The meanwhile the other knight went to the damosel,and asked her why she abode with that knight,and if ye would abide with me,Iwill be your faithful knight.And with you will I be,said the damosel,for with Sir Gawaine I may not find in mine heart to be with him;for now here was one knight discomfited ten knights,and at the last he was cowardly led away;and therefore let us two go whilst they fight.And Sir Gawaine fought with that other knight long,but at the last they accorded both.And then the knight prayed Sir Gawaine to lodge with him that night.So as Sir Gawaine went with this knight he asked him,What knight is he in this country that smote down the ten knights?For when he had done so manfully he suffered them to bind him hand and foot,and so led him away.Ah,said the knight,that is the best knight Itrow in the world,and the most man of prowess,and he hath been served so as he was even more than ten times,and his name hight Sir Pelleas,and he loveth a great lady in this country and her name is Ettard.And so when he loved her there was cried in this country a great jousts three days,and all the knights of this country were there and gentlewomen,and who that proved him the best knight should have a passing good sword and a circlet of gold,and the circlet the knight should give it to the fairest lady that was at the jousts.And this knight Sir Pelleas was the best knight that was there,and there were five hundred knights,but there was never man that ever Sir Pelleas met withal but he struck him down,or else from his horse;and every day of three days he struck down twenty knights,therefore they gave him the prize,and forthwithal he went thereas the Lady Ettard was,and gave her the circlet,and said openly she was the fairest lady that there was,and that would he prove upon any knight that would say nay.
CHAPTER XXI
How King Pelleas suffered himself to be taken prisoner because he would have a sight of his lady,and how Sir Gawaine promised him to get to him the love of his lady.
AND so he chose her for his sovereign lady,and never to love other but her,but she was so proud that she had scorn of him,and said that she would never love him though he would die for her.Wherefore all ladies and gentlewomen had scorn of her that she was so proud,for there were fairer than she,and there was none that was there but an Sir Pelleas would have proffered them love,they would have loved him for his noble prowess.And so this knight promised the Lady Ettard to follow her into this country,and never to leave her till she loved him.And thus he is here the most part nigh her,and lodged by a priory,and every week she sendeth knights to fight with him.And when he hath put them to the worse,then will he suffer them wilfully to take him prisoner,because he would have a sight of this lady.And always she doth him great despite,for sometime she maketh her knights to tie him to his horse's tail,and some to bind him under the horse's belly;thus in the most shamefullest ways that she can think he is brought to her.And all she doth it for to cause him to leave this country,and to leave his loving;but all this cannot make him to leave,for an he would have fought on foot he might have had the better of the ten knights as well on foot as on horseback.Alas,said Sir Gawaine,it is great pity of him;and after this night I will seek him to-morrow,in this forest,to do him all the help I can.So on the morn Sir Gawaine took his leave of his host Sir Carados,and rode into the forest;and at the last he met with Sir Pelleas,making great moan out of measure,so each of them saluted other,and asked him why he made such sorrow.And as it is above rehearsed,Sir Pelleas told Sir Gawaine:But always I suffer her knights to fare so with me as ye saw yesterday,in trust at the last to win her love,for she knoweth well all her knights should not lightly win me,an me list to fight with them to the uttermost.Wherefore an I loved her not so sore,I had liefer die an hundred times,an I might die so oft,rather than I would suffer that despite;but I trust she will have pity upon me at the last,for love causeth many a good knight to suffer to have his entent,but alas I am unfortunate.And therewith he made so great dole and sorrow that unnethe he might hold him on horseback.
Now,said Sir Gawaine,leave your mourning and I shall promise you by the faith of my body to do all that lieth in my power to get you the love of your lady,and thereto I will plight you my troth.Ah,said Sir Pelleas,of what court are ye?tell me,Ipray you,my good friend.And then Sir Gawaine said,I am of the court of King Arthur,and his sister's son,and King Lot of Orkney was my father,and my name is Sir Gawaine.And then he said,My name is Sir Pelleas,born in the Isles,and of many isles I am lord,and never have I loved lady nor damosel till now in an unhappy time;and,sir knight,since ye are so nigh cousin unto King Arthur,and a king's son,therefore betray me not but help me,for I may never come by her but by some good knight,for she is in a strong castle here,fast by within this four mile,and over all this country she is lady of.And so I may never come to her presence,but as I suffer her knights to take me,and but if I did so that I might have a sight of her,I had been dead long or this time;and yet fair word had I never of her,but when I am brought to-fore her she rebuketh me in the foulest manner.
And then they take my horse and harness and put me out of the gates,and she will not suffer me to eat nor drink;and always Ioffer me to be her prisoner,but that she will not suffer me,for I would desire no more,what pains so ever I had,so that I might have a sight of her daily.Well,said Sir Gawaine,all this shall I amend an ye will do as I shall devise:I will have your horse and your armour,and so will I ride unto her castle and tell her that I have slain you,and so shall I come within her to cause her to cherish me,and then shall I do my true part that ye shall not fail to have the love of her.
CHAPTER XXII
How Sir Gawaine came to the Lady Ettard,and how Sir Pelleas found them sleeping.