Sidney Lanier

“ And when he returned to the palace, he found the black maiden there.
"Ah, maiden!" said Peredur, "where is the empress?"
"I declare to Heaven that thou wilt not see her now, unless thou dost slay the monster that is in yonder forest."
"What monster is there?"
"It is a stag that is as swift as the swiftest bird; and he has one horn in his forehead, as long as the shaft of a spear, and as sharp as whatever is sharpest. And he destroys the branches of the best trees in the forest, and he kills every animal that he meets with therein; and those that he doth not slay perish of hunger. ”

“ And as the knight passed through it, all the people arose and saluted him, and bade him welcome. And when Geraint came into the town, he looked at every house to see if he knew any of those whom he saw. But he knew none, and none knew him to do him the kindness to let him have arms either as a loan or for a pledge. And every house he saw was full of men and arms and horses. And they were polishing shields, and burnishing swords, and washing armor, and shoeing horses. And the knight and the lady and the dwarf rode up to the castle that was in the town, and every one was glad in the castle. ”

“ He has now come to man's stature, and he is the comeliest youth that was ever beheld."
So they took the blossoms of the oak, and the blossoms of the broom, and the blossoms of the meadow-sweet, and produced from them a maiden, the fairest and most graceful that man ever saw. And they baptized her, and gave her the name of Blodeuwedd.
After she had become his bride, and they had feasted, said Gwydion, "It is not easy for a man to maintain himself without possessions."
"Of a truth," said Math, "I will give the young man the best Cantrev to hold." ”

“ And Arthur did him great honor and respect. And they returned towards Caerlleon.
And the first night Peredur came to Caerlleon, to Arthur's court, and, as he walked in the city after his repast, behold, there met him Angharad Law Eurawc.
"By my faith, sister," said Peredur, "thou art a beauteous and lovely maiden; and were it pleasing to thee I could love thee above all women."
"I pledge my faith," said she, "that I do not love thee; nor will I ever do so."
"I also pledge my faith," said Peredur, "that I will never speak a word to any Christian again until thou come to love me above all men." ”

“ As long as I remain alive, my eyesight will be the worse. Whenever I go against the wind, my eyes will water, and peradventure my head will burn, and I shall have a giddiness every new moon. Cursed be the fire in which it was forged! Like the bite of a mad dog is the stroke of this poisoned iron." And they went to meat.
And the next day they came again to the palace, and they said, "Shoot not at us any more, unless thou desirest such hurt and harm and torture as thou now hast, and even more. Give me thy daughter, and, if thou wilt not give her, thou shalt receive thy death because of her." ”

“ And Peredur said unto him, "Do one of two things, black man: if thou wilt fight with me, either throw off thy own armor, or give arms to me, that I may encounter thee."
"Ha, man!" said he. "Couldst thou fight if thou hadst arms? Take, then, what arms thou dost choose."
And thereupon the maiden came to Peredur with such arms as pleased him; and he fought with the black man, and forced him to crave his mercy.
"Black man, thou shalt have mercy, provided thou tell me who thou art, and who put out thine eye." ”

“ Then exclaimed the female dwarf, "Haha, goodly Peredur, son of Evrawc! The welcome of Heaven be unto thee, flower of knights, and light of chivalry."
"Of a truth, maiden," said Kai, "thou art ill bred to remain mute for a year at the court of Arthur, and then to speak as thou dost of such a man as this." And Kai kicked her with his foot, so that she fell to the ground senseless.
"Tall man," said Peredur, "show me which is Arthur." ”

“ So Peredur arose, and went to play with the yellow-haired youth; and he lifted up his arm, and struck him such a mighty blow that his brow fell over his eye, and the blood flowed forth.
"Ah, my life," said the man, "come now, and sit down; for thou wilt become the best fighter with the sword of any in this island. And I am thy uncle, thy mother's brother. And with me shalt thou remain a space in order to learn the manners and customs of different countries, and courtesy, and gentleness, and noble bearing. Leave, then, the habits and the discourse of thy mother, and I will be thy teacher ”

“ And the youth saluted Arthur, and told him that the ravens of Owain were slaying his young men and attendants. And Arthur looked at Owain and said, "Forbid thy ravens."
"Lord," answered Owain, "play thy game." And they played. And the knight returned back towards the strife, and the ravens were not forbidden any more than before.
And when they had played a while, they heard a mighty tumult, and a wailing of men, and a croaking of ravens, as they carried the men in their strength into the air, and, tearing them betwixt them, let them fall piecemeal to the earth. ”

“ And thereupon, behold, a knight pricked towards him, and couched his lance.
When Enid saw this, she cried out, saying, "O chieftain! whoever thou art, what renown wilt thou gain by slaying a dead man?"
"O Heaven!" said he, "is it Geraint?"
"Yes, in truth," said she. "And who art thou?"
"I am the Little King," he answered, "coming to thy assistance; for I heard that thou wast in trouble. And if thou hadst followed my advice, none of these hardships would have befallen thee."
"Nothing can happen," said Geraint, "without the will of Heaven, though much good results from counsel." ”

“ And at dawn next day Erbin arose, and summoned to him Geraint, and the noble persons who had borne him company. And he said to Geraint, "I am a feeble and aged man, and, whilst I was able to maintain the dominion for thee and for myself, I did so. But thou art young, and in the flower of thy vigor and of thy youth: henceforth do thou preserve thy possessions."
"Truly," said Geraint, "with my consent thou shalt not give the power over thy dominions at this time into my hands, and thou shalt not take me from Arthur's court." ”

“ So Geraint went forward. And the hoary-headed man preceded him into the hall. And in the hall he dismounted, and he left there his horse. Then he went on to the upper chamber with the hoary-headed man. And in the chamber he beheld an old decrepit woman sitting on a cushion, with old, tattered garments of satin upon her; and it seemed to him that he had never seen a woman fairer than she must have been when in the fulness of youth. And beside her was a maiden, upon whom were a vest and a veil that were old, and beginning to be worn out. ”

“ As they rose up, he took the second dart that was beside him, and cast it after them. And Menw, the son of Gwaedd, caught it, and flung it back at him, and wounded him in the centre of the breast, so that it came out at the small of his back. "A cursed ungentle son-in-law, truly!" said he. "The hard iron pains me like the bite of a horse-leech. Cursed be the hearth whereon it was heated, and the smith who formed it! So sharp is it! Henceforth, whenever I go up a hill, I shall have a scant in my breath and a pain in my chest, and I shall often loathe my food." ”

“ Then they hastened towards the smoke, and they came so near to it that they could see Dillus Varvawc scorching a wild boar.
"Behold, yonder is the greatest robber that ever fled from Arthur," said Bedwyr unto Kai. "Dost thou know him?"
"I do know him," answered Kai. "He is Dillus Varvawc; and no leash in the world will be able to hold Drudwyn, the cub of Greid, the son of Eri, save a leash made from the beard of him thou seest yonder. And even that will be useless, unless his beard be plucked alive with wooden tweezers; for if dead it will be brittle." ”

“ And there was the Knight of the Sparrow-hawk making the proclamation, and asking his lady-love to fetch the sparrow-hawk.
"Fetch it not," said Geraint, "for there is here a maiden who is fairer, and more noble, and more comely, and who has a better claim to it, than thou."
"If thou maintainest the sparrow-hawk to be due to her, come forward and do battle with me." And Geraint went forward to the top of the meadow, having upon himself and upon his horse armor which was heavy and rusty and worthless, and of uncouth shape. ”

“ But I know not who thou art."
"A crowned king am I in the land whence I come."
"Lord," said he, "may the day prosper with thee! And from what land comest thou?"
"From Annwvyn," answered he. "Arawn, a king of Annwvyn, am I."
"Lord," said he, "how may I gain thy friendship?"
"After this manner mayest thou," he said. "There is a man whose dominions are opposite to mine, who is ever warring against me, and he is Havgan, a king of Annwvyn, and by ridding me of this oppression, which thou canst easily do, shalt thou gain my friendship." ”

“ And he beheld a maiden, with yellow curling hair, and a frontlet of gold upon her head; and she was clad in a dress of yellow satin, and on her feet were shoes of variegated leather. And she approached the gate, and desired that it should be opened.
"Heaven knows, lady," said Owain, "it is no more possible for me to open to thee from hence than it is for thee to set me free."
"Truly," said the damsel, "it is very sad that thou canst not be released, and every woman ought to succor thee; for I never saw one more faithful in the service of ladies than thou. ”

“ And around the stag's neck was a golden collar.
"Ha, chieftain!" said she, "uncourteously hast thou acted in slaying the fairest jewel that was in my dominions."
"I was entreated so to do. And is there any way by which I can obtain thy friendship?"
"There is," she replied. "Go thou forward unto yonder mountain, and there thou wilt find a grove; and in the grove there is a cromlech: do thou there challenge a man three times to fight, and thou shalt have my friendship."
So Peredur proceeded onward, and came to the side of the grove, and challenged any man to fight. ”

“ And she looked upon Peredur.
"Lady," said he, "bestow on me the goblet." And Peredur drank the wine, and gave the goblet to the miller's wife. And while they were thus, behold, there entered a black man of larger stature than the other, with a wild beast's claw in his hand, wrought into the form of a goblet and filled with wine. And he presented it to the empress, and besought her to give it to no one but the man who would fight him. "Lady," said Peredur, "bestow it on me." And she gave it to him. And Peredur drank the wine, and sent the goblet to the wife of the miller. ”