Le Morte Darthur
and yield thee unto him as knight recreant. I will do it, said Sir
Bromel: and that he sware upon the cross of the sword, and so he let
him depart. And Sir Bors rode unto king Pelles that was within Corbin.
And when the king and Elaine his daughter wist that Sir Bors was nephew
unto Sir Launcelot, they made him great cheer. Then said dame Elaine,
We marvel where Sir Launcelot is, for he came never here but once.
Marvel not, said Sir Bors, for this half year he hath been in prison
with queen Morgan le Fay, king Arthur’s sister. Alas, said dame Elaine,
that me repenteth. And ever Sir Bors beheld that child in her arms, and
ever him seemed it was passing like Sir Launcelot. Truly, said dame
Elaine, wit ye well this is his child. Then Sir Bors wept for joy, and
he prayed to God it might prove as good a knight as his father was. And
so came in a white dove, and she bare a little censer of gold in her
mouth, and there was all manner of meats and drinks, and a maiden bare
that Sancgreal, and she said openly, Wit you well Sir Bors that this
child is Galahad, that shall sit in the siege perilous, and achieve the
Sancgreal, and he shall be much better than ever was Sir Launcelot du
Lake, that is his own father. And then they kneeled down and made their
devotions, and there was such a savour as all the spicery in the world
had been there. And when the dove took her flight, the maiden vanished
with the Sancgreal as she came. Sir, said Sir Bors unto king Pelles,
this castle may be named the castle adventurous, for here be many
strange adventures. That is soth, said the king. For well may this
place be called the adventurous place, for there come but few knights
here that go away with any worship; be he never so strong, here he may
be proved, and but late Sir Gawaine the good knight gat but little
worship here. For I let you wit, said king Pelles, here shall no knight
win no worship but if he be of worship himself, and of good living, and
that loveth God, and dreadeth God, and else he getteth no worship here,
be he never so hardy. That is a wonderful thing, said Sir Bors. What ye
mean in this country I wot not, for ye have many strange adventures,
and therefore I will lie in this castle this night. Ye shall not do so,
said king Pelles, by my counsel, for it is hard and ye escape without a
shame. I shall take the adventure that will befal me, said Sir Bors.
Then I counsel you, said the king, to be confessed clean. As for that,
said Sir Bors, I will be shriven with a good will. So Sir Bors was
confessed, and for all women Sir Bors was a virgin, save for one, that
was the daughter of king Brangoris, and their child hight Helin, and
save for her Sir Bors was a pure maiden. And so he was led unto bed in
a fair large chamber, and many doors were shut about the chamber. When
Sir Bors espied all those doors, he avoided all the people, for he
might have nobody with him; but in no wise Sir Bors would unarm him,
but so he laid him down upon the bed. And right so he saw come in a
light that he might well see a spear great and long, that came straight
upon him pointling, and to Sir Bors seemed that the head of the spear
burnt like a taper. And anon, or Sir Bors wist, the spear head smote
him into the shoulder an hand breadth in deepness, and that wound
grieved Sir Bors passing sore. And then he laid him down again for
pain, and anon therewithal came a knight armed with his shield on his
shoulder, and his sword in his hand, and he bad Sir Bors, Arise sir
knight, and fight with me. I am sore hurt, he said, but yet I shall not
fail thee. And then Sir Bors start up and dressed his shield, and then
they lashed together mightily a great while. And at the last Sir Bors
bare him backward, until that he came unto a chamber door, and there
that knight went into that chamber, and rested him a great while. And
when he had reposed him he came out freshly again, and began new battle
with Sir Bors mightily and strongly.
CHAP. V.
_How Sir Bors made Sir Pedivere to yield him, and of marvellous
adventures that he had, and how he achieved them._
Then Sir Bors thought he should no more go into that chamber to rest
him, and so Sir Bors dressed him betwixt the knight and that chamber
door, and there Sir Bors smote him down, and then that knight yielded
him. What is your name? said Sir Bors. Sir, said he, my name is
Pedivere of the Straight Marches. So Sir Bors made him to swear at
Whitsunday next coming to be at the court of king Arthur and yield him
there as a prisoner, as an overcome knight by the hands of Sir Bors. So
thus departed Sir Pedivere of the Straight Marches. And then Sir Bors
laid him down to rest, and then he heard and felt much noise in that
chamber; and then Sir Bors espied that there came in, he wist not
whether at the doors or windows, shot of arrows and of quarels, so
thick that he marvelled, and many fell upon him and hurt him in the
bare places. And then Sir Bors was ware where came in an hideous lion;
so Sir Bors dressed him unto the lion, and anon the lion bereft him of
his shield, and with his sword Sir Bors smote off the lion’s head.
Right so Sir Bors forthwithal saw a dragon in the court, passing
horrible, and there seemed letters of gold written in his forehead; and
Sir Bors thought that the letters made a signification of king Arthur.
Right so there came an horrible libard and an old, and there they
fought long, and did great battle together. And at the last the dragon
spit out of his mouth as it had been an hundred dragons, and lightly
all the small dragons slew the old dragon, and tare him all to pieces.
Anon withal there came an old man into the hall, and he sat him down in
a fair chair, and there seemed to be two adders about his neck, and
then the old man had an harp, and there he sang an old song, how Joseph
of Aramathie came into this land. Then when he had sung, the old man
bad Sir Bors—Go from thence, for here shall ye have no more
adventures, and full worshipfully have ye done, and better shall ye do
hereafter. And then Sir Bors seemed that there came the whitest dove
with a little golden censer in her mouth; and anon therewithal the
tempest ceased and passed that afore was marvellous to hear. So was all
that court full of good savours. Then Sir Bors saw four children
bearing four fair tapers, and an old man in the midst of the children
with a censer in his one hand, and a spear in his other hand, and that
spear was called the spear of vengeance.
CHAP. VI.
_How Sir Bors departed; and how Sir Launcelot was rebuked of queen
Guenever, and of his excuse._
Now, said that old man to Sir Bors, go ye to your cousin Sir Launcelot,
and tell him of this adventure, the which had been most convenient for
him of all earthly knights, but sin is so foul in him he may not
achieve such holy deeds; for, had not been his sin, he had passed all
the knights that ever were in his days. And tell thou Sir Launcelot, of
all worldly adventures he passeth in manhood and prowess all other, but
in these spiritual matters he shall have many his better. And then Sir
Bors saw four gentlewomen coming by him poorly beseen, and he saw where
that they entered into a chamber where was great light, as it were a
summer light, and the women kneeled down afore an altar of silver with
four pillars, and as it had been a bishop kneeled down afore that table
of silver. And as Sir Bors looked over his head, he saw a sword like
silver, naked, hoving over his head, and the clearness thereof smote so
in his eyes that at that time Sir Bors was blind, and there he heard a
voice that said, Go hence, thou Sir Bors, for as yet thou art not
worthy for to be in this place. And then he went backward to his bed
till on the morn. And on the morn king Pelles made great joy of Sir
Bors, and then he departed and rode to Camelot, and there he found Sir
Launcelot du Lake, and told him of the adventures he had seen with king
Pelles at Corbin. So the noise sprang in king Arthur’s court that Sir
Launcelot had a child by Elaine, the daughter of king Pelles, wherefore
queen Guenever was wroth and gave many rebukes to Sir Launcelot, and
called him false knight. And then Sir Launcelot told the queen all, and
how he was made to meet her by enchantment, in likeness of the queen.
So the queen held Sir Launcelot excused. And, as the book saith, king
Arthur had been in France, and had made war upon the mighty king
Claudas, and had won much of his lands; and when the king was come
again he let cry a great feast, that all lords and ladies of all
England should be there, but if it were such as were rebellious against
him.
CHAP. VII.
_How dame Elaine, Galahad’s mother, came in great estate unto Camelot,
and how Sir Launcelot behaved him there._
And when dame Elaine, the daughter of king Pelles, heard of this feast,
she went to her father, and required him that he would give her leave
to ride to that feast. The king answered, I will well ye go thither;
but in any wise, as ye love me and will have my blessing, that ye be
well beseen in the richest wise; and look that ye spare not for no
cost; ask, and ye shall have all that you needeth. Then, by the advice
of dame Brisen her maiden, all thing was apparelled unto the purpose,
and there was never no lady more richlier beseen. So she rode with
twenty knights and ten ladies and gentlewomen to the number of an
hundred horses. And when she came to Camelot, king Arthur and queen
Guenever said, and all the knights, that dame Elaine was the fairest
and the best beseen lady that ever was seen in that court.
And anon as king Arthur wist that she was come, he met her and saluted
her, and so did the most part of all the knights of the Round Table,
both Sir Tristram, Sir Bleoberis, and Sir Gawaine, and many more that I
will not rehearse. But when Sir Launcelot saw her he was so ashamed,
and that because he drew his sword on her, that he would not salute her
nor speak to her, and yet Sir Launcelot thought she was the fairest
woman that ever he saw in his life days. But when dame Elaine saw Sir
Launcelot that would not speak to her, she was so heavy that she wend
her heart would have to-brast. For wit ye well, out of measure she
loved him. And then Elaine said unto her woman dame Brisen, The
unkindness of Sir Launcelot slayeth me near. Ah peace, madam, said dame
Brisen, I will undertake that he shall come to you, and ye would hold
you still. That were me lever, said dame Elaine, than all the gold that
is above the earth. Let me deal, said dame Brisen. So when Elaine was
brought unto queen Guenever, either made other good cheer by
countenance, but nothing with hearts. But all men and women spake of
the beauty of dame Elaine, and of her great riches. Then the queen
commanded that dame Elaine should sleep in a chamber nigh unto her
chamber, and all under one roof. And so it was done as the queen had
commanded. Then the queen sent for Sir Launcelot, and bid him come to
her, or else, I am sure, said the queen, that ye will go to your lady,
dame Elaine, by whom ye had Galahad. Ah, madam, said Sir Launcelot,
never say ye so; for that was against my will. Then, said the queen,
look that ye come to me when I send for you. Madam, said Sir Launcelot,
I shall not fail you, but I shall be ready at your commandment. This
bargain was soon done and made between them, but dame Brisen knew it by
her crafts, and told it to her lady dame Elaine. Alas, said she, how
shall I do. Let me deal, said dame Brisen, for I shall bring him by the
hand, even to you, and he shall ween that I am queen Guenever’s
messager. Now well is me, said dame Elaine, for all the world I love
not so much as I do Sir Launcelot.
CHAP. VIII.