Now go we hence, said Balin, and well be we met. The meanwhile as they
talked, there came a dwarf from the city of Camelot on horseback, as
much as he might; and found the dead bodies, wherefore he made great
dole, and pulled out his hair for sorrow, and said, Which of you
knights have done this deed? Whereby askest thou it? said Balan. For I
would wit it, said the dwarf. It was I, said Balin, that slew this
knight in my defence, for hither he came to chase me, and either I must
slay him or he me; and this damosel slew herself for his love, which
repenteth me, and for her sake I shall owe all women the better love.
Alas, said the dwarf, thou hast done great damage unto thyself, for
this knight that is here dead was one of the most valiantest men that
lived, and trust well, Balin, the kin of this knight will chase you
through the world till they have slain you. As for that, said Balin, I
fear not greatly, but I am right heavy that I have displeased my lord
King Arthur, for the death of this knight. So as they talked together,
there came a king of Cornwall riding, the which hight King Mark. And
when he saw these two bodies dead, and understood how they were dead,
by the two knights above said, then made the king great sorrow for the
true love that was betwixt them, and said, I will not depart till I
have on this earth made a tomb, and there he pight his pavilions and
sought through all the country to find a tomb, and in a church they
found one was fair and rich, and then the king let put them both in the
earth, and put the tomb upon them, and wrote the names of them both on
the tomb. How here lieth Lanceor the king’s son of Ireland, that at his
own request was slain by the hands of Balin; and how his lady, Colombe,
and paramour, slew herself with her love’s sword for dole and sorrow.
CHAPTER VIII. How Merlin prophesied that two the best knights of the
world should fight there, which were Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristram.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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