Anon therewithal there came the three knights that fought with Sir
Launcelot at the long bridge. And there they yielded them unto Sir Kay,
and Sir Kay forsook them and said he fought never with them. But I
shall ease your heart, said Sir Kay, yonder is Sir Launcelot that
overcame you. When they wist that they were glad. And then Sir Meliot
de Logres came home, and told the king how Sir Launcelot had saved him
from the death. And all his deeds were known, how four queens,
sorceresses, had him in prison, and how he was delivered by King
Bagdemagus’ daughter. Also there were told all the great deeds of arms
that Sir Launcelot did betwixt the two kings, that is for to say the
King of Northgalis and King Bagdemagus. All the truth Sir Gahalantine
did tell, and Sir Mador de la Porte and Sir Mordred, for they were at
that same tournament. Then came in the lady that knew Sir Launcelot
when that he wounded Sir Belleus at the pavilion. And there, at request
of Sir Launcelot, Sir Belleus was made knight of the Round Table. And
so at that time Sir Launcelot had the greatest name of any knight of
the world, and most he was honoured of high and low.
Explicit the noble tale of Sir Launcelot du Lake, which is the vi.
book. Here followeth the tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney that was called
Beaumains by Sir Kay, and is the seventh book.
BOOK VII.
CHAPTER I. How Beaumains came to King Arthur’s Court and demanded three
petitions of King Arthur.
When Arthur held his Round Table most plenour, it fortuned that he
commanded that the high feast of Pentecost should be holden at a city
and a castle, the which in those days was called Kynke Kenadonne, upon
the sands that marched nigh Wales. So ever the king had a custom that
at the feast of Pentecost in especial, afore other feasts in the year,
he would not go that day to meat until he had heard or seen of a great
marvel. And for that custom all manner of strange adventures came
before Arthur as at that feast before all other feasts. And so Sir
Gawaine, a little to-fore noon of the day of Pentecost, espied at a
window three men upon horseback, and a dwarf on foot, and so the three
men alighted, and the dwarf kept their horses, and one of the three men
was higher than the other twain by a foot and an half. Then Sir Gawaine
went unto the king and said, Sir, go to your meat, for here at the hand
come strange adventures. So Arthur went unto his meat with many other
kings. And there were all the knights of the Round Table, [save] only
those that were prisoners or slain at a recounter. Then at the high
feast evermore they should be fulfilled the whole number of an hundred
and fifty, for then was the Round Table fully complished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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