When she saw him come nigh, she said, Away, kitchen knave, out of the
wind, for the smell of thy bawdy clothes grieveth me. Alas, she said,
that ever such a knave should by mishap slay so good a knight as thou
hast done, but all this is thine unhappiness. But here by is one shall
pay thee all thy payment, and therefore yet I counsel thee, flee. It
may happen me, said Beaumains, to be beaten or slain, but I warn you,
fair damosel, I will not flee away, a nor leave your company, for all
that ye can say; for ever ye say that they will kill me or beat me, but
howsomever it happeneth I escape, and they lie on the ground. And
therefore it were as good for you to hold you still thus all day
rebuking me, for away will I not till I see the uttermost of this
journey, or else I will be slain, other truly beaten; therefore ride on
your way, for follow you I will whatsomever happen.
CHAPTER VIII. How the brother of the knight that was slain met with
Beaumains, and fought with Beaumains till he was yielden.
Thus as they rode together, they saw a knight come driving by them all
in green, both his horse and his harness; and when he came nigh the
damosel, he asked her, Is that my brother the Black Knight that ye have
brought with you? Nay, nay, she said, this unhappy kitchen knave hath
slain your brother through unhappiness. Alas, said the Green Knight,
that is great pity, that so noble a knight as he was should so
unhappily be slain, and namely of a knave’s hand, as ye say that he is.
Ah! traitor, said the Green Knight, thou shalt die for slaying of my
brother; he was a full noble knight, and his name was Sir Perard. I
defy thee, said Beaumains, for I let thee wit I slew him knightly and
not shamefully.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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