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9 The Adventure of King Pellinore

Then King Pellinore armed himself and mounted his horse. He rode some distance after the lady that the knight had led away, and as he was riding through the forest he saw in a valley a damsel sitting by a well with a wounded knight in her arms.

CIII.12

King Pellinore called out and greeted her, and when she was aware of him, she cried out loudly and said, “Help me, knight, for Jesus’ sake!” But King Pellinore would not stop, he was so eager to pursue his quest, even though she cried out for help a hundred times.

When she saw he would not stop, she prayed to God to put him in a position where he would need as much help as she did, so that he might feel as she felt before he died. Then, as the book tells, the wounded knight died, and the lady killed herself with his sword out of grief.

As King Pellinore was riding in that valley he met a poor man, a laborer, and asked him, “Have you seen a knight riding this way with a lady?”

“Yes, sir,” said the man. “I saw that knight with a lady who was making great dole. Yonder in the valley you shall see two pavilions; one of the knights of the pavilions challenged the knight for that lady, saying that she was his close cousin, and so he would not allow him to lead her any further. So they fought over that—one said that he would have her by force, and the other said that he had the right to oversee her, for he was her kinsman and would have brought her to her kin. So I left them fighting in this quarrel, and if you ride a short distance you will find them fighting, and the lady will be in the pavilions with two squires attending her.”

“By God, thank you!” said King Pellinore. Then he rode a distance until he had sight of the two pavilions and the two knights fighting. He rode up to the pavilions and saw that the lady who was his quest was there, and he said, “Fair lady, you must go with me to the court of King Arthur.”

“Sir knight,” said the two squires, “yonder are two knights who fight for this lady. Go out there and separate them, and if you can reach an agreement with them, then you may have her as you like.”

“You say well,” said King Pellinore. Then he rode out between them and parted them, and asked them why they fought.

“Sir knight,” said one, “I shall tell you. This lady is my close kinswoman, my aunt’s daughter, and when I heard her complain that she was with this knight against her will, I challenged him to a battle.”

“Sir knight,” said the other one, whose name was Outlake of Wentland, “I took this lady by the prowess of my hands and weapons today at Arthur’s court.”

“That is not true,” said King Pellinore, “for you entered suddenly when we were all at the high feast and took away this lady before any man could make himself ready to challenge you. It was made my quest to bring her back and you as well, or else that one of us should die contesting over her. Therefore, this lady shall go with me, or else I will die in the attempt to take her, for I have promised King Arthur to do so. Therefore, fight no more, for neither of you shall have her at this time. And if you wish to fight me for her, I will defend her.”

“Well,” said the knights, “prepare yourself, and we shall assail you with all our power.” And as King Pellinore moved to put his horse away from him, Sir Outlake ran his horse through with his sword and said, “Now you are afoot, as are we.”

When King Pellinore saw that his horse was slain, he quickly leapt off the horse, pulled out his sword, raised his shield in front of him, and said, “Knight, guard yourself well; you shall have a serious buffet for the slaying of my horse.” So King Pellinore gave him such a stroke upon the helmet that he split his head down to the chin, and the knight fell down dead to the earth.

Then he turned to the other knight, who was sorely wounded; when he saw the blow King Pellinore gave to Sir Outlake, he would not fight, but rather kneeled down and said, “Take my cousin, this lady, with you, as that is your quest; but I require you, as you are a true knight, that you put her to no shame nor villainy.”

CIII.13

“What?” said King Pellinore. “Will you not fight for her?”

“No,” said the knight, “I will not fight with a knight of such prowess as you.”

“Well,” said King Pellinore, “I promise you she will have no villainy from me, as I am a true knight. But now I am lacking a horse,” said King Pellinore, “so I will take Outlake’s horse.”

“Sir, you do not need to do that,” said the knight, “for I shall give you a horse that will please you greatly if you will lodge with me tonight, for it is almost dark.”

“I will gladly,” said King Pellinore, “abide with you tonight.” And that night he had good cheer and the best food and wine, and had a good rest that night.

In the morning they heard mass and ate. A fair bay courser was brought to him, and King Pellinore’s saddle was set upon the horse. “Now what shall I call you,” said the knight, “you who have charge of my cousin in order to complete your quest?”

“Sir, I shall tell you: my name is King Pellinore, King of the Isles, and knight of the Round Table.”

“Now I am glad,” said the knight, “that such a noble man should be in charge of my cousin.”

“Now what is your name?” said King Pellinore. “I pray you, tell me.”

“Sir, my name is Meliot de Logres, and this lady, my cousin, is called Nyneve. This knight that was in the other pavilion was my sworn brother, a very good knight, and his name is Brian of the Isles; he is loath to do any wrong or fight with any man unless he is sorely pressed.”

“It is a marvel,” said King Pellinore, “that he would not have ado with me.”

“Sir, he will not have ado with any man unless it is at his own request.”

“I pray you, bring him to court one of these days,” said King Pellinore.

“Sir, we will come together.”

“You shall be welcome,” said King Pellinore, “to the court of King Arthur, and you shall be well-regarded for your coming.”

So he departed with the lady and brought her toward Camelot. But as they rode through a valley which was full of stones, the lady’s horse stumbled and threw her down. Her arm was so hurt that she almost fainted from the pain.

“Alas!” said the lady, “my arm is dislocated; I need to rest.”

“So we shall,” said King Pellinore. So he dismounted under a tree where there was some grass to which he set his horse to grazing. They rested there under a tree and slept until it was almost night.

When they awoke he would have ridden on, but the lady said, “You may as well ride backward as forward, it is so dark!” So they stayed there and settled in for the night, and King Pellinore took off his armor.

A little before midnight they heard the trotting of a horse. “Be still,” said King Pellinore, “for we shall hear of some adventure.” Then he armed himself.

CIII.14

Right in front of them, two knights met; one was coming from Camelot and the other was coming from the North. Each greeted the other.

“What tidings at Camelot?” said one knight.

“By my head, I have been there and spied upon the court of King Arthur. There is such a fellowship that it shall never be broken. Almost all the world sides with King Arthur, for with him is the flower of chivalry. For this reason I am riding into the North to tell our chieftains of the fellowship that holds with King Arthur.”

“As for that,” said the other knight, “I have brought a remedy with me that is the greatest poison that has ever been heard of. I will go with it to Camelot, for we have a friend who is close to the king, one whom he cherishes, and he shall poison Arthur. He has promised our chieftains to do this, and has received great gifts for doing it.”

“Beware,” said the other knight, “of Merlin, for he knows all things through the devil’s craft.”

“I will not let that hinder me,” said the knight. So they parted and went in opposite directions.

Immediately after that, King Pellinore prepared himself, and the lady too, and they rode toward Camelot. As they came by the well where the lady had sat with the wounded knight, they saw that the knight and the lady had been eaten by lions, or other wild beasts, all except their heads. Because of this he made great sorrow, and wept much, saying, “Alas! I might have saved her life, but I was so consumed by my quest that I would not stop.”

“Why are you so sad?” said the lady.

“I don’t know,” said King Pellinore, “but my heart deeply laments the death of she who lies yonder, for she was a beautiful lady, and young.”

“Now, will you take my advice? Take this knight and have him buried at an hermitage, and then take this lady’s head and bear it with you to King Arthur.”

So King Pellinore put the dead knight on his shield and brought him to an hermitage. He gave the corpse to the hermit there so that services could be said for his soul. “And take his armor for your trouble.”

“It shall be done,” said the hermit, “as I answer to God.”

Then they departed and returned to where the lady with the fair yellow hair was lying. That grieved King Pellinore greatly when he looked at that scene, for greatly his heart inclined toward her visage. By noon they came to Camelot, and the king and queen were glad of his coming to court. He was made to swear upon the Four Gospels to tell the truth of his quest from beginning to end.

CIII.15

“Ah, King Pellinore!” said Queen Guenevere. “You are greatly to blame for not saving this lady’s life.”

“Madame,” said King Pellinore, “you would be greatly to blame if you did not save your own life and you were able. But, saving your displeasure, I was so eager in my quest that I would not stop. I repent that, and shall do so all the days of my life.”

“Truly, you ought to sorely repent it,” said Merlin, “for that lady was your own daughter, begotten on the Lady of Rule; that knight who was dead was her love who was going to marry her. For a young man, he was a very good knight, and he would have proved to be a good man. He was coming to this court, and his name was Miles of the Lands. A knight came up behind him and slew him with a spear; his name was Loraine le Savage, a false and cowardly knight. For great sorrow and dole she killed herself with his sword; her name was Aline.

“Because you would not stop and help her, you shall see your best friend fail you when you are in the greatest distress that you ever were or will be in. God has ordained this penance for your deed: that he whom you trust more than any man alive shall abandon you, and you will be slain.

“I am sorry,” said King Pellinore, “that this should befall me, but God shall decide my destiny.”

Thus, when the quest of the white hart was completed by Sir Gawain, and the quest of the brachet was completed by Sir Tor, King Pellinore’s son, and the quest of the lady who was taken away by the knight was completed by King Pellinore, then the king established all his knights, and bestowed on them riches and lands. He charged them never to commit outrage or murder, always to flee treason, and to give mercy to those who asked for mercy, upon pain of the forfeiture of their honor and status as a knight of King Arthur’s forever more. He charged them always to help ladies, damsels, gentlewomen, and widows, and never to commit rape, upon pain of death. Also, he commanded that no man should take up a battle in a wrongful quarrel—not for love, nor for any worldly goods.

So all the knights of the Round Table, both young and old, swore to uphold this oath, and every year at the high feast of Pentecost they renewed their oath.

Here ends the story of the wedding of King Arthur.