Le Morte Darthur
glad. At what time suppose ye the two kings will be here? Sir, said
they, afore Allhallowmas. Then the king let purvey for a great feast,
and let cry a great justs. And by Allhallowmas the two kings were come
over the sea with three hundred knights well arrayed both for the peace
and for the war. And king Arthur met with them ten mile out of London,
and there was great joy as could be thought or made. And on
Allhallowmas at the great feast sat in the hall the three kings, and
Sir Kay the seneschal served in the hall, and Sir Lucas the butler,
that was duke Corneus’s son, and Sir Griflet that was the son of
Cardol, these three knights had the rule of all the service that served
the kings. And anon as they had washed and risen, all knights that
would just made them ready. By then they were ready on horseback there
were seven hundred knights. And Arthur, Ban, and Bors, with the
archbishop of Canterbury, and Sir Ector, Kay’s father, they were in a
place covered with cloth of gold, like an hall, with ladies and
gentlewomen, for to behold who did best, and thereon to give judgment.
CHAP. IX.
_Of a great tourney made by king Arthur and the two kings Ban and Bors,
and how they went over the Sea._
And king Arthur and the two kings let part the seven hundred knights in
two parties. And there were three hundred knights of the realm of
Benwick and of Gaul turned on the other side. Then they dressed their
shields, and began to couch their spears many good knights. So Griflet
was the first that met with a knight, one Ladinas, and they met so
eagerly that all men had wonder; and they so fought that their shields
fell to pieces, and horse and man fell to the earth, and both the
French knight and the English knight lay so long, that all men wend
they had been dead. When Lucas the butler saw Griflet so lie, he horsed
him again anon, and they two did marvellous deeds of arms with many
bachelors. Also Sir Kay came out of an embushment with five knights
with him, and they six smote other six down. But Sir Kay did that day
marvellous deeds of arms, that there was none did so well as he that
day. Then there came Ladinas and Grastian, two knights of France, and
did passing well, that all men praised them. Then came there Sir
Placidas, a good knight, and met with Sir Kay and smote him down, horse
and man, wherefore Sir Griflet was wroth, and met with Sir Placidas so
hard that horse and man fell to the earth. But when the five knights
wist that Sir Kay had a fall they were wroth out of wit, and therewith
each of them five bare down a knight. When king Arthur and the two
kings saw them begin to wax wroth on both parts, they leapt on small
hackneys, and let cry that all men should depart unto their lodging.
And so they went home and unarmed them, and so to even-song and supper.
And after the three kings went into a garden, and gave the prize unto
Sir Kay, and to Lucas the butler, and unto Sir Griflet. And then they
went unto council, and with them Gwenbaus, the brother unto Sir Ban and
Bors, a wise clerk, and thither went Ulfius, and Brastias, and Merlin.
And after they had been in council they went unto bed. And on the morn
they heard mass, and to dinner, and so to their council, and made many
arguments what were best to do. At the last they were concluded, that
Merlin should go with a token of king Ban, (and that was a ring,) unto
his men and king Bors’s: and Gracian and Placidas should go again and
keep their castles and their countries, as king Ban of Benwick and king
Bors of Gaul had ordained them; and so they passed the sea and came to
Benwick. And when the people saw king Ban’s ring, and Gracian and
Placidas, they were glad, and asked how the kings fared, and made great
joy of their welfare and according. And according unto the sovereign
lords’ desire, the men of war made them ready in all haste possible, so
that they were fifteen thousand on horse and foot, and they had great
plenty of victual with them by Merlin’s provision. But Gracian and
Placidas were left to furnish and garnish the castles for dread of king
Claudas. Right so Merlin passed the sea, well victualled both by water
and by land. And when he came to the sea he sent home the footmen
again, and took no more with him but ten thousand men on horseback, the
most part men of arms, and so shipped and passed the sea into England,
and landed at Dover: and through the wit of Merlin he led the host
northward, the priviest way that could be thought, unto the forest of
Bedegraine, and there in a valley he lodged them secretly.
Then rode Merlin unto king Arthur and the two kings and told them how
he had sped, whereof they had great marvel, that man on earth might
speed so soon, and go and come. So Merlin told them ten thousand were
in the forest of Bedegraine, well armed at all points. Then was there
no more to say, but to horseback went all the host as Arthur had afore
purveyed. So with twenty thousand he passed by night and day. But there
was made such an ordinance afore by Merlin, that there should no man of
war ride nor go in no country on this side Trent water, but if he had a
token from king Arthur, where through the king’s enemies durst not
ride, as they did tofore, to espy.
CHAP. X.
_How eleven kings gathered a great host against king Arthur._
And so within a little space the three kings came unto the castle of
Bedegraine, and found there a passing fair fellowship and well beseen,
whereof they had great joy, and victual they wanted none.
This was the cause of the northern host: that they were reared for the
despite and rebuke that the six kings had at Carlion. And those six
kings by their means gat unto them five other kings, and thus they
began to gather their people, and how they sware that for weal nor woe
they should not leave each other till they had destroyed Arthur. And
then they made an oath. The first that began the oath was the duke of
Cambenet, that he would bring with him five thousand men of arms, the
which were ready on horseback. Then sware king Brandegoris of
Stranggore that he would bring five thousand men of arms on horseback.
Then sware king Clariance of Northumberland that he would bring three
thousand men of arms. Then sware the king of the hundred knights, that
was a passing good man and a young, that he would bring four thousand
men on horseback. Then there swore king Lot, a passing good knight and
Sir Gawaine’s father, that he would bring five thousand men of arms on
horseback. Also there swore king Urience, that was Sir Uwaine’s father,
of the land of Gore, and he would bring six thousand men of arms on
horseback. Also there swore king Idres of Cornwall, that he would bring
five thousand men of arms on horseback. Also there swore king Cradelmas
to bring five thousand men of arms on horseback. Also there swore king
Agwisance of Ireland, to bring five thousand men of arms on horseback.
Also there swore king Nentres to bring five thousand men of arms on
horseback. Also there swore king Carados to bring five thousand men of
arms on horseback. So their whole host was of clean men of arms on
horseback fifty thousand; and afoot ten thousand of good mens’ bodies.
Then were they soon ready and mounted upon horse, and sent forth their
fore-riders: for these eleven kings in their way laid siege unto the
castle of Bedegraine; and so they departed and drew toward Arthur, and
left few to abide at the siege, for the castle of Bedegraine was holden
of king Arthur, and the men that were therein were Arthur’s.
CHAP. XI.
_Of a dream of the king with the hundred knights._
So by Merlin’s advice there were sent fore-riders to skim the country,
and they met with the fore-riders of the north, and made them to tell
which way the host came, and then they told it to Arthur, and by king
Ban and Bors’s counsel they let burn and destroy all the country afore
them where they should ride.
The king with the hundred knights dreamed a wonder dream two nights
afore the battle, that there blew a great wind, and blew down their
castles and their towns, and after that came a water and bare it all
away. All that heard of the dream said it was a token of great battle.
Then, by counsel of Merlin, when they wist which way the eleven kings
would ride and lodge that night, at midnight they set upon them, as
they were in their pavilions. But the scout-watch by their host cried,
Lords! at arms! for here be your enemies at your hand!
CHAP. XII.
_How the eleven kings with their host fought against Arthur and his
host, and many great feats of the war._
Then king Arthur and king Ban and king Bors, with their good and trusty
knights, set on them so fiercely that they made them overthrow their
pavilions on their heads; but the eleven kings by manly prowess of arms
took a fair field. But there was slain that morrow tide ten thousand
good men’s bodies. And so they had afore them a strong passage, yet
were they fifty thousand of hardy men. Then it drew toward day. Now
shall ye do by mine advice, said Merlin unto the three kings: I would
that king Ban and king Bors with their fellowship of ten thousand men
were put in a wood here beside in an embushment, and keep them privy,
and that they be laid or the light of the day come, and that they stir
nor till ye and your knights have fought with them long: and when it is
daylight dress your battle even afore them and the passage, that they
may see all your host, for then they will be the more hardy when they
see you but about twenty thousand, and be the gladder to suffer you and
your host to come over the passage. All the three kings and the whole
barons said that Merlin said passingly well, and it was done anon as
Merlin had devised. So on the morn, when either host saw other, the
host of the north was well comforted. Then to Ulfius and Brastias were
delivered three thousand men of arms, and they set on them fiercely in
the passage, and slew on the right hand and on the left hand, that it
was wonder to tell. When that the eleven knights saw that there was so
few a fellowship did such deeds of arms, they were ashamed, and set on
them again fiercely, and there was Sir Ulfius’s horse slain under him,
but he did marvellously well on foot. But the duke Eustace of Cambenet,
and king Clariance of Northumberland, were alway grievous on Sir
Ulfius. When Brastias saw his fellow fared so withal, he smote the duke
with a spear, that horse and man fell down. That saw king Clariance,
and returned to Brastias, and either smote other so that horse and man
went to the earth, and so they lay long astonied, and their horses’
knees brast to the hard bone. Then came Sir Kay the seneschal with six
fellows with him, and did passing well. With that came the eleven
kings, and there was Griflet put to the earth, horse and man, and Lucas
the butler, horse and man, by king Brandegoris and king Idres and king
Agwisance. Then waxed the meddle passing hard on both parties. When Sir
Kay saw Griflet on foot he rode on king Nentres and smote him down, and
led his horse to Sir Griflet and horsed him again. Also Sir Kay with
the same spear smote down king Lot, and hurt him passing sore. That saw
the king with the hundred knights, and ran unto Sir Kay and smote him
down and took his horse, and gave him to king Lot, whereof he said
gramercy. When Sir Griflet saw Sir Kay and Lucas the butler on foot, he
took a sharp spear great and square and rode to Pinel, a good man of
arms, and smote horse and man down, and then he took his horse and gave
him unto Sir Kay. When king Lot saw king Nentres on foot he ran unto
Melot de la Roche and smote him down horse and man, and gave king