Stories of the Days of King Arthur

by Charles Henry Hanson

So that night Sir Marhaus and his damsel were well lodged, and the next morning the knight armed himself, and met the duke and his six sons in the courtyard of the castle. He let them all break a spear upon him, and never moved; and then with one spear he smote them all from their saddles. Then he went to the duke, and called on him to yield; but some of the sons began to recover themselves, and would have set upon Sir Marhaus. “Bid your sons stand back,” said Sir Marhaus to the duke, “or I will do the uttermost to you all.” So when the duke saw that otherwise he could not escape death, he yielded, and bade his sons do the like. And Sir Marhaus bound them all never more to be foes to King Arthur or his knights, and at the next Feast of Pentecost to present themselves at the court and make submission to the king.

After that Sir Marhaus departed, and two days afterwards his damsel brought him to a place where a great tournament was held. The prize for the best knight was a circlet of gold worth a thousand byzants. At this tournament Sir Marhaus did right nobly, and smote down forty knights, so the prize was awarded to him. Then he and his damsel again rode forth, and after a long journey they reached the castle of a rich earl named Fergus. Near by there dwelt a giant called Taulurd, who wrought much evil against the earl and wasted his lands, and Fergus complained of him to Sir Marhaus.

“Does he fight on foot or on horseback?” asked the knight.

“On foot,” answered Earl Fergus, “for he is so large that no horse could bear him.”

“Then will I fight him on foot,” answered Marhaus. And the next day he went to seek for the giant, and found him sitting under a tree, with great clubs of iron lying about him. When the giant saw Marhaus coming he sprang up, seized a club, and rushed against him. His first blow was so mighty that it crushed Marhaus’s shield to pieces; and thereafter the knight was in great peril, for the giant was both strong and a wily fighter. At last, however, Sir Marhaus smote off his right arm above the elbow; and then he fled away, and ran into a pool of water that was so deep the knight could not follow him. Then Marhaus made the earl’s men bring him heavy stones, and with these he pelted the giant till he knocked him down in the water and drowned him. Then Sir Marhaus went to the giant’s castle, where he found many knights and ladies, whom he delivered, and so much riches that he was never afterwards in need of wealth to the end of his life.

Sir Marhaus dwelt a long time with the Earl Fergus to recover from his wounds, for he had been sorely bruised by the giant. When he was whole, he and his damsel set out, and reached the fountain that was their trysting-place on the appointed day.

Sir Ewaine, who had ridden westward with his damsel of threescore years, went first to a tournament that was held in a place near the marches of Wales. There he did great deeds, and smote down thirty knights, so that he took the prize, which was a gerfalcon and a white steed with trappings of cloth of gold. After that his damsel brought him to the castle of a great lady in that country, called the Lady of the Rock. Now there were two perilous knights that dwelt nigh the Lady of the Rock, named Sir Edward and Sir Hue of the Red Castle, and they had despoiled the lady of much of her lands. So she complained to Sir Ewaine; and he blamed the knights that they had done that which was contrary to their oaths. He said he would first entreat them to restore to her that which was her right; and if they were not to be persuaded, then he would do battle with them. The knights were sent for accordingly, and they came to the castle with a hundred horsemen. But they cared nothing for Sir Ewaine’s reproaches, and said they would keep what they had.

“Well,” said Sir Ewaine, “then will I fight with either of you, and prove upon his body that you do wrong to this lady.”

“That we will not assent to,” answered the brothers, “for if we do battle, we will both fight with one knight at once; and if thou wilt meet us both, and can conquer us, the lady shall have her lands again.”

To that Sir Ewaine agreed, and the battle was appointed for the next day. When the knights met, both Sir Edward and Sir Hue broke their spears on Sir Ewaine without unhorsing him; but he smote them both down, the one after the other. Then he alighted on foot, and fought them with his sword. They gave him many sore wounds, but at last he struck Sir Edward so hard on the helm that he clove his head to the shoulders, and then he forced Sir Hue to yield. So the lady was restored to her lands, and Sir Hue was sworn to make his submission to King Arthur at the ensuing Feast of Pentecost. But in this battle Sir Ewaine was so much hurt that he could undertake no other adventure before the time appointed for the three knights and the damsels to meet at the fountain.