Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK II CHAPTER XII

CHAPTER XII

How a sorrowful knight came before Arthur, and how Balin
fetched him, and how that knight was slain by a knight invisible.

WITHIN a day or two King Arthur was somewhat sick, and he let
pitch his pavilion in a meadow, and there he <66>laid him down on
a pallet to sleep, but he might have no rest.  Right so he heard
a great noise of an horse, and therewith the king looked out at
the porch of the pavilion, and saw a knight coming even by him,
making great dole.  Abide, fair sir, said Arthur, and tell me
wherefore thou makest this sorrow.  Ye may little amend me, said
the knight, and so passed forth to the castle of Meliot.  Anon
after there came Balin, and when he saw King Arthur he alighted
off his horse, and came to the King on foot, and saluted him.  By
my head, said Arthur, ye be welcome.  Sir, right now came riding
this way a knight making great mourn, for what cause I cannot
tell; wherefore I would desire of you of your courtesy and of
your.  gentleness to fetch again that knight either by force or
else by his good will.  I will do more for your lordship than
that, said Balin; and so he rode more than a pace, and found the
knight with a damosel in a forest, and said, Sir knight, ye must
come with me unto King Arthur, for to tell him of your sorrow. 
That will I not, said the knight, for it will scathe me greatly,
and do you none avail.  Sir, said Balin, I pray you make you
ready, for ye must go with me, or else I must fight with you and
bring you by force, and that were me loath to do.  Will ye be my
warrant, said the knight, an I go with you? Yea, said Balin, or
else I will die therefore.  And so he made him ready to go with
Balin, and left the damosel still.  And as they were even afore
King Arthur's pavilion, there came one invisible, and smote this
knight that went with Balin throughout the body with a spear. 
Alas, said the knight, I am slain under your conduct with a
knight called Garlon; therefore take my horse that is better than
yours, and ride to the damosel, and follow the quest that I was
in as she will lead you, and revenge my death when ye may.  That
shall I do, said Balin, and that I make vow unto knighthood; and
so he departed from this knight with great sorrow.  So King
Arthur let bury this knight richly, and made a mention on his
tomb, how there was slain Herlews le Berbeus, and by whom the
treachery was done, the knight Garlon.  But ever the <67>damosel
bare the truncheon of the spear with her that Sir Herlews was
slain withal.