Le Morte Darthur
thou hast done, for I have worshipped thee and thine more than any of
all my knights. My good lord, said Sir Launcelot, so ye be not
displeased, ye shall understand I and mine have done you oft better
service than any other knights have done in many divers places; and
where ye have been full hard bested divers times, I have myself rescued
you from many dangers, and ever unto my power I was glad to please you,
and my lord Sir Gawaine both, in justs and tournaments, and in battles
set, both on horseback and on foot, I have often rescued you, and my
lord Sir Gawaine, and many more of your knights in many divers places.
For now I will make avaunt, said Sir Launcelot, I will that ye all wit
that yet I found never no manner of knight, but that I was over-hard
for him, and I had done my utterance, thanked be God; howbeit I have
been matched with good knights, as Sir Tristram and Sir Lamorak, but
ever I had a favour unto them, and a deeming what they were; and I take
God to record, said Sir Launcelot, I never was wroth nor greatly heavy
with no good knight, and I saw him busy about to win worship: and full
glad I was ever when I found any knight that might endure me on
horseback and on foot. Howbeit, Sir Carados of the dolorous tower was a
full noble knight, and a passing strong man, and that wot ye, my lord
Sir Gawaine; for he might well be called a noble knight, when he by
fine force pulled you out of your saddle, and bound you overthwart
afore him to his saddle bow; and there, my lord Sir Gawaine, I rescued
you, and slew him afore your sight. Also I found his brother, Sir
Turquin, in like wise leading Sir Gaheris your brother bounden afore
him, and there I rescued your brother, and slew that Sir Turquin, and
delivered threescore and four of my lord Arthur’s knights out of his
prison. And now I dare say, said Sir Launcelot, I met never with so
strong knights, nor so well fighting, as was Sir Carados and Sir
Turquin, for I fought with them to the uttermost; and therefore, said
Sir Launcelot unto Sir Gawaine, me seemeth ye ought of right for to
remember this: for and I might have your good will, I would trust to
God to have my lord Arthur’s good grace.
CHAP. XVI.
_Of the communication between Sir Gawaine and Sir Launcelot, with much
other language._
The king may do as he will, said Sir Gawaine, but wit thou well, Sir
Launcelot, thou and I shall never be accorded while we live, for thou
hast slain three of my brethren, and twain of them ye slew traitorly
and piteously, for they bare none harness against thee, nor none would
bear. God would they had been armed, said Sir Launcelot, for then had
they been on live. And wit ye well, Sir Gawaine, as for Sir Gareth, I
love none of my kinsmen so much as I did him, and ever while I live,
said Sir Launcelot, I will bewail Sir Gareth’s death, not all only for
the great fear that I have of you, but many causes causen me to be
sorrowful. One is, for I made him knight; another is, I wot well he
loved me above all other knights; and the third is, he was passing
noble, true, courteous, and gentle, and well conditioned; the fourth
is, I wist well, anon as I heard that Sir Gareth was dead, I should
never after have your love, but everlasting war betwixt us; and also I
wist well that ye would cause my noble lord Arthur for ever to be my
mortal foe, and as Jesu be my help, said Sir Launcelot, I slew never
Sir Gareth nor Sir Gaheris by my will, but alas, that ever they were
unarmed that unhappy day. But thus much I shall offer me, said Sir
Launcelot, if it may please the king’s good grace, and you, my lord Sir
Gawaine: I shall first begin at Sandwich, and there I shall go in my
shirt, barefoot, and at every ten miles end I will found, and cause to
make an house of religion, of what order that ye will assign me, with
an whole convent to sing and read day and night in especial for Sir
Gareth’s sake and Sir Gaheris. And this shall I perform from Sandwich
unto Carlisle; and every house shall have sufficient livelihood, and
this shall I perform while I have any livelihood in Christendom, and
there is none of all these religious places, but they shall be
performed, furnished and garnished in all things as an holy place ought
to be, I promise you faithfully. And this, Sir Gawaine, me thinketh
were more fairer, holier, and more better to their souls, than ye my
most noble king, and you, Sir Gawaine, to war upon me, for thereby
shall ye get none avail. Then all knights and ladies that were there
wept as they were mad, and the tears fell on king Arthur’s cheeks. Sir
Launcelot, said Sir Gawaine, I have right well heard thy speech, and
thy great proffers, but wit thou well, let the king do as it pleaseth
him, I will never forgive my brothers’ death, and in especial the death
of my brother Sir Gareth: and if mine uncle, king Arthur, will accord
with thee, he shall lose my service: for wit thou well, thou art both
false to the king and to me. Sir, said Sir Launcelot, he beareth not
the life that may make that good, and if that ye, Sir Gawaine, will
charge me with so high a thing, ye must pardon me, for then needs must
I answer you. Nay, said Sir Gawaine, we are past that at this time, and
that caused the Pope, for he hath charged mine uncle the king, that he
shall take his queen again, and to accord with thee, Sir Launcelot, as
for this season, and therefore thou shalt go safe, as thou camest. But
in this land thou shalt not abide past fifteen days, such summons I
give you;—so the king and we were consented and accorded, or thou
camest hither; and else, said Sir Gawaine, wit thou well, that thou
shouldest not have come here, but if it were maugre thy head. And if it
were not for the Pope’s commandment, said Sir Gawaine, I should do
battle with mine own body against thy body, and prove it upon thee that
thou hast been both false unto mine uncle king Arthur, and to me both,
and that shall I prove upon thy body when thou art departed from hence,
wheresoever I find thee.
CHAP. XVII.
_How Sir Launcelot departed from the king and from Joyous Gard over
seaward, and what knights went with him._
Then Sir Launcelot sighed, and therewith the tears fell on his cheeks,
and then he said thus: Alas, most noble christian realm, whom I have
loved above all other realms, and in thee have I gotten a great part of
my worship, and now I shall depart in this wise. Truly me repenteth
that ever I came in this realm that should be thus shamefully banished,
undeserved and causeless. But fortune is so variant, and the wheel so
movable, there is no constant abiding, and that may be proved by many
old chronicles of noble Hector, and Troilus, and Alisander the mighty
conqueror, and many other more. When they were most in their royalty,
they alight lowest; and so fareth by me, said Sir Launcelot, for in
this realm I had worship, and by me and mine all the whole Round Table
hath been increased more in worship by me and my blood than by any
other. And therefore wit thou well, Sir Gawaine, I may live upon my
lands as well as any knight that here is. And if ye, most redoubted
king, will come upon my lands with Sir Gawaine, to war upon me, I must
endure you as well as I may. But as to you, Sir Gawaine, if that ye
come there, I pray you charge me not with treason nor felony, for, and
ye do, I must answer you. Do thou thy best, said Sir Gawaine, therefore
hie thee fast that thou were gone, and wit thou well we shall soon come
after, and break the strongest castle that thou hast upon thy head.
That shall not need, said Sir Launcelot, for and I were as orgulous set
as ye are, wit ye well I should meet with you in midst of the field.
Make thou no more language, said Sir Gawaine, but deliver the queen
from thee, and pike thee lightly out of this court. Well, said Sir
Launcelot, and I had wist of this short coming, I would have advised me
twice or that I had come hither; for and the queen had been so dear to
me as ye noise her, I durst have kept her from the fellowship of the
best knights under heaven. And then Sir Launcelot said unto Guenever,
in hearing of the king and them all, Madam, now I must depart from you
and this noble fellowship for ever; and sithen it is so, I beseech you
to pray for me, and say me well, and if ye be hard bestad by any false
tongues, lightly, my lady, let send me word, and if any knight’s hands
may deliver you by battle, I shall deliver you. And therewithal Sir
Launcelot kissed the queen, and then he said all openly, Now let see
what he be in this place, that dare say the queen is not true unto my
lord Arthur: let see who will speak, and he dare speak. And therewith
he brought the queen to the king, and then Sir Launcelot took his leave
and departed; and there was neither king, duke ne earl, baron ne
knight, lady nor gentlewoman, but all they wept as people out of their
mind, except Sir Gawaine; and when the noble Sir Launcelot took his
horse, to ride out of Carlisle, there was sobbing and weeping for pure
dole of his departing; and so he took his way unto Joyous Gard, and
then ever after he called it the Dolorous Gard. And thus departed Sir
Launcelot from the court for ever. And so when he came to Joyous Gard,
he called his fellowship unto him, and asked them what they would do.
Then they answered all wholly together with one voice, they would as he
would do. My fair fellows, said Sir Launcelot, I must depart out of
this most noble realm, and now I shall depart it grieveth me sore, for
I shall depart with no worship. For a banished man departed never out
of no realm with no worship, and that is my heaviness, for ever I fear
after my days that they shall chronicle upon me that I was banished out
of this land; and else, my fair lords, be ye sure, and I had not dread
shame, my lady queen Guenever and I should never have departed. Then
spake many noble knights, as Sir Palamides, Sir Safir his brother, and
Sir Bellangere le Beuse, and Sir Urre with Sir Lavaine, with many
other, Sir, and ye be so disposed to abide in this country, we will
never fail you; and if ye list not to abide in this land, there is none
of the good knights that here be will fail you, for many causes. One
is, all we that be not of your blood shall never be welcome to the
court. And sithen it liked us to take a part with you in your distress
and heaviness in this realm, wit you well it shall like us as well to
go in other countries with you, and there to take such part as ye do.
My fair lords, said Sir Launcelot, I well understand you, and, as I
can, thank you: and ye shall understand such livelihood as I am born
unto I shall depart with you, in this manner of wise, that is for to
say, I shall depart all my livelihood and all my lands freely among
you, and I myself will have as little as any of you, for have I
sufficient that may long to my person, I will ask none other rich
array; and I trust to God to maintain you on my lands as well as ever
were maintained any knights. Then spake all the knights at once, He
have shame that will leave you; for we all understand in this realm
will be now no quiet, but ever strife and debate, now the fellowship of
the Round Table is broken; for by the noble fellowship of the Round
Table was king Arthur upborne, and by their nobleness the king and all
his realm was in quiet and in rest. And a great part, they said all,
was because of your nobleness.
CHAP. XVIII.
_How Sir Launcelot passed over the sea, and how he made great lords of
the knights that went with him._
Truly, said Sir Launcelot, I thank you all of your good saying,
howbeit, I wot well, in me was not all the stability of this realm. But
in that I might I did my devoir, and well, I am sure, I knew many