Now proffer yourself,said Dinadan to King Mark,for ever ye be laid to the earth.Then King Mark was ashamed,and therewith he feutred his spear,and hurtled to Sir Trian,and either brake their spears all to pieces,and passed through anon.Then Sir Trian sent King Mark another spear to joust more;but in no wise he would not joust no more.Then they came to the castle all three knights,and prayed the lord of the castle of harbour.Ye are right welcome,said the knights of the castle,for the love of the lord of this castle,the which hight Sir Tor le Fise Aries.And then they came into a fair court well repaired,and they had passing good cheer,till the lieutenant of this castle,that hight Berluse,espied King Mark of Cornwall.Then said Berluse:Sir knight,I know you better than you ween,for ye are King Mark that slew my father afore mine own eyen;and me had ye slain had I not escaped into a wood;but wit ye well,for the love of my lord of this castle I will neither hurt you nor harm you,nor none of your fellowship.But wit ye well,when ye are past this lodging I shall hurt you an I may,for ye slew my father traitorly.But first for the love of my lord,Sir Tor,and for the love of Sir Lamorak,the honourable knight that here is lodged,ye shall have none ill lodging;for it is pity that ever ye should be in the company of good knights;for ye are the most villainous knight or king that is now known alive,for ye are a destroyer of good knights,and all that ye do is but treason.
CHAPTER X
How Sir Berluse met with King Mark,and how Sir Dinadan took his part.
THEN was King Mark sore ashamed,and said but little again.But when Sir Lamorak and Sir Dinadan wist that he was King Mark they were sorry of his fellowship.
So after supper they went to lodging.So on the morn they arose early,and King Mark and Sir Dinadan rode together;and three mile from their lodging there met with them three knights,and Sir Berluse was one,and that other his two cousins.Sir Berluse saw King Mark,and then he cried on high:Traitor,keep thee from me for wit thou well that I am Berluse.Sir knight,said Sir Dinadan,I counsel you to leave off at this time,for he is riding to King Arthur;and because I have promised to conduct him to my lord King Arthur needs must I take a part with him;howbeit I love not his condition,and fain I would be from him.Well,Dinadan,said Sir Berluse,me repenteth that ye will take part with him,but now do your best.And then he hurtled to King Mark,and smote him sore upon the shield,that he bare him clean out of his saddle to the earth.That saw Sir Dinadan,and he feutred his spear,and ran to one of Berluse's fellows,and smote him down off his saddle.
Then Dinadan turned his horse,and smote the third knight in the same wise to the earth,for Sir Dinadan was a good knight on horseback;and there began a great battle,for Berluse and his fellows held them together strongly on foot.And so through the great force of Sir Dinadan King Mark had Berluse to the earth,and his two fellows fled;and had not been Sir Dinadan King Mark would have slain him.And so Sir Dinadan rescued him of his life,for King Mark was but a murderer.And then they took their horses and departed and left Sir Berluse there sore wounded.
Then King Mark and Sir Dinadan rode forth a four leagues English,till that they came to a bridge where hoved a knight on horseback,armed and ready to joust.
Lo,said Sir Dinadan unto King Mark,yonder hoveth a knight that will joust,for there shall none pass this bridge but he must joust with that knight.It is well,said King Mark,for this jousts falleth with thee.Sir Dinadan knew the knight well that he was a noble knight,and fain he would have jousted,but he had had liefer King Mark had jousted with him,but by no mean King Mark would not joust.Then Sir Dinadan might not refuse him in no manner.And then either dressed their spears and their shields,and smote together,so that through fine force Sir Dinadan was smitten to the earth;and lightly he rose up and gat his horse,and required that knight to do battle with swords.And he answered and said:Fair knight,as at this time I may not have ado with you no more,for the custom of this passage is such.
Then was Sir Dinadan passing wroth that he might not be revenged of that knight;and so he departed,and in no wise would that knight tell his name.But ever Sir Dinadan thought he should know him by his shield that it should be Sir Tor.
CHAPTER XI
How King Mark mocked Sir Dinadan,and how they met with six knights of the Round Table.
So as they rode by the way King Mark then began to mock Sir Dinadan,and said:I weened you knights of the Table Round might not in no wise find their matches.