King Arthur and the Knights of the Round TableMalory, Thomas, Sir
General
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthurian romances
So Sir Beaumains rode away from the castle very sorrowful at heart, and
rode he knew not whither, and lay that night in a poor man's cottage.
On the morrow he went forward, and came at noon to a broad lake, and
thereby he alighted, being very sad and weary, and rested his head upon
his shield, and told his dwarf to keep watch while he slept.
Now, as soon as he had departed, the Lady Lyones repented, and greatly
longed to see him back, and asked her sister many times of what lineage
he was; but the damsel would not tell her, being bound by her oath to
Sir Beaumains, and said his dwarf best knew. So she called Sir
Gringamors, her brother, who dwelt with her, and prayed him to ride
after Sir Beaumains till he found him sleeping, and then to take his
dwarf away and bring him back to her. Anon Sir Gringamors departed, and
rode till he came to Sir Beaumains, and found him as he lay sleeping by
the water-side. Then stepping stealthily behind the dwarf he caught him
in his arms and rode off in haste. And though the dwarf cried loudly to
his lord for help, and woke Sir Beaumains, yet, though he rode full
quickly after him, he could not overtake Sir Gringamors.
When Dame Lyones saw her brother come back, she was passing glad of
heart, and forthwith asked the dwarf his master's lineage. "He is a
king's son," said the dwarf, "and his mother is King Arthur's sister.
His name is Sir Gareth of Orkney, and he is brother to the good knight,
Sir Gawain. But I pray you suffer me to go back to my lord, for truly he
will never leave this country till he have me again." But when the Lady
Lyones knew her deliverer was come of such a kingly stock, she longed
more than ever to see him again.
Now as Sir Beaumains rode in vain to rescue his dwarf, he came to a fair
green road and met a poor man of the country, and asked him had he seen
a knight on a black horse, riding with a dwarf of a sad countenance
behind him. "Yea," said the man, "I met with such a knight an hour
agone, and his name is Sir Gringamors. He liveth at a castle two miles
from hence; but he is a perilous knight, and I counsel ye not to follow
him save ye bear him goodwill." Then Sir Beaumains followed the path
which the poor man showed him, and came to the castle. And riding to the
gate in great anger, he drew his sword, and cried aloud, "Sir
Gringamors, thou traitor! deliver me my dwarf again, or by my knighthood
it shall be ill for thee!" Then Sir Gringamors looked out of a window
and said, "Sir Gareth of Orkney, leave thy boasting words, for thou wilt
not get thy dwarf again." But the Lady Lyones said to her brother, "Nay,
brother, but I will that he have his dwarf, for he hath done much for
me, and delivered me from the Knight of the Redlands, and well do I love
him above all other knights." So Sir Gringamors went down to Sir Gareth
and cried him mercy, and prayed him to alight and take good cheer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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