{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart130.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart130.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart130.htm","text":"CHAPTER XII\nHow Beaumains fought with Sir Persant of Inde, and made\nhim to be yielden.\nWITH this Sir Persant of Inde had espied them as they hoved in\nthe field, and knightly he sent to them whether he came in war or\nin peace. Say to thy lord, said Beaumains, I take no force, but\nwhether as him list himself. So the messenger went again unto\nSir Persant and told him all his answer. Well then will I have\nado with him to the utterance, and so he purveyed him and rode\nagainst him. And Beaumains saw him and made him ready, and there\nthey met with all that ever their horses might run, and brast\ntheir spears either in three pieces, and their horses rushed so\ntogether that both their horses fell dead to the earth; and\nlightly they avoided their horses and put their shields afore\nthem, and drew their swords, and gave many great strokes that\nsometime they hurtled together that they fell grovelling on the\nground. Thus they fought two hours and more, that their shields\nand their hauberks were all forhewen, and in many steads they\nwere wounded. So at the last Sir Beaumains smote him through the\ncost of the body, and then he retrayed him here and there, and\nknightly maintained his battle long time. And at the last,\nthough him loath were, Beaumains smote Sir Persant above upon the\nhelm, that he fell grovelling to the earth; and then he leapt\nupon him overthwart and unlaced his helm to have slain him.\nThen Sir Persant yielded him and asked him mercy. With that came\nthe damosel and prayed to save his life. I will well, for it\nwere pity this noble knight should die. Gramercy, said Persant,\ngentle knight and damosel. For certainly now I wot well it was\nye that slew my brother the Black Knight at the black thorn; he\nwas a full noble knight, his name was Sir Percard. Also I am\nsure that ye are he that won mine other brother the Green Knight,\n<230>his name was Sir Pertolepe. Also ye won my brother the Red\nKnight, Sir Perimones. And now since ye have won these, this\nshall I do for to please you: ye shall have homage and fealty of\nme, and an hundred knights to be always at your commandment, to\ngo and ride where ye will command us. And so they went unto Sir\nPersant's pavilion and drank the wine, and ate spices, and\nafterward Sir Persant made him to rest upon a bed until supper\ntime, and after supper to bed again. When Beaumains was abed,\nSir Persant had a lady, a fair daughter of eighteen year of age,\nand there he called her unto him, and charged her and commanded\nher upon his blessing to go unto the knight's bed, and lie down\nby his side, and make him no strange cheer, but good cheer, and\ntake him in thine arms and kiss him, and look that this be done,\nI charge you, as ye will have my love and my good will. So Sir\nPersant's daughter did as her father bade her, and so she went\nunto Sir Beaumains' bed, and privily she dispoiled her, and laid\nher down by him, and then he awoke and saw her, and asked her\nwhat she was. Sir, she said, I am Sir Persant's daughter, that\nby the commandment of my father am come hither. Be ye a maid or\na wife? said he. Sir, she said, I am a clean maiden. God\ndefend, said he, that I should defoil you to do Sir Persant such\na shame; therefore, fair damosel, arise out of this bed or else I\nwill. Sir, she said, I came not to you by mine own will, but as\nI was commanded. Alas, said Sir Beaumains, I were a shameful\nknight an I would do your father any disworship; and so he kissed\nher, and so she departed and came unto Sir Persant her father,\nand told him all how she had sped. Truly, said Sir Persant,\nwhatsomever he be, he is come of a noble blood. And so we leave\nthem there till on the morn.\n<231>","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VII CHAPTER XII","type":"page"}