Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VII CHAPTER XVIII

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, <241>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 <242>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.