confusion alone was supreme, 92, 18 knightly exercises, 92, 30 pain of a fearful curse, 92, 37 great jousts, 93, 20 sore vexed, 93, 30 tender you my homage, 94, 10 foster father, 94, 31 of that kin, 95, 8 persisted in oppression, 95, 11 days of misrule, 95, 14 with pomp and ceremony, 96, 14 men of worship, 96, 18 put his person in adventure, 96, 19 courted peril, 96, 24 fulfill all her behests, 97, 3 raise the portcullis, 97, 4 courteous salutation, 97, 5 fain entreat of you, 97, 17 crave a boon of your chivalry, 97, 20 render true obedience, 98, 4 kept vigil, 99, 3 bear himself meetly, 99, 4 bear sway, 99, 11 in league with evil, 99, 17 petty realm, 99, 23 by mortal means, 99, 34 do my endeavor, 100, 11 to have you at disadvantage, 100, 13 dressed their shields, 100, 14 yield thee as recreant, 100, 27 stanched his wounds, 101, 9 good brand Excalibur, 102, 24 THE STORY OF GARETH HOW BEAUMAINS CAME TO KING ARTHUR’S COURT King Arthur had a custom that at the feast of Pentecost he would not go to meat until he had heard or seen a great marvel. And because of that custom all manner of strange adventures came before him at that feast. So Sir Gawain, a little before noon of the day of Pentecost, saw from a window three men on horseback and a dwarf on foot, and one of the men was higher than the other two, by a foot and a half. Then Sir Gawain went unto the King and said, “Sir, go to your meat, for here at hand come strange adventures.” Right so came into the hall two men and upon their shoulders there leaned the goodliest young man and the fairest that ever they all saw, and he was tall and large and broad in the shoulders and the fairest and largest-handed that ever man saw. This young man said, “King Arthur, God bless you and all your fair fellowship. For this cause I am come hither, to pray you to give me three gifts and they shall not be unreasonably asked, but you may honorably grant them me. The first gift I will ask now and the other two I will ask this day twelvemonth.” “Now ask,” said Arthur, “and ye shall have your asking.” “Sir,” said the young man, “this is my petition, that ye will give me meat and drink for this twelvemonth, and at that day I will ask mine other two gifts.” “My fair son,” said Arthur, “ask better, I counsel thee, for this is but simple asking; for my heart tells me that thou shalt prove a man of right great honor.” “Sir,” said the young man, “be that as it may, I have asked that I will ask.” “Well,” said the King, “ye shall have meat and drink enough; I never refused that to friend or foe. But what is thy name?” “I cannot tell you,” said the young man. “That is strange,” said the King, “that thou knowest not thy name and thou art the goodliest young man that ever I saw.” Then the King charged Sir Kay, the steward, that he should give the young man meat and drink of the best as though he were a lord’s son.