Chapter Chapter 40 · How a sorrowful knight came before Arthur, and how Balin

. How a sorrowful knight came before Arthur, and how Balin

fetched him, and how that knight was slain by a knight invisible.

Within a day or two King Arthur was somewhat sick, and he let pitch his

pavilion in a meadow, and there he laid him down on a pallet to sleep,

but he might have no rest. Right so he heard a great noise of an horse,

and therewith the king looked out at the porch of the pavilion, and saw

a knight coming even by him, making great dole. Abide, fair sir, said

Arthur, and tell me wherefore thou makest this sorrow. Ye may little

amend me, said the knight, and so passed forth to the castle of Meliot.

Anon after there came Balin, and when he saw King Arthur he alighted

off his horse, and came to the King on foot, and saluted him. By my

head, said Arthur, ye be welcome. Sir, right now came riding this way a

knight making great mourn, for what cause I cannot tell; wherefore I

would desire of you of your courtesy and of your gentleness to fetch

again that knight either by force or else by his good will. I will do

more for your lordship than that, said Balin; and so he rode more than

a pace, and found the knight with a damosel in a forest, and said, Sir

knight, ye must come with me unto King Arthur, for to tell him of your

sorrow. That will I not, said the knight, for it will scathe me

greatly, and do you none avail. Sir, said Balin, I pray you make you

ready, for ye must go with me, or else I must fight with you and bring

you by force, and that were me loath to do. Will ye be my warrant, said

the knight, an I go with you? Yea, said Balin, or else I will die

therefore. And so he made him ready to go with Balin, and left the

damosel still. And as they were even afore King Arthur’s pavilion,

there came one invisible, and smote this knight that went with Balin

throughout the body with a spear. Alas, said the knight, I am slain

under your conduct with a knight called Garlon; therefore take my horse

that is better than yours, and ride to the damosel, and follow the

quest that I was in as she will lead you, and revenge my death when ye

may. That shall I do, said Balin, and that I make vow unto knighthood;

and so he departed from this knight with great sorrow. So King Arthur

let bury this knight richly, and made a mention on his tomb, how there

was slain Herlews le Berbeus, and by whom the treachery was done, the

knight Garlon. But ever the damosel bare the truncheon of the spear

with her that Sir Herlews was slain withal.