Le Morte Darthur
out of joint, where through I must needs rest me. Ye shall well, said
king Pellinore. And so he alighted under a fair tree where was fair
grass, and he put his horse thereto, and so laid him under the tree and
slept till it was nigh night. And when he awoke he would have ridden.
Sir, said the lady, it is so dark that ye may as well ride backward as
forward. So they abode still and made there their lodging. Then Sir
Pellinore put off his armour; then a little afore midnight they heard
the trotting of an horse. Be ye still, said king Pellinore, for we
shall hear of some adventure.
CHAP. XIV.
_How on the way king Pellinore heard two knights, as he lay by night in
a valley, and of other adventures._
And therewith he armed him. So right even afore him there met two
knights, the one came from Camelot and the other from the north, and
either saluted other. What tidings at Camelot? said the one. By my
head, said the other, there have I been, and espied the court of king
Arthur, and there is such a fellowship they may never be broken, and
well nigh all the world holdeth with Arthur, for there is the flower of
chivalry. Now for this cause I am riding into the north to tell our
chieftains of the fellowship that is withholden with king Arthur. As
for that, said the other knight, I have brought a remedy with me, that
is the greatest poison that ever ye heard speak of, and to Camelot will
I with it, for we have a friend right nigh king Arthur, and well
cherished, that shall poison king Arthur, for so he hath promised our
chieftains, and received great gifts for to do it. Beware, said the
other knight, of Merlin, for he knoweth all things by the devil’s
craft. Therefore will I not let it, said the knight. And so they
departed in sunder. Anon after Pellinore made him ready, and his lady,
and rode toward Camelot. And as they came by the well there as the
wounded knight was and the lady, there he found the knight, and the
lady eaten with lions or wild beasts all save the head, wherefore he
made great sorrow, and wept passing sore, and said: Alas, her life
might I have saved, but I was so fierce in my quest therefore I would
not abide. Wherefore make ye such dole, said the lady. I wot not, said
Pellinore, but my heart mourneth sore for the death of her, for she was
a passing fair lady and a young. Now will ye do by mine advice, said
the lady, take this knight and let him be buried in an hermitage, and
then take the lady’s head and bear it with you unto Arthur. So king
Pellinore took this dead knight on his shoulders and brought him to the
hermitage, and charged the hermit with the corpse, that service should
be done for the soul; and take his harness for your pain. It shall be
done, said the hermit, as I will answer unto God.
CHAP. XV.
_How when king Pellinore was come to Camelot he was sworn upon a book
to tell truth of his quest._
And therewith they departed and came there as the head of the lady lay
with a fair yellow hair, that grieved king Pellinore passingly sore
when he looked on it, for much he cast his heart on the visage. And so
by noon they came to Camelot. And the king and the queen were passing
fain of his coming to the court. And there he was made to swear upon
the four Evangelists to tell the truth of his quest from the one to the
other. Ah, Sir Pellinore, said queen Guenever, ye were greatly to blame
that ye saved not this lady’s life. Madam, said Pellinore, ye were
greatly to blame and ye would not save your own life and ye might; but
saving your pleasure, I was so furious in my quest that I would not
abide, and that repenteth me, and shall the days of my life. Truly,
said Merlin, ye ought sore to repent it, for the lady was your own
daughter, and that knight that was dead was her love, and should have
wedded her, and he was a right good knight of a young man, and would
have proved a good man, and to this court was he coming, and his name
was Sir Miles of the lands, and a knight came behind him and slew him
with a spear, and his name is Loraine le Savage, a false knight and a
coward; and she for great sorrow and dole slew herself with his sword,
and her name was Eleine. And because ye would not abide and help her,
ye shall see your best friend fail you when ye be in the greatest
distress that ever ye were or shall be. And that penance God hath
ordained you for that deed, that he that ye shall most trust to of any
man alive, he shall leave you there as ye shall be slain. Me
forthinketh, said king Pellinore, that this shall betide, but God may
well fordo destiny.
Thus when the quest was done of the white hart, the which followed Sir
Gawaine; and the quest of the brachet followed of Sir Tor, Pellinore’s
son; and the quest of the lady that the knight took away, the which
king Pellinore at that time followed; then the king stablished all his
knights, and them that were of lands not rich he gave them lands, and
charged them never to do outrage, nor murder, and always to flee
treason. Also, by no mean to be cruel, but to give mercy unto him that
asketh mercy, upon pain of forfeiture of their worship and lordship of
king Arthur for evermore; and alway to do ladies, damsels, and
gentlewomen succour upon pain of death. Also, that no man take no
battles in a wrongful quarrel for no law, nor for world’s goods. Unto
this were all the knights sworn of the Table Round, both old and young.
And every year were they sworn at the high feast of Pentecost.
Explicit the weddynge of kynge Arthur.
Sequitur quartus liber.
The Fourth Book.
CHAP. I.
_How Merlin was assotted and doted on one of the ladies of the lake,
and how he was shut in a rock under a stone, and there died._
So after these quests of Sir Gawaine, Sir Tor, and king Pellinore, it
fell so that Merlin fell in a dotage on the damsel that king Pellinore
brought to court, and she was one of the damsels of the lake, that
hight Nimue. But Merlin would let her have no rest, but always he would
be with her. And ever she made Merlin good cheer till she had learned
of him all manner thing that she desired; and he was assotted upon her
that he might not be from her. So on a time he told king Arthur that he
should not dure long, but for all his crafts he should be put in the
earth quick, and so he told the king many things that should befall,
but always he warned the king to keep well his sword and the scabbard,
for he told him how the sword and the scabbard should be stolen by a
woman from him that he most trusted. Also he told king Arthur that he
should miss him:—Yet had ye lever than all your lands to have me
again. Ah, said the king, since ye know of your adventure, purvey for
it, and put away by your crafts that misadventure. Nay, said Merlin, it
will not be. So he departed from the king. And within awhile the damsel
of the lake departed, and Merlin went with her evermore wheresoever she
went. And oft times Merlin would have had her privily away by his
subtle crafts: then she made him to swear that he should never do none
enchantment upon her if he would have his will. And so he sware: so she
and Merlin went over the sea unto the land of Benwick, where as king
Ban was king that had great war against king Claudas, and there Merlin
spake with king Ban’s wife, a fair lady and a good, and her name was
Elaine, and there he saw young Launcelot. There the queen made great
sorrow for the mortal war that king Claudas made on her lord and on her
lands. Take none heaviness, said Merlin, for this same child within
this twenty year shall revenge you on king Claudas, that all
christendom shall speak of it: and this same child shall be the man of
most worship of the world, and his first name is Galahad, that know I
well, said Merlin, and since ye have confirmed him, Launcelot. That is
truth, said the queen, his first name was Galahad. O, Merlin, said the
queen, shall I live to see my son such a man of prowess? Yea, lady, on
my peril ye shall see it, and live many winters after. And so, soon
after the lady and Merlin departed; and by the way Merlin shewed her
many wonders, and came into Cornwall. And always Merlin lay about the
lady to have her love, and she was ever passing weary of him, and fain
would have been delivered of him, for she was afeard of him because he
was a devil’s son, and she could not put him away by no means.
And so on a time it happed that Merlin shewed to her in a rock whereas
was a great wonder, and wrought by enchantment, that went under a great
stone. So by her subtle working, she made Merlin to go under that stone
to let her wit of the marvels there, but she wrought so there for him
that he came never out for all the craft that he could do. And so she
departed and left Merlin.
CHAP. II.
_How five kings came into this land to war against king Arthur, and
what counsel Arthur had against them._
And as king Arthur rode to Camelot, and held there a great feast with
mirth and joy, so soon after he returned unto Cardoile, and there came
unto Arthur new tidings that the king of Denmark, and the king of
Ireland that was his brother, and the king of the Vale, and the king of
Soleise, and the king of the Isle of Longtainse, all these five kings
with a great host were entered into the land of king Arthur, and burnt
and slew clean afore them both cities and castles, that it was pity to
hear. Alas, said Arthur, yet had I never rest one month since I was
crowned king of this land. Now shall I never rest till I meet with
those kings in a fair field, that I make mine avow; for my true liege
people shall not be destroyed in my default, go with me who will, and
abide who that will. Then the king let write unto king Pellinore, and
prayed him in all haste to make him ready with such people as he might
lightliest rear, and hie him after in all haste. All the barons were
privily wroth that the king would depart so suddenly: but the king by
no mean would abide, but made writing unto them that were not there,
and had them hie after him, such as were not at that time in the court.
Then the king came to queen Guenever, and said, Lady, make you ready,
for ye shall go with me, for I may not long miss you, ye shall cause me
to be the more hardy, what adventure so befall me: I will not wit my
lady to be in no jeopardy. Sir, said she, I am at your commandment, and
shall be ready what time so ye be ready. So on the morn the king and
the queen departed with such fellowship as they had, and came into the
north into a forest beside Humber, and there lodged them. When the word
and tiding came to the five kings above said, that king Arthur was
beside Humber in a forest, there was a knight, brother unto one of the
five kings, that gave them this counsel: Ye know well that Sir Arthur
hath the flower of chivalry of the world with him, as it is proved by
the great battle he did with the eleven kings; and therefore hie unto
him night and day till that we be nigh him, for the longer he tarrieth
the bigger he is, and we ever the weaker; and he is so courageous of
himself, that he is come to the field with little people, and therefore
let us set upon him or day, and we shall slay down of his knights there
shall none escape.
CHAP. III.
_How king Arthur had ado with them and overthrew them, and slew the
five kings, and made the remnant to flee._
Unto this counsel these five kings assented, and so they passed forth
with their host through North Wales, and came upon Arthur by night, and
set upon his host as the king and his knights were in their pavilions.
King Arthur was unarmed, and had laid him to rest with his queen