Le Morte Darthur
besought him of grace: and the king seized the town by assent of his
lords, and took the duke and sent him to Dover, there for to abide
prisoner the term of his life, and assigned certain rents for the dower
of the duchess and for her children. Then he made lords to rule those
lands, and laws, as a lord ought to do in his own country. And after he
took his journey toward Rome, and sent Sir Floris and Sir Floridas
tofore with five hundred men of arms, and they came to the city of
Urbine, and laid there a bushment as them seemed most best for them,
and rode tofore the town, where anon issued out much people and
skirmished with the fore riders. Then brake out the bushment, and won
the bridge, and after the town, and set upon the walls the king’s
banner. Then came the king upon a hill, and saw the city and his banner
on the walls, by the which he knew that the city was won. And anon he
sent and commanded that none of his liege men should misuse no lady,
wife, nor maid: and when he came into the city he passed to the castle,
and comforted them that were in sorrow, and ordained there a captain, a
knight of his own country. And when they of Milan heard that the same
city was won, they sent to king Arthur great sums of money, and
besought him as their lord to have pity on them, promising to be his
subjects for ever, and yield to him homage and fealty for the lands of
Pleasance and Pavia, Petersaint, and the port of Tremble, and to give
him yearly a million of gold all his lifetime. Then he rideth into
Tuscany, and winneth towns and castles, and wasted all in his way that
to him will not obey, and so to Spolute and Viterbe: and from thence he
rode into the vale of Vicecount among the vines. And from thence he
sent to the senators to wit whether they would know him for their lord.
But soon after on a Saturday came unto king Arthur all the senators
that were left on live, and the noblest cardinals that then dwelled in
Rome, and prayed him of peace, and proffered him full large, and
besought him as governor to give licence for six weeks, for to assemble
together all the Romans, and then to crown him emperor with crism, as
it belongeth to so high a state. I assent, said the king, like as ye
have devised, and at Christmas there to be crowned, and to hold my
Round Table with my knights as me liketh. And then the senators made
things ready for his enthronization. And at the day appointed, as the
romance telleth, he came into Rome, and was crowned emperor by the
Pope’s hand with all the royalty that could be made, and sojourned
there a time, and established all his lands from Rome unto France, and
gave lands and realms unto his servants and knights, to every each
after his desert, in such wise that none complained, rich nor poor. And
he gave to Sir Priamus the duchy of Loraine; and he thanked him, and
said that he would serve him the days of his life: and after made dukes
and earls, and made every man rich. Then after this all his knights and
lords and all the great men of estate assembled them afore him, and
said: Blessed be God, your war is finished, and your conquest achieved,
insomuch that we know none so great nor mighty that dare make war
against you: wherefore we beseech you to return homeward and give us
licence to go home to our wives, from whom we have been long, and to
rest us, for your journey is finished with honour and worship. Then
said the king, Ye say truth, and for to tempt God it is no wisdom, and
therefore make you ready and return we into England. Then was there
trussing of harness and baggage, and great carriage. And after licence
given, he returned and commanded that no man in pain of death should
rob nor take victual, nor other thing by the way, but that he should
pay therefore. And thus he came over the sea, and landed at Sandwich,
against whom queen Guenever his wife came and met him: and he was nobly
received of all his commons in every city and burgh, and great gifts
presented to him at his home coming, to welcome him with.
Thus endeth the fyfthe booke of the conqueste that kynge Arthur hadde
ageynste Lucius the Emperoure of Rome, and here foloweth the syxth
book, which is of syr Launcelot du lake.
The Sixth Book.
CHAP. I.
_How Sir Launcelot and Sir Lionel departed from the court for to seek
adventures, and how Sir Lionel left him sleeping, and was taken._
Soon after that king Arthur was come from Rome into England, then all
the knights of the Table Round resorted unto the king, and made many
justs and tournaments; and some there were that were but knights which
increased so in arms and worship that they passed all their fellows in
prowess and noble deeds, and that was well proved on many. But in
especial it was proved on Sir Launcelot du Lake; for in all tournaments
and justs and deeds of arms, both for life and death, he passed all
other knights, and at no time he was never overcome but if it were by
treason or enchantment. So Sir Launcelot increased so marvellously in
worship and honour; therefore he is the first knight that the French
book maketh mention of after king Arthur came from Rome. Wherefore
queen Guenever had him in great favour above all other knights, and in
certain he loved the queen again above all other ladies and damsels all
his life, and for her he did many deeds of arms, and saved her from the
fire through his noble chivalry. Thus Sir Launcelot rested him long
with play and game. And then he thought himself to prove himself in
strange adventures: then he bad his nephew Sir Lionel for to make him
ready, for we two will seek adventures. So they mounted on their
horses, armed at all rights, and rode into a deep forest, and so into a
deep plain. And then the weather was hot about noon, and Sir Launcelot
had great lust to sleep. Then Sir Lionel espied a great apple tree that
stood by an hedge, and said, Brother, yonder is a fair shadow, there
may we rest us and our horses. It is well said, fair brother, said Sir
Launcelot, for this seven year I was not so sleepy as I am now. And so
they there alighted, and tied their horses unto sundry trees, and so
Sir Launcelot laid him down under an apple tree, and his helm he laid
under his head. And Sir Lionel waked while he slept. So Sir Launcelot
was asleep passing fast. And in the meanwhile there came three knights
riding, as fast fleeing as ever they might ride. And there followed
them three but one knight. And when Sir Lionel saw him, him thought he
saw never so great a knight nor so well faring a man, neither so well
apparelled unto all rights. So within a while this strong knight had
overtaken one of these knights, and there he smote him to the cold
earth that he lay still. And then he rode unto the second knight, and
smote him so that man and horse fell down. And then straight to the
third knight he rode, and he smote him behind his horse tail a spear’s
length. And then he alight down, and reined his horse on the bridle,
and bound all the three knights fast with the reins of their own
bridles. When Sir Lionel saw him do thus, he thought to assay him, and
made him ready, and stilly and privily he took his horse, and thought
not for to awake Sir Launcelot. And when he was mounted upon his horse
he overtook this strong knight and bad him turn: and the other smote
Sir Lionel so hard that horse and man he bare to the earth, and so he
alight down and bound him fast, and threw him overthwart his own horse,
and so he served them all four, and rode with them away to his own
castle. And when he came there, he made unarm them, and beat them with
thorns all naked, and after put them in a deep prison where there were
many more knights that made great dolour.
CHAP. II.
_How Sir Ector followed for to seek Sir Launcelot, and how he was taken
by Sir Turquine._
When Sir Ector de Maris wist that Sir Launcelot was past out of the
court to seek adventures he was wroth with himself, and made him ready
to seek Sir Launcelot, and as he had ridden long in a great forest, he
met with a man that was like a forester. Fair fellow, said Sir Ector,
knowest thou in this country any adventures that be here nigh hand?
Sir, said the forester, this country know I well, and hereby within
this mile is a strong manor, and well dyked, and by that manor, on the
left hand, there is a fair ford for horses to drink of, and over that
ford there groweth a fair tree, and thereon hangeth many fair shields
that wielded sometime good knights: and at the hole of the tree hangeth
a bason of copper and laton, and strike upon that bason with the butt
of thy spear thrice, and soon after thou shalt hear new tidings, and
else hast thou the fairest grace that many a year had ever knight that
passed through this forest. Gramercy, said Sir Ector, and departed and
came to the tree, and saw many fair shields, and among them he saw his
brother’s shield, Sir Lionel, and many more that he knew that were his
fellows of the Round Table, the which grieved his heart, and he
promised to revenge his brother. Then anon Sir Ector beat on the bason
as he were wood, and then he gave his horse drink at the ford: and
there came a knight behind him and bad him come out of the water and
make him ready; and Sir Ector anon turned him shortly, and in fewter
cast his spear, and smote the other knight a great buffet that his
horse turned twice about. This was well done, said the strong knight,
and knightly thou hast stricken me: and therewith he rushed his horse
on Sir Ector and caught him under his right arm, and bare him clean out
of the saddle, and rode with him away into his own hall, and threw him
down in the midst of the floor. The name of this knight was Sir
Turquine. Then he said unto Sir Ector, For thou hast done this day more
unto me than any knight did these twelve years, now will I grant thee
thy life, so thou wilt be sworn to be my prisoner all thy life days.
Nay, said Sir Ector, that will I never promise thee, but that I will do
mine advantage. That me repenteth, said Sir Turquine. And then he made
to unarm him, and beat him with thorns all naked, and after put him
down in a deep dungeon, where he knew many of his fellows. But when Sir
Ector saw Sir Lionel, then made he great sorrow. Alas, brother, said
Sir Ector, where is my brother Sir Launcelot? Fair brother, I left him
on sleep when that I from him went, under an apple tree, and what is
become of him I cannot tell you. Alas, said the knights, but Sir
Launcelot help us we may never be delivered, for we know now no knight
that is able to match our master Turquine.
CHAP. III.
_How four queens found Sir Launcelot sleeping, and how by enchantment
he was taken and led into a castle._
Now leave we these knights prisoners, and speak we of Sir Launcelot du
Lake that lieth under the apple tree sleeping. Even about the noon
there came by him four queens of great estate; and, for the heat of the
sun should not annoy them, there rode four knights about them and bare
a cloth of green silk on four spears, betwixt them and the sun, and the
queens rode on four white mules.
Thus as they rode they heard by them a great horse grimly neigh, and
then were they ware of a sleeping knight that lay all armed under an
apple tree; anon as these queens looked on his face they knew that it
was Sir Launcelot. Then they began for to strive for that knight; every
one said she would have him to her love. We shall not strive, said
Morgan le Fay, that was king Arthur’s sister; I shall put an
enchantment upon him that he shall not awake in six hours, and then I
will lead him away unto my castle, and when he is surely within my hold
I shall take the enchantment from him, and then let him choose which of