CHAPTER XXVIII

How at the year's end all three knights with their three
damosels met at the fountain.

RIGHT so at the twelvemonths' end they met all three knights at
the fountain and their damosels, but the damosel that Sir Gawaine
had could say but little worship of him so they departed from the
damosels and rode through a great forest, and there they met with
a messenger that came from King Arthur, that had sought them
well-nigh a twelvemonth throughout all England, Wales, and
Scotland, and charged if ever he might find Sir Gawaine and Sir
Uwaine to bring them to the court again.  And then were they all
glad, and so prayed they Sir Marhaus to ride with them to the
king's court.  And so within twelve days they came to Camelot,
and the king was passing glad of their coming, and so was all the
court.  Then the king made them to swear upon a book to tell him
all their adventures that had befallen them that twelvemonth, and
so they did.  And there was Sir Marhaus well known, for there
were knights that he had matched aforetime, and he was named one
of the best knights living.

Against the feast of Pentecost came the Damosel of the Lake and
brought with her Sir Pelleas; and at that high feast there was
great jousting of knights, and of all knights that were at that
jousts, Sir Pelleas had the prize, and Sir Marhaus was named the
next; but Sir Pelleas was so strong there might but few knights
sit him a buffet with a <148>spear.  And at that next feast Sir
Pelleas and Sir Marhaus were made knights of the Table Round, for
there were two sieges void, for two knights were slain that
twelvemonth, and great joy had King Arthur of Sir Pelleas and of
Sir Marhaus.  But Pelleas loved never after Sir Gawaine, but as
he spared him for the love of King Arthur; but ofttimes at jousts
and tournaments Sir Pelleas quit Sir Gawaine, for so it
rehearseth in the book of French.  So Sir Tristram many days
after fought with Sir Marhaus in an island, and there they did a
great battle, but at the last Sir Tristram slew him, so Sir
Tristram was wounded that unnethe he might recover, and lay at a
nunnery half a year.  And Sir Pelleas was a worshipful knight,
and was one of the four that achieved the Sangreal, and the
Damosel of the Lake made by her means that never he had ado with
Sir Launcelot de Lake, for where Sir Launcelot was at any jousts
or any tournament, she would not suffer him be there that day,
but if it were on the side of Sir Launcelot.

Explicit liber quartus.  Incipit liber quintus.