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Arthur’s court.”

      Then the two knights ran together so that Grifflet’s shield shattered. Then the knight smote Grifflet through the shield and his left side and broke his spear so that the end of it stuck in Grifflet’s body. Horse and man fell to the earth.

      When the knight saw him lying on the ground, he dismounted and was sorry, for he thought that he had slain him. Then he unlaced his helmet to give him some air. With the truncheon still in him he set him on his horse and commended him to God and said, “He had a mighty heart! If he might live, he will prove to be a passing good knight.”

      CI.23

      Thus Sir Grifflet rode forth to the court, where passing great sorrow was made for him. But through good medicine he was healed and saved.

      Then twelve aged knights came to the court from the emperor of Rome. And they asked Arthur to do tribute to the emperor for possession of his realm, or else the emperor would destroy him and all his land.

      “Well,” said King Arthur, “you are messengers, therefore, you may say whatever you will; if you were not merely messengers, you would die for what you have said. This is my answer: I owe the emperor no tribute, and I will give him none, unless it will be on a fair field of battle with sharp spear or sharp sword. And it will not be a long time in coming, by the soul of my father Uther!”

      Then the messengers departed exceedingly angry, and King Arthur was just as angry, for they came in an evil time, when the king was exceedingly angry about the wound of Sir Grifflet.

      So he commanded a man of his chamber to have his best horse and armor ready before daybreak, “and all that it is fitting that I should have on my person be outside the city before tomorrow daybreak waiting for me.”

      Just as he commanded, he met with his man and his horse, and so mounted, positioned his shield and took his spear, and bade his chamberlain wait there until he returned. So Arthur rode along a short distance until it was day.

      Then he was suddenly aware of three churls chasing Merlin who would have slain him. Then the king rode up to them and commanded them: “Flee churls!” Then they were afraid when they saw a knight coming to them, and they fled.

      “Ah, Merlin!” said Arthur, “here you would have been slain despite all your crafts, if I had not been here!”

      “No,” said Merlin, “that is not true, for I could have saved myself if I had wanted to. But you are nearer to death than I, for you ride toward death and God is not on your side.” So they went on talking thus until they came to the fountain with the pavilion beside it. Then King Arthur saw an armed knight sitting in a chair.

      “Sir knight,” said Arthur, “why are you waiting here, not allowing any knight to ride past unless he joust with you? I suggest that you cease that custom.”

      “This custom,” said the knight, “I have followed and will follow despite anyone telling me ‘no.’ Whoever is upset with my custom, let him try and make me amend it.”

      “I will amend it,” said Arthur.

      “And I shall defend against you,” said the knight. Then he took his horse and positioned his shield and took a spear in his hand; they came together so hard that each struck the other in the middle of the shield and shattered their spears. Then immediately Arthur pulled out his sword.

      “Nay, nay, not so fast,” said the knight. “It would be better that the two of us run at one another with sharp spears again.”

      “I would be happy to,” said Arthur, “if I had any more spears here.”

      “I have enough,” said the knight. Then a squire came forward bringing two spears, and Arthur chose one and the knight chose another. Then they spurred their horses and came together with all their might so that each broke the spear of the other down to their hands. Then Arthur put his hand on his sword.

      “Nay,” said the knight, “you shall do better. You are as good a jouster as I have ever met, and in honor of the high order of knighthood, let us joust again.”

      “I assent,” said 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.

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