rs upon their heels, and so there hung
nigh a forty knights shamefully with full rich arms.

Then Sir Beaumains abated his countenance and said, What meaneth this?
Fair sir, said the damosel, abate not your cheer for all this sight, for
ye must courage yourself, or else ye be all shent, for all these knights
came hither to this siege to rescue my sister Dame Lionesse, and when
the Red Knight of the Red Launds had overcome them, he put them to this
shameful death without mercy and pity. And in the same wise he will
serve you but if you quit you the better.

Now Jesu defend me, said Beaumains, from such a villainous death and
shenship of arms. For rather than I should so be faren withal, I would
rather be slain manly in plain battle. So were ye better, said the
damosel; for trust not, in him is no courtesy, but all goeth to the
death or shameful murder, and that is pity, for he is a full likely man,
well made of body, and a full noble knight of prowess, and a lord of
great lands and possessions. Truly, said Beaumains, he may well be a
good knight, but he useth shameful customs, and it is marvel that he
endureth so long that none of the noble knights of my lord Arthur's have
not dealt with him.

And then they rode to the dykes, and saw them double dyked with full
warlike walls; and there were lodged many great lords nigh the walls;
and there was great noise of minstrelsy; and the sea beat upon the one
side of the walls, where were many ships and mariners' noise with "hale
and how." And also there was fast by a sycamore tree, and there hung an
horn, the greatest that ever they saw, of an elephant's bone; and this
Knight of the Red Launds had hanged it up there, that if there came any
errant-knight, he must blow that horn, and then will he make him ready
and come to him to do battle. But, sir, I pray you, said the damosel
Linet, blow ye not the horn till it be high noon, for now it is about
prime, and now increaseth his might, that as men say he hath seven men's
strength. Ah, fie for shame, fair damosel, say ye never so more to me;
for, an he were as good a knight as ever was, I shall never fail him
in his most might, for either I will win worship worshipfully, or die
knightly in the field. And therewith he spurred his horse straight to
the sycamore tree, and blew so the horn eagerly that all the siege and
the castle rang thereof. And then there leapt out knights out of their
tents and pavilions, and they within the castle