Le Morte Darthur
a party and a great tournament and justs. And the king of Northgalis
said to Arthur he would have on his party king Anguish of Ireland, and
the king with the hundred knights, and the king of Northumberland, and
Sir Galahalt the haut prince; and so these four kings and this mighty
duke took party against king Arthur and the knights of the Table Round.
And the cry was made that the day of the justs should be beside
Westminster on Candlemas day, whereof many knights were glad, and made
them ready to be at that justs in the freshest manner. Then queen
Guenever sent for Sir Launcelot, and said thus: I warn you that ye ride
no more in no justs nor tournaments, but that your kinsmen may know
you. And at these justs that shall be, ye shall have of me a sleeve of
gold; and I pray you, for my sake, enforce yourself there that men may
speak of you worship. But I charge you as ye will have my love, that ye
warn your kinsmen that ye will bear that day the sleeve of gold upon
your helmet. Madam, said Sir Launcelot, it shall be done. And so either
made great joy of other. And when Sir Launcelot saw his time, he told
Sir Bors that he would depart, and have no more with him but Sir
Lavaine, unto the good hermit that dwelled in the forest of Windsor,
his name was Sir Brastias, and there he thought to repose him, and to
take all the rest that he might, because he would be fresh at that day
of justs. So Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine departed, that no creature
wist where he was become, but the noble men of his blood. And when he
was come to the hermitage, wit you well he had good cheer. And so daily
Sir Launcelot would go to a well fast by the hermitage, and there he
would lie down, and see the well spring and bubble, and sometime he
slept there. So at that time there was a lady dwelled in that forest,
and she was a great huntress, and daily she used to hunt, and always
she bare her bow with her; and no men went never with her, but always
women, and they were shooters, and could well kill a deer, both at the
stalk and at the trest; and they daily bare bows and arrows, horns and
wood-knives, and many good dogs they had, both for the string and for a
bait. So it happed that this lady, the huntress, had baited her dogs
for the bow at a barren hind, and so this barren hind took her flight
over heaths and woods, and ever this lady and part of her gentlewomen
coasted the hind, and checked it by the noise of the hounds, to have
met with the hind at some water. And so it happed the hind came to the
well whereas Sir Launcelot was sleeping and slumbering. And so when the
hind came to the well, for heat she went to soil, and there she lay a
great while; and the dogs came fast after, and umbecast about, for she
had lost the very perfect track of the hind. Right so, there came that
lady the huntress, that knew by the dog that she had that the hind was
at the soil in that well. And there she came stiffly, and found the
hind, and she put a broad arrow in her bow, and shot at the hind, and
overshot the hind, and so, by misfortune, the arrow smote Sir Launcelot
in the thick of the thigh, over the barbs. When Sir Launcelot felt
himself so hurt, he hurled up woodly, and saw the lady that had smitten
him. And when he saw she was a woman, he said thus, Lady, or damsel,
what that thou be, in an evil time bare ye a bow, the devil made you a
shooter.
CHAP. XXII.
_How Launcelot after that he was hurt of a gentlewoman came to an
hermit, and of other matters._
Now mercy, fair sir, said the lady, I am a gentlewoman that useth here
in this forest hunting, and truly I saw you not, but as here was a
barren hind at the soil in this well, and I wend to have done well, but
my hand swerved. Alas, said Sir Launcelot, ye have mischieved me. And
so the lady departed, and Sir Launcelot, as well as he might, pulled
out the arrow, and the head abode still in his thigh; and so he went
weakly to the hermitage, evermore bleeding as he went. And when Sir
Lavaine and the hermit espied that Sir Launcelot was hurt, wit you well
they were passing heavy: but Sir Lavaine nor the hermit wist not how he
was hurt, nor by whom. And then they were wroth out of measure. Then
with great pain the hermit gat out the arrow’s head out of Sir
Launcelot’s thigh, and much of his blood he shed, and the wound was
passing sore, and unhappily smitten; for it was in such a place that he
might not sit in no saddle. Ah, mercy, said Sir Launcelot, I call
myself the most unhappiest man that liveth; for ever when I would
fainest have worship, there befalleth me ever some unhappy thing. Now,
so heaven me help, I shall be in the field upon Candlemas day at the
justs, whatsoever fall of it. So all that might be gotten to heal Sir
Launcelot was had. So when the day was come, Sir Launcelot let devise
that he was arrayed, and Sir Lavaine, and their horses, as though they
had been Saracens. And so they departed, and came nigh to the field.
The king of Northgalis with an hundred knights with him, and the king
of Northumberland brought with him an hundred good knights, and king
Anguish of Ireland brought with him an hundred good knights ready to
just, and Sir Galahalt the haut prince brought with him an hundred good
knights, and the king with the hundred knights brought with him as
many; and all these were proved good knights. Then came in king
Arthur’s party, and there came in the king of Scots with an hundred
knights, and king Uriens of Gore brought with him an hundred good
knights, and king Howel of Britanny brought with him an hundred
knights. And Chalance of Clarance brought with him an hundred knights,
and king Arthur himself came into the field with two hundred knights,
and the most part were knights of the Table Round that were proved
noble knights. And there were old knights set in scaffolds, for to
judge with the queen who did best.
CHAP. XXIII.
_How Sir Launcelot behaved him at the justs, and other men also._
Then they blew to the field, and there the king of Northgalis
encountered with the king of Scots, and there the king of Scots had a
fall, and the king of Ireland smote down king Uriens, and the king of
Northumberland smote down king Howel of Britanny, and Sir Galahalt, the
haut prince, smote down Chalance of Clarance. And then king Arthur was
wood wroth, and ran to the king with the hundred knights, and there
king Arthur smote him down, and after with that same spear king Arthur
smote down three other knights. And then when his spear was broken king
Arthur did passing well. And so therewithal came in Sir Gawaine, and
Sir Gaheris, Sir Agravaine, and Sir Mordred, and there every each of
them smote down a knight, and Sir Gawaine smote down four knights. And
then there began a strong meddle, for then there came in the knights of
Launcelot’s blood, and Sir Gareth and Sir Palamides with them, and many
knights of the Table Round, and they began to hold the four kings and
the mighty duke so hard that they were discomfit, but this duke
Galahalt the haut prince was a noble knight, and by his mighty prowess
of arms he held the knights of the Table Round straight enough. All
this doing saw Sir Launcelot, and then he came into the field with Sir
Lavaine, as it had been thunder. And then anon Sir Bors and the knights
of his blood espied Sir Launcelot, and said to them all, I warn you
beware of him with the sleeve of gold upon his head, for he is himself
Sir Launcelot du Lake. And for great goodness Sir Bors warned Sir
Gareth. I am well apayed, said Sir Gareth, that I may know him. But who
is he, said they all, that rideth with him in the same array? That is
the good and gentle knight Sir Lavaine, said Sir Bors. So Sir Launcelot
encountered with Sir Gawaine, and there by force Sir Launcelot smote
down Sir Gawaine and his horse to the earth, and so he smote down Sir
Agravaine and Sir Gaheris, and also he smote down Sir Mordred, and all
this was with one spear. Then Sir Lavaine met with Sir Palamides, and
either met other so hard and so fiercely that both their horses fell to
the earth. And then were they horsed again, and then met Sir Launcelot
with Sir Palamides, and there Sir Palamides had a fall. And so Sir
Launcelot, or ever he stint, as fast as he might get spears, he smote
down thirty knights, and the most part of them were knights of the
Table Round. And ever the knights of his blood withdrew them, and made
them ado in other places where Sir Launcelot came not; and then king
Arthur was wroth when he saw Sir Launcelot do such deeds, and then the
king called unto him Sir Gawaine, Sir Mordred, Sir Kay, Sir Griflet,
Sir Lucan the butler, Sir Bedivere, Sir Palamides, and Safere his
brother; and so the king with these nine knights made them ready to set
upon Sir Launcelot and upon Sir Lavaine. All this espied Sir Bors and
Sir Gareth. Now I dread me sore, said Sir Bors, that my lord Sir
Launcelot will be hard matched. By my head, said Sir Gareth, I will
ride unto my lord Sir Launcelot for to help him, fall of him what may,
for he is the same man that made me knight. Ye shall not so, said Sir
Bors, by my counsel, unless that ye were disguised. Ye shall see me
disguised, said Sir Gareth: and therewithal he espied a Welsh knight
where he was to repose himself, and he was sore hurt afore by Sir
Gawaine, and to him Sir Gareth rode, and prayed him of his knighthood
to lend him his shield for his. I will well, said the Welsh knight. And
when Sir Gareth had his shield, the book saith, it was green, with a
maiden that seemed in it. Then Sir Gareth came driving to Sir Launcelot
all that he might, and said, Knight, keep thyself, for yonder cometh
king Arthur with nine noble knights with him to put you to a rebuke,
and so I am come to bear you fellowship for old love ye have shewed me.
Gramercy, said Sir Launcelot. Sir, said Sir Gareth, encounter ye with
Sir Gawaine, and I shall encounter with Sir Palamides, and let Sir
Lavaine match with the noble king Arthur. And when we have delivered
them, let us three hold us sadly together. Then came king Arthur with
his nine knights with him, and Sir Launcelot encountered with Sir
Gawaine, and gave him such a buffet that the bow of his saddle brast,
and Sir Gawaine fell to the earth. Then Sir Gareth encountered with the
good knight Sir Palamides, and he gave him such a buffet that both his
horse and he dashed to the earth. Then encountered king Arthur with Sir
Lavaine, and there either of them smote other to the earth, horse and
all, that they lay a great while. Then Sir Launcelot smote down Sir
Agravaine, and Sir Gaheris, and Sir Mordred. And Sir Gareth smote down
Sir Kay, Sir Safere, and Sir Griflet. And then Sir Lavaine was horsed
again, and he smote down Sir Lucan the butler, and Sir Bedivere, and
then there began great throng of good knights. Then Sir Launcelot
hurtled here and there, and rased and pulled off helms, so that at that
time there might none sit him a buffet with spear nor with sword. And
Sir Gareth did such deeds of arms that all men wondered what knight he
was with the green shield; for he smote down that day and pulled down
more than thirty knights. And, as the French book saith, Sir Launcelot
marvelled, when he beheld Sir Gareth do such deeds, what knight he
might be: and Sir Lavaine pulled down and smote down twenty knights.
Also Sir Launcelot knew not Sir Gareth, for, and Sir Tristram de Liones
or Sir Lamorak de Galis had been alive, Sir Launcelot would have deemed
he had been one of them twain. So ever as Sir Launcelot, Sir Gareth,
Sir Lavaine, fought, and on the one side Sir Bors, Sir Ector de Maris,
Sir Lionel, Sir Lamorak de Galis, Sir Bleoberis, Sir Galihud, Sir
Galihodin, Sir Pelleas, and with more other of king Ban’s blood, fought