{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart298.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart298.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart298.htm","text":"CHAPTER LXI\nHow Palomides went for to fight with two brethren for the\ndeath of King Hermance.\nNOW will we leave them merry within Joyous Gard, and\nspeak we of Sir Palomides. Then Sir Palomides sailed\nevenlong Humber to the coasts of the sea, where was a\nfair castle. And at that time it was early in the morning,\nafore day. Then the mariners went unto Sir Palomides\nthat slept fast. Sir knight, said the mariners, ye must\narise, for here is a castle there ye must go into. I assent\nme, said Sir Palomides; and therewithal he arrived. And\nthen he blew his horn that the mariners had given him.\nAnd when they within the castle heard that horn they put\nforth many knights; and there they stood upon the walls,\nand said with one voice: Welcome be ye to this castle.\nAnd then it waxed clear day, and Sir Palomides entered\ninto the castle. And within a while he was served with\nmany divers meats. Then Sir Palomides heard about him\nmuch weeping and great dole. What may this mean?\nsaid Sir Palomides; I love not to hear such a sorrow, and\nfain I would know what it meaneth. Then there came\nafore him one whose name was Sir Ebel, that said thus:\nWit ye well, sir knight, this dole and sorrow is here made\nevery day, and for this cause: we had a king that hight\nHermance, and he was King of the Red City, and this\nking that was lord was a noble knight, large and liberal of\nhis expense; and in the world he loved nothing so much\nas he did errant knights of King Arthur's court, and all\njousting, hunting, and all manner of knightly games; for\nso kind a king and knight had never the rule of poor\npeople as he was; and because of his goodness and gentle\nness we bemoan him, and ever shall. And all kings and\nestates may beware by our lord, for he was destroyed in\nhis own default; for had he cherished them of his blood\nhe had yet lived with great riches and rest: but all estates\nmay beware by our king. But alas, said Ebel, that we\nshall give all other warning by his death.\nTell me, said Palomides, and in what manner was\nyour lord slain, and by whom. Sir, said Sir Ebel, our\nking brought up of children two men that now are\nperilous knights; and these two knights our king had so\nin charity, that he loved no man nor trusted no man of\nhis blood, nor none other that was about him. And by\nthese two knights our king was governed, and so they\nruled him peaceably and his lands, and never would they\nsuffer none of his blood to have no rule with our king.\nAnd also he was so free and so gentle, and they so false\nand deceivable, that they ruled him peaceably; and that\nespied the lords of our king's blood, and departed from\nhim unto their own livelihood. Then when these two\ntraitors understood that they had driven all the lords of\nhis blood from him, they were not pleased with that rule,\nbut then they thought to have more, as ever it is an old\nsaw: Give a churl rule and thereby he will not be\nsufficed; for whatsomever he be that is ruled by a villain\nborn, and the lord of the soil to be a gentleman born, the\nsame villain shall destroy all the gentlemen about him:\ntherefore all estates and lords, beware whom ye take about\nyou. And if ye be a knight of King Arthur's court remember\nthis tale, for this is the end and conclusion. My\nlord and king rode unto the forest hereby by the advice\nof these traitors, and there he chased at the red deer,\narmed at all pieces full like a good knight; and so for\nlabour he waxed dry, and then he alighted, and drank at\na well. And when he was alighted, by the assent of these\ntwo traitors, that one that hight Helius he suddenly smote\nour king through the body with a spear, and so they\nleft him there. And when they were departed, then by\nfortune I came to the well, and found my lord and king\nwounded to the death. And when I heard his complaint,\nI let bring him to the water side, and in that same ship I\nput him alive; and when my lord King Hermance was in\nthat vessel, he required me for the true faith I owed unto\nhim for to write a letter in this manner.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER LXI","type":"page"}