Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IV CHAPTER V

CHAPTER V

How Sir Tor was made knight of the Round Table, and
how Bagdemagus was displeased.

NOW, said King Pellinore, I shall put to you two knights, and ye
shall choose which is most worthy, that is Sir Bagdemagus, and
Sir Tor, my son.  But because Sir Tor is my son I may not praise
him, but else, an he were not my son, I durst say that of his age
there is not in this land a better knight than he is, nor of
better conditions and loath to do any wrong, and loath to take
any wrong.  By my head, said Arthur, he is a passing good knight
as any ye spake of this day, that wot I well, said the king; for
I have seen him proved, but he saith little and he doth much
more, for I know none in all this court an he were <109>as well
born on his mother's side as he is on your side, that is like him
of prowess and of might: and therefore I will have him at this
time, and leave Sir Bagdemagus till another time.  So when they
were so chosen by the assent of all the barons, so were there
found in their sieges every knights' names that here are
rehearsed, and so were they set in their sieges; whereof Sir
Bagdemagus was wonderly wroth, that Sir Tor was advanced afore
him, and therefore suddenly he departed from the court, and took
his squire with him, and rode long in a forest till they came to
a cross, and there alighted and said his prayers devoutly.  The
meanwhile his squire found written upon the cross, that
Bagdemagus should never return unto the court again, till he had
won a knight's body of the Round Table, body for body.  So, sir,
said the squire, here I find writing of you, therefore I rede you
return again to the court.  That shall I never, said Bagdemagus,
till men speak of me great worship, and that I be worthy to be a
knight of the Round Table.  And so he rode forth, and there by
the way he found a branch of an holy herb that was the sign of
the Sangreal, and no knight found such tokens but he were a good
liver.

So, as Sir Bagdemagus rode to see many adventures, it happed him
to come to the rock whereas the Lady of the Lake had put Merlin
under the stone, and there he heard him make great dole; whereof
Sir Bagdemagus would have holpen him, and went unto the great
stone, and it was so heavy that an hundred men might not lift it
up.  When Merlin wist he was there, he bade leave his labour, for
all was in vain, for he might never be holpen but by her that put
him there.  And so Bagdemagus departed and did many adventures,
and proved after a full good knight, and came again to the court
and was made knight of the Round Table.  So on the morn there
fell new tidings and other adventures.

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