{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart275.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart275.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart275.htm","text":"CHAPTER XXXVIII\nHow Alisander was delivered from Queen Morgan le Fay\nby the means of a damosel.\nSIR knight, said the damosel, an ye would be merry\nI could tell you good tidings. Well were me, said\nAlisander, an I might hear of good tidings, for now I\nstand as a prisoner by my promise. Sir, she said, wit you\nwell that ye be a prisoner, and worse than ye ween; for\nmy lady, my cousin Queen Morgan le Fay, keepeth you\nhere for none other intent but for to do her pleasure with\nyou when it liketh her. O Jesu defend me, said Alisander,\nfrom such pleasure; for I had liefer cut away my hangers\nthan I would do her such pleasure. As Jesu help me, said\nthe damosel, an ye would love me and be ruled by me, I\nshall make your deliverance with your worship. Tell me,\nsaid Alisander, by what means, and ye shall have my love.\nFair knight, said she, this castle of right ought to be\nmine, and I have an uncle the which is a mighty earl, he is\nEarl of Pase, and of all folks he hateth most Morgan le\nFay; and I shall send unto him and pray him for my sake\nto destroy this castle for the evil customs that be used\ntherein; and then will he come and set wild-fire on every\npart of the castle, and I shall get you out at a privy\npostern, and there shall ye have your horse and your\nharness. Ye say well, damosel, said Alisander. And then\nshe said: Ye may keep the room of this castle this\ntwelvemonth and a day, then break ye not your oath.\nTruly, fair damosel, said Alisander, ye say sooth. And\nthen he kissed her, and did to her pleasaunce as it pleased\nthem both at times and leisures.\nSo anon she sent unto her uncle and bade him come\nand destroy that castle, for as the book saith, he would\nhave destroyed that castle afore time had not that damosel\nbeen. When the earl understood her letters he sent her\nword again that on such a day he would come and destroy\nthat castle. So when that day came she showed Alisander\na postern wherethrough he should flee into a garden, and\nthere he should find his armour and his horse. When the\nday came that was set, thither came the Earl of Pase with\nfour hundred knights, and set on fire all the parts of the\ncastle, that or they ceased they left not a stone standing.\nAnd all this while that the fire was in the castle he abode\nin the garden. And when the fire was done he let make\na cry that he would keep that piece of earth thereas the\ncastle of La Beale Regard was a twelvemonth and a day,\nfrom all manner knights that would come\nSo it happed there was a duke that hight Ansirus, and\nhe was of the kin of Sir Launcelot. And this knight\nwas a great pilgrim, for every third year he would be\nat Jerusalem. And because he used all his life to go in\npilgrimage men called him Duke Ansirus the Pilgrim.\nAnd this duke had a daughter that hight Alice, that was\na passing fair woman, and because of her father she was\ncalled Alice la Beale Pilgrim. And anon as she heard of\nthis cry she went unto Arthur's court, and said openly in\nhearing of many knights, that what knight may overcome\nthat knight that keepeth that piece of earth shall have me\nand all my lands.\nWhen the knights of the Round Table heard her say\nthus many were glad, for she was passing fair and of great\nrents. Right so she let cry in castles and towns as fast on\nher side as Alisander did on his side. Then she dressed\nher pavilion straight by the piece of the earth that\nAlisander kept. So she was not so soon there but there\ncame a knight of Arthur's court that hight Sagramore le\nDesirous, and he proffered to joust with Alisander; and\nthey encountered, and Sagramore le Desirous brised his\nspear upon Sir Alisander, but Sir Alisander smote him so\nhard that he avoided his saddle. And when La Beale\nAlice saw him joust so well, she thought him a passing\ngoodly knight on horseback. And then she leapt out of\nher pavilion, and took Sir Alisander by the bridle, and\nthus she said: Fair knight, I require thee of thy knighthood\nshow me thy visage. I dare well, said Alisander,\nshow my visage. And then he put off his helm; and she\nsaw his visage, she said: O sweet Jesu, thee I must love,\nand never other. Then show me your visage, said he.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER XXXVIII","type":"page"}