The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
beheld that his brow and his throat and his bosom were white like
alabaster. And she beheld that around his neck and shoulders there hung
a golden collar of marvellous beauty, so that when the sunlight shone
upon it it flashed like pure lightning.
So, beholding this strange appearance--as it were a vision--the damsel
Mellicine stood for a long while, all entranced with wonder and with
pleasure, and wist not whether that which she saw was a dream or no
dream, nor whether he who sat there was a spirit, or whether he was a
man of flesh and blood.
Then, by and by, recovering somewhat from her astonishment, she withdrew
herself softly from the casement, and, turning about, ran fleetly down
the turret stairs, and so came out thence into that fair and blooming
garden at the foot of the tower. So she ran through the garden with all
speed and silence, and thus came down an alley-way and to the marble
fountain and the linden-trees and the rose-trees around about where she
had anon beheld that strange knight bathing himself in the crystal
waters.
[Sidenote: The damsel findeth only the gardener’s boy.]
But King Arthur had heard the coming of that damsel, and had speedily
set the cap upon his head again. So that when the damsel Mellicene came
thither, she found no one by the fountain but the gardener’s boy. Of him
she demanded: “Who art thou, fellow? And why sittest thou here by the
fountain?”
And unto her he replied: “I am the gardener’s lad who came a short time
ago to take service at this place.”
“Then tell me, fellow,” quoth she, “and tell me truly. Who was that
young knight who was here beside the fountain but now, and whither hath
he gone?” “Lady, whereunto,” he said, “there has been no one at this
fountain this day, but only I.”
“Nay, fellow,” she cried, “thou art deceiving me, for I do assure thee
that with mine own eyes I beheld but now, where a strange young knight
sat bathing himself in the waters of this fountain.” And the gardener’s
boy said, “Lady, that which I have told you is the very truth, for
indeed there hath no one been here this morn but only I. Wherefore, an
thou deemest thou hast seen anyone else, thou art certainly mistaken.”
At this the damsel set her look upon him, in great perplexity. Likewise,
she marvelled very greatly, for she could not altogether disbelieve him.
Nor yet could she entirely believe him either, because her eyes had
beheld that which she had beheld, and she wotted that she had not been
mistaken. Therefore she knew not what to think, and, because of her
perplexity, she felt a very great displeasure at that gardener’s boy.
“Truly, wherefore,” she said, “if thou art deceiving me, I shall
certainly cause thee to suffer a great deal of pain, for I shall have
thee whipped with cords.” Thereupon she turned and went away from that
place, much marvelling at that strange thing, and wondering what it all
signified.
That morning she told unto the Lady Guinevere all that she had seen, but
the Lady Guinevere only laughed at her and mocked her, telling her that
she had been asleep and dreaming, when she beheld that vision. And,
indeed, the damsel herself had begun to think this must be the case.
Nevertheless, she thereafter looked out every morning from her casement
window, albeit she beheld nothing for a great while, for King Arthur
came not soon to that place again.
So, by and by, there befell another certain morning when she looked out
of the casement and, lo! there sat that strange knight by the fountain
once more as he had aforetime sat. And he bathed his face and his bosom
in the water as he had aforetime done. And he appeared as comely and as
noble as he had appeared before; and his hair and his young beard shone
like gold as they had shone before in the sun. And this time she beheld
that his collar of gold lay upon the brink of the fountain beside him,
and it sparkled with great splendor in the sunlight the whiles he bathed
his bosom. Then, after that damsel had regarded him for a considerable
time, she ran with all speed to the chamber where the Lady Guinevere
still lay, and she cried in a loud voice, “Lady! lady! arouse thee and
come with me! For, lo! that same young knight whom I beheld before, is
even now bathing himself at the fountain under the linden-tree.”
Then the Lady Guinevere, greatly marvelling, aroused herself right
quickly, and, dighting herself with all speed, went with the damsel unto
that casement window which looked out into that part of the garden.
[Sidenote: The Lady Guinevere beholds the knight at the fountain.]
And there she herself beheld the young knight where he laved himself at
the fountain. And she saw that his hair and his beard shone like gold in
the sunlight; and she saw that his undervestment was of purple linen
threaded with gold; and she saw that beside him lay that cunningly
wrought collar of gold inset with many jewels of various colors, and the
collar shone with great splendor where it lay upon the marble verge of
the fountain.
Somewhiles she gazed, exceedingly astonished; then she commanded the
damsel Mellicene for to come with her, and therewith she turned and
descended the turret stairs, and went quickly out into the garden, as
her damsel had done aforetime. Then, as that damsel had done, she
straightway hastened with all speed down the alley-way toward the
fountain.
But, behold! when she had come there, she found no young knight, but
only the gardener boy, exactly as had happened with the damsel Mellicene
aforetime. For King Arthur had heard her coming, and had immediately put
that enchanted cap upon his head. Then the Lady Guinevere marvelled very
greatly to find there only the gardener’s boy, and she wist not what to
think of so strange a thing. Wherefore she demanded of him, even as
Mellicene had done, whither had gone the young knight whom she had
beheld anon there at the fountain. And unto her the gardener lad made
answer as aforetime: “Lady! there hath been no one at this place at any
time this morning, but only I.”
Now when King Arthur had donned his cap at the coming of the Lady, he
had, in his great haste, forgotten his golden collar, and this Guinevere
beheld where it lay shining very brightly, beside the margin of the
fountain. “How now!” quoth she. “Wouldst thou dare to make a mock of me?
Now tell me, thou fellow, do gardeners’ boys in the land whence thou
didst come wear golden collars about their necks like unto that collar
that lieth yonder beside the fountain? Now, an I had thee well whipped,
it would be thy rightful due. But take thou that bauble yonder and give
it unto him to whom it doth rightfully belong, and tell him from me that
it doth ill become a true belted knight for to hide himself away in the
privy gardens of a lady.” Then turned she with the damsel Mellicene, and
left she that place and went back again into her bower.
Yet, indeed for all that day, as she sat over her ’broidery, she did
never cease to marvel and to wonder how it was possible that that
strange young knight should so suddenly have vanished away and left only
the poor gardener’s boy in his stead. Nor, for a long time, might she
unriddle that strange thing.
Then, of a sudden, at that time when the heat of the day was sloping
toward the cooler part of the afternoon, she aroused herself because of
a thought that had come in an instant unto her. So she called the damsel
Mellicene to come to her, and she bade her to go and tell the gardener’s
lad for to fetch her straightway a basket of fresh roses for to adorn
her tower chamber.
[Sidenote: _The gardener’s boy weareth his cap before the Lady
Guinevere._]
So Mellicene went and did as she bade, and after considerable time the
gardener’s lad came bearing a great basket of roses. And, lo! he wore
his cap upon his head. And all the damsels in waiting upon the Lady
Guinevere, when they saw how he wore his cap in her presence, cried out
upon him, and Mellicene of the White Hand demanded of him: “What! How
now, Sir boor! Dost thou know so little of what is due unto a king’s
daughter that thou dost wear thy cap even in the presence of the Lady
Guinevere? Now I bid thee straightway to take thy cap off thy head.”
And to her King Arthur made answer: “Lady, I cannot take off my cap.”
Quoth the Lady Guinevere: “And why canst thou not take off thy cap, thou
surly fellow?”
“Lady,” said he, “I cannot take off my cap, because I have an ugly place
upon my head.”
“Then wear thy cap,” quoth the Lady Guinevere. “Only fetch thou the
roses unto me.”
[Sidenote: _The Lady Guinevere discovers the knight of the fountain._]
And so at her bidding, he brought the roses to her. But when he had come
nigh unto the lady, she, of a sudden, snatched at the cap and plucked it
off from his head. Then, lo! he was upon the instant transformed; for
instead of the gardener’s boy there stood before the Lady Guinevere and
her damsel the appearance of a noble young knight with hair and beard
like threads of gold. Then he let fall his basket of roses so that the
flowers were scattered all over the floor, and he stood and looked at
all who were there. And some of those damsels in attendance upon the
Lady Guinevere shrieked, and others stood still from pure amazement and
wist not how to believe what their eyes beheld. But not one of those
ladies knew that he whom she beheld was King Arthur. Nevertheless the
Lady Guinevere remembered that this was the knight whom she had found so
sorely wounded, lying in the hermit’s cell in the forest.
Then she laughed and flung him back his cap again. “Take thy cap,” quoth
she, “and go thy ways, thou gardener’s boy who hath an ugly place upon
his head.” Thus she said because she was minded to mock him.
But King Arthur did not reply to her, but straightway, with great
sobriety of aspect, set his cap upon his head again. So resuming his
humble guise once more, he turned and quitted that place, leaving those
roses scattered all over the floor even as they had fallen.
And after that time, whenever the Lady Guinevere would come upon the
gardener’s lad in the garden, she would say unto her damsel in such a
voice that he might hear her speech: “Lo! yonder is the gardener’s lad
who hath an ugly place upon his head so that he must always wear his cap
for to hide it.”
Thus she spake openly, mocking at him; but privily she bade her damsels
to say naught concerning these things, but to keep unto themselves all
those things which had befallen.
[Illustration] Chapter Second.
_How King Ryence Came to Cameliard and How King Arthur Fought With the
Duke of North Umber._
[Sidenote: _King Ryence and Duke Mordaunt come to Cameliard._]
Now, upon a certain day at this time there came a messenger to the Court
of King Leodegrance, with news that King Ryence of North Wales and Duke
Mordaunt of North Umber were coming thither and that they brought with
them a very noble and considerable Court of knights and lords. At this
news King Leodegrance was much troubled in spirit, for he wist not what
such a visit might betoken; and yet he greatly feared that it boded ill
for him. So on that day when King Ryence and the Duke of North Umber
appeared before the castle, King Leodegrance went forth to greet them
and they three met together in the meadows that lie beneath the castle
walls of Cameliard.
There King Leodegrance bade those others welcome in such manner as was
fitting, desiring them that they should come into the castle with him so
that he might entertain them according to their degree.
[Sidenote: _The King and the Duke send challenge to King Leodegrance._]
But to this courtesy upon the part of King Leodegrance, King Ryence