Le Morte Darthur
Gawaine, that he slew my brother Sir Gareth, for I dare say my brother
Gareth loved him better than me and all his brethren, and the king
both. Also I dare say, and Sir Launcelot had desired my brother Sir
Gareth with him, he would have been with him against the king and us
all, and therefore I may never believe that Sir Launcelot slew my
brother. Sir, said this man, it is noised that he slew him.
CHAP. X.
_How king Arthur at the request of Sir Gawaine concluded to make war
against Sir Launcelot, and laid siege to his castle called Joyous
Gard._
Alas, said Sir Gawaine, now is my joy gone. And then he fell down and
swooned, and long he lay there as he had been dead. And then when he
arose of his swoon, he cried out sorrowfully and said, Alas! And right
so Sir Gawaine ran to the king crying and weeping, O king Arthur, mine
uncle, my good brother Sir Gareth is slain, and so is my brother Sir
Gaheris, the which were two noble knights. Then the king wept and he
both, and so they fell on swooning. And when they were revived, then
spake Sir Gawaine, Sir, I will go see my brother Sir Gareth. Ye may not
see him, said the king, for I caused him to be interred, and Sir
Gaheris both; for I well understood that ye would make over much
sorrow, and the sight of Sir Gareth should have caused your double
sorrow. Alas, my lord, said Sir Gawaine, how slew he my brother Sir
Gareth? mine own good lord, I pray you tell me. Truly, said the king, I
shall tell you as it is told me, Sir Launcelot slew him and Sir Gaheris
both. Alas, said Sir Gawaine, they bare none arms against him, neither
of them both. I wot not how it was, said the king, but, as it is said,
Sir Launcelot slew them both in the thickest of the press, and knew
them not; and therefore let us shape a remedy for to revenge their
deaths. My king, my lord, and mine uncle, said Sir Gawaine, wit you
well, now I shall make you a promise that I shall hold by my
knighthood, that from this day I shall never fail Sir Launcelot, until
the one of us have slain the other: and therefore I require you, my
lord and king, dress you to the war, for wit you well I will be
revenged upon Sir Launcelot, and therefore, as ye will have my service
and my love, now haste you thereto, and assay your friends. For I
promise unto God, said Sir Gawaine, for the death of my brother Sir
Gareth I shall seek Sir Launcelot throughout seven kings’ realms but I
shall slay him, or else he shall slay me. Ye shall not need to seek him
so far, said the king, for, as I hear say, Sir Launcelot will abide me
and you in the Joyous Gard, and much people draweth unto him as I hear
say. That may I believe, said Sir Gawaine, but my lord, he said, assay
your friends, and I will assay mine. It shall be done, said the king,
and, as I suppose, I shall be big enough to draw him out of the biggest
tower of his castle. So then the king sent letters and writs throughout
all England, both in the length and the breadth, for to assummon all
his knights. And so unto Arthur drew many knights, dukes, and earls, so
that he had a great host. And when they were assembled, the king
informed them all how Sir Launcelot had bereft him his queen. Then the
king and all his host made them ready to lay siege about Sir Launcelot,
where he lay within Joyous Gard. Thereof heard Sir Launcelot, and
purveyed him of many good knights, for with him held many knights, and
some for his own sake, and some for the queen’s sake. Thus they were on
both parties well furnished and garnished of all manner of things that
longed to the war. But king Arthur’s host was so big that Sir Launcelot
would not abide him in the field, for he was full loth to do battle
against the king; but Sir Launcelot drew him to his strong castle with
all manner of victual, and as many noble men as he might suffice within
the town and the castle. Then came king Arthur with Sir Gawaine, with
an huge host, and laid a siege all about Joyous Gard, both at the town
and at the castle, and there they made strong war on both parties. But
in no wise Sir Launcelot would ride out nor go out of his castle of
long time, neither he would none of his good knights to issue out,
neither none of the town nor of the castle, until fifteen weeks were
past.
CHAP. XI.
_Of the communication between king Arthur and Sir Launcelot, and how
king Arthur reproved him._
Then it befell upon a day in harvest time, Sir Launcelot looked over
the walls, and spake on high unto king Arthur and Sir Gawaine, My lords
both, wit ye well all is in vain that ye make at this siege, for here
win ye no worship, but maugre and dishonour, for and it list me to come
myself out, and my good knights, I should full soon make an end of this
war. Come forth, said Arthur unto Launcelot, and thou darest, and I
promise thee I shall meet thee in midst of the field. God defend me,
said Sir Launcelot, that ever I should encounter with the most noble
king that made me knight. Fie upon thy fair language, said the king,
for wit you well, and trust it, I am thy mortal foe, and ever will to
my death day, for thou hast slain my good knights and full noble men of
my blood, that I shall never recover again: also thou hast dishonoured
my queen, and holden her many winters, and sithen like a traitor taken
her from me by force. My most noble lord and king, said Sir Launcelot,
ye may say what ye will, for ye wot well with yourself I will not
strive, but there as ye say I have slain your good knights, I wot well
that I have done so, and that me sore repenteth, but I was enforced to
do battle with them, in saving of my life, or else I must have suffered
them to have slain me. And as for my lady queen Guenever, except your
person of your highness, and my lord Sir Gawaine, there is no knight
under heaven that dare make it good upon me, that ever I was traitor
unto your person. And where it pleaseth you to say that I have holden
my lady your queen years and winters, unto that I shall make a large
answer, and prove it upon any knight that beareth the life, except your
person and Sir Gawaine, that my lady queen Guenever is a true lady unto
your person, as any is living unto her lord, and that will I make good
with my hands; howbeit, it hath liked her good grace to have me in
charity, and to cherish me more than any other knight, and unto my
power I again have deserved her love, for oft-times, my lord, ye have
consented that she should be burnt and destroyed in your heat, and then
it fortuned me to do battle for her, and or I departed from her
adversary they confessed their untruth, and she full worshipfully
excused. And at such times, my lord Arthur, said Sir Launcelot, ye
loved me, and thanked me when I saved your queen from the fire, and
then ye promised me for ever to be my good lord, and now me thinketh ye
reward me full ill for my good service; and, my good lord, me seemeth I
had lost a great part of my worship in my knighthood, and I had
suffered my lady your queen to have been burnt, and insomuch she should
have been burnt for my sake. For sithen I have done battles for your
queen in other quarrels than in mine own, me seemeth now I had more
right to do battle for her in right quarrel, and therefore my good and
gracious lord, said Sir Launcelot, take your queen unto your good
grace, for she is both fair, true, and good. Fie on thee, false
recreant knight, said Sir Gawaine, I let thee wit my lord mine uncle
king Arthur shall have his queen and thee, maugre thy visage, and slay
you both whether it please him. It may well be, said Sir Launcelot, but
wit ye well, my lord Sir Gawaine, and me list to come out of this
castle, ye should win me and the queen more harder than ever ye wan a
strong battle. Fie on thy proud words, said Sir Gawaine; as for my lady
the queen, I will never say of her shame, but thou false and recreant
knight, said Sir Gawaine, what cause hadst thou to slay my good brother
Sir Gareth, that loved thee more than all my kin? Alas, thou madest him
knight with thine own hands; why slewest thou him that loved thee so
well? For to excuse me, said Sir Launcelot, it helpeth me not, but by
the faith that I owe to the high order of knighthood, I should with as
good will have slain my nephew Sir Bors de Ganis at that time: but
alas, that ever I was so unhappy, said Launcelot, that I had not seen
Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris. Thou liest, recreant knight, said Sir
Gawaine, thou slewest him in despite of me: and therefore wit thou well
I shall make war to thee, and all the while that I may live. That me
repenteth, said Sir Launcelot, for well I understand it helpeth me not
to seek none accordment, while ye Sir Gawaine are so mischievously set.
And if ye were not, I would not doubt to have the good grace of my lord
Arthur. I believe it well, false recreant knight, said Sir Gawaine, for
thou hast many long days overled me, and us all, and destroyed many of
our good knights. Ye say as it pleaseth you, said Sir Launcelot, and
yet may it never be said on me and openly proved, that ever I before
cast of treason, slew no good knight, as, my lord Sir Gawaine, ye have
done. And so did I never, but in my defence, that I was driven thereto,
in saving of my life. Ah, false knight, said Sir Gawaine, that thou
meanest by Sir Lamorak: wit thou well I slew him. Ye slew him not
yourself, said Sir Launcelot, it had been over much on hand for you to
have slain him, for he was one of the best knights christened of his
age, and it was great pity of his death.
CHAP. XII.
_How the cousins and kinsmen of Sir Launcelot excited him to go out to
battle, and how they made them ready._
Well, well, said Sir Gawaine to Sir Launcelot, sithen thou upbraidest
me of Sir Lamorak, wit thou well I shall never leave thee till I have
thee at such avail that thou shalt not escape my hands. I trust you
well enough, said Sir Launcelot, and ye may get me I shall get but
little mercy. But, as the French book saith, the noble king Arthur
would have taken his queen again, and have been accorded with Sir
Launcelot, but Sir Gawaine would not suffer him by no manner of mean.
And then Sir Gawaine made many men to blow upon Sir Launcelot, and all
at once they called him False recreant knight! Then when Sir Bors de
Ganis, Sir Ector de Maris, and Sir Lionel heard this outcry, they
called to them Sir Palamides, Sir Safere’s brother, and Sir Lavaine,
with many more of their blood, and all they went unto Sir Launcelot,
and said thus, My lord Sir Launcelot, wit ye well we have great scorn
of the great rebukes that we heard Gawaine say to you; wherefore we
pray you and charge you, as ye will have our service, keep us no longer
within these walls, for wit you well, plainly, we will ride into the
field, and do battle with them. For ye fare as a man that were afeard,
and for all your fair speech it will not avail you. For wit you well,
Sir Gawaine will not suffer you to be accorded with king Arthur: and
therefore fight for your life, and your right, and ye dare. Alas, said
Sir Launcelot, for to ride out of this castle and to do battle, I am
full loth. Then Sir Launcelot spake on high unto Sir Arthur and Sir
Gawaine, My lords, I require you and beseech you, sithen that I am thus
required and conjured to ride into the field, that neither you my lord
king Arthur, nor you Sir Gawaine, come not into the field. What shall
we do then? said Sir Gawaine, is this the king’s quarrel with thee to
fight? and it is my quarrel to fight with thee Sir Launcelot, because
of the death of my brother Sir Gareth. Then must I needs unto battle,
said Sir Launcelot; now wit you well, my lord Arthur, and Sir Gawaine,
ye will repent it whensoever I do battle with you. And so then they