"Lady," saith the Lord of the Moors, "Your son hath wounded me and
taken my knights and myself likewise. I will yield you up your castle
albeit I hold it mine as of right, on condition you cry me quit."
"And who shall repay her," saith Perceval, "for the shame that you have
done her, for her knights that you have slain, whereof never had you
pity? Now, so help me God, if she have mercy or pity upon you, never
hereafter will I trouble to come to her aid how sore soever may be her
need. Such pity and none other as you have had for her and my sister
will I have for you. Our Lord God commanded in both the Old Law and
the New, that justice should be done upon man-slayers and traitors, and
justice will I do upon you that His commandment be not transgressed."
He hath a great vat made ready in the midst of the court, and maketh
the eleven knights be brought. H e maketh their heads be stricken off
into the vat and bleed therein as much blood as might come from them,
and then made the heads and the bodies be drawn forth so that nought
was there but blood in the vat. After that, he made disarm the Lord of
the Moors and be brought before the vat wherein was great abundance of
blood. He made bind his feet and his hands right strait, and after
that saith: "Never might you be satisfied of the blood of the knights
of my lady mother, now will I satisfy you of the blood of your own
knights!"
He maketh hang him by the feet in the vat, so that his head were in the
blood as far as the shoulders, and so maketh him be held there until
that he was drowned and quenched. After that, he made carry his body
and the bodies of the other knights and their heads, and made them be
cast into an ancient charnel that was beside an old chapel in the
forest, and the vat together with the blood made he be cast into the
river, so that the water thereof was all bloody. The tidings came to
the castles that the son of the Widow Lady had slain the Lord of the
Moors and the best of his knights. Thereof were they in sore
misgiving, and the most part said that the like also would he do to
them save they held themselves at his commandment. They brought him
the keys of all the castles that had been reft of his mother, and all
the knights that had before renounced their allegiance returned
thereunto and pledged themselves to be at his will for dread of death.
All the land was assured in safety, nor was there nought to trouble the
Lady's joy save only that King Fisherman her brother was dead, whereof
she was right sorrowful and sore afflicted.