Le Morte Darthur
said the four knights, that he is false. That is your tale, said Sir
Lamorak, and when I hear him also speak I will say as ye say. Then said
Lamorak, Ah knight, can ye not excuse you but that ye are a false
knight? Sir, said he, yet can I excuse me both with my words and with
my hands, that I will make good upon one of the best of them, my body
to his body. Then spake they all at once: We will not jeopard our
bodies as for thee; but wit thou well, they said, and king Arthur were
here himself, it should not lie in his power to save his life. That is
too much said, said Sir Lamorak, but many speak behind a man more than
they will say to his face. And because of your words, ye shall
understand that I am one of the simplest of king Arthur’s court: in the
worship of my lord now do your best, and in despite of you I shall
rescue him. And then they lashed all at once to Sir Lamorak; but anon
at two strokes Sir Lamorak had slain two of them, and then the other
two fled. So then Sir Lamorak turned again to that knight and asked him
his name. Sir, he said, my name is Sir Frol of the Out Isles. Then he
rode with Sir Lamorak and bare him company; and as they rode by the way
they saw a seemly knight riding against them, and all in white. Ah,
said Frol, yonder knight justed late with me, and smote me down,
therefore I will just with him. Ye shall not do so, said Sir Lamorak,
by my counsel, and ye will tell me your quarrel, whether ye justed at
his request, or he at yours. Nay, said Sir Frol, I justed with him at
my request. Sir, said Lamorak, then will I counsel you deal no more
with him, for me seemeth by his countenance he should be a noble knight
and no jester, for me thinketh he should be of the Table Round.
Therefore I will not spare, said Sir Frol; and then he cried and said,
Sir knight, make thee ready to just. That needeth not, said the knight,
for I have no lust to just with thee. But yet they feutred their
spears, and the white knight overthrew Sir Frol, and then he rode his
way a soft pace. Then Sir Lamorak rode after him, and prayed him to
tell him his name, For me seemeth ye should be of the fellowship of the
Round Table. Upon a covenant, said he, I will tell you my name, so that
ye will not discover my name, and also that ye will tell me yours.
Then, said he, my name is Sir Lamorak de Galis. And my name is Sir
Launcelot du Lake. Then they put up their swords, and kissed heartily
together, and either made great joy of other. Sir, said Sir Lamorak,
and it please you I will do you service. God defend, said Sir
Launcelot, that any of so noble blood as ye be should do me service.
Then he said more, I am in a quest that I must do myself alone. Now God
speed you, said Sir Lamorak, and so they departed. Then Sir Lamorak
came to Sir Frol and horsed him again. What knight is that? said Sir
Frol. Sir, said he, it is not for you to know, nor it is no point of my
charge. Ye are the more uncourteous, said Sir Frol, and therefore I
will depart from you. Ye may do as ye list, said Sir Lamorak, and yet
by my company you have saved the fairest flower of your garland. So
they departed.
CHAP. XLI.
_How Sir Lamorak slew Sir Frol, and of the courteous fighting with Sir
Belliance his brother._
Then within two or three days Sir Lamorak found a knight at a well
sleeping, and his lady sat with him and waked. Right so came Sir
Gawaine and took the knight’s lady, and set her up behind his squire.
So Sir Lamorak rode after Sir Gawaine, and said, Sir Gawaine, turn
again. And then said Sir Gawaine, What will ye do with me? for I am
nephew to king Arthur. Sir, said he, for that cause I will spare you,
else that lady should abide with me, or else ye should just with me.
Then Sir Gawaine turned him and ran to him that owned the lady with his
spear. But the knight with pure might smote down Sir Gawaine, and took
his lady with him. All this Sir Lamorak saw, and said to himself, But I
revenge my fellow, he will say of me dishonour in king Arthur’s court.
Then Sir Lamorak returned and proffered that knight to just. Sir, said
he, I am ready. And so they came together with all their might, and
there Sir Lamorak smote the knight through both sides, that he fell to
the earth dead. Then the lady rode to that knight’s brother that hight
Sir Belliance le Orgulous, that dwelled fast thereby, and then she told
him how his brother was slain. Alas, said he, I will be revenged. And
so horsed him and armed him, and within a while he overtook Sir
Lamorak, and bad him, Turn, and leave that lady, for thou and I must
play a new play, for thou hast slain my brother Sir Frol, that was a
better knight than ever were thou. It might well be, said Sir Lamorak,
but this day in the field I was found the better. So they rode
together, and unhorsed other, and turned their shields and drew their
swords, and fought mightily as noble knights proved by the space of two
hours. So then Sir Belliance prayed him to tell his name. Sir, said he,
my name is Sir Lamorak de Galis. Ah, said Sir Belliance, thou art the
man in the world that I most hate, for I slew my sons for thy sake,
where I saved thy life, and now thou hast slain my brother Sir Frol.
Alas, how should I be accorded with thee? therefore defend thee, for
thou shalt die: there is none other remedy. Alas, said Sir Lamorak,
full well me ought to know you, for ye are the man that most have done
for me. And therewithal Sir Lamorak kneeled down and besought him of
grace. Arise, said Sir Belliance, or else there as thou kneelest I
shall slay thee. That shall not need, said Sir Lamorak, for I will
yield me unto you, not for fear of you, nor for your strength, but your
goodness maketh me full loth to have ado with you; wherefore I require
you, for God’s sake, and for the honour of knighthood, forgive me all
that I have offended unto you. Alas, said Belliance, leave thy
kneeling, or else I shall slay thee without mercy. Then they went again
unto battle, and either wounded other, that all the ground was bloody
there as they fought. And at the last Belliance withdrew him aback and
set him down softly upon a little hill, for he was so faint for
bleeding that he might not stand. Then Sir Lamorak threw his shield
upon his back, and asked him, What cheer? Well, said Sir Belliance. Ah
sir, yet shall I shew you favour in your mal-ease. Ah knight, Sir
Belliance said, Sir Lamorak thou art a fool, for and I had thee at such
advantage as thou hast done me I should slay thee, but thy gentleness
is so good and large that I must needs forgive thee mine evil will. And
then Sir Lamorak kneeled down and unlaced first his umberere, and then
his own. And then either kissed other with weeping tears. Then Sir
Lamorak led Sir Belliance to an abbey fast by, and there Sir Lamorak
would not depart from Belliance till he was whole. And then they swore
together that none of them should never fight against other. So Sir
Lamorak departed and went to the court of king Arthur.
Here leue we of sire Lamorak and of sir Tristram. And here begynneth the
historye of La cote male tayle.
The Ninth Book.
CHAP. I.
_How a young man came into the court of king Arthur, and how Sir Kay
called him in scorn La Cote Male Taile._
At the court of king Arthur there came a young man and bigly made, and
he was richly beseen, and he desired to be made knight of the king, but
his over garment sat overthwartly, howbeit it was rich cloth of gold.
What is your name? said king Arthur. Sir, said he, my name is Breunor
le Noire, and within short space ye shall know that I am of good kin.
It may well be, said Sir Kay the seneschal, but in mockage ye shall be
called La Cote Male Taile, that is as much as to say, the evil-shapen
coat. It is a great thing that thou askest, said the king; and for what
cause wearest thou that rich coat? tell me; for I can well think for
some cause it is. Sir, said he, I had a father a noble knight, and as
he rode on hunting, upon a day it happed him to lay him down to sleep.
And there came a knight that had been long his enemy. And when he saw
he was fast on sleep, he all to-hewed him; and this same coat had my
father on the same time, and that maketh this coat to sit so evil upon
me, for the strokes be on it as I found it, and never shall be amended
for me. Thus to have my father’s death in remembrance I wear this coat
till I be revenged; and because ye are called the most noblest king in
the world I come to you that ye should make me knight. Sir, said Sir
Lamorak and Sir Gaheris, it were well done to make him knight, for him
beseemeth well of person and of countenance, that he shall prove a good
man, and a good knight and a mighty; for Sir, and ye be remembered,
even such one was Sir Launcelot du Lake when he came first into this
court, and full few of us knew from whence he came, and now he is
proved the most man of worship in the world, and all your court and all
your Round Table is by Sir Launcelot worshipped and amended more than
by any knight now living. That is truth, said the king, and to-morrow
at your request I shall make him knight. So on the morrow there was an
hart found, and thither rode king Arthur with a company of his knights
to slay the hart. And this young man that Sir Kay named La Cote Male
Taile was there left behind with queen Guenever, and by sudden
adventure there was an horrible lion kept in a strong tower of stone,
and it happened that he at that time brake loose, and came hurling
afore the queen and her knights. And when the queen saw the lion, she
cried, and fled, and prayed her knights to rescue her. And there was
none of them all but twelve that abode, and all the other fled. Then
said La Cote Male Taile, Now I see well that all coward knights be not
dead: and therewithal he drew his sword and dressed him afore the lion.
And that lion gaped wide, and came upon him ramping to have slain him.
And he then smote him in the midst of the head such a mighty stroke
that it clave his head in sunder, and dashed to the earth. Then was it
told the queen how that the young man that Sir Kay named by scorn La
Cote Male Taile had slain the lion. With that the king came home. And
when the queen told him of that adventure he was well pleased, and
said, Upon pain of mine head he shall prove a noble man, and a faithful
knight, and true of his promise. Then the king forthwithal made him
knight. Now Sir, said this young knight, I require you and all the
knights of your court, that ye call me by none other name but La Cote
Male Taile; insomuch as Sir Kay so hath named me, so will I be called.
I assent me well thereto, said the king.
CHAP. II.
_How a damsel came unto the court and desired a knight to take on him
an inquest, which La Cote Male Taile emprized._
Then that same day there came a damsel into the king’s court, and she
brought with her a great black shield, with a white hand in the midst
holding a sword. Other picture was there none in that shield. When king
Arthur saw her, he asked her from whence she came, and what she would.
Sir, she said, I have ridden long and many a day with this shield many
ways, and for this cause I am come to your court:—There was a good
knight that owned this shield, and this knight had undertaken a great
deed of arms to achieve it, and so it misfortuned him another strong
knight met with him by sudden adventure, and there they fought long,
and either wounded other passing sore, and they were so weary that they
left that battle even hand. So this knight that owned this shield saw
none other way but he must die; and then he commanded me to bear this
shield to the court of king Arthur, he requiring and praying some good