The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
ho! King Leodegrance! Thou shalt not think because I suffered a fall
from my horse through the mischance of an assault at arms, that thou art
therefore quit of me. Yet, ne’theless, I do now make this fair proffer
unto thee. To-morrow day I shall appear before this castle with six
knights-companion. Now if thou hast any seven knights who are able to
stand against me and my companions in an assault at arms--whether with
spears or swords, or ahorse or afoot--then shall I engage myself for to
give over all pretence whatsoever unto the hand of the Lady Guinevere.
But if thou canst not provide such champions to contend successfully
against me and my knights-companion, then shall I not only lay claim to
Lady Guinevere, but I shall likewise seize upon and shall hold for mine
own, three certain castles of thine that stand upon the borders of North
Umber. And, likewise, I shall seize upon and shall hold for mine own all
the lands and glebes appertaining unto those same castles. Moreover,
this challenge of mine shall hold only until to-morrow at set of sun;
after the which time it shall be null and void. Wherefore, King
Leodegrance, thou hadst best look to it straightway to provide thee with
such champions as may defend thee from these demands aforesaid.”
[Sidenote: _King Leodegrance is downcast._]
Hereupon those two heralds blew their trumpets once more, and Duke
Mordaunt of North Umber turned his horse about and went away from that
place. Then King Leodegrance also went his way, very sorrowful and
downcast in his spirits. For he said to himself: “Is it at all likely
that another champion shall come unto me like that wonderful White
Champion who came two days since, I know not whence, for to defend me
against mine enemies? And, touching that same White Champion; if I know
not whence he came, so also I know not whither he hath departed; how
then shall I know where to seek him to beseech his further aid in this
time of mine extremity?” Wherefore he went his way, very sorrowful, and
wist not what he was to do for to defend himself. So being thus
exceedingly troubled in his spirit, he went straight unto his own room,
and there shut himself therein; nor would he see any man nor speak unto
anyone, but gave himself over entirely unto sorrow and despair.
[Sidenote: _The Lady Guinevere beseecheth aid of the four knights._]
Now in this extremity the Lady Guinevere bethought her of those four
knights who had been pledged for to serve her for seven days. So she
went unto them where they were and she bespoke them in this wise:
“Messires, ye have been sent hither pledged for to serve me for seven
days. Now I do ordain it of thee that you will take this challenge of
Duke Mordaunt upon you at my behest, and I do much desire that you go
forth to-morrow-day for to meet this Duke of North Umber and his
knights-companion in battle. For ye are terribly powerful knights, and I
do believe you may easily defend us against our enemies.”
But Sir Gawaine said, “Not so, Lady; not so! For though we are pledged
unto thy service, yet are we not pledged unto the service of King
Leodegrance, thy father. Nor have we quarrel of any sort with this Duke
of North Umber, nor with his six knights-companion. For we are knights
of King Arthur, his Court, nor may we, except at his command, take any
foreign quarrel upon us in the service of another king.”
Then was the Lady Guinevere exceedingly angry, wherefore she said with
great heat: “Either thou art a wonderfully faithful lord unto thy King,
Sir Gawaine, or else thou fearest to meet this Duke of North Umber and
his knights-companion.”
And at this speech of the Lady Guinevere’s, Sir Gawaine was also
exceedingly wroth, wherefore he made reply: “An thou wert a knight and
not a lady, Dame Guinevere, thou wouldst think three or four times ere
thou wouldst find courage to speak those words unto me.” Whereupon he
arose and went out from that place with a countenance all inflamed with
wrath. And the Lady Guinevere went away also from that place and to her
bower, where she wept a very great deal, both from sorrow and from
anger.
[Sidenote: King Arthur sendeth the gardener upon a mission.]
Now all this while King Arthur had been very well aware of everything
that passed; wherefore he by and by arose and went out and found the
gardener. And he took the gardener strongly by the collar of his coat
and held him where he was. And he said to him: “Sirrah! I have a
command to set upon thee, and thou shalt perform that command to the
letter, else, an thou perform it not, a very great deal of pain may
befall thee.” Herewith speaking, he thrust his hand into the bosom of
his jerkin and brought forth thence that necklace of pearls which the
Lady Guinevere had given him from about her neck. And he said further
unto the gardener: “Thou shalt take this necklace to the Lady Guinevere
and thou shalt say to her thus: that she is to send me forthwith bread
and meat and wine and comfits from her own table. And thou shalt say
unto her that I desire her to summon those four knights--to wit, Sir
Gawaine, Sir Ewaine, Sir Geraint, and Sir Pellias--and that she is to
bid those four for to come and serve me with those things for my
refreshment. And thou art to say unto her that she is to lay her
commands upon those knights that they are further to serve me according
as I may command, and that they are henceforth to be my servants and
not her servants. And these are the commands that I lay upon thee; that
thou art to say these things unto the Lady Guinevere.”
Now when the gardener heard those words he was so astonished that he
wist not what to think, for he deemed that the gardener’s lad had gone
altogether mad. Wherefore he lifted up his voice and cried aloud, “How
now! What is this thou sayest! Verily, should I do such a thing as this
thou bidst me to do, either it will cost me my life or else it will cost
thee thy life. For who would dare for to say such words unto the Lady
Guinevere?”
But King Arthur said: “Ne’theless, thou shalt surely do as I command
thee, sirrah. For if thou disobey in one single point, then I do assure
thee it will go exceedingly ill with thee. For I have it in my power for
to make thee suffer as thou hast never suffered before.”
And upon this the gardener said, “I will go.” For he said unto himself,
“If I do as this fellow biddeth me, then will the Lady Guinevere have
him punished in great measure, and so I shall be revenged upon him for
what he did unto me yesterday. Moreover, it irks me exceedingly that I
should have a lad for to work in the garden who behaves as this fellow
does. Wherefore,” he said, “I will go.” So he took that necklace of
pearls that King Arthur gave him, and he went forth and, after awhile,
he found the Lady Guinevere where she was. And when he had found her, he
bespoke her in this wise:
“Lady, my garden boy hath assuredly gone entirely mad. For, under the
threat of certain great harm he would do unto me an I performed not his
errand, he hath sent me to offer a very grievous affront unto thee. For
he hath sent me with this string of large beads for to give to thee; and
he bids me to tell thee that thou art to send to him bread and meat and
sweetmeats and wine, such as thou usest at thine own table; and he bids
me to tell thee that these things are to be served to him by the four
noble knights who came hither the day before yesterday. And he saith
that thou art to command those same knights that they are to obey him in
whatsoever he may command, for that they are henceforth to be his
servants and not thine. And, indeed, Lady, he would listen to naught
that I might say to him contrariwise, but he hath threatened me with
dire injury an I came not hither and delivered this message unto thee.”
Now when the Lady Guinevere heard what the gardener said, and when she
beheld the necklace which she had given unto that White Champion, and
when she wist that the White Champion and the gardener’s boy were indeed
one, she was uplifted with an exceeding joy; wherefore she knew not
whether to laugh or whether to weep for that pure joy. So she arose and
took the necklace of pearls, and she bade the gardener for to come with
her. Then she went forth until she found those four knights, and when
she had found them she spake unto them thus:
[Sidenote: _The Lady Guinevere commands the four knights to serve the
gardener’s boy._]
“My Lords, awhile sin when I commanded you for to take my quarrel with
Duke Mordaunt of North Umber upon you for my sake, ye would not do so.
And thou, my lord Gawaine, didst speak such angry words as are not
fitting that one who serveth should speak unto his mistress, far less
that a knight should speak unto the daughter of a king. Accordingly I
have it in my mind that ye shall perform a certain thing by way of a
penance, which, an ye refuse to do, I will know very well that ye do not
intend to fulfil that word which ye plighted to my knight when he
overthrew you all four in fair combat. Now my command is this: that ye
take certain food prepared for my table--meats and white bread and
sweetmeats and wine--and that ye take that food unto my gardener’s boy,
whose cap, Sir Gawaine, thou didst threaten so valorously for to take
away from him this very morning. And ye four are to serve the food unto
him as though he were a royal knight. And when ye have so served him, ye
are to obey him in whatsoever he may ordain. And this I put upon ye as a
penalty because ye took not my quarrel upon ye as true knights should,
for hereafter ye are to be servants unto that gardener’s boy and not
unto me. Wherefore ye are now to go unto the buttery of the castle, and
ye are to bid the sewer for to give you meats such as are served upon
mine own table. And the food ye are to serve upon silver plates, and the
wine ye are to serve in silver cups and goblets. And ye are to minister
unto that gardener’s boy as though he were a great lord of exceeding
fame and renown.”
Thus spake the Lady Guinevere, and when she had spoken, she turned and
left those four knights, and she took with her the gardener, who was so
astonished at that which he had heard, that he wist not whether he had
gone mad or whether the Lady Guinevere had gone mad. And the Lady
Guinevere bade the gardener to go to the gardener’s boy and to tell him
that all things should be fulfilled according to his commands. And so
the gardener did as he was told.
[Sidenote: _The four knights are angry._]
Now turn we to those four knights whom the Lady Guinevere had left. For
they were bemazed and abashed at the singular commands she had set upon
them. And when they recovered from their amazement, they were inflamed
with exceeding indignation that, for the time, they wist not whether
that which they saw with their eyes was the light of day, or whether it
was altogether darkness. Nor could one of them look at another in the
face, so overcome were they with shame at the affront that had been put
upon them. Then up and spake Sir Gawaine, and his voice so trembled with
his exceeding anger that he could scarce contain it for to speak his
words. “Messires,” quoth he, “do ye not see how that this lady hath
wantonly put a great affront upon us because we would not do that which
she this morning bade us to do, and because we would not take up her
quarrel against the Duke of North Umber? Now we will indeed serve this
gardener’s boy even as she hath ordained. For we will serve him with
meat and drink as she hath commanded; and we will render our service
unto him as she hath bidden us to do. But observe ye; we are no longer
her servants, but we are his servants; wherefore we may serve him as we
choose for to do. So, when we have fulfilled her commands and have
served him with meat and drink, and when we have obeyed all the behests