The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
upon King Arthur; albeit, he deemed that that drowsiness had come upon
him because of the weariness of the chase. So presently he said, “Fair
damsels, ye have refreshed us a very great deal and this hath been a
very pleasant adventure. But I would now that ye had a place for us to
sleep.”
Unto this the chiefest of the damsels replied, “Lord, this boat hath
been prepared for your refreshment, wherefore all things have been made
ready for you with entire fulness.”
Therewith some of those twelve damsels conducted King Arthur into a
sleeping-chamber that had been prepared for him, and others led Sir
Accalon into another chamber prepared for him. And King Arthur marvelled
at the beauty of his chamber, for he thought that he had never beheld a
more excellently bedight bed-chamber than that one into which he had now
entered. So King Arthur laid himself down with much comfort to his body,
and straightway he fell into a deep and gentle sleep, without dream or
disturbance of any sort.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: _King Arthur findeth himself in a dreadful prison._]
Now when King Arthur awoke from that sleep, he was astonished beyond all
measure so that he wist not whether he was still asleep and dreaming, or
whether he was awake. For, lo! he lay upon a pallet in a very dark and
dismal chamber all of stone. And he perceived that this chamber was a
dungeon, and all about him he heard the sound of many voices in woful
complaint. Then King Arthur said to himself, “Where is that ship in
which I was last night, and what hath become of those ladies with whom I
spake?”
Upon this he looked about him and, behold! he saw that he was indeed in
a dungeon and that there were many knights in very sad estate all about
him. Wherefore he perceived that they also were captives and that it was
they who had made that sound of woful lamentation which he had heard
when awaking.
Then King Arthur aroused himself from where he lay and he saw that all
those knights who were prisoners there were strangers unto him, and he
knew not them and they knew not him. And of these knights there were two
and twenty who were prisoners in that place.
Then King Arthur said, “Messires, who are you and where am I at these
present?” To the which the chiefest of those knights who were prisoners
made reply, “Sir, we are, like yourself, prisoners in a dungeon of this
castle, and the castle belongs to a certain knight, hight Sir Domas,
surnamed le Noir.”
Then King Arthur made great marvel at what had befallen him, wherefore
he said, “Messires, here is a very singular thing hath happened to me,
for last night I was asleep in a very wonderful ship that I believe was
fay, and with me was a knight-companion, and, lo! this morning I awake
alone in this dungeon, and know not how I came hither.”
“Sir,” said the knight who spake for the others, “thou wert last night
brought hither by two men clad in black, and thou wert laid down upon
yonder pallet without awaking, wherefore it is very plain to me that
thou art in the same case that we are in, and that thou art a prisoner
unto this Sir Domas le Noir.”
Then King Arthur said, “Tell me, who is this Sir Domas, for I declare
that I never before heard of him.” “I will tell you,” said the captive
knight, and therewith he did so as follows:
“I believe,” said he, “that this Sir Domas is the falsest knight that
liveth, for he is full of treason and leasing, and is altogether a
coward in his heart. Yet he is a man of very great estate and very
powerful in these parts.
[Sidenote: _The knight-prisoner telleth King Arthur concerning Sir
Domas._]
“Now there are two brothers, and Sir Domas is one and the other is hight
Sir Ontzlake, and Sir Domas is the elder and Sir Ontzlake is the
younger. When the father of these two knights died, he left the one an
equal patrimony with the other. But now it hath come about that Sir
Domas hath nearly all of those estates and that Sir Ontzlake hath only
one castle, which same he now holdeth by the force of arms and because
of his own courage. For, though Sir Domas is altogether a coward in his
heart, yet he hath cunning and guile beyond any man of whom I ever heard
tell; wherefore it hath so come about that of his father’s patrimony Sir
Domas hath everything and Sir Ontzlake hath nothing saving only that one
castle and the estate thereunto appertaining.
“Now it would appear to be very strange that Sir Domas is not satisfied
with all this, yet he is not satisfied, but he covets that one castle
and that small estate that is his brother’s, so that he can hardly have
any pleasure in life because of his covetousness. Yet he knoweth not how
to obtain that estate from his brother, for Sir Ontzlake is a very
excellent knight, and the only way that Sir Domas can lay hands upon
that estate is by having to do with his brother as man to man in a
contest at arms, and this he is afraid to attempt.
“So, for a long time, Sir Domas hath been in search of a knight who may
take up his case for him, and do battle against Sir Ontzlake in his
behalf. Wherefore all the knights whom he can arrest he bringeth to this
castle and giveth them their choice, either to take up his case against
his brother, or else to remain in this place as his prisoner without
ransom. So he hath arrested all of us, and hath made demand of each that
he should do battle in his behalf. But not one of us will take up the
case of such an evil-conditioned knight as Sir Domas, so we all remain
his prisoners.”
“Well,” quoth King Arthur, “this is a very wonderful case. But methinks
that if Sir Domas maketh his appeal to me, I will take up his case. For
I would rather do that than remain a prisoner here for all my life. But
if I should take upon me this battle and be successful therein, then I
will afterward have to do with Sir Domas himself in such a manner as I
do not believe would be very much to his liking.”
[Sidenote: _A damsel cometh to King Arthur._]
[Sidenote: _King Arthur consents to do battle for Sir Domas._]
Now a little while after this the door of that prison-house was opened
by the porter, and there entered a very fair young damsel. And this
damsel came to King Arthur and she said to him, “What cheer?” “I cannot
tell,” quoth King Arthur, “but meseems I am in a very sorry pass in this
place.” “Sir,” said the damsel, “I am grieved to see so noble-appearing
a knight in so dolorous a case. But if you will undertake to defend the
cause of the lord of this castle with your person against his enemy,
then you shall have leave to go whithersoever you please.” To this King
Arthur made reply, “Lady, this is a very hard case, that either I must
fight a battle I care not for, or else remain a prisoner here without
ransom for all of my days. But I would liever fight than live here all
my life, and so I will undertake that adventure as thou wouldst have me
do. But if I do battle for the lord of this castle, and if I should have
Grace of Heaven to win that battle, then it must be that all these, my
companions in imprisonment, shall also go forth with me into freedom.”
To this the damsel said, “Very well, be it so, for that shall content
the master of this castle.”
Then King Arthur looked more closely at the maiden, and he said,
“Damsel, meseems I should know thy face, for I think I have seen thee
somewhere before this.” “Nay, sir,” said she, “that can hardly be, for I
am the daughter of the lord of this castle.”
But in this she was false, for she was one of the damsels of Morgana le
Fay; and she was one of those who had beguiled King Arthur into the ship
the night before; and it was she who had brought him to that castle and
had delivered him into the hands of Sir Domas. And all these things she
had done upon command of Queen Morgana le Fay.
Then King Arthur said, “But if I do this battle, thou must carry a
message for me unto the Court of King Arthur, and that message must be
delivered unto Queen Morgana le Fay into her own hands. Then, when that
is done, I will do this battle for the cause of Sir Domas.” And the
damsel said, “It shall be done so.”
[Sidenote: _Queen Morgana sendeth a false sword to King Arthur._]
So King Arthur wrote a sealed letter to Queen Morgana le Fay that she
should send to him his sword Excalibur; and he sent that message to her.
And when Queen Morgana received that letter she laughed and said, “Very
well, he shall have a sword that shall please his eye as well as
Excalibur.” And therewith she sent him that other sword that she had had
made exactly like Excalibur.
So Sir Domas sent word unto his brother Sir Ontzlake, that he had now a
champion for to do battle in his behalf to recover all that portion of
their patrimony which Sir Ontzlake still withheld from him.
Now when Sir Ontzlake received this message he was thrown into great
trouble of spirit, for a little while before he had been very sorely
wounded in a tournament in the which a spear had been thrust through
both his thighs, so that he was then abed with that wound and without
power to arise therefrom. Wherefore he wist not what to do in this case,
for he could not do battle upon his own behalf, and he had no one to do
battle for him.
[Illustration] Chapter Fourth.
_What Befell Sir Accalon, and How King Arthur Fought an Affair-at-Arms
With Swords, and How He Came Nigh to Losing His Life Thereby._
Here followeth the account of what happened unto Sir Accalon the morning
after he went aboard that magic ship with King Arthur as aforetold.
[Sidenote: _Sir Accalon findeth himself beside a fountain._]
Now when Sir Accalon awoke from that same sleep it was with him as it
had been with King Arthur; for, at first, he wist not whether he was
still asleep and dreaming or whether he was awake. For, lo! he found
himself to be lying beside a marble basin of clear water that gushed up
very high from a silver tube. And he perceived that not far from this
fountain was a large pavilion of parti-colored silk which stood upon the
borders of a fair meadow of grass.
So Sir Accalon was altogether astonished to find himself in this place
when he had fallen asleep on board that ship, wherefore he was afraid
that all this was the fruit of some very evil spell. So he crossed
himself and said, “God save King Arthur from any harm, for it seems to
me that those damsels upon that ship have wrought some magic upon us for
to separate us the one from the other.” So saying, he arose from where
he lay with intent to inquire further into that matter.
Now, as he made some noise in bestirring himself, there came forth from
that pavilion aforementioned a very hideous dwarf, who saluted him with
all civility and with high respect. Then Sir Accalon said to the dwarf,
“Sirrah, who are you?” Unto which the dwarf made answer, “Messire, I
belong unto the lady of yonder pavilion, and she hath sent me to bid you
welcome to this place, and to invite you in for to partake of a repast
with her.” “Ha!” quoth Sir Accalon, “and how was it I came hither?”
“Sir,” said the dwarf, “I do not know, but when we looked forth this
morning we saw you lying here by the fountain side.”
Then Sir Accalon made great marvel at that which had happened to him,
and by and by he said, “Who is thy lady?” To which the dwarf replied,
“She is hight the Lady Gomyne of the Fair Hair, and she will be
passingly glad of your company in her pavilion.”
[Sidenote: _Sir Accalon enters the pavilion of the Lady Gomyne._]
Upon this Sir Accalon arose, and, having laved himself at the fountain
and so refreshed himself, he went with the dwarf unto the pavilion of
that lady. And when he had come there he saw that in the centre of the