Saturday, December 4, 2010

Who was Sir Turquine?

A knight in Sir Thomas Mallory's Morte D'Arthur:

And in the meanwhile there came three knights riding, as fast fleeing as ever they might ride. And there followed them three but one knight.

And when Sir Lionel saw him, him thought he saw never so great a knight, nor so well faring a man, neither so well apparelled unto all rights.

So within a while this strong knight had overtaken one of these knights, and there he smote him to the cold earth that he lay still.

And then he rode unto the second knight, and smote him so that man and horse fell down. And then straight to the third knight he rode, and smote him behind his horse's arse a spear length.

And then he alighted down and reined his horse on the bridle, and bound all the three knights fast with the reins of their own bridles.

When Sir Lionel saw him do thus, he thought to assay him, and made him ready, and stilly and privily he took his horse, and thought not for to awake Sir Launcelot.

And when he was mounted upon his horse, he overtook this strong knight, and bade him turn, and the other smote Sir Lionel so hard that horse and man he bare to the earth, and so he alighted down and bound him fast, and threw him overthwart his own horse, and so he served them all four, and rode with them away to his own castle.

And when he came there he gart unarm them, and beat them with thorns all naked, and after put them in a deep prison where were many more knights, that made great dolour.

1 comment:

  1. In The Once and Future King, when Lancelot is told about Sir Turquine and his penchant for thrashing naked knights, he says, "He sounds an interesting man to fight."

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