Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table, Adapted from the Book of Romance — John Shaqi
Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table, Adapted from the Book of Romance
General
Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table, Adapted from the Book of Romance
Arthur, King -- Legends; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Folklore -- England; Knights and knighthood -- Folklore
“Sir Gareth,” said dame Lyonesse, “I will lend you a ring, which I
beseech you for the love you bear me to give me back when the tournament
is done, for without it I have but little beauty. This ring is like no
other ring, it will turn green red, and blue white, and the bearer shall
lose no blood, however sore he may be wounded.”
“Truly, my own lady,” answered Sir Gareth, “this ring will serve me
well, and by its help I shall not fear that any man shall know me.” And
Sir Gringamore, brother to the Lady Lyonesse, gave him a bay horse, and
strong armour, and a sharp sword that had once belonged to his father.
On the morning of the fifteenth of August, when the Feast of the
Assumption was kept, the King commanded his heralds to blow loudly their
trumpets, so that every Knight might know that he must enter the lists.
It was a noble sight to see them flocking clad in shining armour, each
man with his device upon his shield. And the heralds marked who bare
them best, and who were overthrown. All marvelled as to who the Knight
could be whose armour sometimes seemed green, and sometimes white, but
no man knew it was Sir Gareth. And whosoever Sir Gareth tilted with was
straightway overthrown. “Of a truth,” cried King Arthur, “that Knight
with the many colours is a good Knight,” and he called Sir Lancelot and
bade him to challenge that Knight to combat. But Sir Lancelot said that
though the Knight had come off victor in every fight, yet his limbs must
be weary, for he had fought as a man fights under the eyes of his lady,
“and for this day,” said Sir Lancelot, “he shall have the honour. Though
it lay in my power to put it from him, I would not.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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