Kabanata Kabanata 145 · How King Arthur sent for the Lady Lionesse, and how she

. How King Arthur sent for the Lady Lionesse, and how she

let cry a tourney at her castle, whereas came many knights.

Then said Sir Gawaine and his brethren unto Arthur, Sir, an ye will

give us leave, we will go and seek our brother. Nay, said Sir

Launcelot, that shall ye not need; and so said Sir Baudwin of Britain:

for as by our advice the king shall send unto Dame Lionesse a

messenger, and pray her that she will come to the court in all the

haste that she may, and doubt ye not she will come; and then she may

give you best counsel where ye shall find him. This is well said of

you, said the king. So then goodly letters were made, and the messenger

sent forth, that night and day he went till he came unto the Castle

Perilous. And then the lady Dame Lionesse was sent for, thereas she was

with Sir Gringamore her brother and Sir Gareth. And when she understood

this message, she bade him ride on his way unto King Arthur, and she

would come after in all goodly haste. Then when she came to Sir

Gringamore and to Sir Gareth, she told them all how King Arthur had

sent for her. That is because of me, said Sir Gareth. Now advise me,

said Dame Lionesse, what shall I say, and in what manner I shall rule

me. My lady and my love, said Sir Gareth, I pray you in no wise be ye

aknowen where I am; but well I wot my mother is there and all my

brethren, and they will take upon them to seek me, I wot well that they

do. But this, madam, I would ye said and advised the king when he

questioned with you of me. Then may ye say, this is your advice that,

an it like his good grace, ye will do make a cry against the feast of

the Assumption of our Lady, that what knight there proveth him best he

shall wield you and all your land. And if so be that he be a wedded

man, that his wife shall have the degree, and a coronal of gold beset

with stones of virtue to the value of a thousand pound, and a white

gerfalcon.

So Dame Lionesse departed and came to King Arthur, where she was nobly

received, and there she was sore questioned of the king and of the

Queen of Orkney. And she answered, where Sir Gareth was she could not

tell. But thus much she said unto Arthur: Sir, I will let cry a

tournament that shall be done before my castle at the Assumption of our

Lady, and the cry shall be this: that you, my lord Arthur, shall be

there, and your knights, and I will purvey that my knights shall be

against yours; and then I am sure ye shall hear of Sir Gareth. This is

well advised, said King Arthur; and so she departed. And the king and

she made great provision to that tournament.

When Dame Lionesse was come to the Isle of Avilion, that was the same

isle thereas her brother Sir Gringamore dwelt, then she told them all

how she had done, and what promise she had made to King Arthur. Alas,

said Sir Gareth, I have been so wounded with unhappiness sithen I came

into this castle that I shall not be able to do at that tournament like

a knight; for I was never thoroughly whole since I was hurt. Be ye of

good cheer, said the damosel Linet, for I undertake within these

fifteen days to make ye whole, and as lusty as ever ye were. And then

she laid an ointment and a salve to him as it pleased to her, that he

was never so fresh nor so lusty. Then said the damosel Linet: Send you

unto Sir Persant of Inde, and assummon him and his knights to be here

with you as they have promised. Also, that ye send unto Sir Ironside,

that is the Red Knight of the Red Launds, and charge him that he be

ready with you with his whole sum of knights, and then shall ye be able

to match with King Arthur and his knights. So this was done, and all

knights were sent for unto the Castle Perilous; and then the Red Knight

answered and said unto Dame Lionesse, and to Sir Gareth, Madam, and my

lord Sir Gareth, ye shall understand that I have been at the court of

King Arthur, and Sir Persant of Inde and his brethren, and there we

have done our homage as ye commanded us. Also Sir Ironside said, I have

taken upon me with Sir Persant of Inde and his brethren to hold part

against my lord Sir Launcelot and the knights of that court. And this

have I done for the love of my lady Dame Lionesse, and you my lord Sir

Gareth. Ye have well done, said Sir Gareth; but wit you well ye shall

be full sore matched with the most noble knights of the world;

therefore we must purvey us of good knights, where we may get them.

That is well said, said Sir Persant, and worshipfully.

And so the cry was made in England, Wales, and Scotland, Ireland,

Cornwall, and in all the Out Isles, and in Brittany and in many

countries; that at the feast of our Lady the Assumption next coming,

men should come to the Castle Perilous beside the Isle of Avilion; and

there all the knights that there came should have the choice whether

them list to be on the one party with the knights of the castle, or on

the other party with King Arthur. And two months was to the day that

the tournament should be. And so there came many good knights that were

at their large, and held them for the most part against King Arthur and

his knights of the Round Table and came in the side of them of the

castle. For Sir Epinogrus was the first, and he was the king’s son of

Northumberland, and Sir Palamides the Saracen was another, and Sir

Safere his brother, and Sir Segwarides his brother, but they were

christened, and Sir Malegrine another, and Sir Brian de les Isles, a

noble knight, and Sir Grummore Grummursum, a good knight of Scotland,

and Sir Carados of the dolorous tower, a noble knight, and Sir Turquine

his brother, and Sir Arnold and Sir Gauter, two brethren, good knights

of Cornwall. There came Sir Tristram de Liones, and with him Sir Dinas,

the Seneschal, and Sir Sadok; but this Sir Tristram was not at that

time knight of the Table Round, but he was one of the best knights of

the world. And so all these noble knights accompanied them with the

lady of the castle, and with the Red Knight of the Red Launds; but as

for Sir Gareth, he would not take upon him more but as other mean

knights.