Arthur. And immediately two great spears were brought forth and each knight took a spear. Then they ran together and Arthur’s spear shattered; this other knight struck him so hard in the middle of the shield that both horse and man fell to the earth. Arthur then eagerly pulled out his sword and said, “I challenge you, sir knight, on foot, for I have lost the honor on horseback,” said the king.
“Sir, I would like to remain on horseback to challenge you.” Then Arthur was angry and pulled his shield to him with his sword drawn. When the knight saw this, he dismounted, for he thought it would be no worship to him if he were to stay on horseback to fight an adversary who was on foot; so he alit and squared his shield toward Arthur.
There began a hard battle with many great sword strokes; they hewed with their swords so that the pieces flew to the ground, and they both shed so much blood that the place where they fought was soon overflowing with blood. They fought a long time and then rested. Then they went to the battle again and hurtled together like two rams so that each fell to the earth. In the end, they struck so that both their swords clashed together, and King Arthur’s sword broke into two pieces, for which he was sorry.
Then the knight said to Arthur, “You are at my mercy, as to whether I would prefer to slay you or save you. Unless you yield to me as overcome and faint-hearted, you shall die.”
“As for that,” said King Arthur, “death is welcome to me whenever it should come. But I will not yield to you!” And then the king leapt at King Pellinore and grabbed him around the middle and threw him down and took off his helmet. When the knight felt that, he was afraid, for he was a big strong man. Then he wrestled Arthur underneath him and drew off his helmet and would have struck off his head.
Then Merlin came forward and said, “Knight, hold thy hand, for if you slay that knight you will put this realm in the greatest danger any realm has ever been in. This man is of greater worship than you realize.”
CI.24
“Why, who is he?” said the knight.
“It is King Arthur,” said Merlin. Then the knight would have slain him in dread of what he might do in his wrath, so he lifted up his sword. Then Merlin cast an enchantment on the knight so that he fell to the earth in a great sleep, and Merlin helped King Arthur up and rode away on the knight’s horse.
“Alas!” said Arthur. “What have you done, Merlin? Have you slain this good knight through your crafts? For there is not living now a man as worshipful as he was. I would rather have lost my land for a year if it might mean that he was alive.”
“Don’t worry,” said Merlin, “for he is healthier than you; he is but asleep and will wake within the hour. I told you,” said Merlin, “what kind of knight he was. Now you would have been slain if I had not been here. There is not a knight alive who is bigger than this one, and later he shall do you good service. His name is King Pellinore and he will have two sons who will be as good as any men living; they will have no equals in prowess and good living in this world except for one; their names will be Perceval and Sir Lamorak of Wales. And he shall tell you the name of your own son conceived on your sister, who shall cause the destruction of this realm.”
Then he and the king departed and he took him to an hermitage where there was a good man who was a great healer. So the hermit treated the king’s wounds and gave him good salves. The king was there three days, by which time his wounds were well enough mended that he might ride on horseback. So they departed.
CI.25
As they rode, Arthur said, “I have no sword.”
“Don’t worry,” said Merlin. “Nearby is a sword that shall be yours if I have my way.” So they rode until they came to a beautiful lake that was very large. Arthur saw that in the middle there was an arm clothed in white samite that held a fair sword in its hand. “Lo,” said Merlin, “yonder is the sword that I spoke of.” At that moment they saw a damsel going across the lake.
Said Merlin: “Out there is a great rock and therein is a palace as beautiful as any on earth, richly decorated. This damsel will come to you soon; speak fair words to her, so that she may give you that sword.”
So the damsel came to Arthur and greeted him, and he greeted her in return. “Damsel,” said Arthur, “what sword is that yonder which the arm is holding above the water? I would like to possess it, for I have no sword.”
“Sir Arthur,” said the damsel, “that sword is mine, and if you will give me a gift when I ask it, you shall have the sword.”
“By my faith,” said Arthur, “I will give you whatever gift you ask.”
“Well,” said the damsel, “go into that barge yonder and row yourself out to the sword and take it and the scabbard with you. I will ask a gift in return when the time is right.”
So King Arthur and Merlin dismounted and tied their horses to two trees, and went to the barge. When they came to the sword that was held by the hand, King Arthur grasped it by the handles and took it away with him; the arm and the hand went under the water. They reached the land and rode forth, and King Arthur saw a rich pavilion.
“What is the meaning of yonder pavilion?”
“Sir, that is the pavilion of the knight you fought with recently, King Pellinore, but he is away. He is not at home because he fought with a knight of yours called Egglame. They fought together, but in the end Egglame fled, or else he would have died, and Pellinore has chased him all the way to Caerleon. We will meet with him soon on the highway.”
“That will be well,” said Arthur. “Now that I have a sword I will wage battle with him and be revenged on him.”
“Sir,” said Merlin, “don’t do that. The knight is weary of fighting and chasing, so you will earn no worship if you fight him now. Also, he is not easily matched by any living man. Therefore, this is my counsel: let him be, for he shall do you good service in the near future, and his sons also after his death. Also, you will see in a very short time that you will be happy to give him your sister’s hand in marriage in reward for his good service. Therefore, do not challenge him when you see him.”
“I will do as you advise me.” Then King Arthur looked at the sword, and liked it very well.
Then Merlin said, “Which do you like better, the sword or the scabbard?”
“I like the sword better,” said Arthur.
“Then you are unwise, for the scabbard is worth ten of the sword. As long as you have the scabbard on you, you shall lose no blood, no matter how badly you are wounded. Therefore be careful to always keep the scabbard with you.”
So they rode into Caerleon, and along the way they met with King Pellinore. But Merlin had cast a spell so that King Pellinore did not see King Arthur, and passed by without saying anything.
“I marvel,” said Arthur, “that that knight would not speak.”
“Sir, he did not see you; for if he had seen you, you would not have parted on good terms.”
So they came into Caerleon, and his knights were very glad of his coming. When they heard of his adventures, they marveled that he would risk his person so all alone. But all men of worship said it was good indeed to be subject to such a leader who would risk his person in adventures as other poor knights did.
In the meantime a messenger came from King
