ad he
cherished them of his blood he had yet lived with great riches and rest:
but all estates may beware by our king. But alas, said Ebel, that we
shall give all other warning by his death.

Tell me, said Palomides, and in what manner was your lord slain, and by
whom. Sir, said Sir Ebel, our king brought up of children two men that
now are perilous knights; and these two knights our king had so in
charity, that he loved no man nor trusted no man of his blood, nor
none other that was about him. And by these two knights our king was
governed, and so they ruled him peaceably and his lands, and never would
they suffer none of his blood to have no rule with our king. And also he
was so free and so gentle, and they so false and deceivable, that they
ruled him peaceably; and that espied the lords of our king's blood,
and departed from him unto their own livelihood. Then when these two
traitors understood that they had driven all the lords of his blood from
him, they were not pleased with that rule, but then they thought to have
more, as ever it is an old saw: Give a churl rule and thereby he will
not be sufficed; for whatsomever he be that is ruled by a villain born,
and the lord of the soil to be a gentleman born, the same villain shall
destroy all the gentlemen about him: therefore all estates and lords,
beware whom ye take about you. And if ye be a knight of King Arthur's
court remember this tale, for this is the end and conclusion. My lord
and king rode unto the forest hereby by the advice of these traitors,
and there he chased at the red deer, armed at all pieces full like a
good knight; and so for labour he waxed dry, and then he alighted, and
drank at a well. And when he was alighted, by the assent of these two
traitors, that one that hight Helius he suddenly smote our king through
the body with a spear, and so they left him there. And when they were
departed, then by fortune I came to the well, and found my lord and king
wounded to the death. And when I heard his complaint, I let bring him to
the water side, and in that same ship I put him alive; and when my lord
King Hermance was in that vessel, he required me for the true faith I
owed unto him for to write a letter in this manner.

CHAPTER LXII. The copy of the letter written for to revenge the king's
death, and how Sir Palomides fought for to have the battle.

RECOMMENDING unto King Arthur and to all his knights errant, beseeching
them all that insomuch as