Le Morte Darthur
Guenever. Sir, said Sir Kay, it is not good we be unarmed: we shall
have no need, said Sir Gawaine and Sir Griflet, that lay in a little
pavilion by the king. With that they heard a great noise, and many
cried treason, treason! Alas, said king Arthur, we are betrayed! Unto
arms, fellows! then he cried. So they were armed anon at all points.
Then came there a wounded knight unto the king, and said, Sir, save
yourself and my lady the queen, for our host is destroyed, and much
people of ours slain. So anon the king and the queen and the three
knights took their horses, and rode toward Humber to pass over it, and
the water was so rough that they were afeard to pass over. Now may ye
choose, said king Arthur, whether ye will abide and take the adventure
on this side, for and ye be taken they will slay you. It were me lever,
said the queen, to die in the water than to fall in your enemies’
hands, and there be slain. And as they stood so talking, Sir Kay saw
the five kings coming on horseback by themselves alone, with their
spears in their hands even toward them. Lo, said Sir Kay, yonder be the
five kings, let us go to them and match them. That were folly, said Sir
Gawaine, for we are but four and they be five. That is truth, said Sir
Griflet. No force, said Sir Kay, I will undertake for two of them, and
then may ye three undertake for the other three. And therewithal Sir
Kay let his horse run as fast as he might, and struck one of them
through the shield and the body a fathom, that the king fell to the
earth stark dead. That saw Sir Gawaine and ran unto another king so
hard that he smote him through the body. And therewithal king Arthur
ran to another, and smote him through the body with a spear, that he
fell to the earth dead. Then Sir Griflet ran unto the fourth king, and
gave him such a fall that his neck brake. Anon Sir Kay ran unto the
fifth king, and smote him so hard on the helm that the stroke clave the
helm and the head to the earth. That was well stricken, said king
Arthur, and worshipfully hast thou holden thy promise, therefore I
shall honour thee while that I live. And therewithal they set the queen
in a barge into Humber, but always queen Guenever praised Sir Kay for
his deeds, and said, What lady that ye love, and she love you not
again, she were greatly to blame; and among ladies, said the queen, I
shall bear your noble fame, for ye spake a great word, and fulfilled it
worshipfully. And therewith the queen departed. Then the king and the
three knights rode into the forest, for there they supposed to hear of
them that were escaped; and there king Arthur found the most part of
his people, and told them all how the five kings were dead.—And
therefore let us hold us together till it be day, and when their host
have espied that their chieftains be slain, they will make such dole
that they shall no more help themselves. And right so as the king said,
so it was; for when they found the five kings dead, they made such dole
that they fell from their horses. Therewithal came king Arthur but with
a few people, and slew on the left hand and on the right hand, that
well nigh there escaped no man, but all were slain to the number of
thirty thousand. And when the battle was all ended, the king kneeled
down and thanked God meekly. And then he sent for the queen, and soon
she was come, and she made great joy of the overcoming of that battle.
CHAP. IV.
_How the battle was finished or king Pellinore came, and how king
Arthur founded an abbey where the battle was._
Therewithal came one to king Arthur, and told him that king Pellinore
was within three mile with a great host; and he said, Go unto him, and
let him understand how we have sped. So within awhile king Pellinore
came with a great host, and saluted the people and the king: and there
was great joy made on every side. Then the king let search how much
people of his party there was slain: and there were found but little
past two hundred men slain, and eight knights of the Table Round in
their pavilions. Then the king let rear and devise in the same place
there as the battle was done a fair abbey, and endowed it with great
livelihood, and let call it the Abbey of La Beale Adventure. But when
some of them came into their countries whereof the five kings were
kings, and told them how they were slain, there was made great dole.
And when all king Arthur’s enemies, as the king of North Wales, and the
kings of the North, wist of the battle they were passing heavy. And so
the king returned to Camelot in haste. And when he was come to Camelot
he called king Pellinore unto him, and said, Ye understand well, that
we have lost eight knights of the best of the Table Round, and by your
advice we will choose eight again of the best we may find in this
court. Sir, said Pellinore, I shall counsel you after my conceit the
best; there are in your court full noble knights both of old and young,
and therefore by mine advice ye shall choose half of the old and half
of the young. Which be the old? said king Arthur. Sir, said king
Pellinore, me seemeth that king Uriens that hath wedded your sister
Morgan le Fay, and the king of the Lake, and Sir Hervise de Revel, a
noble knight, and Sir Galagars the fourth. This is well devised, said
king Arthur, and right so shall it be. Now, which are the four young
knights? said Arthur. Sir, said Pellinore, the first is Sir Gawaine
your nephew, that is as good a knight of his time as any is in this
land; and the second, as me seemeth, is Sir Griflet le Fise de Dieu,
that is a good knight, and full desirous in arms, and who may see him
live he shall prove a good knight; and the third as me seemeth is well
to be one of the knights of the Round Table, Sir Kay the seneschal, for
many times he hath done full worshipfully, and now at your last battle
he did full honourably for to undertake to slay two kings. By my head,
said king Arthur, he is best worthy to be a knight of the Round Table
of any that ye have rehearsed, and he had done no more prowess in his
life days.
CHAP. V.
_How Sir Tor was made knight of the Round Table, and how Bagdemagus was
displeased._
Now, said king Pellinore, I shall put to you two knights, and ye shall
choose which is most worthy, that is Sir Bagdemagus, and Sir Tor, my
son. But because Sir Tor is my son I may not praise him, but else, and
he were not my son, I durst say that of his age there is not in this
land a better knight then he is, nor of better conditions, and loth to
do any wrong, and loth to take any wrong. By my head, said Arthur, he
is a passing good knight, as any ye spake of this day, that wot I well,
said the king, for I have seen him proved, but he saith little, and he
doth much more, for I know none in all this court, and he were as well
born on his mother’s side as he is on your side, that is like him of
prowess and of might; and therefore I will have him at this time, and
leave Sir Bagdemagus till another time. So when they were so chosen by
the assent of all the barons, so were there found in their sieges every
knight’s names that here are rehearsed. And so were they set in their
sieges, whereof Sir Bagdemagus was wonderly wroth, that Sir Tor was
advanced afore him, and therefore suddenly he departed from the court,
and took his squire with him, and rode long in a forest till they came
to a cross, and there alight and said his prayers devoutly. The
meanwhile his squire found written upon the cross, that Bagdemagus
should never return unto the court again till he had won a knight’s
body of the Round Table, body for body. Lo, sir, said his squire, here
I find writing of you, therefore I counsel you return again to the
court. That shall I never, said Bagdemagus, till men speak of me great
worship, and that I be worthy to be a knight of the Round Table. And so
he rode forth. And there by the way he found a branch of an holy herb
that was the sign of the Sangreal, and no knight found such tokens but
he were a good liver. So as Sir Bagdemagus rode to see many adventures,
it happed him to come to the rock there as the lady of the lake had put
Merlin under a stone, and there he heard him make great dole; whereof
Sir Bagdemagus would have holpen him, and went unto the great stone,
and it was so heavy that an hundred men might not lift it up. When
Merlin wist he was there, he bad leave his labour, for all was in vain,
for he might never be holpen but by her that put him there. And so Sir
Bagdemagus departed, and did many adventures, and proved after a full
good knight, and came again to the court, and was made knight of the
Round Table. So on the morn there fell new tidings and other adventures.
CHAP. VI.
_How king Arthur, king Uriens, and Sir Accolon of Gaul chased an hart,
and of their marvellous adventures._
Then it befel that Arthur and many of his knights rode on hunting into
a great forest, and it happed king Arthur, king Uriens, and Sir Accolon
of Gaul followed a great hart, for they three were well horsed, and so
they chased so fast that within awhile they three were then ten mile
from their fellowship. And at the last they chased so sore that they
slew their horses underneath them. Then were they all three on foot,
and ever they saw the hart afore them passing weary and enbushed. What
will ye do? said king Arthur, we are hard bested. Let us go on foot,
said king Uriens, till we may meet with some lodging. Then were they
ware of the hart that lay on a great water bank, and a brachet biting
on his throat, and more other hounds came after. Then king Arthur blew
the prise and dight the hart. Then the king looked about the world, and
saw afore him in a great water a little ship, all apparelled with silk
down to the water, and the ship came right unto them, and landed on the
sands. Then Arthur went to the bank and looked in, and saw none earthly
creature therein. Sirs, said the king, come thence, and let us see what
is in this ship. So they went in all three, and found it richly
behanged with cloth of silk. By then it was dark night, and there
suddenly were about them an hundred torches set upon all the sides of
the ship boards, and it gave great light; and therewithal there came
out twelve fair damsels and saluted king Arthur on their knees, and
called him by his name, and said he was right welcome, and such cheer
as they had he should have of the best. The king thanked them fair.
Therewithal they led the king and his two fellows into a fair chamber,
and there was a cloth laid richly beseen of all that longed unto a
table, and there were they served of all wines and meats that they
could think; of that the king had great marvel, for he fared never
better in his life as for one supper. And so when they had supped at
their leisure, king Arthur was led into a chamber, a richer beseen
chamber saw he never none; and so was king Uriens served, and led into
such another chamber; and Sir Accolon was led into the third chamber,
passing richly and well beseen: and so were they laid in their beds
easily. And anon they fell on sleep, and slept marvellously sore all
that night. And on the morrow king Uriens was in Camelot with his wife,
Morgan le Fay. And when he awoke he had great marvel how he came there,
for on the even afore he was two days’ journey from Camelot. And when
king Arthur awoke he found himself in a dark prison, hearing about him
many complaints of woful knights.
CHAP. VII.
_How Arthur took upon him to fight to be delivered out of prison, and
also for to deliver twenty knights that were in prison._
What are ye that so complain? said king Arthur. We be here twenty
knights prisoners, said they, and some of us have lain here seven year,