Bab Bab 89 · How at the year’s end all three knights with their

. How at the year’s end all three knights with their

three damosels met at the fountain.

Right so at the twelvemonths’ end they met all three knights at the

fountain and their damosels, but the damosel that Sir Gawaine had could

say but little worship of him so they departed from the damosels and

rode through a great forest, and there they met with a messenger that

came from King Arthur, that had sought them well-nigh a twelvemonth

throughout all England, Wales, and Scotland, and charged if ever he

might find Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine to bring them to the court again.

And then were they all glad, and so prayed they Sir Marhaus to ride

with them to the king’s court. And so within twelve days they came to

Camelot, and the king was passing glad of their coming, and so was all

the court. Then the king made them to swear upon a book to tell him all

their adventures that had befallen them that twelvemonth, and so they

did. And there was Sir Marhaus well known, for there were knights that

he had matched aforetime, and he was named one of the best knights

living.

Against the feast of Pentecost came the Damosel of the Lake and brought

with her Sir Pelleas; and at that high feast there was great jousting

of knights, and of all knights that were at that jousts, Sir Pelleas

had the prize, and Sir Marhaus was named the next; but Sir Pelleas was

so strong there might but few knights sit him a buffet with a spear.

And at that next feast Sir Pelleas and Sir Marhaus were made knights of

the Table Round, for there were two sieges void, for two knights were

slain that twelvemonth, and great joy had King Arthur of Sir Pelleas

and of Sir Marhaus. But Pelleas loved never after Sir Gawaine, but as

he spared him for the love of King Arthur; but ofttimes at jousts and

tournaments Sir Pelleas quit Sir Gawaine, for so it rehearseth in the

book of French. So Sir Tristram many days after fought with Sir Marhaus

in an island, and there they did a great battle, but at the last Sir

Tristram slew him, so Sir Tristram was wounded that unnethe he might

recover, and lay at a nunnery half a year. And Sir Pelleas was a

worshipful knight, and was one of the four that achieved the Sangreal,

and the Damosel of the Lake made by her means that never he had ado

with Sir Launcelot de Lake, for where Sir Launcelot was at any jousts

or any tournament, she would not suffer him be there that day, but if

it were on the side of Sir Launcelot.

Explicit liber quartus.

Incipit liber quintus.

BOOK V.