_How at the year’s end all three knights with their three damsels met
at the fountain._
Right so at the twelvemonth’s end they met all three knights at the
fountain, and their damsels. But the damsel that Sir Gawaine had could
say but little worship of him. So they departed from the damsels and
rode through a great forest, and there they met with a messager that
came from king Arthur, that had sought them well nigh a twelvemonth
throughout all England, Wales, and Scotland, and charged if ever he
might find Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine, to bring them to the court
again. And then were they all glad. And so prayed they Sir Marhaus to
ride with them to the king’s court. And so within twelve days they came
to Camelot; and the king was passing glad of their coming, and so was
all the court. Then the king made them to swear upon a book to tell him
all their adventures that had befallen them that twelvemonth, and so
they did. And there was Sir Marhaus well known; for there were knights
that he had matched aforetime, and he was named one of the best knights
living. Against the feast of Pentecost came the damsel of the lake, and
brought with her Sir Pelleas. And at that high feast there was great
justing of knights, and of all the knights that were at that justs Sir
Pelleas had the prize, and Sir Marhaus was named the next; but Sir
Pelleas was so strong that there might but few knights sit him a buffet
with a spear. And at that next feast Sir Pelleas and Sir Marhaus were
made knights of the Table Round, for there were two sieges void, for
two knights were slain that twelvemonth; and great joy had king Arthur
of Sir Pelleas and of Sir Marhaus. But Pelleas loved never after Sir
Gawaine, but as he spared him for the love of king Arthur. But ofttimes
at justs and tournaments Sir Pelleas quit Sir Gawaine, for so it
rehearseth in the book of French. So Sir Tristram many days after
fought with Sir Marhaus in an island, and there they did a great
battle, but at the last Sir Tristram slew him. So Sir Tristram was
wounded that hardly he might recover, and lay at a nunnery half a year.
And Sir Pelleas was a worshipful knight, and was one of the four that
achieved the Sangreal. And the damsel of the lake made by her means
that never he had ado with Sir Launcelot de Lake, for where Sir
Launcelot was at any justs or any tournament she would not suffer him
to be there that day, but if it were on the side of Sir Launcelot.
Explicit liber quartus. Incipit liber quintus.
The Fifth Book.