Damosel,said Beaumains,ye may say what ye will,but with whomsomever I have ado withal,I trust to God to serve him or he depart.And therefore I reck not what ye say,so that I may win your lady.Fie,fie,foul kitchen knave,thou shalt see knights that shall abate thy boast.Fair damosel,give me goodly language,and then my care is past,for what knights somever they be,I care not,nor I doubt them not.Also,said she,I say it for thine avail,yet mayest thou turn again with thy worship;for an thou follow me,thou art but slain,for I see all that ever thou dost is but by misadventure,and not by prowess of thy hands.Well,damosel,ye may say what ye will,but wheresomever ye go I will follow you.So this Beaumains rode with that lady till evensong time,and ever she chid him,and would not rest.
And they came to a black laund;and there was a black hawthorn,and thereon hung a black banner,and on the other side there hung a black shield,and by it stood a black spear great and long,and a great black horse covered with silk,and a black stone fast by.
CHAPTER VII
How Beaumains fought with the Knight of the Black Launds,and fought with him till he fell down and died.
THERE sat a knight all armed in black harness,and his name was the Knight of the Black Laund.Then the damosel,when she saw that knight,she bade him flee down that valley,for his horse was not saddled.Gramercy,said Beaumains,for always ye would have me a coward.With that the Black Knight,when she came nigh him,spake and said,Damosel,have ye brought this knight of King Arthur to be your champion?Nay,fair knight,said she,this is but a kitchen knave that was fed in King Arthur's kitchen for alms.Why cometh he,said the knight,in such array?it is shame that he beareth you company.Sir,I cannot be delivered of him,said she,for with me he rideth maugre mine head:God would that ye should put him from me,other to slay him an ye may,for he is an unhappy knave,and unhappily he hath done this day:through mishap I saw him slay two knights at the passage of the water;and other deeds he did before right marvellous and through unhappiness.That marvelleth me,said the Black Knight,that any man that is of worship will have ado with him.They know him not,said the damosel,and for because he rideth with me,they ween that he be some man of worship born.That may be,said the Black Knight;howbeit as ye say that he be no man of worship,he is a full likely person,and full like to be a strong man:but thus much shall I grant you,said the Black Knight;I shall put him down upon one foot,and his horse and his harness he shall leave with me,for it were shame to me to do him any more harm.
When Sir Beaumains heard him say thus,he said,Sir knight,thou art full large of my horse and my harness;I let thee wit it cost thee nought,and whether it liketh thee or not,this laund will Ipass maugre thine head.And horse nor harness gettest thou none of mine,but if thou win them with thy hands;and therefore let see what thou canst do.Sayest thou that?said the Black Knight,now yield thy lady from thee,for it beseemeth never a kitchen page to ride with such a lady.Thou liest,said Beaumains,I am a gentleman born,and of more high lineage than thou,and that will I prove on thy body.
Then in great wrath they departed with their horses,and came together as it had been the thunder,and the Black Knight's spear brake,and Beaumains thrust him through both his sides,and therewith his spear brake,and the truncheon left still in his side.But nevertheless the Black Knight drew his sword,and smote many eager strokes,and of great might,and hurt Beaumains full sore.But at the last the Black Knight,within an hour and an half,he fell down off his horse in swoon,and there he died.
And when Beaumains saw him so well horsed and armed,then he alighted down and armed him in his armour,and so took his horse and rode after the damosel.
When she saw him come nigh,she said,Away,kitchen knave,out of the wind,for the smell of thy bawdy clothes grieveth me.Alas,she said,that ever such a knave should by mishap slay so good a knight as thou hast done,but all this is thine unhappiness.But here by is one shall pay thee all thy payment,and therefore yet I counsel thee,flee.It may happen me,said Beaumains,to be beaten or slain,but I warn you,fair damosel,I will not flee away,a nor leave your company,for all that ye can say;for ever ye say that they will kill me or beat me,but howsomever it happeneth I escape,and they lie on the ground.And therefore it were as good for you to hold you still thus all day rebuking me,for away will I not till I see the uttermost of this journey,or else I will be slain,other truly beaten;therefore ride on your way,for follow you I will whatsomever happen.
CHAPTER VIII
How the brother of the knight that was slain met with Beaumains,and fought with Beaumains till he was yielden.
THUS as they rode together,they saw a knight come driving by them all in green,both his horse and his harness;and when he came nigh the damosel,he asked her,Is that my brother the Black Knight that ye have brought with you?Nay,nay,she said,this unhappy kitchen knave hath slain your brother through unhappiness.Alas,said the Green Knight,that is great pity,that so noble a knight as he was should so unhappily be slain,and namely of a knave's hand,as ye say that he is.Ah!traitor,said the Green Knight,thou shalt die for slaying of my brother;he was a full noble knight,and his name was Sir Perard.I defy thee,said Beaumains,for I let thee wit I slew him knightly and not shamefully.
Therewithal the Green Knight rode unto an horn that was green,and it hung upon a thorn,and there he blew three deadly motes,and there came two damosels and armed him lightly.And then he took a great horse,and a green shield and a green spear.And then they ran together with all their mights,and brake their spears unto their hands.And then they drew their swords,and gave many sad strokes,and either of them wounded other full ill.
