King Arthur's Knights
Arthur, desiring him to make treaty with me. Then when we have his
reply, we will consider the matter further.'
A damsel was therefore sent to the camp of King Arthur, and she bore a
message from Sir Lancelot. She was brought to Sir Lucan, who was the
king's butler, and she told him whence she had come and why.
'Alas!' said Sir Lucan, 'I fear ye have made your journey in vain, fair
damsel. My lord, King Arthur, would quickly accord with Sir Lancelot,
whom he loves, but Sir Gawaine will not suffer him.'
Just then Sir Gawaine happened to pass by, and saw the maiden, and knew
that she was not one of their party. He turned towards her, and his
fierce eyes looked at her, grimly sour.
'Whence come ye?' he said harshly.
'I come hither to speak with King Arthur,' said the maiden, 'for I
bear a message from my lord, Sir Lancelot.'
With an angry gesture Sir Gawaine seized her bridle and led her palfrey
swiftly to the edge of the camp.
'Depart!' he cried harshly, 'and tell your master that it is idle for
him to send to mine uncle. Tell him from me, Sir Gawaine, that by the
vow of my knighthood, I will never leave this land till I or he be
slain. Now go!'
When this message was told to Sir Lancelot, the tears stood in his eyes
and he went apart, and for that day the knights his comrades held their
counsel. But they resolved that next day they would prevail upon Sir
Lancelot to issue forth and give battle.
But in the morning, when they looked from the walls of the castle, they
saw that Sir Gawaine had crept up in the dawn, and now was the place
besieged. Thereupon there was fierce fighting, for Sir Gawaine caused
ladders to be reared, and his knights strove to climb over the Wall,
but were mightily beaten back by Sir Lancelot's party.
Then the attackers drew off for a space, and Sir Gawaine, well armed,
came before the chief gate, upon a stout steed. He shook his lance at
the men over the gate, and cried:
'Where art thou, false traitor, Sir Lancelot? Why dost thou hide
thyself within holes and walls like a coward? Look out now, thou timid
soul, for when I may get at thee I will revenge upon thy evil body the
death of my brothers twain.'
These shameful words were heard by Sir Lancelot, and all his knights
and kin that stood about him, and they said:
'Sir Lancelot, now ye must be done with thy courtesy and go forth and
beat back those evil words upon his foul mouth.'
'It is even so,' said Sir Lancelot; 'but sorry I am and heavy of spirit
thus to fight with him, who hath been my dear brother-in-arms so long,
and whose brothers I did unwittingly slay. And much evil shall come of
this.'
Then he commanded his strongest horse to be saddled, and bade his
armour to be dressed upon him, and when he was fully armed he stood at
the top of the gate and cried upon the king.
'My lord Arthur,' he said, 'you that made me knight, wit you well that
I am right heavy that ever ye do pursue me thus; but now that Sir
Gawaine hath used villainous words about me, I must needs defend
myself.'
Sir Gawaine, seated upon his horse below, laughed grimly, and cried
upon the other.
'O Lancelot, Lancelot,' he said, 'what a man of words thou art! If thou
darest to battle with me, cease thy babbling, man, and come off, and
let us ease our hearts with strong blows.'
Then Sir Lancelot issued forth with many of his knights, and a covenant
was made between the hosts that there should be no fighting until Sir
Gawaine and Sir Lancelot had fought together, and one was either dead
or yielden.
Thereupon the two knights departed some way and then came together with
all the might of their horses, and each smote the other in the midst of
the shield. So strong were the knights and stout and big the spears,
that their horses could not stand the shock, and so fell to the ground.
Then the knights quickly avoided their horses and dressed their
shields, and fought fiercely together with their swords. So valiantly
did each give and receive blows, and so heavy and grim was their
fighting, that all the knights and lords that stood thereabout
marvelled thereat and were fain to say, in as many good words, that
never had they seen such sword-play.
In a little while, so shrewd and skilful were they, both were wounded
and the blood oozed from the joints of their armour, and it was great
marvel to see that they could still stand, dashing their shields upon
each other, and each beating upon the other with great slashes of their
swords.
And which was the stronger of the twain none might say.
Now Sir Gawaine had a magic power, which had been endowed upon him at
his birth by a great witch who was a friend of his mother, the
sorceress, Queen Morgan le Fay, wife of King Lot. No one knew of this
secret power except King Arthur, and often had it availed Sir Gawaine,
so that in dire perils of onfall, sudden ambush, or long battle, it had
given him the victory, when all about him had been slain or wounded or
taken captive.
The magic was that, from the hour of nine until high noon, the strength
of his body increased until it was three times his natural strength,
which itself was full great, though in that, for deep wind and breath
and might of arm, Sir Lancelot was the stronger.
Now while they fought together, Sir Lancelot felt that Sir Gawaine
seemed not to weaken as time went on, and he marvelled greatly. Then he
felt that indeed Sir Gawaine's strength was greater than it had been at
the beginning, and a fear came into his heart that Sir Gawaine was
possessed of a demon.
But Sir Lancelot was stout of heart as well as old in warcraft, and
knew that if he could tire Sir Gawaine he might, by one blow, get the
better of him when he saw a good chance. Therefore Sir Lancelot began
to husband his strength, and instead of spending it in feinting and
attacking, he bore his shield ever before him, covering himself from
the fierce blows of his enemy.
Thus he kept up his own strength; but hard put to it was he when,
towards midday, Sir Gawaine seemed to have the might of a very giant,
and the shield arm of Sir Lancelot was numbed by reason of the crashing
blows which Sir Gawaine's sword rained upon it.
Great travail indeed had Sir Lancelot to stand up and not to yield; and
while men marvelled how he could endure, none knew all he suffered.
Then, as the bell of the convent in the town boomed forth the hour of
noon, Sir Gawaine heaved up his sword for a final blow; but his sword
descended just as the last stroke of twelve had died away, and Sir
Lancelot marvelled to feel that what should have been so grievous a
blow that, belike, he could not have stood before it, fell upon his
shield with no more than the strength of the blow given by an ordinary
man.
When Sir Lancelot felt the might of Sir Gawaine so suddenly give way,
he drew himself up to his full height and said:
'Sir Gawaine, I know not by what evil power ye have fought, but now I
feel that ye have done. Now, my lord, Sir Gawaine, I must do my part,
for none may know the great and grievous strokes I have endured this
day with great pain.'
With that Sir Lancelot redoubled his blows, and the sword of Sir
Gawaine gave before the might of Sir Lancelot, and his shield was rent.
Then Sir Lancelot gave so great a buffet on the helm of the other that
Sir Gawaine staggered, and with yet another blow Sir Lancelot hurled
him headlong to the ground.
Men held their breath, for now, after so fierce and stubborn a
struggle, they felt sure that Sir Lancelot, hot and enraged against his
enemy, would rip off the other's helm and strike his head off
instantly.
But, instead, Sir Lancelot stood for a moment looking at his prostrate
enemy. Then men gasped to see him thrust his sword into its scabbard
with a clang, turn on his heel and begin to walk away.
They saw the prone knight raise his head and look as if in surprise at
the retreating figure of Sir Lancelot.
'Why dost thou depart?' cried Sir Gawaine, rage in his mocking voice.
'Turn again, false knight, and slay me! If ye leave me thus, thou shalt
gain nothing from it, for when I am whole I will slay thee when I may.'
Men marvelled to hear a fallen foe use such shameful and hateful words,
but they marvelled much more when Sir Lancelot, turning, cried:
'I shall endure you, sir, if God give me grace; but wit you well. Sir
Gawaine, I will never smite you to death.'
Many that before had hated Sir Lancelot were moved by these noble
words, and by the sight of his mercy; and they deemed that there was
hardly another man in all Christendom that would have shown such
nobility, save Sir Galahad and Sir Perceval, and they were dead.
So Sir Lancelot went into the city, and Sir Gawaine was borne into King
Arthur's tent and his wounds were cleaned and salved. Thus he lay for
three weeks, hard of mood and bitter in his hatred, and longing eagerly
to get well, so he might try again to slay Sir Lancelot. Meanwhile he
prayed the king to attack Sir Lancelot's walls, to try to draw him
forth, or to take the city by treachery.
But the king would do naught. He was sick for sorrow because of the war
that was between him and Sir Lancelot, and by reason of the wounds of
his nephew Sir Gawaine.
'Alas,' was ever his reply, 'neither you nor I, my nephew, will win
worship at these walls. For we make war for no reason, with as noble a
knight as ever drew breath, and one more merciful and courteous than
any that ever graced the court of any Christian king.'
'Nevertheless,' replied Sir Gawaine, raging at the king's love for Sir
Lancelot, 'neither his mercy nor courtesy would avail against my good
sword, once I could sink it in his treacherous heart.'
As soon as Sir Gawaine might walk and ride, he armed him at all points
and mounted a great courser, and with a long wide spear in his hand he
went spurring to the great gate of the town.
'Where art thou, Lancelot?' he cried in a fierce voice. 'Come thou
forth, traitor knight and recreant! I am here to revenge me on thy evil
body for thy treacherous slaughter of my twain brothers.'
All this language Sir Lancelot heard, and leaning from the tower he
thus spake:
'Sir Gawaine, it sorrows me that ye will not cease your foul speaking.
I know your might, and all that ye may do, and well ye wot ye may do me
great hurt or death.'
'Come down, then,' cried Sir Gawaine, 'for what my heart craves is to
slay thee. Thou didst get the better of me the other day, and I come
this day to get my revenge. And wit thee well I will lay thee as low as
thou didst lay me.'
'I will not keep ye waiting long,' said Sir Lancelot, 'for as ye charge
me of treachery ye shall have your hands full of me erelong, however
the battle between us may end.'
Then happened it even as before. The knights encountered first with
spears, but Sir Gawaine's broke into a hundred pieces on the shield of
Sir Lancelot. Then, dismounting, the knights fought on foot with
swords.
Sir Gawaine put forth all his strength, hoping, with the magic power
which he possessed, to dash Sir Lancelot to his knees. But Sir Lancelot
was more wary than before, and under cover of his shield he husbanded
his strength until the hour of noon, when, as before, he felt that Sir
Gawaine's might had strangely ebbed away.
When that had come to pass, Sir Lancelot said:
'Now once more have I proved that ye fight not with a man's fair
strength, Sir Gawaine, but with some evil power. And full grievously
was I put to it to withstand many of thy sad blows. Now ye have done
your great deeds, and I will do mine.'
Then with one stroke, of so marvellous a force that men marvelled, Sir
Lancelot beat down Sir Gawaine's guard, and struck him a full heavy
blow on the side of the helm, beating it in so that the old wound burst
again.