Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VII CHAPTER XXXV

CHAPTER XXXV

Of the Great Royalty, and what officers were made at the
feast of the wedding, and of the jousts at the feast.

SO it drew fast to Michaelmas; and thither came Dame Lionesse,
the lady of the Castle Perilous, and her sister, Dame Linet, with
Sir Gringamore, her brother, with them for he had the conduct of
these ladies.  And there they were lodged at the device of King
Arthur.  And upon Michaelmas Day the Bishop of Canterbury made
the wedding betwixt Sir Gareth and the Lady Lionesse with great
solemnity.  And King Arthur made Gaheris to wed the Damosel
Savage, that was Dame Linet; and King Arthur made Sir Agravaine
to wed Dame Lionesse's niece, a fair lady, her name was Dame
Laurel.

And so when this solemnization was done, then came in the Green
Knight, Sir Pertolepe, with thirty knights, and there he did
homage and fealty to Sir Gareth, and these knights to hold of him
for evermore.  Also Sir Pertolepe said:  I pray you that at this
feast I may be your chamberlain.  With a good will, said Sir
Gareth sith it liketh you to take so simple an office.  Then came
in the Red Knight, with three score knights with him, and did to
Sir Gareth homage and fealty, and all those knights to hold of
him for evermore.  And then this Sir Perimones prayed Sir Gareth
to grant him to be his chief butler at that high feast.  I will
well, said Sir Gareth, that ye have this office, and it were
better.  Then came in Sir Persant of Inde, with an hundred
knights with him, and there he did homage and fealty, and all his
knights should do him service, and hold their lands of him for
ever; and there he prayed Sir Gareth to make him his sewer-chief
at the feast.  I will well, said Sir Gareth, that ye have it and
it were better.  Then came the Duke de la Rowse with an hundred
knights with him, and there he did homage and fealty to Sir
Gareth, and so to hold their <276>lands of him for ever.  And he
required Sir Gareth that he might serve him of the wine that day
of that feast.  I will well, said Sir Gareth, and it were better. 
Then came in the Red Knight of the Red Launds, that was Sir
Ironside, and he brought with him three hundred knights, and
there he did homage and fealty, and all these knights to hold
their lands of him for ever.  And then he asked Sir Gareth to be
his carver.  I will well, said Sir Gareth, an it please you.

Then came into the court thirty ladies, and all they seemed
widows, and those thirty ladies brought with them many fair
gentlewomen.  And all they kneeled down at once unto King Arthur
and unto Sir Gareth, and there all those ladies told the king how
Sir Gareth delivered them from the dolorous tower, and slew the
Brown Knight without Pity:  And therefore we, and our heirs for
evermore, will do homage unto Sir Gareth of Orkney.  So then the
kings and queens, princes and earls, barons and many bold
knights, went unto meat; and well may ye wit there were all
manner of meat plenteously, all manner revels and games, with all
manner of minstrelsy that was used in those days.  Also there was
great jousts three days.  But the king would not suffer Sir
Gareth to joust, because of his new bride; for, as the French
book saith, that Dame Lionesse desired of the king that none that
were wedded should joust at that feast.

So the first day there jousted Sir Lamorak de Galis, for he
overthrew thirty knights, and did passing marvellously deeds of
arms; and then King Arthur made Sir Persant and his two brethren
Knights of the Round Table to their lives' end, and gave them
great lands.  Also the second day there jousted Tristram best,
and he overthrew forty knights, and did there marvellous deeds of
arms.  And there King Arthur made Ironside, that was the Red
Knight of the Red Launds, a Knight of the Table Round to his
life's end, and gave him great lands.  The third day there
jousted Sir Launcelot du Lake, and he overthrew fifty knights,
and did many marvellous deeds of arms, that all men wondered on
him.  And there King Arthur <277>made the Duke de la Rowse a
Knight of the Round Table to his life's end, and gave him great
lands to spend.  But when these jousts were done, Sir Lamorak and
Sir Tristram departed suddenly, and would not be known, for the
which King Arthur and all the court were sore displeased.  And so
they held the court forty days with great solemnity.  And this
Sir Gareth was a noble knight, and a well-ruled, and fair-
languaged.

Thus endeth this tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney that
wedded Dame Lionesse of the Castle Perilous.
And also Sir Gaheris wedded her sister, Dame
Linet, that was called the Damosel Sabage.  And
Sir Agrabaine wedded Dame Laurel, a fair lady
and great, and mighty lands with great riches gave
with them King Arthur, that royally they might
live till their lives' end.

Here followeth the viii. book, the which is the first
book of Sir Tristram de Liones, and who was
his father and his mother, and how he was born
and fostered, and how he was made knight.