CHAPTER XXIII

How the said knight came again the next night and was beheaded
again, and how at the feast of Pentecost all the
knights that Sir Gareth had overcome came and yielded
them to King Arthur.

RIGHT as she promised she came; and she was not so soon in his
bed but she espied an armed knight coming toward the bed:
therewithal she warned Sir Gareth, and lightly through the good
help of Dame Lionesse he was armed; and they hurtled together
with great ire and malice all about the hall; and there was great
light as it had been the number of twenty torches both before and
behind, so that Sir Gareth strained him, so that his old wound
brast again a-bleeding; but he was hot and courageous and took no
keep, but with his great force he struck down that knight, and
voided his helm, and struck off his head.  Then he hewed the head
in an hundred pieces.  And when he had done so he took up all
those pieces, and threw them out at a window into the ditches of
the castle; and by this done he was so faint that unnethes he
might stand for bleeding.  And by when he was almost unarmed he
fell in a deadly swoon on the floor; and then Dame Lionesse cried
so that Sir Gringamore heard; and when he came and found Sir
Gareth in that plight he made great sorrow; and there he awaked
Sir Gareth, and gave him a drink that relieved him wonderly well;
but the sorrow that Dame Lionesse made there may no tongue tell,
for she so fared with herself as she would have died.

Right so came this damosel Linet before them all, and she had
fetched all the gobbets of the head that Sir Gareth had thrown
out at a window, and there she anointed them as she had done to-
fore, and set them together again.  Well, damosel Linet, said Sir
Gareth, I have not deserved all this despite that ye do unto me. 
Sir knight, she said, I have nothing done but I will avow, and
all that I have <252>done shall be to your worship, and to us
all.  And then was Sir Gareth staunched of his bleeding.  But the
leeches said that there was no man that bare the life should heal
him throughout of his wound but if they healed him that caused
that stroke by enchantment.

So leave we Sir Gareth there with Sir Gringamore and his sisters,
and turn we unto King Arthur, that at the next feast of Pentecost
held his feast; and there came the Green Knight with fifty
knights, and yielded them all unto King Arthur.  And so there
came the Red Knight his brother, and yielded him to King Arthur,
and three score knights with him.  Also there came the Blue
Knight, brother to them, with an hundred knights, and yielded
them unto King Arthur; and the Green Knight's name was Pertolepe,
and the Red Knight's name was Perimones, and the Blue Knight's
name was Sir Persant of Inde. These three brethren told King
Arthur how they were overcome by a knight that a damosel had with
her, and called him Beaumains.  Jesu, said the king, I marvel
what knight he is, and of what lineage he is come.  He was with
me a twelvemonth, and poorly and shamefully he was fostered, and
Sir Kay in scorn named him Beaumains. So right as the king stood
so talking with these three brethren, there came Sir Launcelot du
Lake, and told the king that there was come a goodly lord with
six hundred knights with him.

Then the king went out of Carlion, for there was the feast, and
there came to him this lord, and saluted the king in a goodly
manner.  What will ye, said King Arthur, and what is your errand? 
Sir, he said, my name is the Red Knight of the Red Launds, but my
name is Sir Ironside; and sir, wit ye well, here I am sent to you
of a knight that is called Beaumains, for he won me in plain
battle hand for hand, and so did never no knight but he, that
ever had the better of me this thirty winter; the which commanded
to yield me to you at your will. Ye are welcome, said the king,
for ye have been long a great foe to me and my court, and now I
trust to God I shall so entreat you that ye shall be my friend. 
Sir, both <253>I and these five hundred knights shall always be
at your summons to do you service as may lie in our powers.  Jesu
mercy, said King Arthur, I am much beholden unto that knight that
hath put so his body in devoir to worship me and my court.  And
as to thee, Ironside, that art called the Red Knight of the Red
Launds, thou art called a perilous knight; and if thou wilt hold
of me I shall worship thee and make thee knight of the Table
Round; but then thou must be no more a murderer.  Sir, as to
that, I have promised unto Sir Beaumains never more to use such
customs, for all the shameful customs that I used I did at the
request of a lady that I loved; and therefore I must go unto Sir
Launcelot, and unto Sir Gawaine, and ask them forgiveness of the
evil will I had unto them; for all that I put to death was all
only for the love of Sir Launcelot and of Sir Gawaine.  They be
here now, said the king, afore thee, now may ye say to them what
ye will.  And then he kneeled down unto Sir Launcelot, and to Sir
Gawaine, and prayed them of forgiveness of his enmity that ever
he had against them.