Le Morte Darthur
knight to take this shield, and that he would fulfil the quest that he
was in. Now what say ye to this quest? said king Arthur. Is there any
of you here that will take upon him to weld this shield? Then was there
not one that would speak one word. Then Sir Kay took the shield in his
hands. Sir knight, said the damsel, what is your name? Wit ye well,
said he, my name is Sir Kay the seneschal, that widewhere is known.
Sir, said that damsel, lay down that shield, for wit ye well it falleth
not for you, for he must be a better knight than ye that shall weld
this shield. Damsel, said Sir Kay, wit ye well I took this shield in my
hands by your leave for to behold it, not to that intent, but go
wheresoever thou wilt, for I will not go with you. Then the damsel
stood still a great while, and beheld many of those knights. Then spake
the knight La Cote Male Taile, Fair damsel, I will take the shield and
that adventure upon me, so I wist I should know whither ward my journey
might be, for because I was this day made knight I would take this
adventure upon me. What is your name, fair young man? said the damsel.
My name is, said he, La Cote Male Taile. Well mayest thou be called so,
said the damsel, the knight with the evil-shapen coat, but and thou be
so hardy to take upon thee to bear that shield and to follow me, wit
thou well thy skin shall be as well hewn as thy coat. As for that, said
La Cote Male Taile, when I am so hewn I will ask you no salve to heal
me withal. And forthwithal there came into the court two squires, and
brought him great horses and his armour and his spears, and anon he was
armed, and took his leave. I would not by my will, said the king, that
ye took upon you that hard adventure. Sir, said he, this adventure is
mine, and the first that ever I took upon me, and that will I follow
whatsoever come of me. Then that damsel departed, and La Cote Male
Taile followed first after. And within a while he overtook the damsel.
And anon she missaid him in the foullest manner.
CHAP. III.
_How La Cote Male Taile overthrew Sir Dagonet the king’s fool, and of
the rebuke that he had of the damsel._
Then Sir Kay ordained Sir Dagonet, king Arthur’s fool, to follow after
La Cote Male Taile, and there Sir Kay ordained that Sir Dagonet was
horsed and armed, and bad him follow La Cote Male Taile and proffer him
to just, and so he did, and when he saw La Cote Male Taile he cried and
bad him make him ready to just. So Sir La Cote Male Taile smote Sir
Dagonet over his horse croup. Then the damsel mocked La Cote Male
Taile, and said, Fie for shame, now art thou shamed in Arthur’s court
when they send a fool to have ado with thee, and specially at thy first
justs. Thus she rode long and chid. And within a while there came Sir
Bleoberis the good knight, and there he justed with La Cote Male Taile,
and there Sir Bleoberis smote him so sore that horse and all fell to
the earth. Then La Cote Male Taile arose up lightly and dressed his
shield and drew his sword, and would have done battle to the utterance,
for he was wood wroth. Not so, said Bleoberis de Ganis, as at this time
I will not fight upon foot. Then the damsel Maledisant rebuked him in
the foullest manner, and bad him, turn again coward. Ah damsel, he
said, I pray you of mercy to missay me no more, my grief is enough
though ye give me no more. I call myself never the worse knight when a
mare’s son faileth me, and also I count me never the worse knight for a
fall of Sir Bleoberis. So thus he rode with her two days, and by
fortune there came Sir Palamides and encountered with him, and he in
the same wise served him as did Bleoberis toforehand. What dost thou
here in my fellowship, said the damsel Maledisant, thou canst not sit
no knight nor withstand him one buffet, but if it were Sir Dagonet. Ah
fair damsel, I am not the worse to take a fall of Sir Palamides, and
yet great disworship have I none, for neither Bleoberis nor yet
Palamides would not fight with me on foot. As for that, said the
damsel, wit thou well they have disdain and scorn to light off their
horses to fight with such a mean knight as thou art. So in the
meanwhile there came Sir Mordred, Sir Gawaine’s brother, and so he fell
in the fellowship with the damsel Maledisant. And then they came afore
the castle Orgulous, and there was such a custom that there might no
knight come by that castle but either he must just or be prisoner, or
at the least to lose his horse and his harness. And there came out two
knights against them, and Sir Mordred justed with the foremost, and
that knight of the castle smote Sir Mordred down off his horse. And
then anon La Cote Male Taile justed with that other, and either of them
smote other down, horse and all to the earth. And when they avoided
their horses, then either of them took other’s horses. And then La Cote
Male Taile rode into that knight that smote down Sir Mordred, and
justed with him; and there Sir La Cote Male Taile hurt and wounded him
passing sore, and put him from his horse as he had been dead. So he
turned unto him that met him afore, and he took the flight toward the
castle, and Sir La Cote Male Taile rode after him into the castle
Orgulous, and there La Cote Male Taile slew him.
CHAP. IV.
_How La Cote Male Taile fought against an hundred knights, and how he
escaped by the mean of a lady._
And anon there came an hundred knights about him and assailed him; and
when he saw his horse should be slain he alight and voided his horse,
and put the bridle under his feet, and so put him out of the gate. And
when he had so done, he hurled in among them, and dressed his back unto
a lady’s chamber-wall, thinking himself that he had lever die there
with worship than to abide the rebukes of the damsel Maledisant. And in
the mean time as he stood and fought, that lady whose was the chamber,
went out slily at her postern, and without the gates she found La Cote
Male Taile’s horse, and lightly she gat him by the bridle and tied him
to the postern. And then she went unto her chamber slily again for to
behold how that one knight fought against an hundred knights. And so
when she had beheld him long, she went to a window behind his back and
said, Thou knight thou fightest wonderly well, but for all that at the
last thou must needs die, but and thou canst through thy mighty prowess
win unto yonder postern, for there have I fastened thy horse to abide
thee; but wit thou well thou must think on thy worship and think not to
die, for thou mayest not win unto that postern without thou do nobly
and mightily. When La Cote Male Taile heard her say so, he griped his
sword in his hands, and put his shield fair afore him, and through the
thickest press he thrulled through them. And when he came to the
postern he found there ready four knights, and at two the first strokes
he slew two of the knights, and the other fled, and so he won his horse
and rode from them. And all as it was, it was rehearsed in king
Arthur’s court, how he slew twelve knights within the castle Orgulous.
And so he rode on his way. And in the mean while the damsel said to Sir
Mordred, I ween my foolish knight be either slain or taken prisoner.
Then were they ware where he came riding. And when he was come unto
them, he told all how he had sped, and escaped in despite of them all,
and some of the best of them will tell no tales. Thou liest falsely,
said the damsel, that dare I make good, but as a fool and a dastard to
all knighthood they have let thee pass. That may ye prove, said La Cote
Male Taile. With that she sent a courier of hers that rode alway with
her, for to know the truth of this deed. And so he rode thither
lightly, and asked how and in what manner that Sir La Cote Male Taile
was escaped out of the castle. Then all the knights cursed him and said
that he was fiend and no man; for he hath slain here twelve of our best
knights, and we wend unto this day that it had been too much for Sir
Launcelot du Lake, or for Sir Tristram de Liones. And in despite of us
all he is departed from us, and maugre our heads.
With this answer the courier departed, and came to Maledisant his lady,
and told her all how Sir La Cote Male Taile had sped at the castle
Orgulous. Then she smote down her head, and said little. By my head,
said Sir Mordred to the damsel, ye are greatly to blame so to rebuke
him, for I warn you plainly he is a good knight, and I doubt not but he
shall prove a noble knight, but as yet he may not sit sure on
horseback: for he that shall be a good horseman it must come of usage
and exercise. But when he cometh to the strokes of his sword he is then
noble and mighty, and that saw Sir Bleoberis and Sir Palamides, for wit
ye well they are wily men of arms, and anon they know when they see a
young knight by his riding, how they are sure to give him a fall from
his horse or a great buffet. But for the most part they will not light
on foot with young knights, for they are wight and strongly armed. For
in likewise Sir Launcelot du Lake when he was first made knight he was
often put to the worse upon horseback, but ever upon foot he recovered
his renown, and slew and defoiled many knights of the Round Table. And
therefore the rebukes that Sir Launcelot did to many knights causeth
them that be men of prowess to beware, for often I have seen the old
proved knights rebuked and slain by them that were but young beginners.
Thus they rode sure talking by the way together.
Here leave we off a while of this tale, and speak we of Sir Launcelot
du Lake.
CHAP. V.
_How Sir Launcelot came to the court and heard of La Cote Male Taile,
and how he followed after him, and how La Cote Male Taile was
prisoner._
That when he was come to the court of king Arthur, then heard he tell
of the young knight La Cote Male Taile, how he slew the lion, and how
he took upon him the adventure of the black shield, the which was named
at that time the hardiest adventure of the world. Truly, said Sir
Launcelot unto many of his fellows, it was shame to all the noble
knights to suffer such a young knight to take such adventure upon him
for his destruction: for I will that ye wit, said Sir Launcelot, that
that damsel Maledisant hath borne that shield many a day for to seek
the most proved knights, and that was she that Breuse Sance Pité took
that shield from her, and after Tristram de Liones rescued that shield
from him and gave it to the damsel again. A little afore that time Sir
Tristram fought with my nephew Sir Blamor de Ganis for a quarrel that
was betwixt the king of Ireland and him. Then many knights were sorry
that Sir La Cote Male Taile was gone forth to that adventure. Truly,
said Sir Launcelot, I cast me to ride after him. And within seven days
Sir Launcelot overtook La Cote Male Taile. And then he saluted him and
the damsel Maledisant. And when Sir Mordred saw Sir Launcelot then he
left their fellowship. And so Sir Launcelot rode with them all a day,
and ever that damsel rebuked La Cote Male Taile, and then Sir Launcelot
answered for him; then she left off and rebuked Sir Launcelot. So this
mean time Sir Tristram sent by a damsel a letter unto Sir Launcelot
excusing him of the wedding of Isoud la Blanche Mains, and passing
courteously and gently Sir Tristram wrote unto Sir Launcelot, ever
beseeching him to be his good friend, and unto La Beale Isoud of
Cornwall, and that Sir Launcelot would excuse him if that ever he saw
her. And within short time said Sir Tristram that he would speak with
La Beale Isoud and with him right hastily. Then Sir Launcelot departed
from the damsel and from Sir La Cote Male Taile, for to oversee that
letter, and for to write another letter unto Sir Tristram de Liones.