The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
deigned no pleasing reply. “Nay,” quoth he, “we go not with thee into
thy castle, King Leodegrance, until we learn whether thou art our friend
or our enemy. For just now we are, certes, no such good friends with
thee that we care to sit down at thy table and eat of thy salt. Nor may
we be aught but enemies of thine until thou hast first satisfied our
demands; to wit, that thou givest to me those lands which I demand of
thee and that thou givest unto my cousin, Duke Mordaunt of North Umber,
the Lady Guinevere to be his wife. In these matters thou hast it in thy
power to make us either thy friends or thine enemies. Wherefore we shall
abide here, outside of thy castle, for five days, in the which time thou
mayst frame thine answer, and so we may know whether we shall be friends
or enemies.”
“And in the meantime,” quoth Duke Mordaunt of North Umber, “I do hold
myself ready for to contest my right unto the hand of the Lady Guinevere
with any knight of thy Court who hath a mind to deny my just title
thereto; and if thou hast no knight in all thy Court who can
successfully assay a bout of arms with me, thou thyself canst hardly
hope to succeed in defending thyself against that great army of knights
whom King Ryence hath gathered together to bring against thee in case
thou denyest us that which we ask.”
Then was King Leodegrance exceedingly cast down in his spirits, for he
feared those proud lords and he wist not what to say in answer to them.
Wherefore he turned and walked back into his castle again, beset with
great anxiety and sorrow of spirit. And King Ryence, and Duke Mordaunt
and their Court of lords and knights pitched their pavilions in those
meadows over against the castle, so that the plain was entirely covered
with those pavilions. And there they took up their inn with great
rejoicing and with the sound of feasting and singing and merry-making,
for it was an exceeding noble Court King Ryence had gathered about him.
[Sidenote: _Duke Mordaunt rides before the castle._]
And when the next morning had come Duke Mordaunt of North Umber went
forth clad all in armor of proof. And he rode up and down the field
before the castle and gave great challenge to those within; daring any
knight to come forth for to meet him in knightly encounter. “Ho!” he
cried, “how now, ye Knights of Cameliard! Is there no one to come forth
to meet me? How then may ye hope to contend with the Knights of North
Wales, an ye fear to meet with one single Knight from North Umber?” So
he scoffed at them in his pride, and none dared to come forth from
Cameliard against him. For the Duke of North Umber was one of the most
famous knights of his day, and one of exceeding strength and success at
arms, and there was now, in these times of peace, no one of King
Leodegrance’s Court who was at all able to face a warrior of his
approved skill and valor. Wherefore, no one took up that challenge which
the Duke of North Umber gave to the Court of Cameliard. Meantime many
people gathered upon the walls of Cameliard and gazed down therefrom
upon that proud and haughty duke, all bedight in his splendid armor, and
all were grieved and ashamed that there was no one in that peaceful town
to go out against him. And all the lords and knights of King Ryence’s
Court came and stood in front of the King’s pavilion and laughed and
clapped their hands together, and cheered Duke Mordaunt, as he so rode
up and down before them. And the greater they were expanded with mirth,
the more abashed were the people of Cameliard. “Ho! Ho!” cried that
proud Duke. “How now! Will no one come forth to meet me? How then may ye
of Cameliard hope to face the King of North Wales and all his knightly
array of which I am but one man?” And the people of Cameliard, gathered
upon the walls, listened to him with shame and sorrow.
Now all this while King Arthur digged in the garden; but, nevertheless,
he was well aware of everything that passed and of how that the Duke of
North Umber rode up and down so proudly before the castle walls. So, of
a sudden, it came to him that he could not abide this any longer.
Wherefore he laid aside his spade and went out secretly by a postern
way, and so up into the town.
Now there was in Cameliard an exceedingly rich merchant, by name Ralph
of Cardiff, and the renown of his possessions and his high estate had
reached even unto King Arthur’s ears at Carleon. Accordingly it was unto
his house that King Arthur directed his steps.
[Sidenote: _King Arthur seeks armor to do battle._]
And while he was in a narrow way, not far from the merchant’s house, he
took off his magic cap of disguise and assumed somewhat of his noble
appearance once more, for he was now of a mind to show his knightliness
unto those who looked upon him. Accordingly, when he stood before the
rich merchant in his closet, and when the merchant looked up into his
face, he wist not what to think to behold so noble a lord clad all in
frieze. For though King Arthur was a stranger to the good man, so that
he knew not his countenance, yet that merchant wist that he was no
ordinary knight, but that he must assuredly be one of high degree and in
authority, even though he was clad in frieze.
Then King Arthur opened the breast of his jerkin and showed the merchant
the gold collar that hung around his neck. And also he showed beneath
the rough coat of frieze how that there was an undergarment of fine
purple silk embroidered with gold. And then he showed to the good man
his own signet ring, and when the merchant saw it, he knew it to be the
ring of the King of Britain. Wherefore, beholding these tokens of high
and lordly authority, the merchant arose and stood before the King and
doffed his cap.
“Sir Merchant,” quoth the King, “know that I am a stranger knight in
disguise in this place. Ne’theless, I may tell thee that I am a very
good friend to King Leodegrance and wish him exceeding well. Thou art
surely aware of how the Duke of North Umber rides continually up and
down before the King’s castle, and challenges anyone within to come
forth for to fight against him in behalf of the Lady Guinevere. Now I am
of a mind to assay that combat mine own self, and I hope a very great
deal that I shall succeed in upholding the honor of Cameliard and of
bringing shame upon its enemies.
“Sir Merchant, I know very well that thou hast several suits of noble
armor in thy treasury, for the fame of them hath reached unto mine ears
though I dwell a considerable distance from this place. Wherefore I
desire that thou shalt provide me in the best manner that thou art able
to do, so that I may straightway assay a bout of arms with that Duke of
North Umber. Moreover, I do pledge thee my knightly word that thou shalt
be fully recompensed for the best suit of armor that thou canst let me
have, and that in a very little while.”
“My Lord,” said Master Ralph, “I perceive that thou art no ordinary
errant knight, but rather someone of extraordinary estate; wherefore it
is a very great pleasure to fulfil all thy behests. But even an thou
wert other than thou art, I would be altogether willing to equip thee
with armor, seeing that thou hast a mind to ride forth against yonder
duke.”
Upon this he rang a little silver bell that stood nigh to him, and in
answer to its sound several attendants immediately appeared. Into their
hands he intrusted the person of the King, bidding them to do him
extraordinary honor. Accordingly, certain of those attendants prepared
for the King a bath of tepid water perfumed with ambergris, very
grateful to the person. And after he was bathed in this bath and was
wiped with soft linen towels, other attendants conducted him to a hall
all hung with tapestries and ’broideries, and at this place a noble
feast had been spread ready for his refreshment. Here that lordly
merchant himself ministered to the King’s wants, serving him with
various meats--very dainty, and of several sorts--and likewise with fine
white bread. And he poured him wine of various countries--some as red as
ruby, others as yellow as gold; and indeed the King had hardly ever
enjoyed a better feast than that which the merchant, Ralph of Cardiff,
had thus spread for him.
[Sidenote: _King Arthur is armed by Ralph of Cardiff._]
And after he had entirely refreshed himself with eating, there came six
pages richly clad in sarsanet of azure, and these, taking the King to an
apartment of great state, they there clad him in a suit of Spanish
armor, very cunningly wrought and all inlaid with gold. And the like of
that armor was hardly to be found in all of the land. The juppon and the
several trappings of the armor were all of satin and as white as milk.
And the shield was white, and altogether without emblazonment or device
of any sort. Then these attendants conducted the King into the
courtyard, and there stood a noble war-horse, as white as milk, and all
the trappings of the horse were of milk-white cloth without emblazonment
or adornment of any sort; and the bridle and the bridle rein were all
studded over with bosses of silver.
Then after the attendants had aided King Arthur to mount this steed,
the lordly merchant came forward and gave him many words of good cheer,
and so the king bade him adieu and rode away, all shining in white and
glittering in fine armor, wherefore he resembled the full moon in
harvest season.
And as he drave down the stony streets of the town, the people turned
and gazed after him, for he made a very noble appearance as he passed
along the narrow way between the houses of the town.
So King Arthur directed his way to the postern gate of the castle, and,
having reached that place, he dismounted and tied his horse. Then he
straightway entered the garden, and there, finding an attendant, he made
demand that he should have present speech with the Lady Guinevere. So
the attendant, all amazed at his lordly presence, went and delivered the
message, and by and by the Lady Guinevere came, much wondering, and
passed along a gallery with several of her damsels, until she had come
over above where King Arthur was. And when King Arthur looked up and saw
her above him, he loved her exceeding well. And he said to her: “Lady, I
have great will to do thee such honor as I am able. For I go forth now
to do combat with that Duke of North Umber who rides up and down before
this castle. Moreover, I hope and verily believe that I shall encompass
his downfall; accordingly, I do beseech of thee some token, such as a
lady may give unto a knight for to wear when that knight rides forth to
do her honor.”
[Sidenote: _The Lady Guinevere accepts King Arthur for her champion._]
Then the Lady Guinevere said: “Certes, Sir Knight, I would that I knew
who thou art. Yet, though I know not, nevertheless I am altogether
willing for to take thee for my champion as thou offerest. So, touching
that token thou speakest of, if thou wilt tell me what thing it is that
thou desirest, I will gladly give it to thee.”
“An that be so, Lady,” said King Arthur, “I would fain have that
necklace that thou wearest about thy throat. For, meseems that if I had
that tied about my arm, I would find my valor greatly increased
thereby.”
“Pardee, Sir Knight,” said the Lady, “what thou desirest of me thou
shalt assuredly have.” Thereupon speaking, she took from her long,
smooth neck the necklace of pearls which she wore, and dropped the same
down to King Arthur where he stood.
And King Arthur took the necklace and tied it about his arm, and he gave
great thanks for it. Then he saluted the Lady Guinevere with very
knightly grace, and she saluted him, and then, straightway, he went
forth from that place, greatly expanded with joy that the Lady Guinevere
had shown him such favor.