Le Morte Darthur
Bors—That ye will do battle for her for Sir Launcelot’s sake,—and
upon my life he will not refuse you. For well I see, said the king,
that none of these four and twenty knights that were with you at your
dinner, where Sir Patrise was slain, will do battle for you, nor none
of them will say well of you, and that shall be great slander for you
in this court. Alas, said the queen, and I may not do withal, but now I
miss Sir Launcelot, for and he were here he would put me soon to my
heart’s ease. What aileth you, said the king, ye cannot keep Sir
Launcelot on your side? For, wit ye well, said the king, who that hath
Sir Launcelot upon his party hath the most man of worship in the world
upon his side. Now go your way, said the king unto the queen, and
require Sir Bors to do battle for you for Sir Launcelot’s sake.
CHAP. V.
_How the queen required Sir Bors to fight for her, and how he granted
upon condition; and how he warned Sir Launcelot thereof._
So the queen departed from the king, and sent for Sir Bors into her
chamber. And when he was come, she besought him of succour. Madam, said
he, what would ye that I did, for I may not with my worship have ado in
this matter, because I was at the same dinner, for dread that any of
those knights would have me in suspicion. Also madam, said Sir Bors,
now miss ye Sir Launcelot, for he would not have failed you neither in
right nor in wrong, as ye have well proved when ye have been in danger,
and now ye have driven him out of this country, by whom ye and all we
were daily worshipped by. Therefore, madam, I marvel me how ye dare for
shame require me to do any thing for you, in so much ye have chased him
out of your country, by whom we were borne up and honoured. Alas, fair
knight, said the queen, I put me wholly in your grace, and all that is
done amiss I will amend as ye will counsel me. And therewith she
kneeled down upon both her knees, and besought Sir Bors to have mercy
upon her,—or I shall have a shameful death, and thereto I never
offended. Right so came king Arthur, and found the queen kneeling afore
Sir Bors. Then Sir Bors pulled her up, and said, Madam, ye do to me
great dishonour. Ah, gentle knight, said the king, have mercy upon my
queen, courteous knight, for I am now in certain she is untruly
defamed. And therefore, courteous knight, said the king, promise her to
do battle for her: I require you, for the love of Sir Launcelot. My
lord, said Sir Bors, ye require me the greatest thing that any man may
require me; and wit ye well, if I grant to do battle for the queen I
shall wrath many of my fellowship of the Table Round; but as for that,
said Bors, I will grant my lord, for my lord Sir Launcelot’s sake, and
for your sake, I will at that day be the queen’s champion, unless that
there come by adventure a better knight than I am to do battle for her.
Will ye promise me this, said the king, by your faith? Yea sir, said
Sir Bors, of that will I not fail you, nor her both, but if that there
come a better knight than I am, and then shall he have the battle. Then
was the king and the queen passing glad, and so departed, and thanked
him heartily. So then Sir Bors departed secretly upon a day, and rode
unto Sir Launcelot, there as he was with the hermit Sir Brasias, and
told him of all their adventure. Ah, said Sir Launcelot, this is come
happily as I would have it, and therefore I pray you make you ready to
do battle, but look that ye tarry till ye see me come, as long as ye
may. For I am sure Mador is an hot knight, when he is enchafed, for the
more ye suffer him, the hastier will he be to battle. Sir, said Bors,
let me deal with him; doubt ye not ye shall have all your will. Then
departed Sir Bors from him, and came to the court again. Then was it
noised in all the court that Sir Bors should do battle for the queen:
wherefore many knights were displeased with him, that he would take
upon him to do battle in the queen’s quarrel, for there were but few
knights in the court but they deemed the queen was in the wrong, and
that she had done that treason. So Sir Bors answered thus unto his
fellows of the Table Round: Wit ye well, my fair lords, it were shame
to us all, and we suffered to see the most noble queen of the world to
be shamed openly, considering her lord and our lord is the man of most
worship in the world, and most christened, and he hath ever worshipped
us all, in all places. Many answered him again:—As for our most noble
king Arthur, we love him and honour him as well as ye do; but as for
queen Guenever we love her not, because she is a destroyer of good
knights. Fair lords, said Sir Bors, me seemeth ye say not as ye should
say, for never yet in my days knew I never, nor heard say, that ever
she was a destroyer of any good knight: but at all times, as far as I
ever could know, she was always a maintainer of good knights, and
always she hath been large and free of her goods to all good knights,
and the most bounteous lady of her gifts and her good grace that ever I
saw or heard speak of. And therefore it were shame, said Sir Bors, to
us all to our most noble king’s wife, and we suffered her to be
shamefully slain. And wit ye well, said Sir Bors, I will not suffer it,
for I dare say so much, the queen is not guilty of Sir Patrise’s death,
for she owed him never none ill will, nor none of the four and twenty
knights that were at that dinner; for I dare say for good love she bad
us to dinner, and not for no mal-engine; and that I doubt not shall be
proved hereafter: for howsoever the game goeth, there was treason among
us. Then some said to Sir Bors, We may well believe your words. And so
some of them were well pleased, and some were not so.
CHAP. VI.
_How at the day Sir Bors made him ready for to fight for the queen; and
when he should fight how another discharged him._
The day came on fast until the even that the battle should be. Then the
queen sent for Sir Bors, and asked him how he was disposed. Truly
madam, said he, I am disposed in likewise as I promised you; that is
for to say, I shall not fail you, unless by adventure there come a
better knight than I am, to do the battle for you: then, madam, am I
discharged of my promise. Will ye, said the queen, that I tell my lord
Arthur thus? Do as it shall please you, madam. Then the queen went unto
the king, and told him the answer of Sir Bors. Have ye no doubt, said
the king, of Sir Bors, for I call him now one of the best knights of
the world, and the most profitablest man. And thus it past on until the
morn. And the king and the queen, and all manner of knights that were
there at that time, drew them unto the meadow beside Westminster, where
the battle should be. And so when the king was come with the queen, and
many knights of the Round Table, then the queen was put there in the
constable’s ward, and a great fire made about an iron stake, that, and
Sir Mador de la Porte had the better, she should be burnt. Such custom
was used in those days, that neither for favour, neither for love, nor
affinity, there should be none other but righteous judgment, as well
upon a king as upon a knight, and as well upon a queen as upon another
poor lady. So in this meanwhile came in Sir Mador de la Porte, and took
his oath afore the king, That the queen did this treason until his
cousin Sir Patrise, and unto his oath he would prove it with his body,
hand for hand, who that would say the contrary. Right so came in Sir
Bors de Ganis, and said, that as for queen Guenever, she is in the
right, and that will I make good with my hands, that she is not
culpable of this treason that is put upon her. Then make thee ready,
said Sir Mador, and we shall prove whether thou be in the right or I.
Sir Mador, said Sir Bors, wit thou well I know you for a good knight:
not for then I shall not fear so greatly, but I trust to God I shall be
able to withstand your malice: but thus much have I promised my lord
Arthur, and my lady the queen, that I shall do battle for her in this
case to the uttermost, unless that there come a better knight than I
am, and discharge me. Is that all, said Sir Mador, either come thou off
and do battle with me, or else say nay. Take your horse, said Sir Bors,
and, as I suppose, ye shall not tarry long, but ye shall be answered.
Then either departed to their tents, and made them ready to horseback
as they thought best. And anon Sir Mador came into the field with his
shield on his shoulder, and his spear in his hand. And so rode about
the place, crying unto king Arthur, Bid your champion come forth and he
dare! Then was Sir Bors ashamed, and took his horse and came to the
lists’ end. And then was he ware where came from a wood there fast by a
knight, all armed upon a white horse, with a strange shield of strange
arms, and he came riding all that he might run. And so he came to Sir
Bors, and said, Fair knight, I pray you be not displeased, for here
must a better knight than ye are have this battle; therefore I pray you
withdraw you. For wit ye well I have had this day a right great
journey, and this battle ought to be mine, and so I promised you when I
spake with you last, and with all my heart I thank you of your good
will. Then Sir Bors rode unto king Arthur, and told him how there was a
knight come that would have the battle for to fight for the queen. What
knight is he? said the king. I wot not, said Sir Bors, but such
covenant he made with me to be here this day. Now my lord, said Sir
Bors, here am I discharged.
CHAP. VII.
_How Sir Launcelot fought against Sir Mador for the queen, and how he
overcame Sir Mador and discharged the queen._
Then the king called to that knight, and asked him if he would fight
for the queen. Then he answered to the king, Therefore came I hither,
and therefore, Sir king, he said, tarry me no longer, for I may not
tarry. For anon as I have finished this battle I must depart hence, for
I have ado many matters elsewhere. For wit you well, said that knight,
this is dishonour to you all knights of the Round Table, to see and
know so noble a lady, and so courteous a queen, as queen Guenever is,
thus to be rebuked and shamed amongst you. Then they all marvelled what
knight that might be that so took the battle upon him, for there was
not one that knew him, but if it were Sir Bors. Then said Sir Mador de
la Porte unto the king, Now let me wit with whom I shall have ado
withal. And then they rode to the lists’ end, and there they couched
their spears, and ran together with all their mights. And Sir Mador’s
spear brake all to pieces, but the other’s spear held, and bare Sir
Mador’s horse and all backward to the earth a great fall. But mightily
and suddenly he avoided his horse, and put his shield afore him, and
then drew his sword, and bad the other knight alight and do battle with
him on foot. Then that knight descended from his horse lightly like a
valiant man, and put his shield afore him, and drew his sword, and so
they came eagerly unto battle, and either gave other many great
strokes, tracing and traversing, rasing and foining, and hurtling
together with their swords, as it were wild boars. Thus were they
fighting nigh an hour, for this Sir Mador was a strong knight, and
mightily proved in many strong battles. But at last this knight smote
Sir Mador groveling upon the earth, and the knight stept near him to
have pulled Sir Mador flatling upon the ground; and therewith suddenly
Sir Mador arose, and in his rising he smote that knight through the
thick of the thighs, that the blood ran out fiercely. And when he felt
himself so wounded, and saw his blood, he let him arise upon his feet;
and then he gave him such a buffet upon the helm that he fell to the