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 Iwill 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.
CHAPTER XIII
How Sir Percivale met with Sir Ector,and how they fought long,and each had almost slain other.
