Book: Le Morte Darthur

T >> Thomas Malory >> Le Morte Darthur




And ever stood Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred
crying: Traitor-knight, come out of the queen's chamber.
Leave your noise, said Sir Launcelot unto Sir Agravaine,
for wit you well, Sir Agravaine, ye shall not prison me
this night; and therefore an ye do by my counsel, go ye
all from this chamber door, and make not such crying and
such manner of slander as ye do; for I promise you by
my knighthood, an ye will depart and make no more
noise, I shall as to-morn appear afore you all before the
king, and then let it be seen which of you all, outher else
ye all, that will accuse me of treason; and there I shall
answer you as a knight should, that hither I came to the
queen for no manner of mal engin, and that will I prove
and make it good upon you with my hands. Fie on thee,
traitor, said Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred, we will have
thee maugre thy head, and slay thee if we list; for we let
thee wit we have the choice of King Arthur to save thee
or to slay thee. Ah sirs, said Sir Launcelot, is there none
other grace with you? then keep yourself.

So then Sir Launcelot set all open the chamber door,
and mightily and knightly he strode in amongst them;
and anon at the first buffet he slew Sir Agravaine. And
twelve of his fellows after, within a little while after, he
laid them cold to the earth, for there was none of the
twelve that might stand Sir Launcelot one buffet. Also
Sir Launcelot wounded Sir Mordred, and he fled with all
his might. And then Sir Launcelot returned again unto
the queen, and said: Madam, now wit you well all our
true love is brought to an end, for now will King Arthur
ever be my foe; and therefore, madam, an it like you
that I may have you with me, I shall save you from all
manner adventures dangerous. That is not best, said the
queen; meseemeth now ye have done so much harm, it
will be best ye hold you still with this. And if ye see
that as to-morn they will put me unto the death, then
may ye rescue me as ye think best. I will well, said Sir
Launcelot, for have ye no doubt, while I am living I shall
rescue you. And then he kissed her, and either gave
other a ring; and so there he left the queen, and went
until his lodging.



CHAPTER V

How Sir Launcelot came to Sir Bors, and told him how he
had sped, and in what adventure he had been, and how
he had escaped


WHEN Sir Bors saw Sir Launcelot he was never so glad of
his home-coming as he was then. Jesu mercy, said Sir
Launcelot, why be ye all armed: what meaneth this?
Sir, said Sir Bors, after ye were departed from us, we all
that be of your blood and your well-willers were so
dretched that some of us leapt out of our beds naked,
and some in their dreams caught naked swords in their
hands; therefore, said Sir Bors, we deem there is some
great strife at hand; and then we all deemed that ye were
betrapped with some treason, and therefore we made us
thus ready, what need that ever ye were in.

My fair nephew, said Sir Launcelot unto Sir Bors,
now shall ye wit all, that this night I was more harder
bestead than ever I was in my life, and yet I escaped.
And so he told them all how and in what manner, as ye
have heard to-fore. And therefore, my fellows, said Sir
Launcelot, I pray you all that ye will be of good heart in
what need somever I stand, for now is war come to us all.
Sir, said Bors, all is welcome that God sendeth us, and we
have had much weal with you and much worship, and
therefore we will take the woe with you as we have taken
the weal. And therefore, they said all (there were many
good knights), look ye take no discomfort, for there nis
no bands of knights under heaven but we shall be able to
grieve them as much as they may us. And therefore discomfort
not yourself by no manner, and we shall gather
together that we love, and that loveth us, and what that
ye will have done shall be done. And therefore, Sir
Launcelot, said they, we will take the woe with the weal.
Grant mercy, said Sir Launcelot, of your good comfort,
for in my great distress, my fair nephew, ye comfort me
greatly, and much I am beholding unto you. But this,
my fair nephew, I would that ye did in all haste that ye
may, or it be forth days, that ye will look in their lodging
that be lodged here nigh about the king, which will hold
with me, and which will not, for now I would know which
were my friends from my foes. Sir, said Sir Bors, I shall
do my pain, and or it be seven of the clock I shall wit of
such as ye have said before, who will hold with you.

Then Sir Bors called unto him Sir Lionel, Sir Ector de
Maris, Sir Blamore de Ganis, Sir Bleoberis de Ganis, Sir
Gahalantine, Sir Galihodin, Sir Galihud, Sir Menadeuke
Sir Villiers the Valiant, Sir Hebes le Renoumes, Sir Lavaine
Sir Urre of Hungary, Sir Nerounes, Sir Plenorius. These
two knights Sir Launcelot made, and the one he won upon
a bridge, and therefore they would never be against him.
And Harry le Fise du Lake, and Sir Selises of the Dolorous Tower,
and Sir Melias de Lile, and Sir Bellangere le
Beuse, that was Sir Alisander's son Le Orphelin, because
his mother Alice le Beale Pellerin and she was kin unto
Sir Launcelot, and he held with him. So there came Sir
Palomides and Sir Safere, his brother, to hold with Sir
Launcelot, and Sir Clegis of Sadok, and Sir Dinas,
Sir Clarius of Cleremont. So these two-and-twenty
knights drew them together, and by then they were
armed on horseback, and promised Sir Launcelot to do
what he would. Then there fell to them, what of North
Wales and of Cornwall, for Sir Lamorak's sake and
for Sir Tristram's sake, to the number of a fourscore
knights.

My lords, said Sir Launcelot, wit you well, I have been
ever since I came into this country well willed unto my
lord, King Arthur, and unto my lady, Queen Guenever,
unto my power; and this night because my lady the queen
sent for me to speak with her, I suppose it was made by
treason, howbeit I dare largely excuse her person,
notwithstanding I was there by a forecast near slain, but as Jesu
provided me I escaped all their malice and treason. And
then that noble knight Sir Launcelot told them all how he
was hard bestead in the queen's chamber, and how and in
what manner he escaped from them. And therefore, said
Sir Launcelot, wit you well, my fair lords, I am sure there
nis but war unto me and mine. And for because I have
slain this night these knights, I wot well, as is Sir Agravaine
Sir Gawaine's brother, and at the least twelve of his fellows,
for this cause now I am sure of mortal war, for these
knights were sent and ordained by King Arthur to betray
me. And therefore the king will in his heat and malice
judge the queen to the fire, and that may I not suffer, that
she should be brent for my sake; for an I may be heard
and suffered and so taken, I will fight for the queen, that
she is a true lady unto her lord; but the king in his heat
I dread me will not take me as I ought to be taken.



CHAPTER VI

Of the counsel and advice that was taken by Sir Launcelot
and his friends for to save the queen


MY lord, Sir Launcelot, said Sir Bors, by mine advice ye
shall take the woe with the weal, and take it in patience,
and thank God of it. And sithen it is fallen as it is, I
counsel you keep yourself, for an ye will yourself, there
is no fellowship of knights christened that shall do you
wrong. Also I will counsel you my lord, Sir Launcelot,
than an my lady, Queen Guenever, be in distress, insomuch
as she is in pain for your sake, that ye knightly
rescue her; an ye did otherwise, all the world will speak
of you shame to the world's end. Insomuch as ye were
taken with her, whether ye did right or wrong, it is now
your part to hold with the queen, that she be not slain
and put to a mischievous death, for an she so die the
shame shall be yours. Jesu defend me from shame, said
Sir Launcelot, and keep and save my lady the queen from
villainy and shameful death, and that she never be
destroyed in my default; wherefore my fair lords, my kin,
and my friends, said Sir Launcelot, what will ye do?
Then they said all: We will do as ye will do. I put
this to you, said Sir Launcelot, that if my lord Arthur by
evil counsel will to-morn in his heat put my lady the
queen to the fire there to be brent, now I pray you counsel
me what is best to do. Then they said all at once with
one voice: Sir, us thinketh best that ye knightly rescue
the queen, insomuch as she shall be brent it is for your
sake; and it is to suppose, an ye might be handled, ye
should have the same death, or a more shamefuler death.
And sir, we say all, that ye have many times rescued her
from death for other men's quarrels, us seemeth it is more
your worship that ye rescue the queen from this peril,
insomuch she hath it for your sake.

Then Sir Launcelot stood still, and said: My fair
lords, wit you well I would be loath to do that thing that
should dishonour you or my blood, and wit you well I
would be loath that my lady, the queen, should die a
shameful death; but an it be so that ye will counsel me
to rescue her, I must do much harm or I rescue her; and
peradventure I shall there destroy some of my best friends,
that should much repent me; and peradventure there be
some, an they could well bring it about, or disobey my
lord King Arthur, they would soon come to me, the
which I were loath to hurt. And if so be that I rescue
her, where shall I keep her? That shall be the least care
of us all, said Sir Bors. How did the noble knight Sir
Tristram, by your good will? kept not he with him La
Beale Isoud near three year in Joyous Gard? the which
was done by your alther device, and that same place is
your own; and in likewise may ye do an ye list, and take
the queen lightly away, if it so be the king will judge her
to be brent; and in Joyous Gard ye may keep her long
enough until the heat of the king be past. And then
shall ye bring again the queen to the king with great
worship; and then peradventure ye shall have thank for
her bringing home, and love and thank where other shall
have maugre.

That is hard to do, said Sir Launcelot, for by Sir
Tristram I may have a warning, for when by means of
treaties, Sir Tristram brought again La Beale Isoud unto
King Mark from Joyous Gard, look what befell on the
end, how shamefully that false traitor King Mark slew
him as he sat harping afore his lady La Beale Isoud, with
a grounden glaive he thrust him in behind to the heart.
It grieveth me, said Sir Launcelot, to speak of his death,
for all the world may not find such a knight. All this is
truth, said Sir Bors, but there is one thing shall courage
you and us all, ye know well King Arthur and King Mark
were never like of conditions, for there was never yet man
could prove King Arthur untrue of his promise.

So to make short tale, they were all consented that
for better outher for worse, if so were that the queen were
on that morn brought to the fire, shortly they all would
rescue her. And so by the advice of Sir Launcelot, they
put them all in an embushment in a wood, as nigh Carlisle
as they might, and there they abode still, to wit what the
king would do.



CHAPTER VII

How Sir Mordred rode hastily to the king, to tell him of
the affray and death of Sir Agravaine and the other
knights


NOW turn we again unto Sir Mordred, that when he was
escaped from the noble knight, Sir Launcelot, he anon gat
his horse and mounted upon him, and rode unto King
Arthur, sore wounded and smitten, and all forbled; and
there he told the king all how it was, and how they were
all slain save himself all only. Jesu mercy, how may this
be? said the king; took ye him in the queen's chamber?
Yea, so God me help, said Sir Mordred, there we found
him unarmed, and there he slew Colgrevance, and armed
him in his armour; and all this he told the king from
the beginning to the ending. Jesu mercy, said the king,
he is a marvellous knight of prowess. Alas, me sore
repenteth, said the king, that ever Sir Launcelot should
be against me. Now I am sure the noble fellowship of
the Round Table is broken for ever, for with him will
many a noble knight hold; and now it is fallen so, said
the king, that I may not with my worship, but the queen
must suffer the death. So then there was made great
ordinance in this heat, that the queen must be judged to
the death. And the law was such in those days that
whatsomever they were, of what estate or degree, if they
were found guilty of treason, there should be none other
remedy but death; and outher the men or the taking with
the deed should be causer of their hasty judgment. And
right so was it ordained for Queen Guenever, because
Sir Mordred was escaped sore wounded, and the death of
thirteen knights of the Round Table. These proofs and
experiences caused King Arthur to command the queen to
the fire there to be brent.

Then spake Sir Gawaine, and said: My lord Arthur,
I would counsel you not to be over-hasty, but that ye
would put it in respite, this judgment of my lady the
queen, for many causes. One it is, though it were so
that Sir Launcelot were found in the queen's chamber, yet
it might be so that he came thither for none evil; for ye
know my lord, said Sir Gawaine, that the queen is much
beholden unto Sir Launcelot, more than unto any other
knight, for ofttimes he hath saved her life, and done battle
for her when all the court refused the queen; and
peradventure she sent for him for goodness and for none
evil, to reward him for his good deeds that he had done
to her in times past. And peradventure my lady, the
queen, sent for him to that intent that Sir Launcelot
should come to her good grace privily and secretly,
weening to her that it was best so to do, in eschewing
and dreading of slander; for ofttimes we do many things
that we ween it be for the best, and yet peradventure it
turneth to the worst. For I dare say, said Sir Gawaine,
my lady, your queen, is to you both good and true; and
as for Sir Launcelot, said Sir Gawaine, I dare say he will
make it good upon any knight living that will put upon
himself villainy or shame, and in like wise he will make
good for my lady, Dame Guenever.

That I believe well, said King Arthur, but I will not
that way with Sir Launcelot, for he trusteth so much upon
his hands and his might that he doubteth no man; and
therefore for my queen he shall never fight more, for she
shall have the law. And if I may get Sir Launcelot, wit
you well he shall have a shameful death. Jesu defend,
said Sir Gawaine, that I may never see it. Why say ye
so? said King Arthur; forsooth ye have no cause to love
Sir Launcelot, for this night last past he slew your brother,
Sir Agravaine, a full good knight, and almost he had slain
your other brother, Sir Mordred, and also there he slew
thirteen noble knights; and also, Sir Gawaine, remember
you he slew two sons of yours, Sir Florence and Sir Lovel.
My lord, said Sir Gawaine, of all this I have knowledge,
of whose deaths I repent me sore; but insomuch I gave
them warning, and told my brethren and my sons aforehand
what would fall in the end, insomuch they would
not do by my counsel, I will not meddle me thereof, nor
revenge me nothing of their deaths; for I told them it
was no boot to strive with Sir Launcelot. Howbeit I am
sorry of the death of my brethren and of my sons, for
they are the causers of their own death; for ofttimes I
warned my brother Sir Agravaine, and I told him the
perils the which be now fallen.



CHAPTER VIII

How Sir Launcelot and his kinsmen rescued the queen from
the fire, and how he slew many knights


THEN said the noble King Arthur to Sir Gawaine: Dear
nephew, I pray you make you ready in your best armour,
with your brethren, Sir Gaheris and Sir Gareth, to bring
my queen to the fire, there to have her judgment and
receive the death. Nay, my most noble lord, said Sir
Gawaine, that will I never do; for wit you well I will
never be in that place where so noble a queen as is my
lady, Dame Guenever, shall take a shameful end. For
wit you well, said Sir Gawaine, my heart will never serve
me to see her die; and it shall never be said that ever
I was of your counsel of her death.

Then said the king to Sir Gawaine: Suffer your
brothers Sir Gaheris and Sir Gareth to be there. My
lord, said Sir Gawaine, wit you well they will be loath
to be there present, because of many adventures the which
be like there to fall, but they are young and full unable
to say you nay. Then spake Sir Gaheris, and the good
knight Sir Gareth, unto Sir Arthur: Sir, ye may well
command us to be there, but wit you well it shall be sore
against our will; but an we be there by your strait
commandment ye shall plainly hold us there excused: we
will be there in peaceable wise, and bear none harness of
war upon us. In the name of God, said the king, then
make you ready, for she shall soon have her judgment
anon. Alas, said Sir Gawaine, that ever I should endure
to see this woful day. So Sir Gawaine turned him and
wept heartily, and so he went into his chamber; and then
the queen was led forth without Carlisle, and there she
was despoiled into her smock. And so then her ghostly
father was brought to her, to be shriven of her misdeeds.
Then was there weeping, and wailing, and wringing of
hands, of many lords and ladies, but there were but few
in comparison that would bear any armour for to strength
the death of the queen.

Then was there one that Sir Launcelot had sent unto
that place for to espy what time the queen should go unto
her death; and anon as he saw the queen despoiled into
her smock, and so shriven, then he gave Sir Launcelot
warning. Then was there but spurring and plucking up
of horses, and right so they came to the fire. And who
that stood against them, there were they slain; there might
none withstand Sir Launcelot, so all that bare arms and
withstood them, there were they slain, full many a noble
knight. For there was slain Sir Belliance le Orgulous,
Sir Segwarides, Sir Griflet, Sir Brandiles, Sir Aglovale,
Sir Tor; Sir Gauter, Sir Gillimer, Sir Reynolds' three
brethren; Sir Damas, Sir Priamus, Sir Kay the Stranger,
Sir Driant, Sir Lambegus, Sir Herminde; Sir Pertilope,
Sir Perimones, two brethren that were called the Green
Knight and the Red Knight. And so in this rushing and
hurling, as Sir Launcelot thrang here and there, it
mishapped him to slay Gaheris and Sir Gareth, the noble
knight, for they were unarmed and unware. For as the
French book saith, Sir Launcelot smote Sir Gareth and
Sir Gaheris upon the brain-pans, wherethrough they were
slain in the field; howbeit in very truth Sir Launcelot
saw them not, and so were they found dead among the
thickest of the press.

Then when Sir Launcelot had thus done, and slain and
put to flight all that would withstand him, then he rode
straight unto Dame Guenever, and made a kirtle and a
gown to be cast upon her; and then he made her to be
set behind him, and prayed her to be of good cheer. Wit
you well the queen was glad that she was escaped from
the death. And then she thanked God and Sir Launcelot;
and so he rode his way with the queen, as the French book
saith, unto Joyous Gard, and there he kept her as a noble
knight should do; and many great lords and some kings
sent Sir Launcelot many good knights, and many noble
knights drew unto Sir Launcelot. When this was known
openly, that King Arthur and Sir Launcelot were at
debate, many knights were glad of their debate, and many
were full heavy of their debate.



CHAPTER IX

Of the sorrow and lamentation of King Arthur for the
death of his nephews and other good knights, and also
for the queen, his wife


SO turn we again unto King Arthur, that when it was told
him how and in what manner of wise the queen was taken
away from the fire, and when he heard of the death of
his noble knights, and in especial of Sir Gaheris and Sir
Gareth's death, then the king swooned for pure sorrow.
And when he awoke of his swoon, then he said: Alas,
that ever I bare crown upon my head! for now have
I lost the fairest fellowship of noble knights that ever
held Christian king together. Alas, my good knights be
slain away from me: now within these two days I have
lost forty knights, and also the noble fellowship of Sir
Launcelot and his blood, for now I may never hold
them together no more with my worship. Alas that
ever this war began. Now fair fellows, said the king,
I charge you that no man tell Sir Gawaine of the death
of his two brethren; for I am sure, said the king, when
Sir Gawaine heareth tell that Sir Gareth is dead he will go
nigh out of his mind. Mercy Jesu, said the king, why
slew he Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris, for I dare say as for
Sir Gareth he loved Sir Launcelot above all men earthly.
That is truth, said some knights, but they were slain in
the hurtling as Sir Launcelot thrang in the thick of the
press; and as they were unarmed he smote them and wist
not whom that he smote, and so unhappily they were
slain. The death of them, said Arthur, will cause the
greatest mortal war that ever was; I am sure, wist Sir
Gawaine that Sir Gareth were slain, I should never have
rest of him till I had destroyed Sir Launcelot's kin and
himself both, outher else he to destroy me. And therefore,
said the king, wit you well my heart was never so
heavy as it is now, and much more I am sorrier for my
good knights' loss than for the loss of my fair queen;
for queens I might have enow, but such a fellowship of
good knights shall never be together in no company.
And now I dare say, said King Arthur, there was never
Christian king held such a fellowship together; and alas
that ever Sir Launcelot and I should be at debate. Ah
Agravaine, Agravaine, said the king, Jesu forgive it thy soul,
for thine evil will, that thou and thy brother Sir Mordred
hadst unto Sir Launcelot, hath caused all this sorrow: and
ever among these complaints the king wept and swooned.

Then there came one unto Sir Gawaine, and told him
how the queen was led away with Sir Launcelot, and nigh
a twenty-four knights slain. O Jesu defend my brethren,
said Sir Gawaine, for full well wist I that Sir Launcelot
would rescue her, outher else he would die in that field;
and to say the truth he had not been a man of worship had
he not rescued the queen that day, insomuch she should
have been brent for his sake. And as in that, said Sir
Gawaine, he hath done but knightly, and as I would have
done myself an I had stood in like case. But where are
my brethren? said Sir Gawaine, I marvel I hear not of
them. Truly, said that man, Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris
be slain. Jesu defend, said Sir Gawaine, for all the world
I would not that they were slain, and in especial my good
brother, Sir Gareth. Sir, said the man, he is slain, and
that is great pity. Who slew him? said Sir Gawaine.
Sir, said the man, Launcelot slew them both. That may I
not believe, said Sir Gawaine, that ever he slew my brother,
Sir Gareth; for I dare say my brother Gareth loved him
better than me, and all his brethren, and the king both.
Also I dare say, an Sir Launcelot had desired my brother
Sir Gareth, with him he would have been with him against
the king and us all, and therefore I may never believe that
Sir Launcelot slew my brother. Sir, said this man, it is
noised that he slew him.



CHAPTER X

How King Arthur at the request of Sir Gawaine concluded
to make war against Sir Launcelot, and laid siege to
his castle called Joyous Gard


ALAS, said Sir Gawaine, now is my joy gone. And then
he fell down and swooned, and long he lay there as he had
been dead. And then, when he arose of his swoon, he
cried out sorrowfully, and said: Alas! And right so Sir
Gawaine ran to the king, crying and weeping: O King
Arthur, mine uncle, my good brother Sir Gareth is slain,
and so is my brother Sir Gaheris, the which were two
noble knights. Then the king wept, and he both; and so
they fell a-swooning. And when they were revived then
spake Sir Gawaine: Sir, I will go see my brother, Sir
Gareth. Ye may not see him, said the king, for I caused
him to be interred, and Sir Gaheris both; for I well
understood that ye would make over-much sorrow, and the sight
of Sir Gareth should have caused your double sorrow.
Alas, my lord, said Sir Gawaine, how slew he my brother,
Sir Gareth? Mine own good lord I pray you tell me.
Truly, said the king, I shall tell you how it is told me, Sir
Launcelot slew him and Sir Gaheris both. Alas, said Sir
Gawaine, they bare none arms against him, neither of them
both. I wot not how it was, said the king, but as it is
said, Sir Launcelot slew them both in the thickest of the
press and knew them not; and therefore let us shape a
remedy for to revenge their deaths.

My king, my lord, and mine uncle, said Sir Gawaine,
wit you well now I shall make you a promise that I shall
hold by my knighthood, that from this day I shall never
fail Sir Launcelot until the one of us have slain the other.
And therefore I require you, my lord and king, dress you
to the war, for wit you well I will be revenged upon Sir
Launcelot; and therefore, as ye will have my service and
my love, now haste you thereto, and assay your friends.
For I promise unto God, said Sir Gawaine, for the death
of my brother, Sir Gareth, I shall seek Sir Launcelot
throughout seven kings' realms, but I shall slay him or else
he shall slay me. Ye shall not need to seek him so far,
said the king, for as I hear say, Sir Launcelot will abide
me and you in the Joyous Gard; and much people draweth
unto him, as I hear say. That may I believe, said Sir
Gawaine; but my lord, he said, assay your friends, and I
will assay mine. It shall be done, said the king, and as I
suppose I shall be big enough to draw him out of the
biggest tower of his castle.

Copyright (c) 2007. knowncrafts.net. All rights reserved.