第28章 BOOK II(8)

Well,said Balin,do it yourself.Yes,said King Pellam,there shall no man have ado with thee but myself,for the love of my brother.Then King Pellam caught in his hand a grim weapon and smote eagerly at Balin;but Balin put the sword betwixt his head and the stroke,and therewith his sword burst in sunder.And when Balin was weaponless he ran into a chamber for to seek some weapon,and so from chamber to chamber,and no weapon he could find,and always King Pellam after him.And at the last he entered into a chamber that was marvellously well dight and richly,and a bed arrayed with cloth of gold,the richest that might be thought,and one lying therein,and thereby stood a table of clean gold with four pillars of silver that bare up the table,and upon the table stood a marvellous spear strangely wrought.And when Balin saw that spear,he gat it in his hand and turned him to King Pellam,and smote him passingly sore with that spear,that King Pellam fell down in a swoon,and therewith the castle roof and walls brake and fell to the earth,and Balin fell down so that he might not stir foot nor hand.And so the most part of the castle,that was fallen down through that dolorous stroke,lay upon Pellam and Balin three days.

CHAPTER XVI

How Balin was delivered by Merlin,and saved a knight that would have slain himself for love.

THEN Merlin came thither and took up Balin,and gat him a good horse,for his was dead,and bade him ride out of that country.

I would have my damosel,said Balin.Lo,said Merlin,where she lieth dead.And King Pellam lay so,many years sore wounded,and might never be whole till Galahad the haut prince healed him in the quest of the Sangreal,for in that place was part of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ,that Joseph of Arimathea brought into this land,and there himself lay in that rich bed.And that was the same spear that Longius smote our Lord to the heart;and King Pellam was nigh of Joseph's kin,and that was the most worshipful man that lived in those days,and great pity it was of his hurt,for through that stroke,turned to great dole,tray and tene.Then departed Balin from Merlin,and said,In this world we meet never no more.So he rode forth through the fair countries and cities,and found the people dead,slain on every side.And all that were alive cried,O Balin,thou hast caused great damage in these countries;for the dolorous stroke thou gavest unto King Pellam three countries are destroyed,and doubt not but the vengeance will fall on thee at the last.When Balin was past those countries he was passing fain.

So he rode eight days or he met with adventure.And at the last he came into a fair forest in a valley,and was ware of a tower,and there beside he saw a great horse of war,tied to a tree,and there beside sat a fair knight on the ground and made great mourning,and he was a likely man,and a well made.Balin said,God save you,why be ye so heavy?tell me and I will amend it,an I may,to my power.Sir knight,said he again,thou dost me great grief,for I was in merry thoughts,and now thou puttest me to more pain.Balin went a little from him,and looked on his horse;then heard Balin him say thus:Ah,fair lady,why have ye broken my promise,for thou promisest me to meet me here by noon,and I may curse thee that ever ye gave me this sword,for with this sword I slay myself,and pulled it out.And therewith Balin stert unto him and took him by the hand.Let go my hand,said the knight,or else I shall slay thee.That shall not need,said Balin,for I shall promise you my help to get you your lady,an ye will tell me where she is.What is your name?said the knight.My name is Balin le Savage.Ah,sir,I know you well enough,ye are the Knight with the Two Swords,and the man of most prowess of your hands living.What is your name?said Balin.My name is Garnish of the Mount,a poor man's son,but by my prowess and hardiness a duke hath made me knight,and gave me lands;his name is Duke Hermel,and his daughter is she that Ilove,and she me as I deemed.How far is she hence?said Balin.

But six mile,said the knight.Now ride we hence,said these two knights.So they rode more than a pace,till that they came to a fair castle well walled and ditched.I will into the castle,said Balin,and look if she be there.So he went in and searched from chamber to chamber,and found her bed,but she was not there.Then Balin looked into a fair little garden,and under a laurel tree he saw her lie upon a quilt of green samite and a knight in her arms,fast halsing either other,and under their heads grass and herbs.When Balin saw her lie so with the foulest knight that ever he saw,and she a fair lady,then Balin went through all the chambers again,and told the knight how he found her as she had slept fast,and so brought him in the place there she lay fast sleeping.

CHAPTER XVII

How that knight slew his love and a knight lying by her,and after,how he slew himself with his own sword,and how Balin rode toward a castle where he lost his life.

AND when Garnish beheld her so lying,for pure sorrow his mouth and nose burst out a-bleeding,and with his sword he smote off both their heads,and then he made sorrow out of measure,and said,O Balin,much sorrow hast thou brought unto me,for hadst thou not shewed me that sight I should have passed my sorrow.