¶ Capitulum Septimum

THēne Gauayne and Gaheryse rode more than a paas after the whyte herte / and lete slyppe at the herte thre couple of greyhoundes / and so they chace the herte in to a castel / and in the chyef place of the castel they slewe the hert / syr gauayne and gaheryse folowed after / Ryght soo there came a knyght oute of a chamber with a swerd drawe in his hand and slewe two of the greyhoundes euen in the syghte of syre gauayne / and the remenaunte he chaced hem with his swerd oute of the castel / And whan he cam ageyne he sayd / O my whyte herte / me repenteth that thow art dede / for my souerayne lady gaf the to me / and euyll haue I kepte the / and thy deth Page  107 [leaf 54r] shalle be dere bought and I lyue / and anone he wente in to his chamber and armed hym / and came oute fyersly / & there mette he with syr gauayne / why haue ye slayne my houndes said syr gauayn / for they dyd but their kynde / and leuer I had ye had wroken your angre vpon me than vpon a dom best thow saist trouth said the knyght I haue auengyd me on thy houndes and so I wille on the or thow goo / Thenne syr Gauayne alyght afoote and dressid his shelde and stroke to gyders myghtely / and clafe their sheldes and stoned their helmes and brak their hawberkes that the blood ranne doune to their feet / Atte last syr gauayne smote the knyght so hard that he felle to the erthe / and thenne he cryed mercy / and yelded hym and besought hym as he was a knyghte and gentylman / to saue his lyf / thow shalt dye said sir gauayne for sleyng of my houndes / I wille make amendys said the knyght vnto my power / Syr gauayne wold no mercy haue but vnlacyd his helme to haue stryken of his hede / Ryght soo came his lady oute of a chamber and felle ouer hym / and soo he smote of her hede by mysauenture / Allas saide Gaheryse that is fowle and shamefully done / that shame shal neuer from yow / Also ye shold gyue mercy vnto them that aske mercy / for a knyȝt without mercy is withoute worship / Syr gauayne was so stonyed of the deth of this fair lady / that he wiste not what he dyd / and said vnto the knyght aryse I wille gyue the mercy / nay nay said the knyght / I take no force of mercy now / for thou hast slayne my loue and my lady that I loued best of alle erthely thynge / Me sore repentith it said syr gauayn / for I thoughte to stryke vnto the / But now thow shalt goo vnto kyng Arthur and telle hym of thyne aduentures and how thow arte ouercome by the knyghte that wente in the queste of the whyte herte / I take no force said the knyȝt whether I lyue or I dye but so for drede of deth he swore to goo vnto kynge Arthur / & he made hym to bere one greyhound before hym on his hors and another behynde hym / what is your name said sir gauayn or we departe / my name is said the knyght Ablamor of the marise / soo he departed toward Camelot