King Arthur's Knights: The Tales Re-told for Boys & GirlsGilbert, Henry
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King Arthur's Knights: The Tales Re-told for Boys & Girls
Gilbert, Henry
Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Knights and knighthood -- Juvenile literature
'Alas!' cried the knight, falling from his horse, 'I am slain by the
traitorous and wizard knight. His punishment is not for me, sir knight,
but I charge you, seek him out and slay him for my sake, and for the
sake of my dead lady.'
'That will I do,' said Balin, sorrowing, 'and thereof I make a vow to
you and this damsel by my knighthood.'
When Balin had told all to his lord, King Arthur, the king made the
knight to be buried in a rich tomb, and on it engraved his sad story,
together with his name, Sir Herlew, and that of his lady love,
Gwenellen.
Balin and the damsel rode forward the next day and for many days, and
ever the lady bore the truncheon of the spear with her by which Sir
Herlew had been slain.
Then on a day they lodged at the house of a rich knight named Sir
Gwydion, an old grey gentleman, of a sad aspect. When night came, Sir
Balin lay sleeping in the hall beside the fire, and suddenly he awoke
at the sound of one sorrowing quietly near him. He rose up and went to
the pallet and saw it was his host, and he asked him why he mourned in
the dark.
'I will tell you,' said the old sad knight, 'and the telling will
comfort me. I was but late at a jousting, and there I jousted with a
knight that is brother to good King Pellam. And a full evil kinsman is
this knight of so good a king. I smote the evil man from his horse
twice, and he was full of rage that I, an old man, should overcome him.
Therefore by treachery he assailed my son, a young and untried knight,
and slew him. And I cannot avenge my dear son, for the evil man goeth
invisible. But I pray that I may meet him in a little while.'
'Is not his name Garlon?' asked Balin.
'Ye say right,' said Sir Gwydion.
'Ah, I know him,' replied Balin, 'and I had rather meet with him than
have all the gold of this realm.'
'That shall we both do,' said his host. 'For King Pellam, his brother,
king of the land of Holy Hallows, hath made a cry in all this country,
of a great feast that shall be in twenty days, and that evil knight,
your enemy and mine, shall we see there.'
On the morrow they rode all three towards the town of King Pellam, and
when they came within the country of Holy Hallows, Sir Balin saw how
fair and happy was the land and its joyful people. Their meadows were
rich with grass, the cattle were thriving and sleek, the trees were
loaded with fruit and the cornfields full with rich ripe corn.
'Why doth it seem,' asked Balin, 'that this country is the fairest and
happiest that ever I saw?'
'It is for this,' said Sir Gwydion, 'that in the Castle of Holy
Hallows, whither we wend, King Pellam hath some holy relics of a
passing marvellous power, and while he keepeth these his land is rich
and happy, and plagues cannot enter it nor murrain, nor can pestilence
waste the people.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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