Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER VIII

CHAPTER VIII

How King Mark came to a fountain where he found Sir
Lamorak complaining for the love of King Lot's wife.

THEN King Mark rode till he came to a fountain, and
there he rested him, and stood in a doubt whether he
would ride to Arthur's court or none, or return again to
his country.  And as he thus rested him by that fountain
there came by him a knight well armed on horseback;
and he alighted, and tied his horse until a tree, and set
him down by the brink of the fountain; and there he
made great languor and dole, and made the dolefullest
complaint of love that ever man heard; and all this while
was he not ware of King Mark.  And this was a great
part of his complaint: he cried and wept, saying:  O fair
Queen of Orkney, King Lot's wife, and mother of Sir
Gawaine, and to Sir Gaheris, and mother to many other,
for thy love I am in great pains.  Then King Mark arose
and went near him and said:  Fair knight, ye have made
a piteous complaint.  Truly, said the knight, it is an
hundred part more ruefuller than my heart can utter.  I
require you, said King Mark, tell me your name.  Sir,
said he, as for my name I will not hide it from no knight
that beareth a shield, and my name is Sir Lamorak de
Galis.  But when Sir Lamorak heard King Mark speak,
then wist he well by his speech that he was a Cornish
knight.  Sir, said Sir Lamorak, I understand by your
tongue ye be of Cornwall, wherein there dwelleth the
shamefullest king that is now living, for he is a great
enemy to all good knights; and that proveth well, for he
hath chased out of that country Sir Tristram, that is the
worshipfullest knight that now is living, and all knights
speak of him worship; and for jealousness of his queen
he hath chased him out of his country.  It is pity, said
Sir Lamorak, that ever any such false knight-coward as
King Mark is, should be matched with such a fair lady
and good as La Beale Isoud is, for all the world of him
speaketh shame, and of her worship that any queen may
have.  I have not ado in this matter, said King Mark,
neither nought will I speak thereof.  Well said, said Sir
Lamorak.  Sir, can ye tell me any tidings?  I can tell
you, said Sir Lamorak, that there shall be a great
tournament in haste beside Camelot, at the Castle of Jagent;
and the King with the Hundred Knights and the King of
Ireland, as I suppose, make that tournament.

Then there came a knight that was called Sir Dinadan,
and saluted them both.  And when he wist that King
Mark was a knight of Cornwall he reproved him for the
love of King Mark a thousand fold more than did Sir
Lamorak.  Then he proffered to joust with King Mark.
And he was full loath thereto, but Sir Dinadan edged him
so, that he jousted with Sir Lamorak.  And Sir Lamorak
smote King Mark so sore that he bare him on his spear
end over his horse's tail.  And then King Mark arose
again, and followed after Sir Lamorak.  But Sir Dinadan
would not joust with Sir Lamorak, but he told King Mark
that Sir Lamorak was Sir Kay, the Seneschal.  That is
not so, said King Mark, for he is much bigger than Sir
Kay; and so he followed and overtook him, and bade
him abide.  What will you do? said Sir Lamorak.  Sir,
he said, I will fight with a sword, for ye have shamed me
with a spear; and therewith they dashed together with
swords, and Sir Lamorak suffered him and forbare him.
And King Mark was passing hasty, and smote thick
strokes.  Sir Lamorak saw he would not stint, and waxed
somewhat wroth, and doubled his strokes, for he was one
of the noblest knights of the world; and he beat him so
on the helm that his head hung nigh on the saddle bow.
When Sir Lamorak saw him fare so, he said:  Sir knight,
what cheer? meseemeth you have nigh your fill of fighting,
it were pity to do you any more harm, for ye are but a
mean knight, therefore I give you leave to go where ye
list.  Gramercy, said King Mark, for ye and I be not
matches.

Then Sir Dinadan mocked King Mark and said:
Ye are not able to match a good knight.  As for that,
said King Mark, at the first time I jousted with this
knight ye refused him.  Think ye that it is a shame to
me? said Sir Dinadan: nay, sir, it is ever worship to a
knight to refuse that thing that he may not attain, there
fore your worship had been much more to have refused
him as I did; for I warn you plainly he is able to beat
such five as ye and I be; for ye knights of Cornwall are
no men of worship as other knights are.  And because ye
are no men of worship ye hate all men of worship, for
never was bred in your country such a knight as is Sir
Tristram.