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Оглавление4 Balin, The Knight with the Two Swords
After the death of Uther, his son Arthur reigned, and he had to fight a great war to bring all England under his rule, for there were many kings within the realm of England, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall.
VI.2 CII.1
So it happened one time when Arthur was in London that a knight came and told him how King Rience of North Wales had raised a great army and had entered the land and burned and slew the king’s true liege people.
“If this is true,” said Arthur, “it would be a great shame to my honor unless I should stand against him mightily.”
“It is true,” said the knight, “for I saw the army myself.”
“Well,” said the king, “I shall order a response to his malice.” Then the king announced that all the lords, knights, and gentlemen of arms should meet at the castle which was called Camelot in those days, and there the king would hold a council and a jousting tournament.
So when the king had arrived there with all his barons and they were comfortably lodged, there came a damsel who was sent from the great Lady Lyle of Avalon. When she came before King Arthur she explained from where she had come and how she had been sent as a messenger to him for a particular reason. Then she let her richly furred mantle fall and revealed that she was girt with a noble sword; the king marveled at this and said “Damsel, why are you girt with that sword? It is not appropriate.”
“Now I shall tell you,” said the damsel. “This sword with which I am girt is an encumbrance that causes me great sorrow. The sword cannot be removed except by a knight, and his deeds and actions must prove him to be a noble knight, without villainy, treachery, or treason. If I may find such a knight that has all these virtues, he will be able to draw this sword out of its sheath. I have been in King Rience’s land, for I was told that there I might find passing good knights. And he and all his knights tried and none of them were able to draw the sword.”
“That is a great marvel,” said Arthur. “If this is true, then I would like to try myself to pull out the sword, although I do not presume that I am the best knight here. But I will try to draw your sword as an example to all the barons, so that every one of them will try after I have tried.” Then Arthur took the sword by the sheath and girdle and pulled at it strongly, but the sword would not come out.
“Sir,” said the damsel, “you don’t need to pull so hard, for he that is able to pull out the sword will be able to do it quite easily.”
“You are right,” said Arthur. “Now, all my barons, you try!”
“But beware if you are tainted with shame, treachery or guile, for then it will be no use,” said the damsel. “For he must be a pure knight without any villainy and of noble birth on both his father’s and mother’s side.”
The greater part of the barons of the Round Table who there at that time tried one after another, but none had any success. Because of this the damsel made great sorrow out of measure and said, “Alas! I thought that in this country I would find the best knights of the world without treachery or treason.”
“By my faith,” said Arthur, “I believe the knights here are as good as any in the world, but it is not their fortune to be able to help you, for which I am sorry.”
CII.2
It happened that at that time there was a poor knight at King Arthur’s court who had been a prisoner for half a year because he had killed a knight who was King Arthur’s cousin. The name of this knight was Balin, and through the influence of the barons he was brought out of prison; he had a reputation as a strong knight, and he had been born in Northumberland.
So he went secretly to the court and saw the marvel of the sword, which lifted his spirits; he would have liked to have tried as the other knights did, but as he was poor and poorly outfitted, he did not put himself forward. But in his heart he believed that he could do as well as any knight there if luck was with him. As the damsel took her leave of Arthur and all the barons, Balin called out to her as she was departing and said, “Damsel, I pray you of your courtesy to allow me to try as these other lords have, although I am poorly outfitted. In my heart I believe that I am as likely as any of these others to succeed.”
This damsel looked at the poor knight and saw that he was a handsome man, but his shabby clothes made her think that any honor he had achieved was done through villainy and treachery.
Then she said to that knight, “Sir, you don’t need to bother, because I doubt that you would succeed where all these knights have failed.”
“Ah, fair damsel,” said Balin, “worthiness and good character and good deeds are not to be found in one’s outward appearance; manhood and worship are found within a man’s person. Many a noble knight is unknown to the people, as honor and fortitude are not to be found in clothing.”
“By God,” said the damsel, “what you say is true. Therefore you may try if you would like.” Then Balin took the sword by the girdle and sheath and drew it out easily, and when he looked at the sword he was very pleased with it. Then the king and all the court marveled that Balin had achieved that adventure, and many knights were upset with him.
“For certain,” said the damsel, “this is a very good knight—the best I ever found—and the one who is of greatest worship without treason or felony; he shall perform many marvels. Now, gentle and courteous knight, give the sword back to me.”
“Nay,” said Balin, “I will keep this sword unless someone takes it from me by force.”
“Well,” said the damsel, “you are not wise to do so, for with that sword you will slay your best friend and the man whom you love most in this world, and that sword will cause your destruction.”
“I will take the adventure,” said Balin, “that God will ordain for me. You shall not have the sword at this time, by the faith of my body.”
“You will repent of this shortly,” said the damsel, “for I ask for the sword back more for your benefit than for mine. I am very sad for your sake, because if you will not give up that sword it will cause your destruction, and that is a great pity.”
With that, the damsel departed making great sorrow. And at once Balin called for his horse and armor—as he wished to depart from the court—and he took his leave of King Arthur.
“Nay,” said King Arthur, “do not think you will depart so easily from this fellowship. I suppose that you are unhappy that I have treated you unkindly, but don’t blame me, as it seems I was misinformed about you. I did not know that you were such a noble knight of worship and prowess, as you obviously are. If you would stay in this court among my fellowship, I will raise your status as it may please you.”
“God thank you, your highness,” said Balin. “No man is able to praise even half the value of your generosity, but at this time I must depart, although I ask your good grace to do so.”
“Truly,” said the king, “I am quite upset at your departing. But I pray you, fair knight, not to stay away too long; you will be very welcome by me and my barons, and I will make amends for all that was wrongly done to you.”
“God thank your good grace,” said Balin, and made himself ready to depart. Then most of the knights said that Balin had succeeded in this adventure not through might but through witchcraft.
As Balin was making himself ready to depart, the Lady of the Lake came to court. She arrived on horseback richly outfitted, greeted King Arthur, and asked him to grant her the gift he had promised her when she gave him the sword.
CII.3
“That is true,” said Arthur, “that I promised you a gift; but I have forgotten the name of the sword you gave me.”
“The name of it,” said the lady, “is Excalibur, which means ‘cut steel.’”
“You say well,” said the king. “Ask what you would like and you shall have it if it lies in my power to give it to you.”
“Well,” said the lady, “then I ask for the head of this knight who has won the sword, or else the head of the damsel who brought the sword to court. It would be fine with me to have both their heads, for he killed my brother, who was a good and true knight, and that gentlewoman caused my father’s death.”
“Truly,” said King Arthur, “I cannot grant you either of their heads and keep my honor. Ask for something else, and I will grant you your desire.”
“I will ask for nothing else,” said the lady.
As Balin was getting ready to depart, he saw the Lady of the Lake, who had been the cause of his mother’s death; he had been seeking her for three years. And when he was told that she had asked King Arthur for his head, went straight up to her and said, “Evil be you found! You would have had my head, so you shall lose yours!” And with his sword he quickly struck off her head right in front of King Arthur.
“Alas, for shame!” said the king. “Why did you do that? You have shamed me and all my court, for this was a lady to whom I owed a great deal, and she came here under my safe-conduct. I will never forgive you for this crime!”
“Sir,” said Balin, “I am sorry about your displeasure, but this lady was the falsest lady alive; through enchantment and sorcery she has destroyed many good knights, and she caused my mother to be burned through her falsehood and treachery.”
“Whatever reason you had,” said Arthur, “you should have restrained yourself in my presence—don’t dare to think the contrary! You will be sorry for this, for I have never had such a foul act committed in my court. Therefore leave my court as quickly as you are able.”
Then Balin took up the head of the lady and carried it with him to his lodgings. There he met up with his squire, who was sorry that he had displeased King Arthur, and they rode out of town.
“Now,” said Balin, “we must depart. Take this head and bring it to my friends and tell them what I have done, and tell the people of Northumberland that my greatest foe is dead. Also, tell them how I got out of prison, and the adventure that I had in achieving the sword.”
“Alas!” said the squire. “You are greatly to blame for having displeased King Arthur.”
“As for that,” said Balin, “I will hurry in all haste to meet with King Rience and destroy him, or else die trying. And if I am able to defeat him, then King Arthur will be my good friend.”
“Sir, shall I meet up with you again?” said his squire.
“Yes, in King Arthur’s court,” said Balin. So he and his squire then parted.
King Arthur and all the court mourned and felt great shame for the death of the Lady of the Lake; the king had her richly buried.
So at that time there was a knight who was the son of the king of Ireland, and his name was Lanceor. He was a proud knight and considered himself one of the best of the court. He was very upset that Balin had achieved the sword, because he did not want anyone to be considered stronger or of greater prowess than himself. He asked King Arthur to allow him to ride after Balin to avenge the crime he had committed.
CII.4
“Do your best,” said King Arthur. “I am very upset with Balin. I would like him to be punished for the wrong he has done to me and my court.” Then this Sir Lanceor went to his lodgings to prepare himself.
In the meanwhile, Merlin came to Arthur’s court and was immediately told about the adventure of the sword and the death of the Lady of the Lake.
“Now I shall tell you something,” said Merlin. “This damsel who stands here—the one who brought the sword into the court—I will explain the reason for her coming here. She is the falsest damsel alive; she cannot deny it. She had a brother, a passing good knight of prowess and an honest man, and this damsel loved another knight who was her paramour. This good knight, her brother, met with her paramour and slew him by the skill of his hands. When this false damsel learned of this, she went to the Lady Lyle of Avalon and asked for her help in exacting vengeance upon her own brother. And so the Lady Lyle of Avalon gave her the sword that she brought with her, and told her that no man would be able to pull it out unless he were one of the best knights of the realm, and he would be strong and full of knightly skill, and with that sword he would slay his brother.
CII.5
“This was the reason, damsel, that you came into this court; you know it as well as I do. I wish to God that you had not come here, for you never enter the fellowship of worshipful folk to do good, but only to do harm. And the knight who has achieved the sword will be destroyed through the sword, and that will be a great loss—for there is not a knight of equal prowess alive today. He shall do unto you, my lord Arthur, great honor and kindness. It is a great pity that he will live only a little while longer, for I do not know anyone alive today who can match his strength and hardiness.”
Meanwhile, the knight of Ireland, Lanceor, fully armed himself and positioned his shield on his shoulder; he mounted his horse and took his glaive in his hand, and then rode a great distance—as far as his horse could go. And within a little while, up on a mountain, he caught sight of Balin, and cried in a loud voice: “Wait, knight! You shall wait, whether you wish to or not. And that shield you bear before you shall be no help,” said the Irish knight. “I am coming after you.”
“Perhaps,” said Balin, “you would have done better to wait at home. Many a man thinks he can rebuke his enemy, but often he is the one who is shamed. From what country do you come?”
“I have come from the court of King Arthur,” said the knight of Ireland, “and I have come here to avenge the shame you did this day to Arthur and his court.”
“Well,” said Balin, “I see I must meet your challenge, although I am sorry that I have grieved King Arthur or any of his court. Your quarrel with me is a small matter,” said Balin. “The lady who is dead did great wrong to me, or else I would have been as loath as is any knight alive to slay a lady.”
“Prepare yourself,” said the knight Lanceor, “and face me; only one of us shall win this contest.”
Then they fixed their spears in their spear-rests and came together as fast as their horses could run. The Irish knight smote Balin on the shield so that his spear splintered, and Balin smote him right through the shield so that his hauberk broke. So he struck him clean through the body and knocked him back over his horse’s crupper; then he immediately turned his horse and drew out his sword, not realizing that he had already slain him.
When he saw him lying dead as a corpse, he looked around him and became aware of a damsel who came riding on a fair palfrey as fast as her horse could run. When she saw that Lanceor had been slain, she made great sorrow out of measure and said,”
CII.6
“Ah, Balin! You have slain two bodies in one heart, and two hearts in one body, and two souls you have lost!” Then she took the sword from her love who lay dead and fell to the ground in a swoon. When she arose she made great dole out of measure, and her sorrow upset Balin greatly.
He went to her to have taken the sword out of her hand, but she held on to it so tightly that he could not take it out of her hand unless he hurt her. And suddenly she set the pommel on the ground and drove the sword through her body. When Balin saw her do this he was very heavy in his heart and ashamed that so fair a damsel had destroyed herself because of the death of her love.
“Alas!” said Balin. “I am sorry for the death of this knight because he was so beloved of this damsel, and there was great true love between them.” He was so sad he could not look at them; so he turned his horse and headed for a fair forest.
Then he became aware that his brother Balan was riding his way. And when they met they took off their helmets and kissed each other and wept for joy and for pity.
Then Balan said, “Brother, I hardly expected to have met you here by accident, but I am very glad that you have been delivered from your dolorous imprisonment. A man in the Castle of Four Stones told me that you had been released, and that man had seen you in the court of King Arthur, so I came into this country, as I thought I would find you there.”
Then Balin told his brother about the adventure of the sword and the death of the Lady of the Lake, and how King Arthur was displeased with him. “And because of this he sent this knight after me who here lies dead. And the death of this damsel grieves me sorely.”
“It does me as well,” said Balan, “but you must take the adventure that God will ordain for you.”
“Truly,” said Balin, “I am very heavy-hearted that my lord Arthur is displeased with me, for he is the most worshipful king that reigns now on earth. I will win back his love or else sacrifice my life in trying. King Rience is currently laying siege to Castle Terrabyl; let us go there in haste to prove our worship and prowess upon him.”
“I would like it well,” said Balan, “if you would do so. I will ride with you and risk my body in this adventure with you, as a brother ought to do.”
“Now let us leave here.” said Balin, “It is good that we met!”
CII.7
As they were talking, a dwarf from the city of Camelot came up on horseback as quickly as he could; he found the dead bodies, over which he made great mourning, pulling out his hair for sorrow, and said, “Which of you two knights has done this deed?”
“Why do you ask?” said Balan.
“Because I would like to know,” said the dwarf.
“It was I,” said Balin, “who slew this knight in self-defense. He came hither to chase me, and either I had to slay him or he would slay me. And this damsel slew herself out of love for him, for which I am sorry. For her sake, I shall owe all women good will and service all the days of my life.”
“Alas!” said the dwarf. “You have done great damage to yourself. For this knight that lies dead here was one of the most valiant men that lived. Trust well, Balin, that the kin of this knight will chase you throughout the world until they have slain you.”
“As for that,” said Balin, “I do not fear them greatly. But I am very sorry that I should have displeased my lord King Arthur through the death of this knight.”
As they were talking together, a king of Cornwall came riding by with the high king, King Mark. When he saw these two dead bodies and understood how they had died—as explained by the two knights—the king made great sorrow for the true love that had been between them, and said, “I will not leave until I have raised a tomb on this spot.”
Then he set up his pavilions and sought throughout the country to find a tomb, and in a church he found one that was fair and rich. Then the king had both the knight and the lady put into the earth and laid the tomb over them, and wrote both their names on the tomb: “Here lies Lanceor, son of the king of Ireland, who by his own request was slain by the hands of Balin” and “This lady Columbe, paramour to him, slew herself with his sword for dole and sorrow.”
As this was happening, Merlin came along and saw all King Mark’s doings. “Here shall be,” said Merlin, “in this same place the greatest battle between two knights who are the truest lovers that ever was or ever shall be. But neither of them shall slay the other.” Then Merlin wrote the names of the knights who should fight in that place upon the tomb in letters of gold: Sir Lancelot du Lake and Sir Tristram.
CII.8
“You are a marvelous man,” said King Mark to Merlin, “to speak of such marvels. You are an unpolished and unlikely man to tell of such deeds. What is your name?” said King Mark.
“At this time,” said Merlin, “I will not tell you. But at the time when Sir Tristram is caught with his sovereign lady, then shall you hear and know my name, and at that time you will hear tidings that will not please you! Ah, Balin!” said Merlin, “you have done yourself a great wrong in that you did not save this lady who slew herself. You might have saved her if you had wanted to.”
“By the faith of my body,” said Balin, “I was not able to save her, for she slew herself unexpectedly.”
“I am sorry about that,” said Merlin, “because the death of that lady shall cause you to strike a blow more dolorous than ever a man struck, except the blow done to our Lord Jesus Christ. You shall hurt the truest knight and the man of most worship who now lives. And through that blow three kingdoms shall be brought into great poverty, misery, and wretchedness for twelve years, and the knight shall not be healed of his wound for many years.” Then Merlin took his leave.
“Nay,” said Balin, “that cannot be so. For if I knew you were speaking the truth—that I would do such a terrible deed—I would slay myself in order to make you a liar.” Then Merlin vanished suddenly, and Balin and his brother took their leave of King Mark.
“First,” said the king, “tell me your name.”
“Sir,” said Balan, “you can see that he bears two swords, and thus you may call him the Knight with the Two Swords.” And with this, King Mark departed and went to Camelot to King Arthur, while Balin and Balan headed towards King Rience. As they rode together, they met with Merlin who was disguised so that they did not know him.
“Whence do you ride?” asked Merlin.
“We have little reason to tell you,” said the two knights. “What is your name?” said Balin.
“At this time,” said Merlin, “I will not tell.”
“That is an evil sign,” said the knights. “That suggests you are not a true man because you will not tell us your name.”
“As for that,” said Merlin, “be that as it may. But I can tell you why you ride this way: to challenge King Rience. But it will be no use unless you have my advice.”
“Ah!” said Balin. “You are Merlin! We will follow your advice.”
“Come on,” said Merlin, “and you shall have great worship. See that you behave knightly, for you will need to.”
“As for that,” said Balin, “fear not, for we will do as well as we are able.”
Then Merlin and these two knights rested themselves in the woods among the leaves beside the highway, and took the bridles off their horses and turned them loose to graze. They lay down to rest until it was almost midnight.
CII.9
Then Merlin bade them rise and make ready, “for the king is coming near. He has sneaked away from his army with three score of his best horses and knights, and twenty of them have ridden ahead to warn the Lady de Vaunce that the king is coming, for this knight King Rience intends to sleep with her.”
“Where is the king?” said Balin.
“Wait,” said Merlin, “for here along the straightaway you shall meet with him.” Then he pointed out the king to Balin and his brother. Then they challenged him, and struck him down and wounded him severely, and laid him out on the ground. There they slew on the right hand and on the left hand more than forty of his men, and the remnant fled.
Then they turned again to King Rience and would have killed him if had not put himself at their mercy. Then he said, “Knights full of prowess, slay me not! For if I am alive, you may gain much, but my death will profit you nothing.”
“You speak the truth,” said the knights. So they placed him in a horse-litter.
And at that, Merlin vanished, and came to King Arthur and told him how his greatest enemy was vanquished and captured.
“By whom?” said King Arthur.
“By two knights,” said Merlin, “who desire to be in your service. Tomorrow you shall know what kind of knights they are.”
Later the Knight with the Two swords and his brother came, and they brought with them King Rience of North Wales and delivered him to the porters, charging them to guide him. Then they departed again at daybreak.
Then King Arthur came to King Rience and said, “Sir king, you are welcome. What adventure brought you hither?”
“Sir, “ said King Rience, “it was a hard adventure that brought me here.”
“Who captured you?” said King Arthur.
“Sir,” he said, “the Knight with the Two Swords and his brother, who are two knights of marvelous prowess.”
“I do not know them,” said Arthur, “but I am much beholden to them.”
“Ah, sir,” said Merlin, “I will tell you. It is Balin who achieved the sword and his brother Balan, a good knight. There is not a better knight of prowess or worthiness alive. It will turn out to be the greatest sorrow any knight has ever known, for he will not live long.”
“Alas,” said King Arthur, “that is a great pity. For I am much beholden unto him, and I have little deserved it after my unkindness to him.”
“Nay, nay,” said Merlin, “he will go on to do much more for you, which you will see soon. But sir, are you prepared?” said Merlin, “For the army of King Nero, King Rience’s brother, will attack you soon with a great host. Therefore, prepare yourself, for I must depart from you.”
Then King Arthur made his army ready in ten battalions. Nero was ready in the field before the Castle Terrabyl with a great army, and he had ten battalions with many more people than King Arthur had. Nero was in the vanguard with the greater part of his people.
CII.10
Merlin came to King Lot of the Orkney Islands and detained him with a story of prophecy until Nero and his people were destroyed. In that battle, Kay the Seneschal did so well that all the days of his life the honor he earned there stayed with him. Sir Hervis de Revel also did marvelous deeds of arms that day with Arthur, and King Arthur slew that day twenty knights and maimed forty.
At that time the Knight with the Two Swords came to court with his brother, and they did such marvelous feats of arms that the king and all the knights marveled at them. Everyone who saw them said that they were either angels sent from heaven or devils sent from hell. King Arthur himself said they were the doughtiest knights that he ever saw, for they struck such blows that all men had great wonder at them.
In the meantime, someone came to King Lot and told how while he had tarried there Nero was destroyed and killed with his army.
“Alas,” said King Lot, “I am ashamed. If it had not been for my error there would have been no army under heaven able to match us; but this imposter with his prophecy has mocked me.”
Merlin had done this, for he well knew that if King Lot had been at the first battle with his army, King Arthur would have been slain and all his army distressed. Merlin well knew that one of the kings would die that day, and he was loath that either one should die; but of the two, he would have preferred King Lot of Orkney to have been slain rather than Arthur.
“What is the best thing to do?” said King Lot. “Is it better to try and negotiate with Arthur or else to fight? For the greater part of our people are killed and distressed.”
“Sir,” said a knight, “attack Arthur, for they are weary and tired of fighting, while we are fresh.”
“As for me,” said King Lot, “I would ask that every knight do his part as I will do mine.”
Then they advanced with banners and spears and struck one another and damaged their spears. Arthur’s knights—with the help of the Knight with the Two Swords and his brother Balan—fought strongly against King Lot and his army. And always King Lot was at the forefront of the fighting and did marvelous deeds of arms, and his host was encouraged by his deeds.
Alas, he could not endure; it was a great pity that such a knight as he should be overmatched—he who until recently had been a knight of King Arthur and married to the king’s sister. But because Arthur had lain by his wife and conceived on her Sir Mordred, King Lot was always opposed to Arthur.
There was a knight that was called the Knight with the Strange Beast (although at this time he was called King Pellinore) who was such a man of prowess as were few men living at that time. He struck a mighty blow at King Lot as he fought with his enemies; his stroke missed, however, and struck the neck of King Lot’s horse, so that it fell to the earth taking King Lot with it. And then King Pellinore struck a great blow that went through his helmet and head down to the eyebrows.
Then all the Orkney host fled at the death of King Lot, but all of them were hunted down and slain. King Pellinore bore the blame for the death of King Lot, and because of this Sir Gawain avenged the death of his father ten years after he was made a knight, and slew King Pellinore with his own hands.
Also slain at this battle were twelve kings who had sided with King Lot and King Nero, and they were buried in the church of Saint Stephen in Camelot. The remnant of the knights and others who died there were buried beneath a great rock.
So King Lot’s wife, Morgause, came to the burial with her four sons, Gawain, Aggravain, Gaheris and Gareth. King Uriens, Sir Uwain’s father, also came, along with his wife, Morgan le Fay, who was King Arthur’s sister. All of these people came to the interment.
CII.11
Out of all the twelve kings, Arthur made the tomb of Lot be the most richly decorated, and he made this tomb himself. Then Arthur had twelve images of the kings made out of copper and tin, and gilt them with gold. Each one of them held a taper of wax in his hand that burned night and day. And King Arthur was rendered as a figure standing above them with a drawn sword in his hand, and all the twelve figures were given expressions as if they had been overcome.
Merlin made all this through his magical craft, and then he told the king that when he was dead the tapers would no longer burn after the adventure of the Holy Grail would be achieved. He also told King Arthur how Balin, the worshipful knight, should strike the Dolorous Stroke, which would cause great trouble.
“Ah, where is Balin, Balan, and Pellinore?”
“As for King Pellinore,” said Merlin, “he will meet with you soon. And as for Balin, he will not be away from you for long. But the other brother will depart; you will not see him anymore.”
“By my faith,” said Arthur, “they are two manly knights! Balin surpasses the prowess of any knight that I have ever encountered, and I owe him much. I wish to God he would stay with me!”
“Sir,” said Merlin, “see that you guard carefully the scabbard of Excalibur, for you will lose no blood as long as you have the scabbard on your person, no matter how many wounds you may have.”
So after this, Arthur trustingly brought the scabbard to Morgan le Fay, his sister. But she loved another knight better than she loved her husband, King Uriens, or her brother, King Arthur. She wanted to have her brother Arthur slain, so she had another, similar scabbard made for Excalibur, and gave Excalibur to her lover. This knight’s name was Accolon, who later nearly killed King Arthur.
Merlin then told King Arthur the prophecy that there would be a great battle on Salisbury Plain, in which Mordred, his own son, would be against him. He also told him that Bagdemagus was close cousin to both himself and to King Uriens.
Within a day or two, King Arthur fell sick; he had his pavilion erected in a meadow, and there he laid down on a pallet to sleep, but he was unable to get any rest. Then he heard a great noise, as if a horse was coming, and he looked out of the porch door of the pavilion and saw a knight coming his direction and making great dole.
CII.12
“Abide, fair sir,” said Arthur, “and tell my why you are making such sorrow.”
“You can do little to help me,” said the knight, and so passed by and went on to Meliot Castle. After that, Balin came by. And when he saw King Arthur he dismounted from his horse and came to the king on foot and greeted him.
“By my head,” said Arthur, “you are welcome. Sir, just now came riding by a knight making a great moaning, but why, I do not know. So I would ask you, by your courtesy and gentleness, to fetch that knight back either by force or by good will.”
“I will do more for your lordship than that,” said Balin, “or I will injure him.” So Balin rode a distance and found the knight with a damsel in the forest and said, “Sir knight, you must come with me to King Arthur and tell him of your sorrow.”
“I will not,” said the knight, “because it will harm me greatly and won’t do you any good.”
“Sir,” said Balin, “I pray you, make you ready, for you must go with me or else I must fight with you and bring you by force; and that I do not wish to do.”
“Will you guarantee my safety,” said the knight, “if I go with you?”
“Yes,” said Balin, “or else, by the faith of my body, I will die trying to protect you.” So the knight prepared to go with Balin and left the damsel waiting. And just as they were about to reach Arthur’s pavilion, an invisible knight came up and smote the knight who went with Balin through the body with a spear.
“Alas!” said the knight, “I am slain under your safe-conduct by a knight called Garlon. Therefore take my horse, which is better than yours, and ride back to the damsel and take up the quest that I was engaged in. She will lead you. And avenge my death when you are able.”
“That I shall do,” said Balin, “and I make a vow to do so before God and on my knighthood.” So he departed from King Arthur with great sorrow.
Then King Arthur had this knight richly buried, and made mention on his tomb that here was slain Sir Harleus by the treachery of the knight Garlon. And ever after that the damsel carried with her the shaft of the spear that had killed Sir Harleus the Barbarous.
