{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart201.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart201.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart201.htm","text":"CHAPTER VII\nHow Sir Launcelot met with the damosel named Male\ndisant, and named her the Damosel Bienpensant.\nSO then they took their horses and rode forth a pace after Sir\nLauncelot. And within two mile they overtook him, and saluted\nhim, and thanked him, and the damosel cried Sir Launcelot mercy\nof her evil deed and saying: For now I know the flower of all\nknighthood is departed even between Sir Tristram and you. For\nGod knoweth, said the damosel, that I have sought you my lord,\nSir Launcelot, and Sir Tristram long, and now I thank God I have\nmet with you; and once at Camelot I met with Sir Tristram, and\nthere he rescued this black shield with the white hand holding a\nnaked sword that Sir Breuse Saunce Pite had taken from me. Now,\nfair damosel, said Sir Launcelot, who told you my name? Sir,\nsaid she, there came a damosel from a knight that ye fought\nwithal at the bridge, and she told me your name was Sir Launcelot\ndu Lake. Blame have she then, said Sir Launcelot, but her lord,\nSir Nerovens, hath told her. But, damosel, said Sir Launcelot,\nupon this covenant I will ride with you, so that ye will not\nrebuke this knight Sir La Cote Male Taile no more; for he is a\ngood knight, and I doubt not he shall prove a noble knight, and\nfor his sake and pity that he should not be destroyed I followed\nhim to succour him in this great need. Ah, Jesu thank you, said\nthe damosel, for now I will say unto you and to him both, I\nrebuked him never for no hate that I hated him, but for great\n<363>love that I had to him. For ever I supposed that he had\nbeen too young and too tender to take upon him these adventures.\nAnd therefore by my will I would have driven him away for\njealousy that I had of his life, for it may be no young knight's\ndeed that shall enchieve this adventure to the end. Pardieu,\nsaid Sir Launcelot, it is well said, and where ye are called the\nDamosel Maledisant I will call you the Damosel Bienpensant.\nAnd so they rode forth a great while unto they came to the border\nof the country of Surluse, and there they found a fair village\nwith a strong bridge like a fortress. And when Sir Launcelot and\nthey were at the bridge there stert forth afore them of gentlemen\nand yeomen many, that said: Fair lords, ye may not pass this\nbridge and this fortress because of that black shield that I see\none of you bear, and therefore there shall not pass but one of\nyou at once; therefore choose you which of you shall enter within\nthis bridge first. Then Sir Launcelot proffered himself first to\nenter within this bridge. Sir, said La Cote Male Taile, I\nbeseech you let me enter within this fortress, and if I may speed\nwell I will send for you, and if it happened that I be slain,\nthere it goeth. And if so be that I am a prisoner taken, then\nmay ye rescue me. I am loath, said Sir Launcelot, to let you\npass this passage. Sir, said La Cote Male Taile, I pray you let\nme put my body in this adventure. Now go your way, said Sir\nLauncelot, and Jesu be your speed.\nSo he entered, and anon there met with him two brethren, the one\nhight Sir Plaine de Force, and the other hight Sir Plaine de\nAmours. And anon they met with Sir La Cote Male Taile; and first\nLa Cote Male Taile smote down Plaine de Force, and after he smote\ndown Plaine de Amours; and then they dressed them to their\nshields and swords, and bade La Cote Male Taile alight, and so he\ndid; and there was dashing and foining with swords, and so they\nbegan to assail full hard La Cote Male Taile, and many great\nwounds they gave him upon his head, and upon his breast, and upon\nhis shoulders. And as he might ever among he gave sad strokes\nagain. <364>And then the two brethren traced and traversed for\nto be of both hands of Sir La Cote Male Taile, but he by fine\nforce and knightly prowess gat them afore him. And then when he\nfelt himself so wounded, then he doubled his strokes, and gave\nthem so many wounds that he felled them to the earth, and would\nhave slain them had they not yielded them. And right so Sir La\nCote Male Taile took the best horse that there was of them three,\nand so rode forth his way to the other fortress and bridge; and\nthere he met with the third brother whose name was Sir Plenorius,\na full noble knight, and there they jousted together, and either\nsmote other down, horse and man, to the earth. And then they\navoided their horses, and dressed their shields, and drew their\nswords, and gave many sad strokes, and one while the one knight\nwas afore on the bridge, and another while the other. And thus\nthey fought two hours and more, and never rested. And ever Sir\nLauncelot and the damosel beheld them. Alas, said the damosel,\nmy knight fighteth passing sore and over long. Now may ye see,\nsaid Sir Launcelot, that he is a noble knight, for to consider\nhis first battle, and his grievous wounds; and even forthwithal\nso wounded as he is, it is marvel that he may endure this long\nbattle with that good knight.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IX CHAPTER VII","type":"page"}