Kabanata Kabanata 142 · How the said knight came again the next night and was

. 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 she promised she came; and she was not so soon in his bed but

she espied an armed knight coming toward the bed: therewithal she

warned Sir Gareth, and lightly through the good help of Dame Lionesse

he was armed; 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 brast again a-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 unnethes he might

stand for bleeding. And by when he was almost unarmed he fell in a

deadly swoon on the floor; and then Dame Lionesse 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

Lionesse made there may no tongue tell, for she so fared with herself

as she would have died.

Right so came this damosel 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 to-fore, and set them

together again. Well, damosel 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 staunched 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 three score 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 damosel had with her,

and called him Beaumains. Jesu, 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 feast, 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 Launds, 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 my

court, and now I trust to God I shall so entreat you that ye shall be

my friend. Sir, both I and these five hundred knights shall always be

at your summons to do you service as may lie in our powers. Jesu mercy,

said King Arthur, I am much beholden unto that knight that hath put so

his body in devoir to worship me and my court. And as to thee,

Ironside, that art called the Red Knight of the Red Launds, 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 of 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.