And then, after this, King Pelles with ten knights, and Dame Elaine,
and twenty ladies, rode unto the Castle of Bliant that stood in an
island beclosed in iron, with a fair water deep and large. And when
they were there Sir Launcelot let call it the Joyous Isle; and there
was he called none otherwise but Le Chevaler Mal Fet, the knight that
hath trespassed. Then Sir Launcelot let make him a shield all of sable,
and a queen crowned in the midst, all of silver, and a knight clean
armed kneeling afore her. And every day once, for any mirths that all
the ladies might make him, he would once every day look toward the
realm of Logris, where King Arthur and Queen Guenever was. And then
would he fall upon a weeping as his heart should to-brast.
So it fell that time Sir Launcelot heard of a jousting fast by his
castle, within three leagues. Then he called unto him a dwarf, and he
bade him go unto that jousting. And or ever the knights depart, look
thou make there a cry, in hearing of all the knights, that there is one
knight in the Joyous Isle, that is the Castle of Bliant, and say his
name is Le Chevaler Mal Fet, that will joust against knights that will
come. And who that putteth that knight to the worse shall have a fair
maid and a gerfalcon.
CHAPTER VII. Of a great tourneying in the Joyous Isle, and how Sir
Pervivale and Sir Ector came thither, and Sir Percivale fought with
him.
So when this cry was made, unto Joyous Isle drew knights to the number
of five hundred; and wit ye well there was never seen in Arthur’s days
one knight that did so much deeds of arms as Sir Launcelot did three
days together; for as the book maketh truly mention, he had the better
of all the five hundred knights, and there was not one slain of them.
And after that Sir Launcelot made them all a great feast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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