Le Morte Darthur
scabbard, and went her way on horseback. When the king awoke and missed
his scabbard, he was wroth, and he asked who had been there, and they
said his sister queen Morgan had been there, and had put the scabbard
under her mantle, and was gone. Alas, said Arthur, falsely have ye
watched me. Sir, said they all, we durst not disobey your sister’s
commandment. Ah, said the king, let fetch the best horse that may be
found, and bid Sir Ontzlake arm him in all haste, and take another good
horse and ride with me. So anon the king and Ontzlake were well armed,
and rode after this lady; and so they came by a cross, and found a
cowherd, and they asked the poor man if there came any lady late riding
that way. Sir, said this poor man, right late came a lady riding with a
forty horses, and to yonder forest she rode. Then they spurred their
horses and followed fast, and within awhile Arthur had a sight of
Morgan le Fay; then he chased as fast as he might. When she espied him
following her, she rode a greater pace through the forest till she came
to a plain. And when she saw she might not escape, she rode unto a lake
thereby, and said, Whatsoever becometh of me, my brother shall not have
this scabbard. And then she let throw the scabbard in the deepest of
the water, so it sank, for it was heavy of gold and precious stones.
Then she rode into a valley where many great stones were, and when she
saw that she must be overtaken, she shaped herself, horse and man, by
enchantment, unto a great marble stone. Anon withal came Sir Arthur and
Sir Ontzlake, whereas the king might not know his sister and her men,
and one knight from another. Ah, said the king, here may ye see the
vengeance of God, and now am I sorry that this misadventure is
befallen. And then he looked for the scabbard, but it would not be
found. So he returned to the abbey there he came from. So when Arthur
was gone she turned all into the likeness as she and they were before,
and said, Sirs, now may we go where we will.
CHAP. XV.
_How Morgan le Fay saved a knight that should have been drowned, and
how king Arthur returned home again._
Then said Morgan, Saw ye Arthur my brother? Yea, said her knights,
right well, and that ye should have found and we might have stirred
from one stead, for by his warlike countenance he would have caused us
to have fled. I believe you, said Morgan. Anon after as she rode she
met a knight leading another knight on his horse before him, bound hand
and foot blindfold, to have drowned him in a fountain. When she saw
this knight so bound, she asked him. What will ye do with that knight?
Lady, said he, I will drown him. For what cause? she asked. For I found
him with my wife, and she shall have the same death anon. That were
pity, said Morgan le Fay: now what say ye, knight, is it truth that he
saith of you? she said to the knight that should be drowned. Nay truly,
madam, he saith not right of me. Of whence be ye? said Morgan le Fay,
and of what country? I am of the court of king Arthur, and my name is
Manassen, cousin unto Accolon of Gaul. Ye say well, said she, and for
the love of him ye shall be delivered, and ye shall have your adversary
in the same case ye be in. So Manassen was loosed and the other knight
bound. And anon Manassen unarmed him, and armed himself in his harness,
and so mounted on horseback, and the knight afore him, and so threw him
into the fountain and drowned him. And then he rode unto Morgan again,
and asked her if she would anything unto king Arthur. Tell him that I
rescued thee not for the love of him but for the love of Accolon, and
tell him I fear him not while I can make me and them that be with me in
likeness of stones; and let him wit I can do much more when I see my
time. And so she departed into the country of Gore, and there was she
richly received, and made her castles and towns passing strong, for
always she drad much king Arthur. When the king had well rested him at
the abbey he rode unto Camelot, and found his queen and his barons
right glad of his coming. And when they heard of his strange adventures
as is afore rehearsed, they all had marvel of the falsehood of Morgan
le Fay: many knights wished her burnt. Then came Manassen to the court
and told the king of his adventure. Well, said the king, she is a kind
sister, I shall so be avenged on her and I live, that all christendom
shall speak of it. So on the morn there came a damsel from Morgan to
the king, and she brought with her the richest mantle that ever was
seen in that court, for it was set as full of precious stones as one
might stand by another, and there were the richest stones that ever the
king saw. And the damsel said, Your sister sendeth you this mantle, and
desireth that ye should take this gift of her, and in what thing she
hath offended you she will amend it at your own pleasure. When the king
beheld this mantle it pleased him much, but he said but little.
CHAP. XVI.
_How the damsel of the lake saved king Arthur from a mantle which
should have burnt him._
With that came the damsel of the lake unto the king, and said, Sir, I
must speak with you in private. Say on, said the king, what ye will.
Sir, said the damsel, put not on you this mantle till ye have seen
more, and in no wise let it not come on you, nor on no knight of yours,
till ye command the bringer thereof to put it upon her. Well, said king
Arthur, it shall be done as ye counsel me. And then he said unto the
damsel that came from his sister, Damsel, this mantle that ye have
brought me I will see it upon you. Sir, said she, it will not beseem me
to wear a king’s garment. By my head, said Arthur, ye shall wear it or
it come on my back, or any man’s that here is. And so the king made it
to be put upon her, and forthwithal she fell down dead, and never more
spake word after, and burnt to coals. Then was the king wonderly wroth,
more than he was toforehand, and said unto king Uriens, My sister your
wife is alway about to betray me, and well I wot either ye, or my
nephew your son, is of counsel with her to have me destroyed; but as
for you, said the king to king Uriens, I deem not greatly that ye be of
her counsel, for Accolon confessed to me by his own mouth, that she
would have destroyed you as well as me, therefore I hold you excused;
but as for your son Sir Uwaine, I hold him suspected, therefore I
charge you put him out of my court. So Sir Uwaine was discharged. And
when Sir Gawaine wist that, he made him ready to go with him, and said:
Who so banisheth my cousin german shall banish me. So they two departed
and rode into a great forest. And so they came to an abbey of monks,
and there were well lodged. But when the king wist that Sir Gawaine was
departed from the court there was made great sorrow among all the
estates. Now, said Gaheris, Gawaine’s brother, we have lost two good
knights for the love of one. So on the morn they heard their masses in
the abbey, and so they rode forth till they came to a great forest;
then was Sir Gawaine ware in a valley by a turret, of twelve fair
damsels, and two knights armed on great horses, and the damsels went to
and fro by a tree. And then was Sir Gawaine ware how there hung a white
shield on that tree, and ever as the damsels came by it they spit upon
it, and some threw mire upon the shield.
CHAP. XVII.
_How Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine met with twelve fair damsels, and how
they complained on Sir Marhaus._
Then Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine went and saluted them, and asked why
they did that despite to the shield. Sirs, said the damsels, we shall
tell you. There is a knight in this country that owneth this white
shield, and he is a passing good man of his hands, but he hateth all
ladies and gentlewomen, and therefore we do all this despite to the
shield. I shall say you, said Sir Gawaine, it beseemeth evil a good
knight to despise all ladies and gentlewomen, and peradventure though
he hate you he hath some cause, and peradventure he loveth in some
other places ladies and gentlewomen, and to be loved again, and he be
such a man of prowess as ye speak of. Now what is his name? Sir, said
they, his name is Marhaus, the king’s son of Ireland. I know him well,
said Sir Uwaine, he is a passing good knight as any is on live, for I
saw him once proved at a justs where many knights were gathered, and
that time there might no man withstand him. Ah! said Sir Gawaine,
damsels, methinketh ye are to blame, for it is to suppose he that hung
that shield there he will not be long therefrom, and then may those
knights match him on horseback, and that is more your worship than
thus; for I will abide no longer to see a knight’s shield dishonoured.
And therewith Sir Uwaine and Gawaine departed a little from them, and
then were they ware where Sir Marhaus came riding on a great horse
straight towards them. And when the twelve damsels saw Sir Marhaus they
fled into the turret as they were wild, so that some of them fell by
the way. Then the one of the knights of the tower dressed his shield,
and said on high, Sir Marhaus, defend thee. And so they ran together
that the knight brake his spear on Marhaus, and Sir Marhaus smote him
so hard that he brake his neck and the horse’s back. That saw the other
knight of the turret, and dressed him toward Marhaus, and they met so
eagerly together that the knight of the turret was soon smitten down,
horse and man, stark dead.
CHAP. XVIII.
_How Sir Marhaus justed with Sir Gawaine and Sir Uwaine, and overthrew
them both._
And then Sir Marhaus rode unto his shield, and saw how it was defouled,
and said, Of this despite I am a part avenged, but for her love that
gave me this white shield I shall wear thee, and hang mine where thou
wast: and so he hanged it about his neck. Then he rode straight unto
Sir Gawaine and to Sir Uwaine, and asked them what they did there. They
answered him that they came from king Arthur’s court for to see
adventures. Well, said Marhaus, here am I ready, an adventurous knight
that will fulfil any adventure that ye will desire. And so departed
from them to fetch his range. Let him go, said Sir Uwaine unto Sir
Gawaine, for he is a passing good knight as any is living: I would not
by my will that any of us were matched with him. Nay, said Sir Gawaine,
not so; it were shame to us were he not assayed, were he never so good
a knight. Well, said Sir Uwaine, I will assay him afore you, for I am
more weaker than ye, and if he smite me down then may ye revenge me. So
these two knights came together with great random, that Sir Uwaine
smote Sir Marhaus that his spear brast in pieces on the shield, and Sir
Marhaus smote him so sore that horse and man he bare to the earth, and
hurt Sir Uwaine on the left side. Then Sir Marhaus turned his horse and
rode toward Gawaine with his spear. And when Sir Gawaine saw that, he
dressed his shield, and they aventred their spears, and they came
together with all the might of their horses, that either knight smote
other so hard in the midst of their shields, but Sir Gawaine’s spear
brake, but Sir Marhaus’s spear held; and therewith Sir Gawaine and his
horse rushed down to the earth. And lightly Sir Gawaine rose upon his
feet, and pulled out his sword, and dressed him toward Sir Marhaus on
foot. And Sir Marhaus saw that, and pulled out his sword, and began to
come to Sir Gawaine on horseback. Sir knight, said Sir Gawaine, alight
on foot, or else I will slay thy horse. Gramercy, said Sir Marhaus, of
your gentleness, ye teach me courtesy, for it is not for one knight to
be on foot and the other on horseback. And therewith Sir Marhaus set
his spear against a tree and alighted, and tied his horse to a tree,