Le Morte Darthur
father,—And there by your shield he discovered your name. Alas, said
Sir Launcelot, that me repenteth, that my name is known, for I am sure
it will turn unto anger. And then Sir Launcelot compassed in his mind
that Sir Gawaine would tell queen Guenever how he bare the red sleeve,
and for whom, that he wist well would turn unto great anger. So this
maiden, Elaine, never went from Sir Launcelot, but watched him day and
night, and did such attendance to him that the French book saith there
was never woman did more kindlier for man than she. Then Sir Launcelot
prayed Sir Lavaine to make espies in Winchester for Sir Bors if he came
there, and told him by what tokens he should know him, by a wound in
his forehead: For well I am sure, said Sir Launcelot, that Sir Bors
will seek me, for he is the same good knight that hurt me.
CHAP. XVI.
_How Sir Bors sought Launcelot and found him in the hermitage, and of
the lamentation between them._
Now turn we unto Sir Bors de Ganis, that came unto Winchester to seek
after his cousin, Sir Launcelot; and so when he came to Winchester,
anon there were men that Sir Lavaine had made to lie in a watch for
such a man; and anon Sir Lavaine had warning; and then Sir Lavaine came
to Winchester, and found Sir Bors, and there he told him what he was,
and with whom he was, and what was his name. Now, fair knight, said Sir
Bors, I require you that ye will bring me to my lord Sir Launcelot.
Sir, said Sir Lavaine, take your horse, and within this hour ye shall
see him. And so they departed, and came to the hermitage.
And when Sir Bors saw Sir Launcelot lie in his bed, pale and
discoloured, anon Sir Bors lost his countenance, and for kindness and
pity he might not speak, but wept tenderly a great while. And then when
he might speak he said thus: O my lord Sir Launcelot, God you bless,
and send you hasty recovery; and full heavy am I of my misfortune and
of mine unhappiness, for now I may call myself unhappy, and I dread me
that God is greatly displeased with me, that he would suffer me to have
such a shame for to hurt you, that are all our leader and all our
worship, and therefore I call myself unhappy. Alas, that ever such a
caitiff knight as I am should have power by unhappiness to hurt the
most noblest knight of the world. Where I so shamefully set upon you
and overcharged you, and where ye might have slain me, ye saved me, and
so did not I: for I, and your blood, did to you our utterance. I
marvel, said Sir Bors, that my heart or my blood would serve me,
wherefore my lord Sir Launcelot, I ask your mercy. Fair cousin, said
Sir Launcelot, ye be right welcome, and wit ye well overmuch ye say for
to please me, the which pleaseth me not; for why? I have the same
sought, for I would with pride have overcome you all, and there in my
pride I was near slain, and that was in mine own default, for I might
have given you warning of my being there. And then had I had no hurt;
for it is an old said saw, there is hard battle there as kin and
friends do battle either against other; there may be no mercy, but
mortal war. Therefore, fair cousin, said Sir Launcelot, let this speech
overpass, and all shall be welcome that God sendeth; and let us leave
off this matter, and let us speak of some rejoicing: for this that is
done may not be undone, and let us find a remedy how soon that I may be
whole. Then Sir Bors leaned upon his bed’s side, and told Sir Launcelot
how the queen was passing wroth with him, because he ware the red
sleeve at the great justs. And there Sir Bors told him all how Sir
Gawaine discovered it by your shield that ye left with the fair maiden
of Astolat. Then is the queen wroth, said Sir Launcelot, and therefore
am I right heavy, for I deserved no wrath, for all that I did was
because that I would not be known. Right so excused I you, said Sir
Bors, but all was in vain, for she said more largely to me than I to
you now. But is this she, said Sir Bors, that is so busy about you,
that men call the fair maiden of Astolat? She it is, said Sir
Launcelot, that by no means I cannot put from me. Why should ye put her
from you? said Sir Bors, she is a passing fair damsel, and a well
beseen and well taught; and God would, fair cousin, said Sir Bors, that
ye could love her, but as to that I may not, nor I dare not, counsel
you. But I see well, said Sir Bors, by her diligence about you, that
she loveth you entirely. That me repenteth, said Sir Launcelot. Sir,
said Sir Bors, she is not the first that hath lost her pain upon you,
and that is the more pity. And so they talked of many more things. And
so within three days or four, Sir Launcelot was big and strong again.
CHAP. XVII.
_How Sir Launcelot armed him to assay if he might bear arms, and how
his wound burst out again._
Then Sir Bors told Sir Launcelot how there was sworn a great tournament
and justs betwixt king Arthur and the king of Northgalis, that should
be on Allhallowmass day, beside Winchester. Is that truth? said Sir
Launcelot, then shall ye abide with me still a little while, until that
I be whole, for I feel myself right big and strong. Blessed be God,
said Sir Bors. Then were they there nigh a month together; and ever
this maiden Elaine did ever her diligent labour, night and day, unto
Sir Launcelot, that there was never child nor wife more meeker to
father and husband, than was that fair maiden of Astolat. Wherefore Sir
Bors was greatly pleased with her. So upon a day, by the assent of Sir
Launcelot, Sir Bors and Sir Lavaine they made the hermit to seek in
woods for divers herbs. And so Sir Launcelot made fair Elaine to gather
herbs for him, to make him a bath. In the mean while, Sir Launcelot
made him to arm him at all pieces, and there he thought to assay his
armour and his spear, for his hurt or not. And so when he was upon his
horse, he stirred him fiercely, and the horse was passing lusty and
fresh, because he was not laboured a month before. And then Sir
Launcelot couched that spear in the rest: that courser lept mightily
when he felt the spurs; and he that was upon him, the which was the
noblest horse of the world, strained him mightily and stably, and kept
still the spear in the rest. And therewith Sir Launcelot strained
himself so straitly, with so great force, to get the horse forward,
that the bottom of the wound brast, both within and without, and
therewithal the blood came out so fiercely that he felt himself so
feeble that he might not sit upon his horse. And then Sir Launcelot
cried unto Sir Bors, Ah, Sir Bors, and Sir Lavaine, help, for I am come
to mine end. And therewith he fell down on the one side to the earth,
like a dead corpse. And then Sir Bors and Sir Lavaine came to him, with
sorrow making out of measure. And so by fortune the maiden Elaine heard
their mourning, and then she came thither. And when she found Sir
Launcelot there armed in that place, she cried and wept as she had been
wood, and then she kissed him, and did what she might to awake him. And
then she rebuked her brother and Sir Bors, and called them false
traitors, why they would take him out of his bed; then she cried, and
said she would appeal them of his death. With this came the holy
hermit, Sir Baudewin of Britanny; and when he found Sir Launcelot in
that plight he said but little, but wit ye well he was wroth; and then
he bade them, Let us have him in. And so they all bare him unto the
hermitage, and unarmed him, and laid him in his bed, and evermore his
wound bled piteously, but he stirred no limb of him. Then the knight
hermit put a thing in his nose, and a little deal of water in his
mouth, and then Sir Launcelot waked of his swoon, and then the hermit
stanched his bleeding. And when he might speak, he asked Sir Launcelot
why he put his life in jeopardy. Sir, said Sir Launcelot, because I
wend I had been strong, and also Sir Bors told me that there should be
at Allhallowmass a great justs betwixt king Arthur and the king of
Northgalis, and therefore I thought to assay it myself, whether I might
be there or not. Ah, Sir Launcelot, said the hermit, your heart and
your courage will never be done until your last day, but ye shall do
now by my counsel; let Sir Bors depart from you, and let him do at that
tournament what he may, and by the grace of God, said the knight
hermit, by that the tournament be done, and ye come hither again, Sir
Launcelot shall be as whole as ye, so that he will be governed by me.
CHAP. XVIII.
_How Sir Bors returned and told tidings of Sir Launcelot, and of the
tourney, and to whom the prize was given._
Then Sir Bors made him ready to depart from Sir Launcelot; and then Sir
Launcelot said, Fair cousin, Sir Bors, recommend me unto all them unto
whom me ought to recommend me unto, and I pray you enforce yourself at
that justs, that ye may be best, for my love, and here shall I abide
you, at the mercy of God, till ye come again. And so Sir Bors departed,
and came to the court of king Arthur, and told them in what place he
had left Sir Launcelot. That me repenteth, said the king, but sin he
shall have his life, we may all thank God. And there Sir Bors told the
queen in what jeopardy Sir Launcelot was, when he would essay his
horse: and all that he did, madam, was for the love of you, because he
would have been at this tournament. Fie on him, recreant knight, said
the queen, for wit ye well I am right sorry and he shall have his life.
His life shall he have, said Sir Bors, and who that would otherwise,
except you, madam, we that be of his blood should help to short their
lives. But, madam, said Sir Bors, ye have been oft-times displeased
with my lord Sir Launcelot, but at all times at the end ye find him a
true knight. And so he departed. And then every knight of the Round
Table that was there present at that time, made them ready to be at
that justs at Allhallowmass. And thither drew many knights of divers
countries. And as Allhallowmass drew near, thither came the king of
Northgalis, and the king with the hundred knights, and Sir Galahalt the
haut prince of Surluse, and thither came king Anguish of Ireland, and
the king of Scots. So these three kings came on king Arthur’s party.
And so that day Sir Gawaine did great deeds of arms, and began first,
and the heralds numbered that Sir Gawaine smote down twenty knights.
Then Sir Bors de Ganis came in the same time, and he was numbered that
he smote down twenty knights. And therefore the prize was given betwixt
them both, for they began first, and the longest endured.
Also Sir Gareth, as the book saith, did that day great deeds of arms,
for he smote down, and pulled down, thirty knights. But when he had
done these deeds he tarried not, but so departed, and therefore he lost
his prize. And Sir Palamides did great deeds of arms that day, for he
smote down twenty knights, but he departed suddenly; and men deemed Sir
Gareth and he rode together to some manner adventure. So when this
tournament was done, Sir Bors departed, and rode till he came to Sir
Launcelot his cousin, and then he found him walking on his feet, and
there either made great joy of other. And so Sir Bors told Sir
Launcelot of all the justs, like as ye have heard. I marvel, said Sir
Launcelot, that Sir Gareth, when he had done such deeds of arms, that
he would not tarry. Thereof we marvelled all, said Sir Bors, for, but
if it were you, or Sir Tristram, or Sir Lamorak de Galis, I saw never
knight bear down so many in so little a while as did Sir Gareth. And
anon as he was gone, he wist not where. By my head, said Sir Launcelot,
he is a noble knight, and a mighty man, and well breathed; and if he
were well assayed, said Sir Launcelot, I would deem he were good enough