HowBeaumansfoughtwththeKnghtoftheBlackLaunds,andfoughtwthhmtllhefelldownandded。
THEREsataknghtallarmednblackharness,andhsnamewastheKnghtoftheBlackLaund。Thenthedamosel,whenshesawthatknght,shebadehmfleedownthatvalley,forhshorsewasnotsaddled。Gramercy,sadBeaumans,foralwaysyewouldhavemeacoward。WththattheBlackKnght,whenshecamenghhm,spakeandsad,Damosel,haveyebroughtthsknghtofKngArthurtobeyourchampon?Nay,farknght,sadshe,thssbutaktchenknavethatwasfednKngArthur’sktchenforalms。Whycomethhe,sadtheknght,nsucharray?tsshamethathebearethyoucompany。Sr,cannotbedelveredofhm,sadshe,forwthmeherdethmaugremnehead:Godwouldthatyeshouldputhmfromme,othertoslayhmanyemay,forhesanunhappyknave,andunhapplyhehathdonethsday:throughmshapsawhmslaytwoknghtsatthepassageofthewater;
andotherdeedsheddbeforerghtmarvellousandthroughunhappness。Thatmarvellethme,sadtheBlackKnght,thatanymanthatsofworshpwllhaveadowthhm。Theyknowhmnot,sadthedamosel,andforbecauseherdethwthme,theyweenthathebesomemanofworshpborn。Thatmaybe,sadtheBlackKnght;howbetasyesaythathebenomanofworshp,hesafulllkelyperson,andfulllketobeastrongman:butthusmuchshallgrantyou,sadtheBlackKnght;shallputhmdownupononefoot,andhshorseandhsharnessheshallleavewthme,fortwereshametometodohmanymoreharm。
WhenSrBeaumansheardhmsaythus,hesad,Srknght,thouartfulllargeofmyhorseandmyharness;lettheewttcosttheenought,andwhethertlkeththeeornot,thslaundwll
passmaugrethnehead。Andhorsenorharnessgettestthounoneofmne,butfthouwnthemwththyhands;andthereforeletseewhatthoucanstdo。Sayestthouthat?sadtheBlackKnght,nowyeldthyladyfromthee,fortbeseemethneveraktchenpagetordewthsuchalady。Thoulest,sadBeaumans,amagentlemanborn,andofmorehghlneagethanthou,andthatwllproveonthybody。
Thenngreatwraththeydepartedwththerhorses,andcametogetherasthadbeenthethunder,andtheBlackKnght’sspearbrake,andBeaumansthrusthmthroughbothhssdes,andtherewthhsspearbrake,andthetruncheonleftstllnhssde。ButneverthelesstheBlackKnghtdrewhssword,andsmotemanyeagerstrokes,andofgreatmght,andhurtBeaumansfullsore。ButatthelasttheBlackKnght,wthnanhourandanhalf,hefelldownoffhshorsenswoon,andthereheded。
AndwhenBeaumanssawhmsowellhorsedandarmed,thenhealghteddownandarmedhmnhsarmour,andsotookhshorseandrodeafterthedamosel。
Whenshesawhmcomengh,shesad,Away,ktchenknave,outofthewnd,forthesmellofthybawdyclothesgrevethme。Alas,shesad,thateversuchaknaveshouldbymshapslaysogoodaknghtasthouhastdone,butallthssthneunhappness。Butherebysoneshallpaytheeallthypayment,andthereforeyetcounselthee,flee。tmayhappenme,sadBeaumans,tobebeatenorslan,butwarnyou,fardamosel,wllnotfleeaway,anorleaveyourcompany,forallthatyecansay;foreveryesaythattheywllkllmeorbeatme,buthowsomeverthappenethescape,andtheyleontheground。Andthereforetwereasgoodforyoutoholdyoustllthusalldayrebukngme,forawaywllnottllseetheuttermostofthsjourney,orelsewllbeslan,othertrulybeaten;thereforerdeonyourway,forfollowyouwllwhatsomeverhappen。
HowthebrotheroftheknghtthatwasslanmetwthBeaumans,andfoughtwthBeaumanstllhewasyelden。
THUSastheyrodetogether,theysawaknghtcomedrvngbythemallngreen,bothhshorseandhsharness;andwhenhecamenghthedamosel,heaskedher,sthatmybrothertheBlackKnghtthatyehavebroughtwthyou?Nay,nay,shesad,thsunhappyktchenknavehathslanyourbrotherthroughunhappness。Alas,sadtheGreenKnght,thatsgreatpty,thatsonobleaknghtashewasshouldsounhapplybeslan,andnamelyofaknave’shand,asyesaythathes。Ah!trator,sadtheGreenKnght,thoushaltdeforslayngofmybrother;
hewasafullnobleknght,andhsnamewasSrPerard。defythee,sadBeaumans,forlettheewtslewhmknghtlyandnotshamefully。
TherewthaltheGreenKnghtrodeuntoanhornthatwasgreen,andthunguponathorn,andthereheblewthreedeadlymotes,andtherecametwodamoselsandarmedhmlghtly。Andthenhetookagreathorse,andagreensheldandagreenspear。Andthentheyrantogetherwthallthermghts,andbraketherspearsuntotherhands。Andthentheydrewtherswords,andgavemanysadstrokes,andetherofthemwoundedotherfullll。
Andatthelast,atanoverthwart,BeaumanswthhshorsestrucktheGreenKnght’shorseuponthesde,thathefelltotheearth。AndthentheGreenKnghtavodedhshorselghtly,anddressedhmuponfoot。ThatsawBeaumans,andtherewthalhealghted,andtheyrushedtogetherlketwomghtykempsalongwhle,andsoretheybledboth。Wththatcamethedamosel,andsad,MylordtheGreenKnght,whyforshamestandyesolongfghtngwththektchenknave?Alas,tsshamethateveryeweremadeknght,toseesuchaladtomatchsuchaknght,astheweedovergrewthecorn。TherewththeGreenKnghtwasashamed,andtherewthalhegaveagreatstrokeofmght,andclavehssheldthrough。WhenBeaumanssawhssheldclovenasunderhewasalttleashamedofthatstrokeandofherlanguage;andthenhegavehmsuchabuffetuponthehelmthathefellonhsknees。AndsosuddenlyBeaumanspulledhmuponthegroundgrovellng。AndthentheGreenKnghtcredhmmercy,andyeldedhmuntoSrBeaumans,andprayedhmtoslayhmnot。Allsnvan,sadBeaumans,forthoushaltdebutfthsdamoselthatcamewthmepraymetosavethylfe。Andtherewthalheunlacedhshelmlkeashewouldslayhm。Feuponthee,falsektchenpage,wllneverpraytheetosavehslfe,forwllneverbesomuchnthydanger。Thenshallhede,sadBeaumans。Notsohardy,thoubawdyknave,sadthedamosel,thatthouslayhm。Alas,sadtheGreenKnght,suffermenottodeforafarwordmaysaveme。Farknght,sadtheGreenKnght,savemylfe,andwllforgvetheethedeathofmybrother,andforevertobecomethyman,andthrtyknghtsthatholdofmeforevershalldoyouservce。nthedevl’sname,sadthedamosel,thatsuchabawdyktchenknaveshouldhavetheeandthrtyknghts’servce。
Srknght,sadBeaumans,allthsavaleththeenot,butfmydamoselspeakwthmeforthylfe。Andtherewthalhemadeasemblanttoslayhm。Letbe,sadthedamosel,thoubawdyknave;slayhmnot,foranthoudothoushaltrepentt。
Damosel,sadBeaumans,yourchargestomeapleasure,andatyourcommandmenthslfeshallbesaved,andelsenot。Thenhesad,Srknghtwththegreenarms,releasetheequtatthsdamosel’srequest,forwllnotmakeherwroth,wllfulflallthatshechargethme。AndthentheGreenKnghtkneeleddown,andddhmhomagewthhssword。Thensadthedamosel,Merepenteth,GreenKnght,ofyourdamage,andofyourbrother’sdeath,theBlackKnght,forofyourhelphadgreatmster,fordreadmesoretopassthsforest。Nay,dreadyounot,sadtheGreenKnght,foryeshalllodgewthmethsnght,andto-mornshallhelpyouthroughthsforest。Sotheytooktherhorsesandrodetohsmanor,whchwasfasttherebesde。
HowthedamoselaganrebukedBeaumans,andwouldnotsufferhmtostathertable,butcalledhmktchenboy。
ANDeversherebukedBeaumans,andwouldnotsufferhmtostathertable,butastheGreenKnghttookhmandsathmatasdetable。Marvelmethnketh,sadtheGreenKnghttothedamosel,whyyerebukethsnobleknghtasyedo,forwarnyou,damosel,hesafullnobleknght,andknownoknghtsabletomatchhm;thereforeyedogreatwrongtorebukehm,forheshalldoyourghtgoodservce,forwhatsomeverhemakethhmself,yeshallproveattheendthathescomeofanoblebloodandofkng’slneage。Fe,fe,sadthedamosel,tsshameforyoutosayofhmsuchworshp。Truly,sadtheGreenKnght,twereshameformetosayofhmanydsworshp,forhehathprovedhmselfabetterknghtthanam,yethavemetwthmanyknghtsnmydays,andneverorthstmehavefoundnoknghthsmatch。Andsothatnghttheyyedeuntorest,andallthatnghttheGreenKnghtcommandedthrtyknghtsprvlytowatchBeaumans,fortokeephmfromalltreason。
Andsoonthemorntheyallarose,andheardthermassandbraketherfast;andthentheytooktherhorsesandrodeontherway,andtheGreenKnghtconveyedthemthroughtheforest;andtheretheGreenKnghtsad,MylordBeaumans,andthesethrtyknghtsshallbealwaysatyoursummons,bothearlyandlate,atyourcallngandwhtherthateveryewllsendus。tswellsad,sadBeaumans;whenthatcalluponyouyemustyeldyouuntoKngArthur,andallyourknghts。fthatyesocommandus,weshallbereadyatalltmes,sadtheGreenKnght。Fe,feuponthee,nthedevl’sname,sadthedamosel,thatanygoodknghtsshouldbeobedentuntoaktchenknave。SothendepartedtheGreenKnghtandthedamosel。AndthenshesaduntoBeaumans,Whyfollowestthoume,thouktchenboy?Castawaythysheldandthyspear,andfleeaway;yet
counseltheebetmesorthoushaltsayrghtsoon,alas;forwertthouaswghtaseverwasWadeorLauncelot,Trstram,orthegoodknghtSrLamorak,thoushaltnotpassapassherethatscalledthePassPerlous。Damosel,sadBeaumans,whosafeardlethmflee,fortwereshametoturnagansthenhaverddensolongwthyou。Well,sadthedamosel,yeshallsoon,whetheryewllornot。
Howthethrdbrother,calledtheRedKnght,joustedandfoughtaganstBeaumans,andhowBeaumansovercamehm。
SOwthnawhletheysawatoweraswhteasanysnow,wellmatchecoldallabout,anddoubledyked。Andoverthetowergatetherehungafftysheldsofdverscolours,andunderthattowertherewasafarmeadow。Andtherenweremanyknghtsandsqurestobehold,scaffoldsandpavlons;forthereuponthemornshouldbeagreattournament:andthelordofthetowerwasnhscastleandlookedoutatawndow,andsawadamosel,adwarf,andaknghtarmedatallponts。SoGodmehelp,sadthelord,wththatknghtwlljoust,forseethathesaknght-errant。Andsohearmedhmandhorsedhmhastly。Andwhenhewasonhorsebackwthhssheldandhsspear,twasallred,bothhshorseandhsharness,andallthattohmlongeth。AndwhenthathecamenghhmheweenedthadbeenhsbrothertheBlackKnght;andthenhecredaloud,Brother,whatdoyenthesemarches?Nay,nay,sadthedamosel,tsnothe;thssbutaktchenknavethatwasbroughtupforalmsnKngArthur’scourt。Nevertheless,sadtheRedKnght,wllspeakwthhmorhedepart。Ah,sadthedamosel,thsknavehathklledthybrother,andSrKaynamedhmBeaumans,andthshorseandthsharnesswasthybrother’s,theBlackKnght。AlsosawthybrothertheGreenKnghtovercomeofhshands。Nowmayyeberevengeduponhm,formayneverbequtofhm。
Wththsetherknghtsdepartednsunder,andtheycametogetherwthallthermght,andetheroftherhorsesfelltotheearth,andtheyavodedtherhorses,andputthersheldsaforethemanddrewtherswords,andethergaveothersadstrokes,nowhere,nowthere,rasng,tracng,fonng,andhurlnglketwoboars,thespaceoftwohours。AndthenshecredonhghtotheRedKnght,Alas,thounobleRedKnght,thnkwhatworshphathfollowedthee,letneveraktchenknaveenduretheesolongashedoth。ThentheRedKnghtwaxedwrothanddoubledhsstrokes,andhurtBeaumanswonderlysore,thatthebloodrandowntotheground,thattwaswondertoseethatstrongbattle。YetatthelastSrBeaumansstruckhmtotheearth,andashewouldhaveslantheRedKnght,hecredmercy,sayng,Nobleknght,slaymenot,andshallyeldmetotheewthfftyknghtswthmethatbeatmycommandment。And