Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 13 (of 15), King Arthur (1)Malory, Thomas, Sir
General
Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 13 (of 15), King Arthur (1)
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthurian romances; Malory, Thomas, Sir, active 15th century. Morte d'Arthur -- Adaptations
When Lionel saw this, anger filled his soul, and he thought to win
honor in a bout of arms with this vigorous champion, so he quietly took
his horse, so as not to waken Lancelot, and rode towards the victor,
loudly bidding him turn and try his fortune in a joust.
But the ambitious young knight soon found that he had let youthful pride
bring him into trouble, for the strong warrior smote him so hard a blow
that horse and man went together to the earth. Then the victor alighted
and served Lionel as he had done the others, binding him and flinging
him athwart his own horse.
He did the same with the three others, and rode away with his prisoners,
until he came to a castle that lay beyond the plain. Here he forced them
to remove their armor, and beat their naked skin with thorns till they
were ready to swoon with the pain. Then he had them thrust into a deep
prison where were many other knights, whose groans and lamentations
filled the air with doleful sounds.
Through all this Lancelot slept on, nor did he waken from his slumber
till another misadventure had taken place. For Sir Hector de Maris, the
brother of Lionel, finding that Lancelot had left the court to seek
adventures, was angry that he had not been asked to keep him company,
and rode hastily after him, hoping to overtake him.
After he had ridden long in the forest he met a man dressed like a
forester, and asked him if any knightly adventures could be found near
by.
"Sir knight," answered the forester, "I know this country well, and can
promise you all, and mayhap more, than you want. Within a mile of here
is a strong manor; by that manor, on the left hand, is a fair ford for
horses to drink at; over that ford there grows a spreading tree; and on
that tree hang many shields which good knights once wielded. On the
trunk of the tree you will see a basin of brass and copper, and if you
seek an adventure you have but to strike that basin thrice with the butt
of your spear. If then you do not soon hear tidings of interest, you
will have the best fortune of any knight who has passed through this
forest for many a long year."
"Gramercy, for your tidings," said Hector, and rode rapidly on.
Soon he came to the manor and the tree, and saw the shields of which the
forester had told him, and to his surprise and grief he noted among them
the shield of his brother Lionel, and many more that he knew belonged to
Round Table knights. Then, with a heart full of thoughts of revenge, he
beat upon the basin roundly with his spear, until its clang rung far and
wide. This done, he turned his horse and let him drink at the ford.
As he stood there he heard a loud voice behind him, bidding him come out
of the water and make ready, and looking round he beheld a
powerfully-built knight on a strong horse.
Hector wheeled his horse sharply, and putting his spear in rest rode
furiously upon this knight, striking him so fierce a blow that his horse
turned twice around.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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