{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart132.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart132.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart132.htm","text":"CHAPTER XIV\nHow the lady that was besieged had word from her sister\nhow she had brought a knight to fight for her, and\nwhat battles he had achieved.\nSO the book saith that the lady that was besieged had word of her\nsister's coming by the dwarf, and a knight with her, and how he\nhad passed all the perilous passages. What manner a man is he?\nsaid the lady. He is a noble knight, truly, madam, said the\ndwarf, and but a young man, but he is as likely a man as ever ye\nsaw any. What is he? said the damosel, and of what kin is he\ncome, and <233>of whom was he made knight? Madam, said the\ndwarf, he is the king's son of Orkney, but his name I will not\ntell you as at this time; but wit ye well, of Sir Launcelot was\nhe made knight, for of none other would he be made knight, and\nSir Kay named him Beaumains. How escaped he, said the lady, from\nthe brethren of Persant? Madam, he said, as a noble knight\nshould. First, he slew two brethren at a passage of a water.\nAh! said she, they were good knights, but they were murderers,\nthe one hight Gherard le Breuse, and the other knight hight Sir\nArnold le Breuse. Then, madam, he recountered with the Black\nKnight, and slew him in plain battle, and so he took his horse\nand his armour and fought with the Green Knight and won him in\nplain battle, and in like wise he served the Red Knight, and\nafter in the same wise he served the Blue Knight and won him in\nplain battle. Then, said the lady, he hath overcome Sir Persant\nof Inde, one of the noblest knights of the world, and the dwarf\nsaid, He hath won all the four brethren and slain the Black\nKnight, and yet he did more to-fore: he overthrew Sir Kay and\nleft him nigh dead upon the ground; also he did a great battle\nwith Sir Launcelot, and there they departed on even hands: and\nthen Sir Launcelot made him knight.\nDwarf, said the lady, I am glad of these tidings, therefore go\nthou in an hermitage of mine hereby, and there shalt thou bear\nwith thee of my wine in two flagons of silver, they are of two\ngallons, and also two cast of bread with fat venison baked, and\ndainty fowls; and a cup of gold here I deliver thee, that is rich\nand precious; and bear all this to mine hermitage, and put it in\nthe hermit's hands. And sithen go thou unto my sister and greet\nher well, and commend me unto that gentle knight, and pray him to\neat and to drink and make him strong, and say ye him I thank him\nof his courtesy and goodness, that he would take upon him such\nlabour for me that never did him bounty nor courtesy. Also pray\nhim that he be of good heart and courage, for he shall meet with\na full noble knight, but he is neither of bounty, courtesy, nor\n<234>gentleness; for he attendeth unto nothing but to murder, and\nthat is the cause I cannot praise him nor love him.\nSo this dwarf departed, and came to Sir Persant, where he found\nthe damosel Linet and Sir Beaumains, and there he told them all\nas ye have heard; and then they took their leave, but Sir Persant\ntook an ambling hackney and conveyed them on their ways, and then\nbeleft them to God; and so within a little while they came to\nthat hermitage, and there they drank the wine, and ate the\nvenison and the fowls baken. And so when they had repasted them\nwell, the dwarf returned again with his vessel unto the castle\nagain; and there met with him the Red Knight of the Red Launds,\nand asked him from whence that he came, and where he had been.\nSir, said the dwarf, I have been with my lady's sister of this\ncastle, and she hath been at King Arthur's court, and brought a\nknight with her. Then I account her travail but lost; for though\nshe had brought with her Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, Sir\nLamorak, or Sir Gawaine, I would think myself good enough for\nthem all.\nIt may well be, said the dwarf, but this knight hath passed all\nthe perilous passages, and slain the Black Knight and other two\nmore, and won the Green Knight, the Red Knight, and the Blue\nKnight. Then is he one of these four that I have afore\nrehearsed. He is none of those, said the dwarf, but he is a\nking's son. What is his name? said the Red Knight of the Red\nLaunds. That will I not tell you, said the dwarf, but Sir Kay\nupon scorn named him Beaumains. I care not, said the knight,\nwhat knight so ever he be, for I shall soon deliver him. And if\nI ever match him he shall have a shameful death as many other\nhave had. That were pity, said the dwarf, and it is marvel that\nye make such shameful war upon noble knights.\n<235>","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VII CHAPTER XIV","type":"page"}