Bab Bab 86 · How Sir Marhaus fought with the duke and his four sons and

. How Sir Marhaus fought with the duke and his four sons and

made them to yield them.

Then came the four sons by couple, and two of them brake their spears,

and so did the other two. And all this while Sir Marhaus touched them

not. Then Sir Marhaus ran to the duke, and smote him with his spear

that horse and man fell to the earth, and so he served his sons; and

then Sir Marhaus alighted down and bade the duke yield him or else he

would slay him. And then some of his sons recovered, and would have set

upon Sir Marhaus; then Sir Marhaus said to the duke, Cease thy sons, or

else I will do the uttermost to you all. Then the duke saw he might not

escape the death, he cried to his sons, and charged them to yield them

to Sir Marhaus; and they kneeled all down and put the pommels of their

swords to the knight, and so he received them. And then they helped up

their father, and so by their cominal assent promised to Sir Marhaus

never to be foes unto King Arthur, and thereupon at Whitsuntide after

to come, he and his sons, and put them in the king’s grace.

Then Sir Marhaus departed, and within two days his damosel brought him

whereas was a great tournament that the Lady de Vawse had cried. And

who that did best should have a rich circlet of gold worth a thousand

besants. And there Sir Marhaus did so nobly that he was renowned, and

had sometime down forty knights, and so the circlet of gold was

rewarded him. Then he departed from them with great worship; and so

within seven nights his damosel brought him to an earl’s place, his

name was the Earl Fergus, that after was Sir Tristram’s knight; and

this earl was but a young man, and late come into his lands, and there

was a giant fast by him that hight Taulurd, and he had another brother

in Cornwall that hight Taulas, that Sir Tristram slew when he was out

of his mind. So this earl made his complaint unto Sir Marhaus, that

there was a giant by him that destroyed all his lands, and how he durst

nowhere ride nor go for him. Sir, said the knight, whether useth he to

fight on horseback or on foot? Nay, said the earl, there may no horse

bear him. Well, said Sir Marhaus, then will I fight with him on foot;

so on the morn Sir Marhaus prayed the earl that one of his men might

bring him whereas the giant was; and so he was, for he saw him sit

under a tree of holly, and many clubs of iron and gisarms about him. So

this knight dressed him to the giant, putting his shield afore him, and

the giant took an iron club in his hand, and at the first stroke he

clave Sir Marhaus’ shield in two pieces. And there he was in great

peril, for the giant was a wily fighter, but at last Sir Marhaus smote

off his right arm above the elbow.

Then the giant fled and the knight after him, and so he drove him into

a water, but the giant was so high that he might not wade after him.

And then Sir Marhaus made the Earl Fergus’ man to fetch him stones, and

with those stones the knight gave the giant many sore knocks, till at

the last he made him fall down into the water, and so was he there

dead. Then Sir Marhaus went unto the giant’s castle, and there he

delivered twenty-four ladies and twelve knights out of the giant’s

prison, and there he had great riches without number, so that the days

of his life he was never poor man. Then he returned to the Earl Fergus,

the which thanked him greatly, and would have given him half his lands,

but he would none take. So Sir Marhaus dwelled with the earl nigh half

a year, for he was sore bruised with the giant, and at the last he took

his leave. And as he rode by the way, he met with Sir Gawaine and Sir

Uwaine, and so by adventure he met with four knights of Arthur’s court,

the first was Sir Sagramore le Desirous, Sir Osanna, Sir Dodinas le

Savage, and Sir Felot of Listinoise; and there Sir Marhaus with one

spear smote down these four knights, and hurt them sore. So he departed

to meet at his day aforeset.