King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
day have we sighed for thee; for the giants feared no other name among
all knights but thine."
Then he told them to take the treasures of the castle as a reward for
their grievances; and to return to their homes, and so rode away into
many strange and wild countries. And at last, after many days, by chance
he came, near the night time, to a fair mansion, wherein he found an old
gentlewoman, who gave him and his horse good cheer. And when bed time
was come, his host brought him to a chamber over a gate, and there he
unarmed, and went to bed and fell asleep.
But soon thereafter came one riding in great haste, and knocking
vehemently at the gate below, which when Sir Lancelot heard, he rose
and looked out of the window, and, by the moonlight, saw three knights
come riding fiercely after one man, and lashing on him all at once with
their swords, while the one knight nobly fought them all.
Then Sir Lancelot quickly armed himself, and getting through the window,
let himself down by a sheet into the midst of them, crying out, "Turn ye
on me, ye cowards, and leave fighting with that knight!" Then they all
left Sir Key, for the first knight was he, and began to fall upon Sir
Lancelot furiously. And when Sir Key would have come forward to assist
him, Sir Lancelot refused, and cried, "Leave me alone to deal with
them." And presently, with six great strokes, he felled them all.
Then they cried out, "Sir knight, we yield us unto thee, as to a man of
might!"
"I will not take your yielding!" said he; "yield ye to Sir Key, the
seneschal, or I will have your lives."
"Fair knight," said they, "excuse us in that thing, for we have chased
Sir Key thus far, and should have overcome him but for thee."
"Well," said Sir Lancelot, "do as ye will, for ye may live or die; but,
if ye live, ye shall be holden to Sir Key."
Then they yielded to him; and Sir Lancelot commanded them to go unto
King Arthur's court at the next Pentecost, and say, Sir Key had sent
them prisoners to Queen Guinevere. And this they sware to do upon their
swords.
Then Sir Lancelot knocked at the gate with his sword-hilt till his
hostess came and let him in again, and Sir Key also. And when the light
came, Sir Key knew Sir Lancelot, and knelt and thanked him for his
courtesy, and gentleness, and kindness. "Sir," said he, "I have done no
more than what I ought to do, and ye are welcome; therefore let us now
take rest."
So when Sir Key had supped, they went to sleep, and Sir Lancelot and he
slept in the same bed. On the morrow, Sir Lancelot rose early, and took
Sir Key's shield and armor and set forth. When Sir Key arose, he found
Sir Lancelot's armor by his bedside, and his own arms gone. "Now, by my
faith," thought he, "I know that he will grieve some knights of our
king's court; for those who meet him will be bold to joust with him,
mistaking him for me, while I, dressed in his shield and armor, shall
surely ride in peace."
Then Sir Lancelot, dressed in Sir Key's apparel, rode long in a great
forest, and came at last to a low country, full of rivers and fair
meadows, and saw a bridge before him, whereon were three silk tents of
divers colors, and to each tent was hung a white shield, and by each
shield stood a knight. So Sir Lancelot went by without speaking a word.
And when he had passed, the three knights said it was the proud Sir Key,
"who thinketh no knight equal to himself, although the contrary is full
often proved upon him."
"By my faith!" said one of them, named Gaunter, "I will ride after and
attack him for all his pride, and ye shall watch my speed."
Then, taking shield and spear, he mounted and rode after Sir Lancelot,
and cried, "Abide, proud knight, and turn, for thou shalt not pass
free!"
So Sir Lancelot turned, and each one put his spear in rest and came with
all his might against the other. And Sir Gaunter's spear brake short,
but Sir Lancelot smote him down, both horse and man.
When the other knights saw this, they said, "Yonder is not Sir Key, but
a bigger man."
"I dare wager my head," said Sir Gilmere, "yonder knight hath slain Sir
Key, and taken his horse and harness."
"Be it so, or not," said Sir Reynold, the third brother; "let us now go
to our brother Gaunter's rescue; we shall have enough to do to match
that knight, for, by his stature, I believe it is Sir Lancelot or Sir
Tristram."
Anon, they took their horses and galloped after Sir Lancelot; and Sir
Gilmere first assailed him, but was smitten down forthwith, and lay
stunned on the earth. Then said Sir Reynold, "Sir knight, thou art a
strong man, and, I believe, hast slain my two brothers, wherefore my
heart is sore against thee; yet, if I might with honor, I would avoid
thee. Nevertheless, that cannot be, so keep thyself." And so they
hurtled together with all their might, and each man shivered his spear
to pieces; and then they drew their swords and lashed out eagerly.
And as they fought, Sir Gaunter and Sir Gilmere presently arose and
mounted once again, and came down at full tilt upon Sir Lancelot. But,
when he saw them coming, he put forth all his strength, and struck Sir
Reynold off his horse. Then, with two other strokes, he served the
others likewise.
Anon, Sir Reynold crept along the ground, with his head all bloody, and
came towards Sir Lancelot. "It is enough," said Lancelot, "I was not far
from thee when thou wast made a knight, Sir Reynold, and know thee for a
good and valiant man, and was full loth to slay thee."
"Gramercy for thy gentleness!" said Sir Reynold. "I and my brethren will
straightway yield to thee when we know thy name, for well we know that
thou art not Sir Key."
"As for that," said Sir Lancelot, "be it as it may, but ye shall yield
to Queen Guinevere at the next Feast of Pentecost as prisoners, and say
that Sir Key sent ye."
Then they swore to him it should be done as he commanded. And so Sir
Lancelot passed on, and the three brethren helped each other's wounds as
best they might.
Then rode Sir Lancelot forward into a deep forest, and came upon four
knights of King Arthur's court, under an oak tree--Sir Sagramour, Sir
Ector, Sir Gawain, and Sir Ewaine. And when they spied him, they thought
he was Sir Key. "Now by my faith," said Sir Sagramour, "I will prove Sir
Key's might!" and taking his spear he rode towards Sir Lancelot.
But Sir Lancelot was aware of him, and, setting his spear in rest,
smote him so sorely, that horse and man fell to the earth.
"Lo!" cried Sir Ector, "I see by the buffet that knight hath given our
fellow he is stronger than Sir Key. Now will I try what I can do against
him!" So Sir Ector took his spear, and galloped at Sir Lancelot; and Sir
Lancelot met him as he came, and smote him through shield and shoulder,
so that he fell, but his own spear was not broken.
"By my faith," cried Sir Ewaine, "yonder is a strong knight, and must
have slain Sir Key, and taken his armor! By his strength, I see it will
be hard to match him." So saying he rode towards Sir Lancelot, who met
him halfway and struck him so fiercely, that at one blow he overthrew
him also.
"Now," said Sir Gawain, "will I encounter him." So he took a good spear
in his hand, and guarded himself with his shield. And he and Sir
Lancelot rode against each other, with their horses at full speed, and
furiously smote each other on the middle of their shields; but Sir
Gawain's spear broke short asunder, and Sir Lancelot charged so mightily
upon him, that his horse and he both fell, and rolled upon the ground.
"Ah," said Sir Lancelot, smiling, as he rode away from the four knights,
"heaven give joy to him who made this spear, for never held I better in
my hand."
But the four knights said to each other, "Truly one spear hath felled us
all."
"I dare lay my life," said Sir Gawain, "it is Sir Lancelot. I know him
by his riding."
So they all departed for the court.
And as Sir Lancelot rode still in the forest, he saw a black bloodhound,
running with its head towards the ground, as if it tracked a deer. And
following after it, he came to a great pool of blood. But the hound,
ever and anon looking behind, ran through a great marsh, and over a
bridge, towards an old manor house. So Sir Lancelot followed, and went
into the hall, and saw a dead knight lying there, whose wounds the hound
licked. And a lady stood behind him, weeping and wringing her hands, who
cried, "O knight! too great is the sorrow which thou hast brought me!"
"Why say ye so?" replied Sir Lancelot; "for I never harmed this knight,
and am full sorely grieved to see thy sorrow."
"Nay, sir," said the lady, "I see it is not thou hast slain my husband,
for he that truly did that deed is deeply wounded, and shall never more
recover."
"What is thy husband's name?" said Sir Lancelot.
"His name," she answered, "was Sir Gilbert--one of the best knights in
all the world; but I know not his name who hath slain him."
"God send thee comfort," said Sir Lancelot, and departed again into the
forest.
And as he rode, he met with a damsel who knew him, who cried out, "Well
found, my lord! I pray ye of your knighthood help my brother, who is
sore wounded and ceases not to bleed, for he fought this day with Sir
Gilbert, and slew him, but was himself well nigh slain. And there is a
sorceress, who dwelleth in a castle hard by, and she this day hath told
me that my brother's wound shall never be made whole until I find a
knight to go into the Chapel Perilous, and bring from thence a sword and
the bloody cloth in which the wounded knight was wrapped."
"This is a marvelous thing!" said Sir Lancelot; "but what is your
brother's name?"
"His name, sir," she replied, "is Sir Meliot de Logres."
"He is a Fellow of the Round Table," said Sir Lancelot, "and truly will
I do my best to help him."
"Then, sir," said she, "follow this way, and it will bring ye to the
Chapel Perilous. I will abide here till God send ye hither again; for if
ye speed not, there is no living knight who may achieve that adventure."
So Sir Lancelot departed, and when he came to the Chapel Perilous he
alighted, and tied his horse to the gate. And as soon as he was within
the churchyard, he saw on the front of the chapel many shields of
knights whom he had known, turned upside down. Then saw he in the
pathway thirty mighty knights, taller than any men whom he had ever
seen, all armed in black armor, with their swords drawn; and they
gnashed their teeth upon him as he came. But he put his shield before
him, and took his sword in hand, ready to do battle with them. And when
he would have cut his way through them, they scattered on every side and
let him pass. Then he went into the chapel, and saw therein no light but
of a dim lamp burning. Then he was aware of a corpse in the midst of the
chapel, covered with a silken cloth, and so stooped down and cut off a
piece of the cloth, whereat the earth beneath him trembled. Then saw he
a sword lying by the dead knight, and taking it in his hand, he hied him
from the chapel. As soon as he was in the churchyard again, all the
thirty knights cried out to him with fierce voices, "Sir Lancelot! lay
that sword from thee, or thou diest!"
"Whether I live or die," said he, "ye shall fight for it ere ye take it
from me."
With that they let him pass.
And further on, beyond the chapel, he met a fair damsel, who said, "Sir
Lancelot, leave that sword behind thee, or thou diest."
"I will not leave it," said Sir Lancelot, "for any asking."
"Then, gentle knight," said the damsel, "I pray thee kiss me once."
"Nay," said Sir Lancelot, "that God forbid!"
"Alas!" cried she, "I have lost all my labor! but hadst thou kissed me,
thy life's days had been all done!"
"Heaven save me from thy subtle crafts!" said Sir Lancelot; and