When Sir Lamorak saw the blood dash upon him all hot, the which he
loved passing well, wit you well he was sore abashed and dismayed of
that dolorous knight. And therewithal, Sir Lamorak leapt out of the bed
in his shirt as a knight dismayed, saying thus: Ah, Sir Gaheris, knight
of the Table Round, foul and evil have ye done, and to you great shame.
Alas, why have ye slain your mother that bare you? with more right ye
should have slain me. The offence hast thou done, said Gaheris,
notwithstanding a man is born to offer his service; but yet shouldst
thou beware with whom thou meddlest, for thou hast put me and my
brethren to a shame, and thy father slew our father; and thou to lie by
our mother is too much shame for us to suffer. And as for thy father,
King Pellinore, my brother Sir Gawaine and I slew him. Ye did him the
more wrong, said Sir Lamorak, for my father slew not your father, it
was Balin le Savage: and as yet my father’s death is not revenged.
Leave those words, said Sir Gaheris, for an thou speak feloniously I
will slay thee. But because thou art naked I am ashamed to slay thee.
But wit thou well, in what place I may get thee I shall slay thee; and
now my mother is quit of thee; and withdraw thee and take thine armour,
that thou were gone. Sir Lamorak saw there was none other bote, but
fast armed him, and took his horse and rode his way making great
sorrow. But for the shame and dolour he would not ride to King Arthur’s
court, but rode another way.
But when it was known that Gaheris had slain his mother the king was
passing wroth, and commanded him to go out of his court. Wit ye well
Sir Gawaine was wroth that Gaheris had slain his mother and let Sir
Lamorak escape. And for this matter was the king passing wroth, and so
was Sir Launcelot, and many other knights. Sir, said Sir Launcelot,
here is a great mischief befallen by felony, and by forecast treason,
that your sister is thus shamefully slain. And I dare say that it was
wrought by treason, and I dare say ye shall lose that good knight, Sir
Lamorak, the which is great pity. I wot well and am sure, an Sir
Tristram wist it, he would never more come within your court, the which
should grieve you much more and all your knights. God defend, said the
noble King Arthur, that I should lose Sir Lamorak or Sir Tristram, for
then twain of my chief knights of the Table Round were gone. Sir, said
Sir Launcelot, I am sure ye shall lose Sir Lamorak, for Sir Gawaine and
his brethren will slay him by one mean or other; for they among them
have concluded and sworn to slay him an ever they may see their time.
That shall I let, said Arthur.
CHAPTER XXV. How Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred met with a knight
fleeing, and how they both were overthrown, and of Sir Dinadan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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