{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart234.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart234.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart234.htm","text":"CHAPTER XLI\nHow Sir Dinadan rescued a lady from Sir Breuse Saunce\nPite, and how Sir Tristram received a shield of Morgan le Fay.\nSO as Sir Dinadan rode by a well he found a lady making great\ndole. What aileth you? said Sir Dinadan. Sir knight, said the\nlady, I am the wofullest lady of the world, for within these five\ndays here came a knight called Sir Breuse Saunce Pite, and he\nslew mine own brother, and ever since he hath kept me at his own\nwill, and of all men in the world I hate him most; and therefore\nI require you of knighthood to avenge me, for he will not tarry,\nbut be here anon. Let him come, said Sir Dinadan, and because of\nhonour of all women I will do my part. With this came Sir\nBreuse, and when he saw a knight with his lady he was wood wroth.\nAnd then he said: Sir knight, keep thee from me. So they\nhurtled together as thunder, and either smote other passing sore,\nbut Sir Dinadan put him through the shoulder a grievous wound,\nand or ever Sir Dinadan might turn him Sir Breuse was gone and\nfled. Then the lady prayed him to bring her to a castle there\nbeside but four mile thence; and so Sir Dinadan brought her\nthere, and she was welcome, for the lord of that castle was her\nuncle; and so Sir Dinadan rode his way upon his adventure.\nNow turn we this tale unto Sir Tristram, that by adventure he\ncame to a castle to ask lodging, wherein was Queen Morgan le Fay;\nand so when Sir Tristram was let into that castle he had good\ncheer all that night. <428>And upon the morn when he would have\ndeparted the queen said: Wit ye well ye shall not depart\nlightly, for ye are here as a prisoner. Jesu defend! said Sir\nTristram, for I was but late a prisoner. Fair knight, said the\nqueen, ye shall abide with me till that I wit what ye are and\nfrom whence ye come. And ever the queen would set Sir Tristram\non her own side, and her paramour on the other side. And ever\nQueen Morgan would behold Sir Tristram, and thereat the knight\nwas jealous, and was in will suddenly to have run upon Sir\nTristram with a sword, but he left it for shame. Then the queen\nsaid to Sir Tristram: Tell me thy name, and I shall suffer you\nto depart when ye will. Upon that covenant I tell you my name is\nSir Tristram de Liones. Ah, said Morgan le Fay, an I had wist\nthat, thou shouldst not have departed so soon as thou shalt. But\nsithen I have made a promise I will hold it, with that thou wilt\npromise me to bear upon thee a shield that I shall deliver thee,\nunto the castle of the Hard Rock, where King Arthur had cried a\ngreat tournament, and there I pray you that ye will be, and to do\nfor me as much deeds of arms as ye may do. For at the Castle of\nMaidens, Sir Tristram, ye did marvellous deeds of arms as ever I\nheard knight do. Madam, said Sir Tristram, let me see the shield\nthat I shall bear. Then the shield was brought forth, and the\nfield was goldish, with a king and a queen therein painted, and a\nknight standing above them, [one foot] upon the king's head, and\nthe other upon the queen's. Madam, said Sir Tristram, this is a\nfair shield and a mighty; but what signifieth this king and this\nqueen, and the knight standing upon both their heads? I shall\ntell you, said Morgan le Fay, it signifieth King Arthur and Queen\nGuenever, and a knight who holdeth them both in bondage and in\nservage. Who is that knight? said Sir Tristram. That shall ye\nnot wit as at this time, said the queen. But as the French book\nsaith, Queen Morgan loved Sir Launcelot best, and ever she\ndesired him, and he would never love her nor do nothing at her\nrequest, and therefore she held many knights together for to have\ntaken him by strength. <429>And because she deemed that Sir\nLauncelot loved Queen Guenever paramour, and she him again,\ntherefore Queen Morgan le Fay ordained that shield to put Sir\nLauncelot to a rebuke, to that intent that King Arthur might\nunderstand the love between them. Then Sir Tristram took that\nshield and promised her to bear it at the tournament at the\nCastle of the Hard Rock. But Sir Tristram knew not that that\nshield was ordained against Sir Launcelot, but afterward he knew\nit.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IX CHAPTER XLI","type":"page"}