_How the said knight came again the next night, and was beheaded again.
And how at the feast of Pentecost all the knights that Sir Gareth had
overcome came and yielded them to king Arthur._
Right as soon as Sir Gareth was in his bed he espied an armed knight
coming toward the bed, and therewith he leaped lightly out, and they
hurtled together with great ire and malice all about the hall, and
there was great light as it had been the number of twenty torches both
before and behind, so that Sir Gareth strained him so that his old
wound burst out again bleeding, but he was hot and courageous, and took
no keep, but with his great force he struck down that knight, and
voided his helm and struck off his head. Then he hewed the head in an
hundred pieces. And when he had done so, he took up all those pieces
and threw them out at a window into the ditches of the castle; and by
this done he was so faint that scarcely he might stand for bleeding.
And then he fell in a deadly swoon in the floor. And then dame Liones
found him, and cried so that Sir Gringamore heard. And when he came and
found Sir Gareth in that plight, he made great sorrow, and there he
awaked Sir Gareth, and gave him a drink that relieved him wonderly
well, but the sorrow that dame Liones made there may no tongue tell,
for she so fared with herself as she would have died. Right so came
this damsel Linet before them all, and she had fetched all the gobbets
of the head that Sir Gareth had thrown out at a window, and there she
anointed them as she had done tofore, and set them together again.
Well, damsel Linet, said Sir Gareth, I have not deserved all this
despite that ye do unto me. Sir knight, she said, I have nothing done
but I will avow, and all that I have done shall be to your worship and
to us all. And then was Sir Gareth stanched of his bleeding. But the
leeches said that there was no man that bare the life should heal him
throughout of his wound, but if they healed him that caused that stroke
by enchantment.
So leave we Sir Gareth there with Sir Gringamore and his sisters, and
turn we unto king Arthur, that at the next feast of Pentecost held his
feast, and there came the green knight with fifty knights, and yielded
them all unto king Arthur. And so there came the red knight, his
brother, and yielded him to king Arthur, and threescore knights with
him. Also there came the blue knight, brother to them, with an hundred
knights, and yielded them unto king Arthur. And the green knight’s name
was Pertolepe, and the red knight’s name was Perimones, and the blue
knight’s name was Sir Persant of Inde. These three brethren told king
Arthur how they were overcome by a knight that a damsel had with her,
and called him Beaumains. By my faith, said the king, I marvel what
knight he is, and of what lineage he is come; he was with me a
twelvemonth, and poorly and shamefully he was fostered, and Sir Kay in
scorn named him Beaumains. So right as the king stood so talking with
these three brethren there came Sir Launcelot du Lake, and told the
king that there was come a goodly lord with six hundred knights with
him. Then the king went out of Carlion, for there was the least, and
there came to him this lord, and saluted the king in a goodly manner.
What will ye? said king Arthur, and what is your errand? Sir, he said,
my name is the red knight of the red lawns, but my name is Sir
Ironside, and, sir, wit ye well here I am sent to you of a knight that
is called Beaumains, for he won me in plain battle, hand for hand, and
so did never no knight but he that ever had the better of me this
thirty winter, the which commanded to yield me to you at your will. Ye
are welcome, said the king, for ye have been long a great foe to me and
to my court, and now I trust I shall so entreat you that ye shall be my
friend. Sir, both I and these six hundred knights shall always be at
your summons to do you service as may lie in our powers. Truly, said
king Arthur, I am much beholding unto that knight that hath so put his
body in devoir to worship me and my court. And as to thee, Ironside,
that art called the red knight of the red lawns, thou art called a
perilous knight. And if thou wilt hold of me I shall worship thee and
make thee knight of the Table Round: but then thou must be no more a
murderer. Sir, as to that I have promised unto Sir Beaumains never more
to use such customs, for all the shameful customs that I used I did at
the request of a lady that I loved; and therefore I must go unto Sir
Launcelot, and unto Sir Gawaine, and ask them forgiveness of the evil
will I had unto them, for all that I put to death was all only for the
love of Sir Launcelot and Sir Gawaine. They be here now, said the king,
afore thee, now may ye say to them what ye will. And then he kneeled
down unto Sir Launcelot and to Sir Gawaine, and prayed them of
forgiveness of his enmity that ever he had against them.