_How La Cote Male Taile fought against an hundred knights, and how he
escaped by the mean of a lady._
And anon there came an hundred knights about him and assailed him; and
when he saw his horse should be slain he alight and voided his horse,
and put the bridle under his feet, and so put him out of the gate. And
when he had so done, he hurled in among them, and dressed his back unto
a lady’s chamber-wall, thinking himself that he had lever die there
with worship than to abide the rebukes of the damsel Maledisant. And in
the mean time as he stood and fought, that lady whose was the chamber,
went out slily at her postern, and without the gates she found La Cote
Male Taile’s horse, and lightly she gat him by the bridle and tied him
to the postern. And then she went unto her chamber slily again for to
behold how that one knight fought against an hundred knights. And so
when she had beheld him long, she went to a window behind his back and
said, Thou knight thou fightest wonderly well, but for all that at the
last thou must needs die, but and thou canst through thy mighty prowess
win unto yonder postern, for there have I fastened thy horse to abide
thee; but wit thou well thou must think on thy worship and think not to
die, for thou mayest not win unto that postern without thou do nobly
and mightily. When La Cote Male Taile heard her say so, he griped his
sword in his hands, and put his shield fair afore him, and through the
thickest press he thrulled through them. And when he came to the
postern he found there ready four knights, and at two the first strokes
he slew two of the knights, and the other fled, and so he won his horse
and rode from them. And all as it was, it was rehearsed in king
Arthur’s court, how he slew twelve knights within the castle Orgulous.
And so he rode on his way. And in the mean while the damsel said to Sir
Mordred, I ween my foolish knight be either slain or taken prisoner.
Then were they ware where he came riding. And when he was come unto
them, he told all how he had sped, and escaped in despite of them all,
and some of the best of them will tell no tales. Thou liest falsely,
said the damsel, that dare I make good, but as a fool and a dastard to
all knighthood they have let thee pass. That may ye prove, said La Cote
Male Taile. With that she sent a courier of hers that rode alway with
her, for to know the truth of this deed. And so he rode thither
lightly, and asked how and in what manner that Sir La Cote Male Taile
was escaped out of the castle. Then all the knights cursed him and said
that he was fiend and no man; for he hath slain here twelve of our best
knights, and we wend unto this day that it had been too much for Sir
Launcelot du Lake, or for Sir Tristram de Liones. And in despite of us
all he is departed from us, and maugre our heads.
With this answer the courier departed, and came to Maledisant his lady,
and told her all how Sir La Cote Male Taile had sped at the castle
Orgulous. Then she smote down her head, and said little. By my head,
said Sir Mordred to the damsel, ye are greatly to blame so to rebuke
him, for I warn you plainly he is a good knight, and I doubt not but he
shall prove a noble knight, but as yet he may not sit sure on
horseback: for he that shall be a good horseman it must come of usage
and exercise. But when he cometh to the strokes of his sword he is then
noble and mighty, and that saw Sir Bleoberis and Sir Palamides, for wit
ye well they are wily men of arms, and anon they know when they see a
young knight by his riding, how they are sure to give him a fall from
his horse or a great buffet. But for the most part they will not light
on foot with young knights, for they are wight and strongly armed. For
in likewise Sir Launcelot du Lake when he was first made knight he was
often put to the worse upon horseback, but ever upon foot he recovered
his renown, and slew and defoiled many knights of the Round Table. And
therefore the rebukes that Sir Launcelot did to many knights causeth
them that be men of prowess to beware, for often I have seen the old
proved knights rebuked and slain by them that were but young beginners.
Thus they rode sure talking by the way together.
Here leave we off a while of this tale, and speak we of Sir Launcelot
du Lake.