So on the morn King Pellinore came to the court of King Arthur, which
had great joy of him, and told him of Tor, how he was his son, and how
he had made him knight at the request of the cowherd. When Pellinore
beheld Tor, he pleased him much. So the king made Gawaine knight, but
Tor was the first he made at the feast. What is the cause, said King
Arthur, that there be two places void in the sieges? Sir, said Merlin,
there shall no man sit in those places but they that shall be of most
worship. But in the Siege Perilous there shall no man sit therein but
one, and if there be any so hardy to do it he shall be destroyed, and
he that shall sit there shall have no fellow. And therewith Merlin took
King Pellinore by the hand, and in the one hand next the two sieges and
the Siege Perilous he said, in open audience, This is your place and
best ye are worthy to sit therein of any that is here. Thereat sat Sir
Gawaine in great envy and told Gaheris his brother, yonder knight is
put to great worship, the which grieveth me sore, for he slew our
father King Lot, therefore I will slay him, said Gawaine, with a sword
that was sent me that is passing trenchant. Ye shall not so, said
Gaheris, at this time, for at this time I am but a squire, and when I
am made knight I will be avenged on him, and therefore, brother, it is
best ye suffer till another time, that we may have him out of the
court, for an we did so we should trouble this high feast. I will well,
said Gawaine, as ye will.
CHAPTER V. How at feast of the wedding of King Arthur to Guenever, a
white hart came into the hall, and thirty couple hounds, and how a
brachet pinched the hart which was taken away.
Then was the high feast made ready, and the king was wedded at Camelot
unto Dame Guenever in the church of Saint Stephen’s, with great
solemnity. And as every man was set after his degree, Merlin went to
all the knights of the Round Table, and bade them sit still, that none
of them remove. For ye shall see a strange and a marvellous adventure.
Right so as they sat there came running in a white hart into the hall,
and a white brachet next him, and thirty couple of black running hounds
came after with a great cry, and the hart went about the Table Round as
he went by other boards. The white brachet bit him by the buttock and
pulled out a piece, wherethrough the hart leapt a great leap and
overthrew a knight that sat at the board side; and therewith the knight
arose and took up the brachet, and so went forth out of the hall, and
took his horse and rode his way with the brachet. Right so anon came in
a lady on a white palfrey, and cried aloud to King Arthur, Sir, suffer
me not to have this despite, for the brachet was mine that the knight
led away. I may not do therewith, said the king.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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