{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart210.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart210.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart210.htm","text":"CHAPTER XVI\nHow King Arthur was brought into the Forest Perilous,\nand how Sir Tristram saved his life.\nNOW shall ye hear what was the cause that King Arthur came into\nthe Forest Perilous, that was in North Wales, by the means of a\nlady. Her name was Annowre, and this lady came to King Arthur at\nCardiff; and she by fair promise and fair behests made King\nArthur to ride with her into that Forest Perilous; and she was a\ngreat sorceress; and many days she had loved King Arthur, and\nbecause she would have him to lie by her she came into that\ncountry. So when the king was gone with her many of his knights\nfollowed after King Arthur when they missed him, as Sir\nLauncelot, Brandiles, and many other; and when she had brought\nhim to her tower she desired him to lie by her; and then the king\nremembered him of his lady, and would not lie by her for no craft\nthat she could do. Then every day she would make him ride into\nthat forest with his own knights, to the intent to have had King\nArthur slain. For when this Lady Annowre saw that she might not\nhave him at her will, then she laboured by false means to have\ndestroyed King Arthur, and slain.\nThen the Lady of the Lake that was alway friendly to King Arthur,\nshe understood by her subtle crafts that <377>King Arthur was\nlike to be destroyed. And therefore this Lady of the Lake, that\nhight Nimue, came into that forest to seek after Sir Launcelot du\nLake or Sir Tristram for to help King Arthur; foras that same day\nthis Lady of the Lake knew well that King Arthur should be slain,\nunless that he had help of one of these two knights. And thus\nshe rode up and down till she met with Sir Tristram, and anon as\nshe saw him she knew him. O my lord Sir Tristram, she said, well\nbe ye met, and blessed be the time that I have met with you; for\nthis same day, and within these two hours, shall be done the\nfoulest deed that ever was done in this land. O fair damosel,\nsaid Sir Tristram, may I amend it. Come on with me, she said,\nand that in all the haste ye may, for ye shall see the most\nworshipfullest knight of the world hard bestead. Then said Sir\nTristram: I am ready to help such a noble man. He is neither\nbetter nor worse, said the Lady of the Lake, but the noble King\nArthur himself. God defend, said Sir Tristram, that ever he\nshould be in such distress. Then they rode together a great\npace, until they came to a little turret or castle; and\nunderneath that castle they saw a knight standing upon foot\nfighting with two knights; and so Sir Tristram beheld them, and\nat the last the two knights smote down the one knight, and that\none of them unlaced his helm to have slain him. And the Lady\nAnnowre gat King Arthur's sword in her hand to have stricken off\nhis head. And therewithal came Sir Tristram with all his might,\ncrying: Traitress, traitress, leave that. And anon there Sir\nTristram smote the one of the knights through the body that he\nfell dead; and then he rashed to the other and smote his back\nasunder; and in the meanwhile the Lady of the Lake cried to King\nArthur: Let not that false lady escape. Then King Arthur\novertook her, and with the same sword he smote off her head, and\nthe Lady of the Lake took up her head and hung it up by the hair\nof her saddle-bow. And then Sir Tristram horsed King Arthur and\nrode forth with him, but he charged the Lady of the Lake not to\ndiscover his name as at that time.\n<378>\nWhen the king was horsed he thanked heartily Sir Tristram, and\ndesired to wit his name; but he would not tell him, but that he\nwas a poor knight adventurous; and so he bare King Arthur\nfellowship till he met with some of his knights. And within a\nwhile he met with Sir Ector de Maris, and he knew not King Arthur\nnor Sir Tristram, and he desired to joust with one of them. Then\nSir Tristram rode unto Sir Ector, and smote him from his horse.\nAnd when he had done so he came again to the king and said: My\nlord, yonder is one of your knights, he may bare you fellowship,\nand another day that deed that I have done for you I trust to God\nye shall understand that I would do you service. Alas, said King\nArthur, let me wit what ye are? Not at this time, said Sir\nTristram. So he departed and left King Arthur and Sir Ector\ntogether.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IX CHAPTER XVI","type":"page"}