CHAPTER I
How a young man came into the court of King Arthur,and how Sir Kay called him in scorn La Cote Male Taile.
AT the court of King Arthur there came a young man and bigly made,and he was richly beseen:and he desired to be made knight of the king,but his over-garment sat over-thwartly,howbeit it was rich cloth of gold.What is your name?said King Arthur.
Sir,said he,my name is Breunor le Noire,and within short space ye shall know that I am of good kin.It may well be,said Sir Kay,the Seneschal,but in mockage ye shall be called La Cote Male Taile,that is as much to say,the evil-shapen coat It is a great thing that thou askest,said the king;and for what cause wearest thou that rich coat?tell me,for I can well think for some cause it is.Sir,he answered,I had a father,a noble knight,and as he rode a-hunting,upon a day it happed him to lay him down to sleep;and there came a knight that had been long his enemy,and when he saw he was fast asleep he all to-hew him;and this same coat had my father on the same time;and that maketh this coat to sit so evil upon me,for the strokes be on it as Ifound it,and never shall be amended for me.Thus to have my father's death in remembrance I wear this coat till I be revenged;and because ye are called the most noblest king of the world I come to you that ye should make me knight.Sir,said Sir Lamorak and Sir Gaheris,it were well done to make him knight;for him beseemeth well of person and of countenance,that he shall prove a good man,and a good knight,and a mighty;for,Sir,an ye be remembered,even such one was Sir Launcelot du Lake when he came first into this court,and full few of us knew from whence he came;and now is he proved the man of most worship in the world;and all your court and all your Round Table is by Sir Launcelot worshipped and amended more than by any knight now living.That is truth,said the king,and to-morrow at your request I shall make him knight.
So on the morrow there was an hart found,and thither rode King Arthur with a company of his knights to slay the hart.And this young man that Sir Kay named La Cote Male Taile was there left behind with Queen Guenever;and by sudden adventure there was an horrible lion kept in a strong tower of stone,and it happened that he at that time brake loose,and came hurling afore the queen and her knights.And when the queen saw the lion she cried and fled,and prayed her knights to rescue her.And there was none of them all but twelve that abode,and all the other fled.
Then said La Cote Male Taile:Now I see well that all coward knights be not dead;and therewithal he drew his sword and dressed him afore the lion.And that lion gaped wide and came upon him ramping to have slain him.And he then smote him in the midst of the head such a mighty stroke that it clave his head in sunder,and dashed to the earth.Then was it told the queen how the young man that Sir Kay named by scorn La Cote Male Taile had slain the lion.With that the king came home.And when the queen told him of that adventure,he was well pleased,and said:
Upon pain of mine head he shall prove a noble man and a faithful knight,and true of his promise:then the king forthwithal made him knight.Now Sir,said this young knight,I require you and all the knights of your court,that ye call me by none other name but La Cote Male Taile:in so much as Sir Kay hath so named me so will I be called.I assent me well thereto,said the king.
CHAPTER II
How a damosel came into the court and desired a knight to take on him an enquest,which La Cote Male Taile emprised.
THEN that same day there came a damosel into the court,and she brought with her a great black shield,with a white hand in the midst holding a sword.Other picture was there none in that shield.When King Arthur saw her he asked her from whence she came and what she would.Sir,she said,I have ridden long and many a day with this shield many ways,and for this cause I am come to your court:there was a good knight that ought this shield,and this knight had undertaken a great deed of arms to enchieve it;and so it misfortuned him another strong knight met with him by sudden adventure,and there they fought long,and either wounded other passing sore;and they were so weary that they left that battle even hand.So this knight that ought this shield saw none other way but he must die;and then he commanded me to bear this shield to the court of King Arthur,he requiring and praying some good knight to take this shield,and that he would fulfil the quest that he was in.Now what say ye to this quest?said King Arthur;is there any of you here that will take upon him to wield this shield?Then was there not one that would speak one word.Then Sir Kay took the shield in his hands.Sir knight,said the damosel,what is your name?Wit ye well,said he,my name is Sir Kay,the Seneschal,that wide-where is known.
Sir,said that damosel,lay down that shield,for wit ye well it falleth not for you,for he must be a better knight than ye that shall wield this shield.Damosel,said Sir Kay,wit ye well Itook this shield in my hands by your leave for to behold it,not to that intent;but go wheresomever thou wilt,for I will not go with you.
Then the damosel stood still a great while and beheld many of those knights.Then spake the knight,La Cote Male Taile:Fair damosel,I will take the shield and that adventure upon me,so Iwist I should know whitherward my journey might be;for because Iwas this day made knight I would take this adventure upon me.