Le Morte Darthur
thou come to king Arthur. Then Launcelot unbarred the door, and with
his left hand he held it open a little so that but one man might come
in at once. And so anon, there came striding a good knight, a much man
and large, and his name was Colgrevance of Gore, and he with a sword
strake at Sir Launcelot mightily, and he put aside the stroke, and gave
him such a buffet upon the helmet that he fell groveling dead within
the chamber door, and then Sir Launcelot with great might drew that
dead knight within the chamber door; and then Sir Launcelot with the
help of the queen and her ladies was lightly armed in Sir Colgrevance’s
armour. And ever stood Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred, crying, Traitor
knight, come out of the queen’s chamber. Leave your noise, said Sir
Launcelot unto Sir Agravaine, for wit ye well, Sir Agravaine, ye shall
not prison me this night, and therefore and ye do by my counsel, go ye
all from this chamber door, and make not such crying and such manner of
slander as ye do, for I promise you by my knighthood, and ye will
depart and make no more noise, I shall as to-morn appear before you
all, before the king, and then let it be seen which of you all, and
either else ye all, will accuse me of treason, and there I shall answer
you as a knight should, that hither I came to the queen for no manner
of mal-engine, and that will I prove and make it good upon you with
mine hands. Fie on thee traitor, said Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred, we
will have thee, maugre thy head, and slay thee if we list, for we let
thee wit, we have the choice of king Arthur, to save thee or to slay
thee. Ah sirs, said Sir Launcelot, is there none other grace with you?
then keep yourself. So then Sir Launcelot set all open the chamber
door, and mightily and knightly he strode in amongst them, and anon at
the first buffet he slew Sir Agravaine, and twelve of his fellows
within a little while after he laid them cold to the earth, for there
was none of the twelve that might stand Sir Launcelot one buffet. Also
Sir Launcelot wounded Sir Mordred, and he fled with all his might. And
then Sir Launcelot returned again unto the queen, and said, Madam, now
wit you well all our true love is brought to an end, for now will king
Arthur ever be my foe, and therefore, madam, and it like you that I may
have you with me, I shall save you from all manner adventures
dangerous. That is not best, said the queen, me seemeth now ye have
done so much harm, it will be best ye hold you still with this. And if
ye see that as to-morn they will put me unto the death, then may ye
rescue me as ye think best. I will well, said Sir Launcelot, for have
ye no doubt while I am living I shall rescue you. And then he kissed
her, and either gave other a ring, and so there he left the queen and
went until his lodging.
CHAP. V.
_How Sir Launcelot came to Sir Bors and told him how he had sped, and
in what adventure he had been, and how he escaped._
When Sir Bors saw Sir Launcelot, he was never so glad of his home
coming as he was then. Mercy, said Sir Launcelot, why be ye all armed?
What meaneth this? Sir, said Sir Bors, after that ye were departed from
us, we all that be of your blood, and your well willers, were so
troubled, that some of us lept out of our beds naked, and some in their
dreams caught naked swords in their hands, therefore, said Sir Bors, we
deem there is some great strife at hand; and then we all deemed that ye
were betrapped with some treason, and therefore we made us thus ready,
what need that ever ye were in. My fair nephew, said Sir Launcelot unto
Sir Bors, now shall ye wit all, that this night I was more harder
bested than ever I was in my life, and yet I escaped. And so he told
them all how, and in what manner, as ye have heard tofore. And
therefore my fellows, said Sir Launcelot, I pray you all that ye will
be of good heart in what need soever I stand, for now is war come to us
all. Sir, said Sir Bors, all is welcome that God sendeth us, and we
have had much weal with you and much worship, and therefore we will
take the woe with you as we have taken the weal. And therefore they
said all, there were many good knights, Look ye take no discomfort, for
there nis no band of knights under heaven but that we shall be able to
grieve them as much as they may us. And therefore discomfort not
yourself by no manner, and ye shall gather together that we love, and
that loveth us, and what that ye will have done shall be done. And
therefore, Sir Launcelot, said they, we will take the woe with the
weal. Gramercy, said Sir Launcelot, of your good comfort, for in my
great distress, my fair nephew, ye comfort me greatly, and much I am
beholden unto you. But this, my fair nephew, I would that ye did in all
haste that ye may, or it be forth-days, that ye will look in their
lodging that been lodged here nigh about the king, which will hold with
me, and which will not, for now I would know which were my friends from
my foes. Sir, said Sir Bors, I shall do my pain, and, or it be seven of
the clock, I shall wit of such as ye have said before, who will hold
with you.
Then Sir Bors called unto him Sir Lionel, Sir Ector de Maris, Sir
Blamor de Ganis, Sir Bleoberis de Ganis, Sir Gahalantine, Sir
Galihodin, Sir Galihud, Sir Menadeuke, with Sir Villiers the Valiant,
Sir Hebes le Renoumes, Sir Lavaine, Sir Urre of Hungary, Sir Nerouneus,
Sir Plenorius: these two knights Sir Launcelot made, and the one he wan
upon a bridge, and therefore they would never be against him. And Sir
Harry le Fise du Lake and Sir Selises of the dolorous tower, and Sir
Melias de Lile, and Sir Bellangere le Beuse, which was Sir Alisaunder’s
le Orphelin’s son, because his mother, dame Alis le Beale Pilgrim, and
she was kin unto Sir Launcelot, and he held with him. So there came Sir
Palamides, and Sir Safere his brother, to hold with Sir Launcelot, and
Sir Clegis of Sadok, and Sir Dinas, Sir Clarius of Cleremont. So these
two and twenty knights drew them together; and by then they were armed
on horseback, and promised Sir Launcelot to do what he would. Then
there fell to them, what of Northgalis and of Cornwall, for Sir
Lamorak’s sake and for Sir Tristram’s sake, to the number of a
fourscore knights.
My lords, said Sir Launcelot, wit you well I have been, ever since I
came into this country, well willed unto my lord king Arthur, and unto
my lady queen Guenever, unto my power, and this night, because my lady
the queen sent for me to speak with her, I suppose it was made by
treason, howbeit I dare largely excuse her person, notwithstanding I
was there by a forecast nigh slain, but, as God provided me, I escaped
all their malice and treason. And then that noble knight, Sir
Launcelot, told them all how he was hard bested in the queen’s chamber,
and how and in what manner he escaped from them. And therefore, said
Sir Launcelot, wit you well, my fair lords, I am sure there nis but war
unto me and mine. And for because I have slain this night these
knights, I wot well as is Sir Agravaine Sir Gawaine’s brother, and at
the least twelve of his fellows, for this cause now I am sure of mortal
war, for these knights were sent and ordained by king Arthur to betray
me, and therefore the king will in this heat and malice judge the queen
to the fire, and that may I not suffer, that she should be burnt for my
sake. For, and I may be heard and suffered, and so taken, I will fight
for the queen, that she is a true lady unto her lord. But the king in
his heat I dread me will not take me as I ought to be taken.
CHAP. VI.
_Of the counsel and advice which was taken by Sir Launcelot and by his
friends for to save the queen._
My lord Sir Launcelot, said Sir Bors, by mine advice ye shall take the
woe with the weal, and take it in patience, and thank God of it. And
sithen it is fallen as it is, I counsel you keep yourself, for, and ye
will yourself, there is no fellowship of knights christened that shall
do you wrong. Also I will counsel you, my lord Sir Launcelot, that and
my lady queen Guenever be in distress, insomuch as she is in pain for
your sake, that ye knightly rescue her: and ye did other ways, all the
world will speak of you shame to the world’s end, insomuch as ye were
taken with her, whether ye did right or wrong. It is now your part to
hold with the queen, that she be not slain and put to a mischievous
death, for, and she so die, the shame shall be yours. Jesu defend me
from shame, said Sir Launcelot, and keep and save my lady the queen
from villainy and shameful death, and that she never be destroyed in my
default: wherefore, my fair lords, my kin and my friends, what will ye
do? Then they said all, We will do as ye will do. I put this to you,
said Sir Launcelot, that if my lord Arthur by evil counsel will to-morn
in his heat put my lady the queen to the fire, there to be burnt,—now,
I pray you, counsel me what is best to do? Then they said all at once
with one voice, Sir, us thinketh best, that ye knightly rescue the
queen; insomuch as she shall be burnt, it is for your sake, and it is
to suppose, and ye might be handled, ye should have the same death, or
a more shamefuller death; and, sir, we say all, that ye have many times
rescued her from death for other men’s quarrels, us seemeth it is more
your worship that ye rescue the queen from this peril, insomuch she
hath it for your sake.
Then Sir Launcelot stood still, and said, My fair lords, wit you well,
I would be loth to do that thing that should dishonour you or my blood,
and wit you well, I would be loth that my lady the queen should die a
shameful death, but and it be so that ye will counsel me to rescue her,
I must do much harm or I rescue her, and peradventure I shall there
destroy some of my best friends, that should much repent me: and
peradventure there be some, and they could well bring it about, or
disobey my lord king Arthur, they would soon come to me, the which I
were loth to hurt: and if so be that I rescue her, where shall I keep
her? That shall be the least care of us all, said Sir Bors: how did the
noble knight Sir Tristram by your good will? Kept not he with him La
Beale Isoud near three year in Joyous Gard, the which was done by your
elders’ device, and that same place is your own, and in likewise may ye
do, and ye list, and take the queen lightly away, if it so be the king
will judge her to be burnt, and in Joyous Gard ye may keep her long
enough, until the heat of the king be past. And then shall ye bring
again the queen to the king with great worship, and then, peradventure,
ye shall have thank for her bringing home, and love and thank where
other shall have maugre. That is hard to do, said Sir Launcelot, for by
Sir Tristram I may have a warning. For when by means of treaties Sir
Tristram brought again La Beale Isoud unto king Mark from Joyous Gard,
look what befell on the end, how shamefully that false traitor king
Mark slew him as he sat harping afore his lady La Beale Isoud, with a
grounden glaive he thrust him in behind to the heart. It grieveth me,
said Sir Launcelot, to speak of his death, for all the world may not
find such a knight. All this is truth, said Sir Bors, but there is one
thing shall courage you and us all: ye know well that king Arthur and
king Mark were never like of conditions, for there was never yet man
that could prove king Arthur untrue of his promise. So, to make short
tale, they were all consented that for better or for worse, if so were
that the queen were on that morn brought to the fire, shortly they all
would rescue her. And so by the advice of Sir Launcelot they put them
all in an enbushment in a wood as nigh Carlisle as they might. And
there they abode still to wit what the king would do.