"Sir," saith the damsel to the King, "When that the father had thus
spoken to the lad, they returned together to the castle. When the
morrow morning came, the lad arose and heard the birds sing and
bethought him that he would go for disport into the forest for the day
sith that it was fair. So he mounted on one of his father's horses of
the chase and carried his javelins Welshman-fashion and went into the
forest and found a stag and followed him a good four leagues Welsh,
until that he came into a launde and found two knights all armed that
were there doing battle, and the one had a red shield and the other a
white. He left of tracking the stag to look on at the melly and saw
that the Red Knight was conquering the White. He launched one of his
javelins at the Red Knight so hard that he pierced his habergeon and
made it pass through the heart. The knight fell dead.
"Sir," saith the damsel, "The knight of the white shield made great joy
thereof, and the lad asked him, 'were knights so easy to slay?
Methought,' saith the lad, 'that none might never pierce nor damage a
knight's armour, otherwise would I not have run him through with my
javelin,' saith the lad. Sir, the lad brought the destrier home to his
father and mother, and right grieved were they when they heard the
tidings of the knight he had slain. And right were they, for thereof
did sore trouble come to them thereafter. Sir, the squire departed
from the house of his father and mother and came to the court of King
Arthur. Right gladly did the King make him knight when he knew his
will, and afterward he departed from the land and went to seek
adventure in every kingdom. Now is he the Best Knight that is in the
world. So go I to seek him, and full great joy shall I have at heart
and I may find him. Sir, and you should meet him by any adventure in
any of these forests, he beareth a red shield with a white hart. And
so tell him that his father is dead, and that his mother will lose all
her land so he come not to succour her; and that the brother of the
knight of the Red shield that he slew in the forest with his javelin
warreth upon her with the Lord of the Moors."
"Damsel," saith the King, "And God grant me to meet him, right fain
shall I be thereof, and right well will I set forth your message."
"Sir," saith she, "Now that I have told you him that I seek, it is your
turn to tell me your name."
"Damsel," saith the King, "Willingly. They that know me call me
Arthur."
"Arthur? Have you indeed such name?"
"Yea, damsel," saith he.
"So help me God," saith she, "Now am I sorrier for you than tofore, for
you have the name of the worst King in the world, and I would that he
were here in such sort as you are now. But never again will he move
from Cardoil, do what he may, such dread hath the Queen lest any should
take him from her, according as I have heard witness, for never saw I
neither the one nor the other. I was moved to go to his court, but I
have met full a score knights one after other, of whom I asked
concerning him, and one told me the same tale as another, for each told
me that the court of King Arthur is the vilest in the world, and that
all the knights of the Table Round have renounced it for the badness
thereof."
"Damsel," saith the King, "Hereof may he well be sorry, but at the
beginning I have heard say he did right well."
"And who careth," saith the damsel, "for his good beginning when the
end is bad? And much it misliketh me that so seemly knight and so
worshipful man as are you should have the name of so evil a king."
"Damsel," saith the King, "A man is not good by his name, but by his
heart."
"You say true," saith the damsel, "But for the King's name have I
despite of yours. And whitherward are you going?"
"I shall go to Cardoil, where I shall find King Arthur when I shall
come thither."
"Go to, then, and bestir!" saith she.
"One bad man with another! No better hope have I of you, sith that you
go thither!"
"Damsel, you may say your pleasure, for thither I go! God be with you!"
"And may never God guide you," saith she, "and you go the court of King
Arthur!"