and well I wot either ye, or my
nephew, your son, is of counsel with her to have me destroyed; but as
for you, said the king to King Uriens, I deem not greatly that ye be
of her counsel, for Accolon confessed to me by his own mouth, that she
would have destroyed you as well as me, therefore I hold you excused;
but as for your son, Sir Uwaine, I hold him suspect, therefore I charge
you put him out of my court. So Sir Uwaine was discharged. And when Sir
Gawaine wist that, he made him ready to go with him; and said, Whoso
banisheth my cousin-germain shall banish me. So they two departed, and
rode into a great forest, and so they came to an abbey of monks, and
there were well lodged. But when the king wist that Sir Gawaine was
departed from the court, there was made great sorrow among all the
estates. Now, said Gaheris, Gawaine's brother, we have lost two good
knights for the love of one. So on the morn they heard their masses in
the abbey, and so they rode forth till that they came to a great forest.
Then was Sir Gawaine ware in a valley by a turret [of] twelve fair
damosels, and two knights armed on great horses, and the damosels went
to and fro by a tree. And then was Sir Gawaine ware how there hung a
white shield on that tree, and ever as the damosels came by it they spit
upon it, and some threw mire upon the shield.

CHAPTER XVII. How Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine met with twelve fair
damosels, and how they complained on Sir Marhaus.

THEN Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine went and saluted them, and asked why
they did that despite to the shield. Sir, said the damosels, we shall
tell you. There is a knight in this country that owneth this white
shield, and he is a passing good man of his hands, but he hateth all
ladies and gentlewomen, and therefore we do all this despite to the
shield. I shall say you, said Sir Gawaine, it beseemeth evil a good
knight to despise all ladies and gentlewomen, and peradventure though he
hate you he hath some certain cause, and peradventure he loveth in some
other places ladies and gentlewomen, and to be loved again, an he be
such a man of prowess as ye speak of. Now, what is his name? Sir, said
they, his name is Marhaus, the king's son of Ireland. I know him well,
said Sir Uwaine, he is a passing good knight as any is alive, for I saw
him once proved at a jousts where many knights were gathered, and that
time there might no man withstand him. Ah! said Sir Gawaine, damosels,
methinketh ye are t