Then King Pellinore armed him and mounted upon his horse, and rode more
than a pace after the lady that the knight led away. And as he rode in
a forest, he saw in a valley a damosel sit by a well, and a wounded
knight in her arms, and Pellinore saluted her. And when she was ware of
him, she cried overloud, Help me, knight; for Christ’s sake, King
Pellinore. And he would not tarry, he was so eager in his quest, and
ever she cried an hundred times after help. When she saw he would not
abide, she prayed unto God to send him as much need of help as she had,
and that he might feel it or he died. So, as the book telleth, the
knight there died that there was wounded, wherefore the lady for pure
sorrow slew herself with his sword. As King Pellinore rode in that
valley he met with a poor man, a labourer. Sawest thou not, said
Pellinore, a knight riding and leading away a lady? Yea, said the man,
I saw that knight, and the lady that made great dole; and yonder
beneath in a valley there shall ye see two pavilions, and one of the
knights of the pavilions challenged that lady of that knight, and said
she was his cousin near, wherefore he should lead her no farther. And
so they waged battle in that quarrel, the one said he would have her by
force, and the other said he would have the rule of her, by cause he
was her kinsman, and would lead her to her kin. For this quarrel he
left them fighting. And if ye will ride a pace ye shall find them
fighting, and the lady was beleft with the two squires in the
pavilions. God thank thee, said King Pellinore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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