Le Morte Darthur
slew himself with his own sword, and how Balin rode toward a castle
where he lost his life._
And when Garnish beheld her so lying, for pure sorrow his mouth and
nose burst out on bleeding, and with his sword he smote off both their
heads, and then he made sorrow out of measure and said, Oh Balin, much
sorrow hast thou brought unto me, for hadst thou not shewn me that
sight I should have passed my sorrow. Forsooth, said Balin, I did it to
this intent that it should better thy courage, and that ye might see
and know her falsehood, and to cause you to leave love of such a lady:
truly I did none other but as I would ye did to me. Alas! said Garnish,
now is my sorrow double that I may not endure: now have I slain that I
most loved in all my life. And therewith suddenly he rove himself on
his own sword unto the hilts. When Balin saw that, he dressed him
thenceward, lest folks would say he had slain them, and so he rode
forth, and within three days he came by a cross, and thereon were
letters of gold written that said, It is not for any knight alone to
ride toward this castle. Then saw he an old hoar gentleman coming
toward him that said, Balin le Savage, thou passest thy bounds to come
this way, therefore turn again and it will avail thee. And he vanished
away anon; and so he heard an horn blow as it had been the death of a
beast. That blast, said Balin, is blown for me, for I am the prize, yet
am I not dead. Anon withal he saw an hundred ladies and many knights,
that welcomed him with fair semblance, and made him passing good cheer
unto his sight, and led him into the castle, and there was dancing and
minstrelsy, and all manner of joy. Then the chief lady of the castle
said, Knight with the two swords, ye must have ado with a knight hereby
that keepeth an island, for there may no man pass this way but he must
just or he pass. That is an unhappy custom, said Balin, that a knight
may not pass this way but if he just. Ye shall not have ado but with
one knight, said the lady. Well, said Balin, since I shall, thereto am
I ready, but travelling men are oft weary, and their horses also; but
though my horse be weary my heart is not weary. I would be fain there
my death should be. Sir, said a knight to Balin, me thinketh your
shield is not good, I will lend you a bigger: therefore I pray you: and
so he took the shield that was unknown and left his own, and so rode
unto the island, and put him and his horse in a great boat, and when he
came on the other side he met with a damsel, and she said, O knight
Balin, why have ye left your own shield? alas! ye have put your self in
great danger, for by your shield ye should have been known: it is great
pity of you as ever was of knight, for of thy prowess and hardiness
thou hast no fellow living. Me repenteth, said Balin, that ever I came
within this country, but I may not turn now again for shame, and what
adventure shall fall to me, be it life or death, I will take the
adventure that shall come to me. And then he looked on his armour, and
understood he was well armed, and therewith blessed him, and mounted
upon his horse.
CHAP. XVIII.
_How Balin met with his brother Balan, and how each of them slew other
unknown, till they were wounded to death._
Then afore him he saw come riding out of a castle a knight, and his
horse trapped all red, and himself in the same colour. When this knight
in the red beheld Balin, him thought it should be his brother Balin
because of his two swords, but because he knew not his shield, he
deemed it was not he. And so they aventred their spears, and came
marvellously fast together, and they smote each other in the shields,
but their spears and their course were so big that it bare down horse
and man, that they lay both in a swoon. But Balin was bruised sore with
the fall of his horse, for he was weary of travel. And Balan was the
first that rose on foot and drew his sword, and went toward Balin, and
he arose and went against him, but Balan smote Balin first, and he put
up his shield, and smote him through the shield and cleft his helm.
Then Balin smote him again with that unhappy sword, and well nigh had
felled his brother Balan, and so they fought there together till their
breaths failed. Then Balin looked up to the castle, and saw the towers
stand full of ladies. So they went to battle again, and wounded each
other dolefully, and then they breathed oft-times, and so went unto
battle, that all the place there as they fought was blood red. And at
that time there was none of them both but they had either smitten other
seven great wounds, so that the least of them might have been the death
of the mightiest giant in this world. Then they went to battle again so
marvellously that doubt it was to hear of that battle for the great
bloodshedding, and their hauberks unnailed, that naked they were on
every side. At the last Balan, the younger brother, withdrew him a
little and laid him down. Then said Balin le Savage, What knight art
thou? for or now I found never no knight that matched me. My name is,
said he, Balan, brother to the good knight Balin. Alas! said Balin,
that ever I should see this day. And therewith he fell backward in a
swoon. Then Balan went on all four feet and hands, and put off the helm
of his brother, and might not know him by the visage it was so full
hewen and bled; but when he awoke he said, O Balan, my brother, thou
hast slain me and I thee, wherefore all the wide world shall speak of
us both. Alas! said Balan, that ever I saw this day, that through
mishap I might not know you, for I espied well your two swords, but
because ye had another shield I deemed you had been another knight.
Alas! said Balin, all that made an unhappy knight in the castle, for he
caused me to leave mine own shield to our both’s destruction, and if I
might live I would destroy that castle for ill customs. That were well
done, said Balan, for I had never grace to depart from them since that
I came hither, for here it happed me to slay a knight that kept this
island, and since might I never depart, and no more should ye brother,
and ye might have slain me as ye have, and escaped yourself with the
life. Right so came the lady of the tower with four knights and six
ladies and six yeomen unto them, and there she heard how they made
their moan either to other, and said, We came both out of one womb, and
so shall we lye both in one pit. So Balan prayed the lady of her
gentleness, for his true service that she would bury them both in that
same place there the battle was done. And she granted them with weeping
it should be done richly in the best manner. Now will ye send for a
priest, that we may receive our sacrament and receive the blessed body
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yea, said the lady, it shall be done. And so
she sent for a priest and gave them their rites. Now, said Balin, when
we are buried in one tomb, and the mention made over us how two
brethren slew each other, there will never good knight nor good man see
our tomb but they will pray for our souls. And so all the ladies and
gentlewomen wept for pity. Then, anon Balan died, but Balin died not
till the midnight after, and so were they buried both, and the lady let
make a mention of Balan how he was there slain by his brother’s hands,
but she knew not Balin’s name.
CHAP. XIX.
_How Merlin buried them both in one tomb, and of Balin’s sword._
In the morn came Merlin and let write Balin’s name upon the tomb, with
letters of gold, That here lieth Balin le Savage, that was the knight
with the two swords, and he that smote the dolorous stroke. Also Merlin
let make there a bed, that there should never man lye therein but he
went out of his wit, yet Launcelot de Lake fordid that bed through his
nobleness. And anon after Balin was dead, Merlin took his sword and
took off the pommel, and set on another pommel. So Merlin bad a knight
that stood afore him to handle that sword, and he assayed, and he might
not handle it. Then Merlin laughed. Why laugh ye? said the knight. This
is the cause, said Merlin: there shall never man handle this sword but
the best knight of the world, and that shall be Sir Launcelot, or else
Galahad his son, and Launcelot with this sword shall slay the man that
in the world he loved best, that shall be Sir Gawaine. All this he let
write in the pommel of the sword. Then Merlin let make a bridge of iron
and of steel into that island, and it was but half a foot broad, and
there shall never man pass that bridge, nor have hardiness to go over,
but if he were a passing good man and a good knight without treachery
or villainy. Also the scabbard of Balin’s sword Merlin left it on this
side the island that Galahad should find it. Also Merlin let make by
his subtilty that Balin’s sword was put in a marble stone standing
upright as great as a millstone, and the stone hoved always above the
water, and did many years, and so by adventure it swam down the stream
to the city of Camelot, that is in English Winchester. And that same
day Galahad the haut prince came with king Arthur, and so Galahad
brought with him the scabbard, and achieved the sword that was there in
the marble stone hoving upon the water. And on Whitsunday he achieved
the sword, as it is rehearsed in the book of the Sangreal. Soon after
this was done Merlin came to king Arthur and told him of the dolorous
stroke that Balin gave to king Pellam, and how Balin and Balan fought
together the most marvellous battle that ever was heard of, and how
they were buried both in one tomb. Alas! said king Arthur, this is the
greatest pity that ever I heard tell of two knights, for in the world I
know not such two knights. Thus endeth the tale of Balin and Balan, two
brethren born in Northumberland, good knights.
Sequitur iii liber.
The Third Book.
CHAP. I.
_How king Arthur took a wife, and wedded Guenever daughter to
Leodegrance, king of the land of Cameliard, with whom he had the
Round Table._
In the beginning of Arthur, after he was chosen king by adventure and
by grace,—for the most part of the barons knew not that he was Uther
Pendragon’s son, but as Merlin made it openly known,—many kings and
lords made great war against him for that cause; but well Arthur
overcame them all; for the most part of the days of his life he was
ruled much by the counsel of Merlin. So it fell on a time king Arthur
said unto Merlin, My barons will let me have no rest, but needs I must
take a wife, and I will none take but by thy counsel and by thine
advice. It is well done, said Merlin, that ye take a wife, for a man of
your bounty and nobleness should not be without a wife. Now is there
any that ye love more than another? Yea, said king Arthur, I love
Guenever, the daughter of king Leodegrance, of the land of Cameliard,
which Leodegrance holdeth in his house the Table Round, that ye told he
had of my father, Uther. And this damsel is the most valiant and
fairest lady that I know living, or yet that ever I could find. Sir,
said Merlin, as of her beauty and fairness she is one of the fairest on
live. But and ye loved her not so well as ye do, I could find you a
damsel of beauty and of goodness that should like you and please you,
and your heart were not set; but there as a man’s heart is set, he will
be loth to return. That is truth, said king Arthur. But Merlin warned
the king covertly that Guenever was not wholesome for him to take to
wife, for he warned him that Launcelot should love her, and she him
again; and so he turned his tale to the adventures of the Sangreal.
Then Merlin desired of the king to have men with him that should