Chương Chương 338 · How Sir Pervivale departed secretly from his brother, and

. How Sir Pervivale departed secretly from his brother, and

how he loosed a knight bound with a chain, and of other doings.

And when this was done they rode into many countries, ever inquiring

after Sir Launcelot, but never they could hear of him; and at the last

they came to a castle that hight Cardican, and there Sir Percivale and

Sir Aglovale were lodged together. And privily about midnight Sir

Percivale came to Aglovale’s squire and said: Arise and make thee

ready, for ye and I will ride away secretly. Sir, said the squire, I

would full fain ride with you where ye would have me, but an my lord,

your brother, take me he will slay me. As for that care thou not, for I

shall be thy warrant.

And so Sir Percivale rode till it was after noon, and then he came upon

a bridge of stone, and there he found a knight that was bound with a

chain fast about the waist unto a pillar of stone. O fair knight, said

that bound knight, I require thee loose me of my bonds. What knight are

ye, said Sir Percivale, and for what cause are ye so bound? Sir, I

shall tell you, said that knight: I am a knight of the Table Round, and

my name is Sir Persides; and thus by adventure I came this way, and

here I lodged in this castle at the bridge foot, and therein dwelleth

an uncourteous lady; and because she proffered me to be her paramour,

and I refused her, she set her men upon me suddenly or ever I might

come to my weapon; and thus they bound me, and here I wot well I shall

die but if some man of worship break my bands. Be ye of good cheer,

said Sir Percivale, and because ye are a knight of the Round Table as

well as I, I trust to God to break your bands. And therewith Sir

Percivale pulled out his sword and struck at the chain with such a

might that he cut a-two the chain, and through Sir Persides’ hauberk

and hurt him a little. O Jesu, said Sir Persides, that was a mighty

stroke as ever I felt one, for had not the chain been ye had slain me.

And therewithal Sir Persides saw a knight coming out of a castle all

that ever he might fling. Beware, sir, said Sir Persides, yonder cometh

a man that will have ado with you. Let him come, said Sir Percivale.

And so he met with that knight in midst of the bridge; and Sir

Percivale gave him such a buffet that he smote him quite from his horse

and over a part of the bridge, that, had not been a little vessel under

the bridge, that knight had been drowned. And then Sir Percivale took

the knight’s horse and made Sir Persides to mount up him; and so they

rode unto the castle, and bade the lady deliver Sir Persides’ servants,

or else he would slay all that ever he found; and so for fear she

delivered them all. Then was Sir Percivale ware of a lady that stood in

that tower. Ah, madam, said Sir Percivale, what use and custom is that

in a lady to destroy good knights but if they will be your paramour?

Forsooth this is a shameful custom of a lady, and if I had not a great

matter in my hand I should fordo your evil customs.

And so Sir Persides brought Sir Percivale unto his own castle, and

there he made him great cheer all that night. And on the morn, when Sir

Percivale had heard mass and broken his fast, he bade Sir Persides ride

unto King Arthur: And tell the king how that ye met with me; and tell

my brother, Sir Aglovale, how I rescued you; and bid him seek not after

me, for I am in the quest to seek Sir Launcelot du Lake, and though he

seek me he shall not find me; and tell him I will never see him, nor

the court, till I have found Sir Launcelot. Also tell Sir Kay the

Seneschal, and to Sir Mordred, that I trust to Jesu to be of as great

worthiness as either of them, for tell them I shall never forget their

mocks and scorns that they did to me that day that I was made knight;

and tell them I will never see that court till men speak more worship

of me than ever men did of any of them both. And so Sir Persides

departed from Sir Percivale, and then he rode unto King Arthur, and

told there of Sir Percivale. And when Sir Aglovale heard him speak of

his brother Sir Percivale, he said: He departed from me unkindly.