Then Sir Beaumains bethought him upon the knights that he had made to be hanged shamefully,and then he said:I may not with my worship save thy life,for the shameful deaths that thou hast caused many full good knights to die.Sir,said the Red Knight of the Red Launds,hold your hand and ye shall know the causes why I put them to so shameful a death.Say on,said Sir Beaumains.Sir,I loved once a lady,a fair damosel,and she had her brother slain;and she said it was Sir Launcelot du Lake,or else Sir Gawaine;and she prayed me as that I loved her heartily,that I would make her a promise by the faith of my knighthood,for to labour daily in arms unto I met with one of them;and all that I might overcome I should put them unto a villainous death;and this is the cause that I have put all these knights to death,and so I ensured her to do all the villainy unto King Arthur's knights,and that I should take vengeance upon all these knights.
And,sir,now I will thee tell that every day my strength increaseth till noon,and all this time have I seven men's strength.
CHAPTER XVIII
How the knight yielded him,and how Beaumains made him to go unto King Arthur's court,and to cry Sir Launcelot mercy.
THEN came there many earls,and barons,and noble knights,and prayed that knight to save his life,and take him to your prisoner.And all they fell upon their knees,and prayed him of mercy,and that he would save his life;and,Sir,they all said,it were fairer of him to take homage and fealty,and let him hold his lands of you than for to slay him;by his death ye shall have none advantage,and his misdeeds that be done may not be undone;and therefore he shall make amends to all parties,and we all will become your men and do you homage and fealty.Fair lords,said Beaumains,wit you well I am full loath to slay this knight,nevertheless he hath done passing ill and shamefully;but insomuch all that he did was at a lady's request I blame him the less;and so for your sake I will release him that he shall have his life upon this covenant,that he go within the castle,and yield him there to the lady,and if she will forgive and quit him,I will well;with this he make her amends of all the trespass he hath done against her and her lands.And also,when that is done,that ye go unto the court of King Arthur,and there that ye ask Sir Launcelot mercy,and Sir Gawaine,for the evil will ye have had against them.Sir,said the Red Knight of the Red Launds,all this will I do as ye command,and siker assurance and borrows ye shall have.And so then when the assurance was made,he made his homage and fealty,and all those earls and barons with him.
And then the maiden Linet came to Sir Beaumains,and unarmed him and searched his wounds,and stinted his blood,and in likewise she did to the Red Knight of the Red Launds.And there they sojourned ten days in their tents;and the Red Knight made his lords and servants to do all the pleasure that they might unto Sir Beaumains.And so within a while the Red Knight of the Red Launds yede unto the castle,and put him in her grace.And so she received him upon sufficient surety,so all her hurts were well restored of all that she could complain.And then he departed unto the court of King Arthur,and there openly the Red Knight of the Red Launds put him in the mercy of Sir Launcelot and Sir Gawaine,and there he told openly how he was overcome and by whom,and also he told all the battles from the beginning unto the ending.Jesu mercy,said King Arthur and Sir Gawaine,we marvel much of what blood he is come,for he is a noble knight.Have ye no marvel,said Sir Launcelot,for ye shall right well wit that he is come of a full noble blood;and as for his might and hardiness,there be but few now living that is so mighty as he is,and so noble of prowess.It seemeth by you,said King Arthur,that ye know his name,and from whence he is come,and of what blood he is.I suppose I do so,said Launcelot,or else I would not have given him the order of knighthood;but he gave me such charge at that time that I should never discover him until he required me,or else it be known openly by some other.
CHAPTER XIX
How Beaumains came to the lady,and when he came to the castle the gates were closed against him,and of the words that the lady said to him.
NOW turn we unto Sir Beaumains that desired of Linet that he might see her sister,his lady.Sir,she said,I would fain ye saw her.Then Sir Beaumains all armed him,and took his horse and his spear,and rode straight unto the castle.And when he came to the gate he found there many men armed,and pulled up the drawbridge and drew the port close.
Then marvelled he why they would not suffer him to enter.And then he looked up to the window;and there he saw the fair Lionesse that said on high:Go thy way,Sir Beaumains,for as yet thou shalt not have wholly my love,unto the time that thou be called one of the number of the worthy knights.And therefore go labour in worship this twelvemonth,and then thou shalt hear new tidings.Alas,fair lady,said Beaumains,I have not deserved that ye should show me this strangeness,and I had weened that I should have right good cheer with you,and unto my power I have deserved thank,and well I am sure I have bought your love with part of the best blood within my body.
Fair courteous knight,said Dame Lionesse,be not displeased nor over-hasty;for wit you well your great travail nor good love shall not be lost,for I consider your great travail and labour,your bounty and your goodness as me ought to do.And therefore go on your way,and look that ye be of good comfort,for all shall be for your worship and for the best,and perdy a twelvemonth will soon be done,and trust me,fair knight,I shall be true to you,and never to betray you,but to my death I shall love you and none other.And therewithal she turned her from the window,and Sir Beaumains rode awayward from the castle,making great dole,and so he rode here and there and wist not where he rode,till it was dark night.And then it happened him to come to a poor man's house,and there he was harboured all that night.