{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart254.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart254.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart254.htm","text":"CHAPTER XVII\nHow Sir Lamorak jousted with divers knights of the castle\nwherein was Morgan le Fay.\nSIR PALOMIDES, said Dinadan, here is a castle that I know\nwell, and therein dwelleth Queen Morgan le Fay, King\nArthur's sister; and King Arthur gave her this castle, the\nwhich he hath repented him sithen a thousand times, for\nsithen King Arthur and she have been at debate and\nstrife; but this castle could he never get nor win of her\nby no manner of engine; and ever as she might she made\nwar on King Arthur. And all dangerous knights she\nwithholdeth with her, for to destroy all these knights that\nKing Arthur loveth. And there shall no knight pass this\nway but he must joust with one knight, or with two, or\nwith three. And if it hap that King Arthur's knight be\nbeaten, he shall lose his horse and his harness and all that\nhe hath, and hard, if that he escape, but that he shall be\nprisoner. So God me help, said Palomides, this is a\nshameful custom, and a villainous usance for a queen to\nuse, and namely to make such war upon her own lord,\nthat is called the Flower of Chivalry that is christian or\nheathen; and with all my heart I would destroy that\nshameful custom. And I will that all the world wit she\nshall have no service of me. And if she send out any\nknights, as I suppose she will, for to joust, they shall have\nboth their hands full. And I shall not fail you, said Sir\nDinadan, unto my puissance, upon my life.\nSo as they stood on horseback afore the castle, there\ncame a knight with a red shield, and two squires after\nhim; and he came straight unto Sir Palomides, the good\nknight, and said to him: Fair and gentle knight-errant,\nI require thee for the love thou owest unto knighthood,\nthat ye will not have ado here with these men of this\ncastle; for this was Sir Lamorak that thus said. For I\ncame hither to seek this deed, and it is my request; and\ntherefore I beseech you, knight, let me deal, and if I be\nbeaten revenge me. In the name of God, said Palomides,\nlet see how ye will speed, and we shall behold you. Then\nanon came forth a knight of the castle, and proffered to\njoust with the Knight with the Red Shield. Anon they\nencountered together, and he with the red shield smote\nhim so hard that he bare him over to the earth. Therewith\nanon came another knight of the castle, and he was\nsmitten so sore that he avoided his saddle. And forthwithal\ncame the third knight, and the Knight with the Red\nShield smote him to the earth. Then came Sir Palomides,\nand besought him that he might help him to joust. Fair\nknight, said he unto him, suffer me as at this time to have\nmy will, for an they were twenty knights I shall not doubt\nthem. And ever there were upon the walls of the castle\nmany lords and ladies that cried and said: Well have ye\njousted, Knight with the Red Shield. But as soon as\nthe knight had smitten them down, his squire took their\nhorses, and avoided their saddles and bridles of the horses,\nand turned them into the forest, and made the knights to\nbe kept to the end of the jousts. Right so came out of\nthe castle the fourth knight, and freshly proffered to joust\nwith the Knight with the Red Shield: and he was ready,\nand he smote him so hard that horse and man fell to the\nearth, and the knight's back brake with the fall, and his\nneck also. O Jesu, said Sir Palomides, that yonder is a\npassing good knight, and the best jouster that ever I\nsaw. By my head, said Sir Dinadan, he is as good as\never was Sir Launcelot or Sir Tristram, what knight\nsomever he be.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER XVII","type":"page"}