And the next day the black man got up, and put on his armour, 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 armour, 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 the
Achievements." "What achievements are there?" asked Peredur. "Three
hundred men there are 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.