The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
he layeth upon us; then do I make my vow that I, with mine own hand,
shall slay that gardener’s boy. And when I have slain him, I will put
his head into a bag, and I will send that bag unto the Lady Guinevere by
the meanest carrier whom I can find for that purpose. And so this proud
lady shall receive an affront as great as that affront which she hath
put upon us.” And they all said that that which Sir Gawaine had planned
should be exactly as he had said.
[Sidenote: _The four knights serve the gardener’s boy._]
So those four lords went unto the sewer of the castle, and they asked
for the best of that food which was to be served unto the Lady
Guinevere--meats and bread and sweetmeats and wine. Then they took them
silver plates and platters and they placed the food upon them; and they
took silver cups and silver goblets and they poured the wine into them;
and they went forth with these things. And when they had come back of
the castle nigh to the stables, they found the gardener’s boy, and they
bade him sit down and eat and to drink. And they waited upon him as
though he had been some great lord. And not one of those four knights
wist who he was, nor that he was the great King whose servant they,
soothly, were. For he wore his cap of disguise upon his head, wherefore
they deemed him to be only a poor peasant fellow.
Now when Sir Ewaine beheld that he still wore his cap before them, he
spake unto him with great indignation, saying: “Ha, villian! Wouldst
thou wear thy cap even in the presence of great princes and lords such
as we be?”
Unto this Sir Gawaine said, “Let be, it matters not.” And then he said
very bitterly unto the gardener’s boy: “Eat thou well, sirrah! For thou
shalt hardly eat another meal of food upon this earth.”
To this the gardener’s boy made reply: “Sir Knight, that, haply, shall
lie unto another will than thine for to determine. For maybe, I shall
eat many other meals than this. And, maybe, ye shall serve at them as ye
are serving me now.” And those four lords were astonished beyond measure
that he should bespeak them thus so calmly and without any appearance of
fear.
Then, after he had eaten, the gardener’s boy said unto those knights,
“Behold, Messires, I have had enough and am done; and now I have other
commands for you to fulfil. And my next command is that ye shall make
ready straightway to go abroad with me, and to that end ye shall clothe
yourselves with complete armor. And thou, Sir Gawaine, shalt go to the
head stable-keeper of this castle, and thou shalt demand of him that he
shall make ready the Lady Guinevere’s palfrey so that I may straightway
ride forth upon it. And when ye are all encased in your armor, and when
everything is duly appointed according to my command, ye shall bring
that palfrey unto the postern gate of the castle, and there I shall meet
ye for to ride forth with you.”
And Sir Gawaine said: “It shall be done in every way according as thou
dost command. But when we ride forth from this castle it shall be a
sorry journey for thee.”
And the gardener’s boy said: “I think not so, Sir Gawaine.”
Then those four went away and did according as the gardener’s boy
commanded. And when they had made themselves ready in full array of
armor, and when they had obtained the Lady Guinevere’s palfrey, they
went unto the postern gate and there the gardener’s boy met them. And
when he saw that they sat their horses and that they moved not at his
coming, he said: “Ha, Messires! would ye so entreat him whom ye have
been ordained to serve? Now I do bid ye, Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewaine, for
to come down and to hold my stirrup for me; and I bid ye, Sir Geraint
and Sir Pellias, for to come down and to hold my palfrey for me whiles I
mount.”
Then those four noble knights did as they were commanded. And Sir
Gawaine said: “Thou mayst command as thou dost list, and I do bid thee
to make the most of it whiles thou mayst do so; for thou shalt have but
a little while longer for to enjoy the great honor that hath fallen upon
thee. For that honor which hath fallen upon thee--lo! it shall presently
crush thee unto death.”
And the gardener’s boy said: “Not so; I believe I shall not die yet
whiles.” And again those four lords were greatly astonished at the
calmness of his demeanor.
And so they rode forth from that place; and the gardener’s boy would not
permit that they should ride either before him or beside him, but he
commanded them that they should ride behind him whiles they were still
servants unto him.
So they rode as he assigned them for a considerable way. Then after they
had gone forward a great distance, they drew nigh to a gloomy and dismal
woodland that lay entirely beyond the country coadjacent to Cameliard.
Then, when they had come nigh unto this woodland, Sir Gawaine rode a
little forward, and he said: “Sir Gardener’s Boy, seest thou yonder
woodland? Now when we come into it thou shalt immediately die, and that
by a sword that hath never yet been touched by any but noble or knightly
blood.”
And King Arthur turned him about in his saddle, and he said: “Ha! Sir
Gawaine! Wouldst thou ride forward thus when I bid thee to ride behind
me?”
[Sidenote: _King Arthur proclaimeth himself to the four knights._]
And as he spake he took the cap from off his head, and, lo! they all
beheld that it was King Arthur who rode with them.
Then a great silence of pure astonishment fell upon them all, and each
man sat as though he were turned into an image of stone. And it was King
Arthur who first spake. And he said: “Ha! how now, Sir Knights? Have ye
no words of greeting for to pay to me? Certes, ye have served me with a
very ill grace this day. Moreover, ye have threatened to slay me; and
now, when I speak to you, ye say naught in reply.”
Then those four knights immediately cried out aloud; and they leaped
down from off their horses, and they kneeled down into the dust of the
road. And when King Arthur beheld them kneeling there, he laughed with
great joyfulness of spirit, and he bade them for to mount their horses
again, for the time was passing by when there was much to do.
So they mounted their horses and rode away, and as they journeyed
forward the King told them all that had befallen him, so that they were
greatly amazed, and gave much acclaim unto the knightliness with which
he had borne himself in those excellent adventures through which he had
passed. And they rejoiced greatly that they had a king for to rule over
them who was possessed of such a high and knightly spirit.
So they rode to that arm of the forest where King Arthur had left his
horse and his armor.
[Illustration] Chapter Fifth.
_How King Arthur Overcame the Enemies of King Leodegrance, and How His
Royalty Was Proclaimed._
[Sidenote: _The Duke of North Umber and his six companions appear before
the castle._]
Now, when the next day had come, the Duke of North Umber and six
knights-companion appeared upon the field in front of the castle of
Cameliard as he had duly declared that he and they would do. And those
seven champions appeared in very great estate; for in front of them
there rode seven heralds with trumpets and tabards, and behind them
there rode seven esquires, each esquire bearing the spear, the shield,
the crest, and the banneret of the knight who was his lord and master.
And the seven heralds blew their trumpets so exceedingly loud that the
sound thereof penetrated unto the utmost parts of Cameliard, so that the
people came running from everywhere. And while the heralds blew their
trumpets the seven esquires shouted, and waved the spears and the
bannerets. So those seven knights rode in such proud estate that those
who looked upon them had hardly ever beheld such a splendid presentment
of chivalry.
So they paraded up and down that field three times for its entire
length, and, meantime, a great crowd of people, called thither by the
blowing of the herald’s trumpets, stood upon the walls and gazed
therefrom at that noble spectacle. And all the Court of King Ryence
came, and stood upon the plain in front of the King’s pavilion, and they
shouted and cheered the Duke of North Umber and his six
knights-companion.
Meanwhile, King Leodegrance of Cameliard was so cast down with trouble
and shame that he did not choose to show his face, but hid himself away
from all his Court. Nor would he permit anyone for to come into his
presence at that time.
[Sidenote: _The Lady Guinevere cheereth her father._]
Nevertheless, the Lady Guinevere, with sundry of her damsels, went and
when the King denied her to come in to him, she spake to him through the
door, giving him words of good cheer, saying: “My lord King and father,
I prithee for to look up and to take good cheer unto thyself. For I do
assure thee that there is one who hath our cause in his hands, and that
one is, certes, a very glorious champion. And he shall assuredly come by
and by ere this day is done, and when he cometh, he shall certainly
overthrow our enemies.”
But King Leodegrance opened not the door, but he said: “My daughter,
that which thou sayest thou sayest for to comfort me. For there is no
other help for me in this time of trouble only God, His good strong help
and grace.” And she said: “Nay, I say that which is the truth; and the
help that God shall send unto thee he shall certainly send through a
worthy champion who at this moment hath our cause in his hand.”
So spake the Lady Guinevere, so that whilst King Leodegrance came not
forth, yet he was greatly comforted at that which she said to him.
[Sidenote: _Five knights-defender appear at the field._]
Thus passed all that morning and a part of the afternoon, and yet no one
appeared for to take up that challenge which the seven knights had
declared. But, whilst the sun was yet three or four hours high, there
suddenly appeared at a great distance a cloud of dust. And in that cloud
of dust there presently appeared five knights, riding at great speed,
thitherward. And when these had come nigh unto the walls, lo! the people
beheld that he who rode foremost of all was that same White Champion who
had aforetime overthrown the Duke of North Umber. Moreover, they
perceived that the four knights who rode with that White Champion were
very famous knights and of great prowess and glory of arms. For the one
was Sir Gawaine, and the other was Sir Ewaine, and the other was Sir
Geraint, and the other was Sir Pellias. For the people of the castle and
the town knew those four knights, because they had dwelt for two days at
Cameliard, and they were of such exceeding renown that folk crowded from
far and near for to look upon them whensoever they appeared for to walk
abroad.
So when the people upon the walls beheld who those knights were, and
when they perceived that White Champion who had aforetime brought them
such exceeding honor, they shouted aloud for the second time with a
voice mightier than that with which they had the first time shouted.
Now King Leodegrance heard the people shouting, whereupon hope awoke of
a sudden within him. So he straightway came forth with all speed for to
see what was ado, and there he beheld those five noble champions about
to enter into the field below the castle walls.
And the Lady Guinevere also heard the shouting and she came forth
likewise and, behold! there was that White Champion and those four other
knights. So when she beheld that White Knight and his four
companions-at-arms, her heart was like to break within her for pure joy
and gladness, wherefore she wept for the passion thereof, and laughed
the whiles she wept. And she waved her kerchief unto those five noble
lords and kissed her hand unto them, and the five knights saluted her as