The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
they rode past her and into the field.
Now, when the Duke of North Umber was made aware that those five knights
had come against him and his knights-companion for to take up his
challenge, he straightway came forth from his pavilion and mounted his
horse. And his knights-companion came forth and mounted their horses,
and he and they went forth for to meet those who had come against them.
[Sidenote: _The Duke of North Umber refuseth the combat._]
And when the Duke of North Umber had come nigh enough, he perceived that
the chiefest of those five knights was the White Champion who had
aforetime overthrown him. Wherefore he said unto that White Champion:
“Sir Knight, I have once before condescended unto thee who art
altogether unknown to me or to anybody else that is here. For without
inquiring concerning thy quality, I ran a course with thee and, lo! by
the chance of arms thou didst overthrow me. Now this quarrel is more
serious than that, wherefore I and my companions-at-arms will not run a
course with thee and thy companions; nor will we fight with thee until I
first know what is the quality of him against whom I contend. Wherefore,
I bid thee presently declare thyself, who thou art and what is thy
condition.”
Then Sir Gawaine opened the umbril of his helmet, and he said: “Sir
Knight, behold my face, and know that I am Gawaine, the son of King Lot.
Wherefore thou mayst perceive that my condition and estate are even
better than thine own. Now I do declare unto thee that yonder White
Knight is of such a quality that he condescends unto thee when he doeth
combat with thee, and that thou dost not condescend unto him.”
“Ho, Sir Gawaine!” quoth the Duke of Umber. “What thou sayest is a very
strange thing, for, indeed, there are few in this world who are so
exalted that they may condescend unto me. Ne’theless, since thou dost
avouch for him, I may not gainsay that which thou sayest. Yet, there is
still another reason why we may not fight with ye. For, behold! we are
seven well-approved and famous knights, and ye are but five; so,
consider how unequal are our forces, and that you stand in great peril
in undertaking so dangerous an encounter.”
Then Sir Gawaine smiled right grimly upon that Duke of North Umber.
“Gramercy for thy compassion, and for the tenderness which thou showeth
concerning our safety, Sir Duke,” quoth he. “But ne’theless, thou mayst
leave that matter unto us with entire content of spirit upon thy part.
For I consider that the peril in which ye seven stand is fully equal to
our peril. Moreover, wert thou other than a belted knight, a simple man
might suppose that thou wert more careful of thine own safety in this
matter, than thou art of ours.”
Now at these words the countenance of the Duke of North Umber became
altogether covered with red, for he wist that he had, indeed, no great
desire for this battle, wherefore he was ashamed because of the words
which Sir Gawaine spake to him. So, each knight closed his helmet, and
all turned their horses, and the one party rode unto one end of the
field, and the other party rode to the other end of the field, and there
each took stand in the place assigned unto them.
And they arranged themselves thus: In the middle was King Arthur, and
upon either hand were two knights; and in the middle was the Duke of
North Umber, and upon either hand were three knights. So, when they had
thus arrayed themselves they dressed their spears and their shields, and
made them altogether ready for the onset. Then King Arthur and Duke
Mordaunt each shouted aloud, and the one party hurled upon the other
party with such violence that the ground shook and thundered beneath the
hoofs of the horses, and the clouds of dust rose up against the heavens.
And so they met in the middle of the field with an uproar of such
dreadful violence that one might have heard the crashing thereof for the
distance of more than a mile away.
And when the one party had passed the other, and the dust of the
encounter had arisen, lo! three of the seven had been overthrown, and
not one of the five had lost his seat.
[Sidenote: _King Arthur overturneth the Duke of North Umber._]
And one of those who had been overthrown was Duke Mordaunt of North
Umber. And, behold! he never more arose again from the ground whereon he
lay. For King Arthur had directed his spear into the very midst of his
defences, and the spear had held, wherefore the point thereof had
pierced the shield of the Duke of North Umber, and had pierced his body
armor, and so violent was the stroke, that the Duke of North Umber had
been lifted entirely out of his saddle, and had been cast a full spear’s
length behind the crupper of his horse. Thus died that wicked man, for
as King Arthur drave past him, the evil soul of him quitted his body
with a weak noise like to the squeaking of a bat, and the world was well
rid of him.
Now when King Arthur turned him about at the end of the course and
beheld that there were but four knights left upon their horses of all
those seven against whom he and his companions had driven, he uplifted
his spear, and drew rein upon his horse, and bespake his knights in this
wise: “Messires, I am aweary of all this coil and quarrelling, and do
not care to fight any more to-day, so go ye straightway and engage those
knights in battle. As for me, I will abide here, and witness your
adventure.”
“Lord,” said they, “we will do our endeavor as thou dost command.”
So those four good knights did as he commanded, and they went forth
straightway against those other four, much encouraged that their King
looked upon their endeavor. And King Arthur sat with the butt of his
spear resting upon his instep, and looked upon the field with great
content of spirit, and a steadfast countenance.
As for those four knights-companion that remained of the Duke of North
Umber’s party, they came not forth to this second encounter with so much
readiness of spirit as they had done aforetime. For they were now well
aware of how great was the excellent prowess of those other knights, and
they beheld that their enemies came forth to this second encounter very
fiercely, and with great valor and readiness of spirit. Wherefore their
hearts melted away within them with doubt and anxiety as to the outcome
of this second encounter.
Nevertheless, they prepared themselves with such resolve as might be,
and came forth as they were called upon to do.
Then Sir Gawaine drave straight up to the foremost knight, who was a
very well-known champion, hight Sir Dinador of Montcalm. And when he had
come sufficiently nigh to him, he lifted himself up in his stirrups and
he smote Sir Dinador so fierce a blow that he cleft the shield of that
knight asunder, and he cleft his helmet, and a part of the blade of his
sword brake away and remained therein.
[Sidenote: _The knights-challenger flee before the knights-defender._]
And when Sir Dinador felt that blow, his brains swam like water, and he
was fain to catch the horn of his saddle for to save himself from
falling therefrom. Then a great terror straightway fell upon him, so
that he drew rein violently to one side. So he fled away from that place
with the terror of death hanging above him like to a black cloud of
smoke. And when his companions beheld that stroke that Sir Gawaine
delivered, and when they beheld Sir Dinador flee away from before him,
they also drew rein to one side and fled away with all speed, pursued
with an entire terror of their enemies. And Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewaine
and Sir Geraint and Sir Pellias pursued them as they fled. And they
chased them straight through the Court of King Ryence, so that the
knights and nobles of that Court scattered hither and thither like chaff
at their coming. And they chased those fleeing knights in among the
pavilions of King Ryence’s Court, and no man stayed them; and when they
had chased those knights entirely away, they returned to that place
where King Arthur still held his station, steadfastly awaiting them.
Now when the people of Cameliard beheld the overthrow of their enemies,
and when they beheld how those enemies fled away from before the faces
of their champions, they shouted with might and main, and made great
acclaim. Nor did they stint their loud shouting when those four knights
returned from pursuing their enemies and came back unto the White
Champion again. And still more did they give acclaim when those five
knights rode across the drawbridge and into the gateway of the town and
into the town.
Thus ended the great bout-at-arms, which was one of the most famous in
all the history of chivalry of King Arthur’s Court.
[Sidenote: _King Arthur returneth his armor to the merchant._]
Now when King Arthur had thus accomplished his purposes, and when he had
come into the town again, he went unto that merchant of whom he had
obtained the armor that he wore, and he delivered that armor back to him
again. And he said, “Tomorrow-day, Sir Merchant, I shall send thee two
bags of gold for the rent of that armor which thou didst let me have.”
To this the merchant said: “Lord, it is not needed that thou shouldst
recompense me for that armor, for thou hast done great honor unto
Cameliard by thy prowess.”
But King Arthur said: “Have done, Sir Merchant, nor must thou forbid
what I say. Wherefore take thou that which I shall send unto thee.”
Thereupon he went his way, and, having set his cap of disguise upon his
head, he came back into the Lady Guinevere’s gardens again.
Now when the next morning had come the people of Cameliard looked forth
and, lo! King Ryence had departed entirely away from before the castle.
For that night he had struck his pavilions, and had withdrawn his Court,
and had gone away from that place where he and his people had sat down
for five days past. And with him he had taken the body of the Duke of
North Umber, conveying it away in a litter surrounded by many lighted
candles and uplifted by a peculiar pomp of ceremony. But when the people
of Cameliard beheld that he was gone, they were exceedingly rejoiced,
and made merry, and shouted and sang and laughed. For they wist not how
deeply enraged King Ryence was against them; for his enmity aforetime
toward King Leodegrance was but as a small flame when compared unto the
anger that now possessed him.
* * * * *
Now that morning Lady Guinevere walked into her garden, and with her
walked Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewaine, and lo! there she beheld the
gardener’s boy again.
Then she laughed aloud, and she said unto those two knights, “Messires
behold! Yonder is the gardener’s boy, who weareth his cap continually
because he hath an ugly place upon his head.”
Then those two knights, knowing who that gardener’s boy was, were
exceedingly abashed at her speech, and wist not what to say or whither
to look. And Sir Gawaine spake, aside unto Sir Ewaine, and quoth he:
“‘Fore Heaven, that lady knoweth not what manner of man is yonder
gardener’s boy; for, an she did, she would be more sparing of her
speech.”
And the Lady Guinevere heard Sir Gawaine that he spoke, but she did not
hear his words. So she turned unto Sir Gawaine, and she said: “Sir
Gawaine, haply it doth affront thee that that gardener’s boy should wear
his cap before us, and maybe thou wilt go and take it off from his head
as thou didst offer to do two or three days since.”
And Sir Gawaine said: “Peace, Lady! Thou knowest not what thou sayest.
Yonder gardener’s boy could more easily take my head from off my
shoulders than I could take his cap from off his head.”
At this the Lady Guinevere made open laughter; but in her heart she
secretly pondered that saying and greatly marvelled what Sir Gawaine
meant thereby.
* * * * *