With that they go toward the castle all together. Just as they were
about to pass beyond the castle wall, behold you where a knight cometh
forth of a privy postern of the castle, and he was sitting upon a tall
horse, his spear in his fist, and at his neck had he a red shield
whereon was figured a golden eagle. "Sir knight," saith he to Messire
Gawain, "I pray you bide."
"What is your pleasure?"
"You must needs joust with me," saith he "and conquer this shield, or
otherwise I shall conquer you. And full precious is the shield,
insomuch as that great pains ought you to take to have it and conquer
it, for it belonged to the best knight of his faith that was ever, and
the most puissant and the wisest."
"Who, then, was he?" saith Messire Gawain.
"Judas Machabee was he, and he it was that first wrought how by one
bird to take another."
"You say true," saith Messire Gawain; "A good knight was he."
"Therefore right joyful may you be," saith he, "and you may conquer the
same, for your own is the poorest and most battered that ever saw I
borne by knight. For hardly may a man know the colour thereof."
"Thereby may you well see," saith the damsel to the knight, "that his
own shield hath not been idle, nor hath the horse whereon he sitteth
been stabled so well as yours."
"Damsel," saith the knight, "No need is here of long pleading. Needs
must he joust with me, for him do I defy."