Le Morte Darthur
fellowship and the truest of knighthood that ever were seen together in
any realm of the world. For when they depart from hence, I am sure they
all shall never meet more in this world, for they shall die many in the
quest. And so it forethinketh me a little, for I have loved them as
well as my life, wherefore it shall grieve me right sore the
departition of this fellowship. For I have had an old custom to have
them in my fellowship.
CHAP. VIII.
_How great sorrow was made of the king and the queen and ladies for the
departing of the knights, and how they departed._
And therewith the tears filled in his eyes. And then he said, Gawaine,
Gawaine, ye have set me in great sorrow. For I have great doubt that my
true fellowship shall never meet here more again. Ah, said Sir
Launcelot, comfort yourself, for it shall be unto us as a great honour,
and much more than if we died in any other places, for of death we be
sure. Ah Launcelot, said the king, the great love that I have had unto
you all the days of my life maketh me to say such doleful words; for
never christian king had never so many worthy men at this table as I
have had this day at the Round Table, and that is my great sorrow. When
the queen, ladies, and gentlewomen wist these tidings, they had such
sorrow and heaviness that there might no tongue tell it, for those
knights had holden them in honour and charity. But among all other
queen Guenever made great sorrow. I marvel, said she, my lord would
suffer them to depart from him. Thus was all the court troubled, for
the love of the departition of those knights. And many of those ladies
that loved knights would have gone with their lovers; and so had they
done, had not an old knight come among them in religious clothing, and
then he spake all on high and said, Fair lords which have sworn in the
quest of the Sancgreal, thus sendeth you Nacien the hermit word, that
none in this quest lead lady nor gentlewoman with him, for it is not to
do in so high a service as they labour in, for I warn you plain, he
that is not clean of his sins he shall not see the mysteries of our
Lord Jesu Christ; and for this cause they left these ladies and
gentlewomen. After this the queen came unto Galahad, and asked him of
whence he was, and of what country? He told her of whence he was. And
son unto Sir Launcelot, she said he was: as to that he said neither yea
nor nay. Truly, said the queen, of your father ye need not to shame
you, for he is the goodliest knight and of the best men of the world
come, and of the stock, of all parties, of kings. Wherefore ye ought of
right to be of your deeds a passing good man, and certainly, she said,
ye resemble him much. Then Sir Galahad was a little ashamed, and said,
Madam, sith ye know in certain, wherefore do ye ask it me? for he that
is my father shall be known openly, and all betimes. And then they went
to rest them. And in the honour of the highness of Galahad he was led
into king Arthur’s chamber, and there rested in his own bed. And as
soon as it was day the king arose, for he had no rest of all that night
for sorrow. Then he went unto Gawaine and to Sir Launcelot, that were
arisen for to hear mass. And then the king again said, Ah Gawaine,
Gawaine, ye have betrayed me. For never shall my court be amended by
you, but ye will never be sorry for me, as I am for you. And therewith
the tears began to run down by his visage. And therewith the king said,
Ah knight, Sir Launcelot, I require thee thou counsel me, for I would
that this quest were undone, and it might be. Sir, said Sir Launcelot,
ye saw yesterday so many worthy knights that then were sworn, that they
may not leave it in no manner of wise. That wot I well, said the king,
but it shall so heavy me at their departing, that I wot well there
shall no manner of joy remedy me. And then the king and the queen went
unto the minster. So anon Launcelot and Gawaine commanded their men to
bring their arms. And when they all were armed, save their shields and
their helms, then they came to their fellowship, which all were ready
in the same wise for to go to the minster to hear their service.
Then after the service was done, the king would wit how many had taken
the quest of the holy Graile, and to account them he prayed them all.
Then found they by tale an hundred and fifty, and all were knights of
the Round Table. And then they put on their helms, and departed, and
recommanded them all wholly unto the queen, and there was weeping and
great sorrow. Then the queen departed into her chamber so that no man
should perceive her great sorrows. When Sir Launcelot missed the queen
he went into her chamber, and when she saw him she cried aloud, O, Sir
Launcelot, ye have betrayed me and put me to death, for to leave thus
my lord. Ah, madam, said Sir Launcelot, I pray you be not displeased,
for I shall come again as soon as I may with my worship. Alas, said
she, that ever I saw you! but He that suffered death upon the cross for
all mankind, be to your good conduct and safety, and all the whole
fellowship. Right so departed Sir Launcelot, and found his fellowship
that abode his coming. And so they mounted upon their horses, and rode
through the streets of Camelot, and there was weeping of the rich and
poor, and the king turned away, and might not speak for weeping. So
within a while they came to a city and a castle that hight Vagon: there
they entered into the castle, and the lord of that castle was an old
man that hight Vagon, and he was a good man of his living, and set open
the gates, and made them all the good cheer that he might. And so on
the morrow they were all accorded that they should depart every each
from other. And then they departed on the morrow with weeping and
mourning cheer, and every knight took the way that him best liked.
CHAP. IX.
_How Galahad gat him a shield, and how they sped that presumed to take
down the said shield._
Now rideth Sir Galahad yet without shield, and so he rode four days
without any adventure. And at the fourth day after even-song he came to
a white abbey, and there he was received with great reverence, and led
to a chamber, and then he was unarmed, and then was he ware of two
knights of the Round Table, one was king Bagdemagus, and that other was
Sir Uwaine. And when they saw him they went unto him and made of him
great solace, and so they went to supper. Sirs, said Sir Galahad, what
adventure brought you hither? Sir, said they, it is told us that within
this place is a shield that no man may bear about his neck but that if
he be mischieved or dead within three days, or else maimed for ever.
Ah, sir, said king Bagdemagus, I shall bear it to-morrow for to assay
this strange adventure. In the name of God, said Sir Galahad. Sir, said
Bagdemagus, and I may not achieve the adventure of this shield ye shall
take it upon you, for I am sure ye shall not fail. Sir, said Galahad, I
agree right well thereto, for I have no shield. So on the morn they
arose and heard mass. Then king Bagdemagus asked where the adventurous
shield was. Anon a monk led him behind an altar where the shield hung
as white as any snow, but in the midst was a red cross. Sir, said the
monk, this shield ought not to be hanged about no knight’s neck, but he
be the worthiest knight of the world, and therefore I counsel you
knights to be well advised. Well, said king Bagdemagus, I wot well that
I am not the best knight of the world, but yet shall I assay to bear
it. And so he bare it out of the monastery; and then he said unto Sir
Galahad, If it will please you, I pray you abide here still, till ye
know how I shall speed. I shall abide you here, said Galahad. Then king
Bagdemagus took with him a squire, the which should bring tidings unto
Sir Galahad how he sped. Then when they had ridden a two mile, and came
in a fair valley afore an hermitage, then they saw a goodly knight come
from that part in white armour, horse and all, and he came as fast as
his horse might run with his spear in the rest, and king Bagdemagus
dressed his spear against him, and brake it upon the white knight; but
the other struck him so hard that he brake the mails, and thrust him
through the right shoulder, for the shield covered him not as at that
time, and so he bare him from his horse, and therewith he alighted and
took the white shield from him, saying, Knight, thou hast done thyself
great folly, for this shield ought not to be borne but by him that
shall have no peer that liveth. And then he came to king Bagdemagus’s
squire and said, Bear this shield unto the good knight Sir Galahad,
that thou left in the abbey, and greet him well from me. Sir, said the
squire, what is your name? Take thou no heed of my name, said the
knight, for it is not for thee to know, nor for none earthly man. Now,
fair sir, said the squire, at the reverence of Jesu Christ tell me for
what cause this shield may not be borne, but if the bearer thereof be
mischieved. Now, sith thou hast conjured me so, said the knight, this
shield behoveth to no man but unto Galahad. And the squire went unto
Bagdemagus and asked him whether he were sore wounded or not? Yea
forsooth, said he, I shall escape hard from the death. Then he fetched
his horse, and brought him with great pain unto an abbey. Then was he
taken down softly, and unarmed, and laid in a bed, and there was looked
to his wounds. And, as the book telleth, he lay there long, and escaped
hard with the life.
CHAP. X.
_How Galahad departed with the shield. And how king Evelake had
received the shield of Joseph of Aramathie._
Sir Galahad, said the squire, that knight that wounded Bagdemagus
sendeth you greeting, and bad that ye should bear this shield, where
through great adventures should befall. Now blessed be God and fortune,
said Sir Galahad. And then he asked his arms, and mounted upon his
horse, and hung the white shield about his neck, and commended them
unto God. And Sir Uwaine said he would bear him fellowship if it
pleased him. Sir, said Galahad, that may ye not, for I must go alone,
save this squire shall bear me fellowship: and so departed Uwaine. Then
within a while came Galahad there as the white knight abode him by the
hermitage, and every each saluted other courteously. Sir, said Galahad,
by this shield been many marvels fallen. Sir, said the knight, it
befell after the passion of our Lord Jesu Christ thirty-two year, that
Joseph of Armathie, the gentle knight the which took down our Lord off
the holy cross, at that time he departed from Jerusalem with a great
party of his kindred with him. And so he laboured till that they came
to a city that hight Sarras. And at that same hour that Joseph came to
Sarras, there was a king that hight Evelake, that had great war against
the Saracens, and in especially against one Saracen, the which was the
king Evelake’s cousin, a rich king and a mighty, which marched nigh
this land, and his name was called Tolleme la Feintes. So on a day this
two met to do battle. Then Joseph, the son of Joseph of Armathie, went
to king Evelake, and told him he should be discomfit and slain, but if
he left his belief of the old law, and believed upon the new law. And
then there he shewed him the right belief of the Holy Trinity, to the
which he agreed unto with all his heart, and there this shield was made
for king Evelake, in the name of Him that died upon the cross. And then
through his good belief he had the better of king Tolleme. For when
Evelake was in the battle, there was a cloth set afore the shield, and
when he was in the greatest peril he let put away the cloth, and then
his enemies saw a figure of a man on the cross, where through they all