“Thou art full young and tender of age,” said King Arthur, “to take so high an order upon thee.”

“Sir,” said Griflet, “I beseech thee make me a knight;” and Merlin also advising the king to grant his request, “Well,” said Arthur, “be it then so,” and knighted him forthwith.  Then said he to him, “Since I have granted thee this favour, thou must in turn grant me a gift.”

“Whatsoever thou wilt, my lord,” replied Sir Griflet.

“Promise me,” said King Arthur, “by the faith of thy body, that when thou hast jousted with this knight at the fountain, thou wilt return to me straightway, unless he slay thee.”

“I promise,” said Sir Griflet; and taking his horse in haste, he dressed his shield, and took a spear in his hand and rode full gallop till he came to the fountain, by the side of which he saw a rich pavilion, and a great horse standing well saddled and bridled, and on a tree close by there hung a shield of many colours and a long lance.

Then Sir Griflet smote upon the shield with the butt of his spear until he cast it to the ground.  At that a knight came out of the pavilion and said, “Fair knight, why smote ye down my shield?”

“Because,” said Griflet, “I would joust with thee.”

“It were better not,” replied the knight; “for thou art young and but lately made a knight, and thy strength is small compared to mine.”

“For all that,” said Sir Griflet, “I will joust with ye.”

“I am full loath,” replied the knight; “but if I must I must.”

Then did they wheel their horses far apart, and running them together, the strange knight shivered Sir Griflet’s spear to fragments, and smote him through the shield and the left side, and broke his own spear into Sir Griflet’s body, so that the truncheon stuck there, and Sir Griflet and his horse fell down.  But when the strange knight saw him overthrown, he was sore grieved, and hastily alighted, for he thought that he had slain him.  Then he unlaced his helm and gave him air, and tended him carefully till he came out of his swoon, and leaving the truncheon of his spear in his body, he set him upon horse, and commended him to God, and said he had a mighty heart, and if he lived would prove a passing good knight.  And so Sir Griflet rode to the court, where, by aid of good physicians, he was healed in time and his life saved.

At that same time there came before the king twelve old men, ambassadors from Lucius Tiberius, Emperor of Rome, and demanded of Arthur tribute unto Caesar for his realm, or else, said they, the emperor would destroy both him and his land.  To whom King Arthur answered that he owed the emperor no tribute, nor would send him any; but said he, “On a fair field I will pay him his proper tribute—­with a sharp spear and sword; and by my father’s soul that tribute shall he take from me, whether he will or not.”  So the ambassadors departed passing wroth, and King Arthur was as wroth as they.