{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart120.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart120.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart120.htm","text":"CHAPTER II\nHow Sir Launcelot and Sir Gawaine were wroth because\nSir Kay mocked Beaumains, and of a damosel which\ndesired a knight to fight for a lady.\nTHEREAT was Sir Gawaine wroth, and in especial Sir Launcelot bade\nSir Kay leave his mocking, for I dare lay my head he shall prove\na man of great worship. Let be said Sir Kay, it may not be by no\nreason, for as he is, so he hath asked. Beware, said Sir\nLauncelot, so ye gave the good knight Brewnor, Sir Dinadan's\nbrother, a name, and ye called him La Cote Male Taile, and that\nturned you to anger afterward. As for that, said Sir Kay, this\nshall never prove none such. For Sir Brewnor desired ever\nworship, and this desireth bread and drink and broth; upon pain\nof my life he was fostered up in some abbey, and, howsomever it\nwas, they failed meat and drink, and so hither he is come for his\nsustenance.\nAnd so Sir Kay bade get him a place, and sit down to meat; so\nBeaumains went to the hall door, and set him down among boys and\nlads, and there he ate sadly. And then Sir Launcelot after meat\nbade him come to his chamber, and there he should have meat and\ndrink enough. And so did Sir Gawaine: but he refused them all;\nhe would do none other but as Sir Kay commanded him, for no\nproffer. But as touching Sir Gawaine, he had reason to\n<212>proffer him lodging, meat, and drink, for that proffer came\nof his blood, for he was nearer kin to him than he wist. But\nthat as Sir Launcelot did was of his great gentleness and\ncourtesy.\nSo thus he was put into the kitchen, and lay nightly as the boys\nof the kitchen did. And so he endured all that twelvemonth, and\nnever displeased man nor child, but always he was meek and mild.\nBut ever when that he saw any jousting of knights, that would he\nsee an he might. And ever Sir Launcelot would give him gold to\nspend, and clothes, and so did Sir Gawaine, and where there were\nany masteries done, thereat would he be, and there might none\ncast bar nor stone to him by two yards. Then would Sir Kay say,\nHow liketh you my boy of the kitchen? So it passed on till the\nfeast of Whitsuntide. And at that time the king held it at\nCarlion in the most royallest wise that might be, like as he did\nyearly. But the king would no meat eat upon the Whitsunday,\nuntil he heard some adventures. Then came there a squire to the\nking and said, Sir, ye may go to your meat, for here cometh a\ndamosel with some strange adventures. Then was the king glad and\nsat him down.\nRight so there came a damosel into the hall and saluted the king,\nand prayed him of succour. For whom? said the king, what is the\nadventure?\nSir, she said, I have a lady of great worship and renown, and she\nis besieged with a tyrant, so that she may not out of her castle;\nand because here are called the noblest knights of the world, I\ncome to you to pray you of succour. What hight your lady, and\nwhere dwelleth she, and who is she, and what is his name that\nhath besieged her? Sir king, she said, as for my lady's name\nthat shall not ye know for me as at this time, but I let you wit\nshe is a lady of great worship and of great lands; and as for the\ntyrant that besiegeth her and destroyeth her lands, he is called\nthe Red Knight of the Red Launds. I know him not, said the king.\nSir, said Sir Gawaine, I know him well, for he is one of the\nperilloust knights of the world; men say that he hath seven men's\nstrength, <213>and from him I escaped once full hard with my\nlife. Fair damosel, said the king, there be knights here would\ndo their power for to rescue your lady, but because you will not\ntell her name, nor where she dwelleth, therefore none of my\nknights that here be now shall go with you by my will. Then must\nI speak further, said the damosel.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VII CHAPTER II","type":"page"}