Chapter 31 - Page 2

and put on his armor, and said
to Peredur, "Arise, man, and suffer death." And Peredur said unto him,
"Do one of two things, black man; if thou wilt fight with me, either
throw off thy own armor, or give arms to me that I may encounter
thee." "Ha! man," said he, "couldst thou fight if thou hadst arms?
Take then what arms thou dost choose." And thereupon the maiden came
to Peredur with such arms as pleased him; and he fought with the black
man and forced him to crave his mercy. "Black man, thou shalt have
mercy, provided thou tell me who thou art, and who put out thine eye."
"Lord, I will tell thee. I lost it in fighting with the Black
Serpent of the Carn. There is a mound which is called the Mound of
Mourning; and on the mound there is a carn, and in the carn there is a
serpent, and on the tail of the serpent there is a stone, and the
virtues of the stone are such that whosoever should hold it in one
hand, in the other he will have as much gold as he may desire. And
in fighting with this serpent was it that I lost my eye. And the Black
Oppressor am I called. And for this reason I am called the Black
Oppressor, that there is not a single man around me whom I have not
oppressed, and justice have I done unto none." "Tell me," said
Peredur, "how far is it hence?" "The same day that thou settest
forth thou wilt come to the Palace of the Sons of the King of the
Tortures." "Wherefore are they called thus?" "The Addanc* of the
Lake slays them once every day. When thou goest thence thou wilt
come to the Court of the Countess of Achievements." "What achievements
are these?" said Peredur. "Three hundred men are there in her
household, and unto every stranger that comes to the Court the
achievements of her household are related. And this is the manner of
it,- the three hundred men of the household sit next unto the Lady;
and that not through disrespect unto the guests, but that they may
relate the achievements of the household. And the day that thou
goest there thou wilt reach the Mound of Mourning, and round about the
mound there are the owners of three hundred tents guarding the
serpent." "Since thou hast indeed been an oppressor so long," said
Peredur, "I will cause that thou continue so no longer." So he slew
him. * The Addanc was a mighty aquatic monster. Then the maiden spoke, and began to converse with him. "If thou wast
poor when thou camest here henceforth thou wilt be rich through the
treasure of the black man whom thou hast slain. Thou seest the many
lovely maidens that there are in this court, thou shalt have her
whom thou likest best for the lady of thy love." "Lady, I came not
hither from my country to woo; but match yourselves as it liketh you
with the comely youths I see here; and none of your goods do I