With that came a damosel riding on a palfrey as fast as she might
drive, and cried with a loud voice unto Sir Tor. What will ye with me?
said Sir Tor. I beseech thee, said the damosel, for King Arthur’s love,
give me a gift; I require thee, gentle knight, as thou art a gentleman.
Now, said Tor, ask a gift and I will give it you. Gramercy, said the
damosel; now I ask the head of the false knight Abelleus, for he is the
most outrageous knight that liveth, and the greatest murderer. I am
loath, said Sir Tor, of that gift I have given you; let him make amends
in that he hath trespassed unto you. Now, said the damosel, he may not,
for he slew mine own brother before mine own eyes, that was a better
knight than he, an he had had grace; and I kneeled half an hour afore
him in the mire for to save my brother’s life, that had done him no
damage, but fought with him by adventure of arms, and so for all that I
could do he struck off his head; wherefore I require thee, as thou art
a true knight, to give me my gift, or else I shall shame thee in all
the court of King Arthur; for he is the falsest knight living, and a
great destroyer of good knights. Then when Abelleus heard this, he was
more afeard, and yielded him and asked mercy. I may not now, said Sir
Tor, but if I should be found false of my promise; for while I would
have taken you to mercy ye would none ask, but if ye had the brachet
again, that was my quest. And therewith he took off his helm, and he
arose and fled, and Sir Tor after him, and smote off his head quite.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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