ould be against him. Also he
told him that Bagdemegus was his cousin, and germain unto King Uriens.

CHAPTER XII. How a sorrowful knight came before Arthur, and how Balin
fetched him, and how that knight was slain by a knight invisible.

WITHIN a day or two King Arthur was somewhat sick, and he let pitch his
pavilion in a meadow, and there he laid him down on a pallet to sleep,
but he might have no rest. Right so he heard a great noise of an horse,
and therewith the king looked out at the porch of the pavilion, and saw
a knight coming even by him, making great dole. Abide, fair sir, said
Arthur, and tell me wherefore thou makest this sorrow. Ye may little
amend me, said the knight, and so passed forth to the castle of Meliot.
Anon after there came Balin, and when he saw King Arthur he alighted off
his horse, and came to the King on foot, and saluted him. By my head,
said Arthur, ye be welcome. Sir, right now came riding this way a knight
making great mourn, for what cause I cannot tell; wherefore I would
desire of you of your courtesy and of your gentleness to fetch again
that knight either by force or else by his good will. I will do more for
your lordship than that, said Balin; and so he rode more than a pace,
and found the knight with a damosel in a forest, and said, Sir knight,
ye must come with me unto King Arthur, for to tell him of your sorrow.
That will I not, said the knight, for it will scathe me greatly, and do
you none avail. Sir, said Balin, I pray you make you ready, for ye must
go with me, or else I must fight with you and bring you by force, and
that were me loath to do. Will ye be my warrant, said the knight, an I
go with you? Yea, said Balin, or else I will die therefore. And so he
made him ready to go with Balin, and left the damosel still. And as they
were even afore King Arthur's pavilion, there came one invisible, and
smote this knight that went with Balin throughout the body with a spear.
Alas, said the knight, I am slain under your conduct with a knight
called Garlon; therefore take my horse that is better than yours, and
ride to the damosel, and follow the quest that I was in as she will lead
you, and revenge my death when ye may. That shall I do, said Balin, and
that I make vow unto knighthood; and so he departed from this knight
with great sorrow. So King Arthur let bury this knight richly, and made
a mention on his tomb, how there was slain Herlews le Berbeus, and by
whom the treachery wa