The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights
vain against the castle, for it was passing strong, it chanced upon a day
Sir Lancelot was looking from the walls and espied King Arthur and Sir
Gawain close beside.
"Come forth, Sir Lancelot," said King Arthur right fiercely, "and let us
two meet in the midst of the field."
"God forbid that I should encounter with thee, lord, for thou didst make
me a knight," replied Sir Lancelot.
Then cried Sir Gawain, "Shame on thee, traitor and false knight, yet be ye
well assured we will regain the queen and slay thee and thy company; yea,
double shame on ye to slay my brother Gaheris unarmed, Sir Gareth also,
who loved ye so well. For that treachery, be sure I am thine enemy till
death."
"Alas!" cried Sir Lancelot, "that I hear such tidings, for I knew not I
had slain those noble knights, and right sorely now do I repent it with a
heavy heart. Yet abate thy wrath, Sir Gawain, for ye know full well I did
it by mischance, for I loved them ever as my own brothers."
"Thou liest, false recreant," cried Sir Gawain, fiercely.
At that Sir Lancelot was wroth, and said, "I well see thou art now mine
enemy, and that there can be no more peace with thee, or with my lord the
king, else would I gladly give back the queen."
Then the king would fain have listened to Sir Lancelot, for more than all
his own wrong did he grieve at the sore waste and damage of the realm, but
Sir Gawain persuaded him against it, and ever cried out foully on Sir
Lancelot.
When Sir Bors and the other knights of Lancelot's party heard the fierce
words of Sir Gawain, they were passing wroth, and prayed to ride forth and
be avenged on him, for they were weary of so long waiting to no good. And
in the end Sir Lancelot, with a heavy heart, consented.
So on the morrow the hosts on either side met in the field, and there was
a great battle. And Sir Gawain prayed his knights chiefly to set upon Sir
Lancelot; but Sir Lancelot commanded his company to forbear King Arthur
and Sir Gawain.
So the two armies jousted together right fiercely, and Sir Gawain
proffered to encounter with Sir Lionel, and overthrew him. But Sir Bors,
and Sir Blamor, and Sir Palomedes, who were on Sir Lancelot's side, did
great feats of arms, and overthrew many of King Arthur's knights.
Then the king came forth against Sir Lancelot, but Sir Lancelot forbore
him and would not strike again.
At that Sir Bors rode up against the king and smote him down. But Sir
Lancelot cried, "Touch him not on pain of thy head," and going to King
Arthur he alighted and gave him his own horse, saying, "My lord, I pray
thee forbear this strife, for it can bring to neither of us any honour."
And when King Arthur looked on him the tears came to his eyes as he
thought of his noble courtesy, and he said within himself, "Alas! that
ever this war began."
But on the morrow Sir Gawain led forth the army again, and Sir Bors
commanded on Sir Lancelot's side. And they two struck together so fiercely
that both fell to the ground sorely wounded; and all the day they fought
till night fell, and many were slain on both sides, yet in the end neither
gained the victory.
But by now the fame of this fierce war spread through all Christendom, and
when the Pope heard thereof he sent a Bull, and charged King Arthur to
make peace with Lancelot, and receive back Queen Guinevere; and for the
offence imputed to her absolution should be given by the Pope.
Thereto would King Arthur straightway have obeyed, but Sir Gawain ever
urged him to refuse.
When Sir Lancelot heard thereof, he wrote thus to the king: "It was never
in my thought, lord, to withhold thy queen from thee; but since she was
condemned for my sake to death, I deemed it but a just and knightly part
to rescue her therefrom; wherefore I recommend me to your grace, and
within eight days will I come to thee and bring the queen in safety."
Then, within eight days, as he had said, Sir Lancelot rode from out the
castle with Queen Guinevere, and a hundred knights for company, each
carrying an olive branch, in sign of peace. And so they came to the court,
and found King Arthur sitting on his throne, with Sir Gawain and many
other knights around him. And when Sir Lancelot entered with the queen,
they both kneeled down before the king.
Anon Sir Lancelot rose and said, "My lord, I have brought hither my lady
the queen again, as right requireth, and by commandment of the Pope and
you. I pray ye take her to your heart again and forget the past. For
myself I may ask nothing, and for my sin I shall have sorrow and sore
punishment; yet I would to heaven I might have your grace."
But ere the king could answer, for he was moved with pity at his words,
Sir Gawain cried aloud, "Let the king do as he will, but be sure, Sir
Lancelot, thou and I shall never be accorded while we live, for thou has
slain my brethren traitorously and unarmed."
"As heaven is my help," replied Sir Lancelot, "I did it ignorantly, for I
loved them well, and while I live I shall bewail their death; but to make
war with me were no avail, for I must needs fight with thee if thou
assailest, and peradventure I might kill thee also, which I were right
loth to do."
"I will forgive thee never," cried Sir Gawain, "and if the king accordeth
with thee he shall lose my service."
Then the knights who stood near tried to reconcile Sir Gawain to Sir
Lancelot, but he would not hear them. So, at the last, Sir Lancelot said,
"Since peace is vain, I will depart, lest I bring more evil on my
fellowship."
And as he turned to go, the tears fell from him, and he said, "Alas, most
noble Christian realm, which I have loved above all others, now shall I
see thee never more!" Then said he to the queen, "Madam, now must I leave
ye and this noble fellowship for ever. And, I beseech ye, pray for me, and
if ye ever be defamed of any, let me hear thereof, and as I have been ever
thy true knight in right and wrong, so will I be again."
With that he kneeled and kissed King Arthur's hands, and departed on his
way. And there was none in all that court, save Sir Gawain alone, but wept
to see him go.
So he returned with all his knights to the Castle of La Joyous Garde, and,
for his sorrow's sake, he named it Dolorous Garde thenceforth.
Anon he left the realm, and went with many of his fellowship beyond the
sea to France, and there divided all his lands among them equally, he
sharing but as the rest.
And from that time forward peace had been between him and King Arthur, but
for Sir Gawain, who left the king no rest, but constantly persuaded him
that Lancelot was raising mighty hosts against him.
So in the end his malice overcame the king, who left the government in
charge of Modred, and made him guardian of the queen, and went with a
great army to invade Sir Lancelot's lands.
Yet Sir Lancelot would make no war upon the king, and sent a message to
gain peace on any terms King Arthur chose. But Sir Gawain met the herald
ere he reached the king, and sent him back with taunting and bitter words.
Whereat Sir Lancelot sorrowfully called his knights together and fortified
the Castle of Benwicke, and there was shortly besieged by the army of King
Arthur.
And every day Sir Gawain rode up to the walls, and cried out foully on Sir
Lancelot, till, upon a time, Sir Lancelot answered him that he would meet
him in the field and put his boasting to the proof. So it was agreed on
both sides that there should none come nigh them or separate them till one
had fallen or yielded; and they two rode forth.
Then did they wheel their horses apart, and turning, came together as it
had been thunder, so that both horses fell, and both their lances broke.
At that they drew their swords and set upon each other fiercely, with
passing grievous strokes.
Now Sir Gawain had through magic a marvellous great gift. For every day,
from morning till noon, his strength waxed to the might of seven men, but
after that waned to his natural force. Therefore till noon he gave Sir
Lancelot many mighty buffets, which scarcely he endured. Yet greatly he
forbore Sir Gawain, for he was aware of his enchantment, and smote him
slightly till his own knights marvelled. But after noon Sir Gawain's
strength sank fast, and then, with one full blow, Sir Lancelot laid him on
the earth. Then Sir Gawain cried out, "Turn not away, thou traitor knight,
but slay me if thou wilt, or else I will arise and fight with thee again
some other time."
"Sir knight," replied Sir Lancelot, "I never yet smote a fallen man."
At that they bore Sir Gawain sorely wounded to his tent, and King Arthur
withdrew his men, for he was loth to shed the blood of so many knights of
his own fellowship.
But now came tidings to King Arthur from across the sea, which caused him
to return in haste. For thus the news ran, that no sooner was Sir Modred
set up in his regency, than he had forged false tidings from abroad that
the king had fallen in a battle with Sir Lancelot. Whereat he had
proclaimed himself the king, and had been crowned at Canterbury, where he
had held a coronation feast for fifteen days. Then he had gone to
Winchester, where Queen Guinevere abode, and had commanded her to be his
wife; whereto, for fear and sore perplexity, she had feigned consent, but,
under pretext of preparing for the marriage, had fled in haste to London
and taken shelter in the Tower, fortifying it and providing it with all
manner of victuals, and defending it against Sir Modred, and answering to
all his threats that she would rather slay herself than be his queen.
Thus was it written to King Arthur. Then, in passing great wrath and
haste, he came with all his army swiftly back from France and sailed to
England. But when Sir Modred heard thereof, he left the Tower and marched
with all his host to meet the king at Dover.
Then fled Queen Guinevere to Amesbury to a nunnery, and there she clothed
herself in sackcloth, and spent her time in praying for the king and in
good deeds and fasting. And in that nunnery evermore she lived, sorely
repenting and mourning for her sin, and for the ruin she had brought on
all the realm. And there anon she died.
And when Sir Lancelot heard thereof, he put his knightly armour off, and
bade farewell to all his kin, and went a mighty pilgrimage for many years,
and after lived a hermit till his death.
When Sir Modred came to Dover, he found King Arthur and his army but just
landed; and there they fought a fierce and bloody battle, and many great
and noble knights fell on both sides.
But the king's side had the victory, for he was beyond himself with might
and passion, and all his knights so fiercely followed him, that, in spite
of all their multitude, they drove Sir Modred's army back with fearful
wounds and slaughter, and slept that night upon the battle-field.
But Sir Gawain was smitten by an arrow in the wound Sir Lancelot gave him,
and wounded to the death. Then was he borne to the king's tent, and King
Arthur sorrowed over him as it had been his own son. "Alas!" said he; "in
Sir Lancelot and in you I had my greatest earthly joy, and now is all gone
from me."
And Sir Gawain answered, with a feeble voice, "My lord and king, I know
well my death is come, and through my own wilfulness, for I am smitten in
the wound Sir Lancelot gave me. Alas! that I have been the cause of all
this war, for but for me thou hadst been now at peace with Lancelot, and
then had Modred never done this treason. I pray ye, therefore, my dear
lord, be now agreed with Lancelot, and tell him, that although he gave me
my death-wound, it was through my own seeking; wherefore I beseech him to
come back to England, and here to visit my tomb, and pray for my soul."
When he had thus spoken, Sir Gawain gave up his ghost, and the king
grievously mourned for him.