. That is\nmarvel, said the king, that thou knowest not thy name, and thou\nart the goodliest young man that ever I saw. Then the king\nbetook him to Sir Kay the steward, and charged him that he should\ngive him of all manner of meats and drinks of the best, and also\nthat he had all manner of finding as though he were a lord's son.\nThat shall little need, said Sir Kay, to do such cost upon him;\n<211>for I dare undertake he is a villain born, and never will\nmake man, for an he had come of gentlemen he would have asked of\nyou horse and armour, but such as he is, so he asketh. And\nsithen he hath no name, I shall give him a name that shall be\nBeaumains, that is Fair-hands, and into the kitchen I shall bring\nhim, and there he shall have fat brose every day, that he shall\nbe as fat by the twelvemonths' end as a pork hog. Right so the\ntwo men departed and beleft him to Sir Kay, that scorned him and\nmocked him.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VII CHAPTER I","type":"page"}