CHAPTER XII

How Sir Pervivale departed secretly from his brother, and
how he loosed a knight bound with a chain, and of
other doings.


AND when this was done they rode into many countries,
ever inquiring after Sir Launcelot, but never they could
hear of him; and at the last they came to a castle that
hight Cardican, and there Sir Percivale and Sir Aglovale
were lodged together.  And privily about midnight Sir
Percivale came to Aglovale's squire and said:  Arise and
make thee ready, for ye and I will ride away secretly.
Sir, said the squire, I would full fain ride with you where
ye would have me, but an my lord, your brother, take me
he will slay me.  As for that care thou not, for I shall be
thy warrant.

And so Sir Percivale rode till it was after noon, and then
he came upon a bridge of stone, and there he found a
knight that was bound with a chain fast about the waist
unto a pillar of stone.  O fair knight, said that bound
knight, I require thee loose me of my bonds.  What
knight are ye, said Sir Percivale, and for what cause are
ye so bound?  Sir, I shall tell you, said that knight:
I am a knight of the Table Round, and my name is Sir
Persides; and thus by adventure I came this way, and
here I lodged in this castle at the bridge foot, and therein
dwelleth an uncourteous lady; and because she proffered
me to be her paramour, and I refused her, she set her men
upon me suddenly or ever I might come to my weapon;
and thus they bound me, and here I wot well I shall die but
if some man of worship break my bands.  Be ye of good
cheer, said Sir Percivale, and because ye are a knight of the
Round Table as well as I, I trust to God to break your
bands.  And therewith Sir Percivale pulled out his sword
and struck at the chain with such a might that he cut
a-two the chain, and through Sir Persides' hauberk and hurt
him a little.  O Jesu, said Sir Persides, that was a mighty
stroke as ever I felt one, for had not the chain been ye
had slain me.

And therewithal Sir Persides saw a knight coming out
of a castle all that ever he might fling.  Beware, sir, said
Sir Persides, yonder cometh a man that will have ado with
you.  Let him come, said Sir Percivale.  And so he met
with that knight in midst of the bridge; and Sir Percivale
gave him such a buffet that he smote him quite from his
horse and over a part of the bridge, that, had not been
a little vessel under the bridge, that knight had been
drowned.  And then Sir Percivale took the knight's horse
and made Sir Persides to mount up him; and so they rode
unto the castle, and bade the lady deliver Sir Persides'
servants, or else he would slay all that ever he found;
and so for fear she delivered them all.  Then was Sir
Percivale ware of a lady that stood in that tower.  Ah,
madam, said Sir Percivale, what use and custom is that in
a lady to destroy good knights but if they will be your
paramour?  Forsooth this is a shameful custom of a lady,
and if I had not a great matter in my hand I should fordo
your evil customs.

And so Sir Persides brought Sir Percivale unto his own
castle, and there he made him great cheer all that night.
And on the morn, when Sir Percivale had heard mass and
broken his fast, he bade Sir Persides ride unto King
Arthur:  And tell the king how that ye met with me; and
tell my brother, Sir Aglovale, how I rescued you; and
bid him seek not after me, for I am in the quest to seek
Sir Launcelot du Lake, and though he seek me he shall
not find me; and tell him I will never see him, nor the
court, till I have found Sir Launcelot.  Also tell Sir Kay
the Seneschal, and to Sir Mordred, that I trust to Jesu to
be of as great worthiness as either of them, for tell them
I shall never forget their mocks and scorns that they did
to me that day that I was made knight; and tell them I
will never see that court till men speak more worship of
me than ever men did of any of them both.  And so Sir
Persides departed from Sir Percivale, and then he rode
unto King Arthur, and told there of Sir Percivale.  And
when Sir Aglovale heard him speak of his brother Sir
Percivale, he said:  He departed from me unkindly.