The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
forest (albeit it is a considerable distance from this) where there
dwelleth a certain very holy hermit who is an extraordinarily skilful
leech. Now, an we may bring this knight unto the chapel where that
hermit dwelleth, I believe that he may be greatly holpen unto health and
ease again.”
Upon this Parcenet said, “Gansaret”--for Gansaret was the dwarf’s
name--“Gansaret, let us take this knight unto that place as quickly as
we are able. For I tell thee sooth when I say that I have a very great
deal of love for him.” “Well,” said the dwarf, “I will show thee where
that chapel is.”
So the dwarf took the horse of Sir Pellias by the bridle-rein and led
the way through that forest, and Parcenet rode beside Sir Pellias and
upheld him upon his saddle. For some whiles Sir Pellias fainted with
sickness and with pain so that he would else have fallen had she not
upheld him. Thus they went forward very sorrowfully and at so slow a
pace that it was noontide ere they came to that certain very dense and
lonely part of the forest where the hermit abided.
And when they had come unto that place the dwarf said, “Yonder, damsel,
is the chapel whereof I spake.”
Then Parcenet lifted up her eyes and she beheld where was a little
woodland chapel built in among the leafy trees of the forest. And around
this chapel was a little open lawn bedight with flowers, and nigh to the
door of the hermitage was a fountain of water as clear as crystal. And
this was a very secret and lonely place and withal very silent and
peaceful, for in front of the chapel they beheld a wild doe and her fawn
browsing upon the tender grass and herbs without any fear of harm. And
when the dwarf and the maiden and the wounded knight drew nigh, the doe
and the fawn looked up with great wide eyes and spread their large ears
with wonder, yet fled not, fearing no harm, but by and by began their
browsing again. Likewise all about the chapel in the branches of the
trees were great quantities of birds, singing and chirping very
cheerfully. And those birds were waiting for their mid-day meal that the
hermit was used to cast unto them.
(Now this was that same forest sanctuary whereunto King Arthur had come
that time when he had been so sorely wounded by Sir Pellinore as hath
been aforetold in this history.)
As the maiden and the dwarf and the wounded knight drew nigh to this
chapel, a little bell began ringing very sweetly so that the sound
thereof echoed all through those quiet woodlands, for it was now the
hour of noon. And Sir Pellias heard that bell as it were a great way
off, and first he said, “Whither am I come?” and then he made shift to
cross himself. And Parcenet crossed herself and the dwarf kneeled down
and crossed himself. Then when the bell had ceased ringing, the dwarf
cried out in a loud voice, “What ho! what ho! here is one needing help!”
[Sidenote: _Parcenet and the dwarf bring Sir Pellias to the hermit of
the forest._]
Then the door of the sanctuary was opened and there came forth from that
place a very venerable man with a long white beard as it were of finely
carded wool. And, lo! as he came forth, all those birds that waited
there flew about him in great quantities, for they thought that he had
come forth for to feed them; wherefore the hermit was compelled to brush
those small fowls away with his hands as he came unto where the three
were stationed.
And when he had come unto them he demanded of them who they were and why
they had come thither with that wounded knight. So Parcenet told him how
it was with them, and of how they had found Sir Pellias so sorely
wounded in the forest that morning and had brought him hitherward.
Then, when the hermit had heard all of her story, he said, “It is well
and I will take him in.” So he took Sir Pellias into his cell, and when
they had helped lay him upon the couch, Parcenet and the dwarf went
their way homeward again.
After they had gone, the hermit examined the hurt of Sir Pellias, and
Sir Pellias lay in a deep swoon. And the swoon was so deep that the
hermit beheld that it was the death-swoon, and that the knight was nigh
to his end. So he said, “This knight must assuredly die in a very little
while, for I can do naught to save him.” Wherefore he immediately
quitted the side of Sir Pellias and set about in haste to prepare the
last sacrament such as might be administered unto a noble knight who was
dying.
[Sidenote: _The Lady of the Lake cometh to Sir Pellias._]
Now whiles the hermit was about this business the door opened of a
sudden and there came into that place a very strange lady clad all in green
and bedight around the arms with armlets of emeralds and opal stones inset
into gold. And her hair, which was very soft, was entirely black and was
tied about with a cord of crimson ribbon. And the hermit beheld that her
face was like to ivory for whiteness and that her eyes were bright, like
unto jewels set into ivory, wherefore he knew that she was no ordinary
mortal.
And this lady went straight to Sir Pellias and leaned over him so that
her breath touched his forehead. And she said, “Alas! Sir Pellias, that
thou shouldst lie so.” “Lady,” said the hermit, “thou mayst well say
‘Alas,’ for this knight hath only a few minutes to live.” To this the
lady said, “Not so, thou holy man, for I tell thee that this knight
shall have a long while yet to live.” And when she had said this she
stooped and took from about his neck that necklace of emeralds and opal
stones and gold that encircled it and she hung it about her own neck.
Now when the hermit beheld what she did, he said, “Lady, what is this
that thou doest, and why dost thou take that ornament from a dying man?”
But the lady made reply very tranquilly, “I gave it unto him, wherefore
I do but take back again what is mine own. But now I prithee let me be
with this knight for a little while, for I have great hope that I may
bring back life unto him again.”
Then the hermit was a-doubt and he said, “Wilt thou endeavor to heal him
by magic?” And the lady said, “If I do, it will not be by magic that is
black.”
So the hermit was satisfied and went away, and left the lady alone with
Sir Pellias.
[Sidenote: _The Lady of the Lake healeth Sir Pellias._]
Now when the lady was thus alone with the wounded knight she immediately
set about doing sundry very strange things. For first she brought forth
a loadstone of great power and potency and this she set to the wound.
And, lo! the iron of the spear-head came forth from the wound; and as it
came Sir Pellias groaned with great passion. And when the spear-point
came forth there burst out a great issue of blood like to a fountain of
crimson. But the lady immediately pressed a fragrant napkin of fine
cambric linen to the wound and stanched the blood, and it bled no more,
for she held it within the veins by very potent spells of magic. So, the
blood being stanched in this wise, the lady brought forth from her bosom
a small crystal phial filled with an elixir of blue color and of a very
singular fragrance. And she poured some of this elixir between the cold
and leaden lips of the knight; and when the elixir touched his lips the
life began to enter into his body once more; for, in a little while, he
opened his eyes and gazed about him with a very strange look, and the
first thing that he beheld was that lady clad in green who stood beside
him, and she was so beautiful that he thought that haply he had died and
was in Paradise, wherefore he said, “Am I then dead?”
“Nay, thou art not dead,” said the lady, “yet hast thou been parlously
nigh to death.” “Where then am I?” said Sir Pellias. And she replied,
“Thou art in a deep part of the forest, and this is the cell of a
saint-like hermit of the forest.” At this Sir Pellias said, “Who is it
that hath brought me back to life?” Upon this the lady smiled and said,
“It was I.”
Now for a little while Sir Pellias lay very silent, then by and by he
spake and said, “Lady, I feel very strangely.” “Yea,” said the lady,
“that is because thou hast now a different life.” Then Sir Pellias said,
“How is it with me?” And the lady said, “It is thus: that to bring thee
back to life I gave thee to drink of a certain draught of an _elixir
vitæ_ so that thou art now only half as thou wert before; for if by the
one half thou art mortal, by the other half thou art fay.”
[Sidenote: _Sir Pellias loveth the Lady of the Lake._]
Then Sir Pellias looked up and beheld that the lady had about her neck
the collar of emeralds and opal stones and gold which he had aforetime
worn. And, lo! his heart went out to her with exceeding ardor, and he
said, “Lady, thou sayest that I am half fay, and I do perceive that thou
art altogether fay. Now, I pray thee to let it be that henceforth I may
abide nigh unto where thou art.” And the lady said, “It shall be as thou
dost ask, for it was to that end I have suffered thee nearly to die, and
then have brought thee back unto life again.”
Then Sir Pellias said, “When may I go with thee?” And she said, “In a
little when thou hast had to drink.” “How may that be?” said Sir
Pellias, “seeing that I am but yet like unto a little child for
weakness.” To the which the lady made reply, “When thou hast drunk of
water thy strength shall return unto thee, and thou shalt be altogether
well and whole again.”
So the Lady of the Lake went out, and presently returned, bearing in her
hand an earthen crock filled with water from the fountain near at hand.
And when Sir Pellias had drunk that water he felt, of a sudden, his
strength come altogether back to him.
Yet he was not at all as he had been before, for now his body felt as
light as air, and his soul was dilated with a pure joy such as he had
never felt in his life before that time. Wherefore he immediately uprose
from his couch of pain, and he said, “Thou hast given life unto me
again, now do I give that life unto thee forever.”
Then the lady looked upon him and smiled with great loving-kindness. And
she said, “Sir Pellias, I have held thee in tender regard ever since I
beheld thee one day in thy young knighthood drink a draught of milk at a
cottager’s hut in this forest. For the day was warm and thou hadst set
aside thy helmet, and a young milkmaid, brown of face and with bare
feet, came and brought thee a bowl of milk, which same thou didst drink
of with great appetite. That was the first time that I beheld
thee--although thou didst not see me. Since that time I have had great
friendship for all thy fellowship of King Arthur’s Court and for King
Arthur himself, all for thy sake.”
Then Sir Pellias said, “Lady, wilt thou accept me for thy knight?” and
she said, “Aye.” Then Sir Pellias said, “May I salute thee?” And she
said, “Yea, if it pleasures thee.” So Sir Pellias kissed her upon the
lips, and so their troth was plighted.
* * * * *
Now return we unto Parcenet and the dwarf:
[Sidenote: _Parcenet bringeth news of Sir Pellias to Sir Mador de la
Porte._]
After those two had left that hermitage in the woodland, they betook
their way again toward Grantmesnle, and when they had come nigh out of
the forest at a place not far from the glade of trees wherein those
knights-companion had taken up their inn, they met one of those knights
clad in half-armor, and that knight was Sir Mador de la Porte. Then
Parcenet called upon him by name, saying, “Alas! Sir Mador, I have but
this short time quitted a hermit’s cell in the forest where I left Sir
Pellias sorely wounded to death, so I fear me he hath only a little
while to live.”
Then Sir Mador de la Porte cried out, “Ha! maiden, what is this thou
tellest me? That is a very hard thing to believe; for when Sir Pellias
quitted us this morn he gave no sign of wound or disease of any sort.”