The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
entitled “The Ancient and Honorable Companions of the Round Table.”
For though this entire history chiefly concerneth King Arthur, yet the
glory of these great honorable knights was his glory, and his glory was
their glory, wherefore one cannot tell of the glory of King Arthur
without also telling of the glory of those noble gentlemen aforesaid.
PART II
The Winning of a Sword
_Here beginneth the story of certain adventures of Arthur after that he
had become King, wherein it is told how, with great knightly courage and
prowess, he fought a very fierce and bloodly battle with a certain Sable
Knight. Likewise, it is told how he achieved, in consequence of that
battle, a certain Sword so famous and glorious that its renown shall
last as long as our speech shall be spoken. For the like of that sword
was never seen in all the world before that time, and it hath never been
beheld since then; and its name was Excalibur.
So, if it please you to read this story, I believe it will afford you
excellent entertainment, and will, without doubt, greatly exalt your
spirit because of the remarkable courage which those two famous and
worthy knights displayed when they fought together that famous battle.
Likewise you shall find great cheer in reading therein of the wonderful
marvellousness of a certain land of Faerie into which King Arthur
wandered, and where he found a Lake of Enchantment and held converse
with a mild and beautiful lady of that land who directed him how to
obtain that renowned sword aforementioned.
For it hath given me such pleasure to write these things that my heart
would, at times, be diluted as with a pure joy, wherefore, I entertain
great hopes that you also may find much pleasure in them as I have
already done. So I pray you to listen unto what follows._
[Illustration] Chapter First.
_How There Came a Certain Wounded Knight Unto the Court of King Arthur,
How a Young Knight of the King’s Court Sought To Avenge Him and Failed
and How the King Thereupon Took That Assay Upon Himself._
[Sidenote: _How King Arthur abided in the Forest of Usk._]
Now it fell upon a certain pleasant time in the Springtide season that
King Arthur and his Court were making a royal progression through that
part of Britain which lieth close to the Forests of the Usk. At that
time the weather was exceedingly warm, and so the King and Court made
pause within the forest under the trees in the cool and pleasant shade
that the place afforded, and there the King rested for a while upon a
couch of rushes spread with scarlet cloth.
And the knights then present at that Court were, Sir Gawaine, and Sir
Ewaine, and Sir Kay, and Sir Pellias, and Sir Bedevere, and Sir Caradoc,
and Sir Geraint, and Sir Bodwin of Britain and Sir Constantine of
Cornwall, and Sir Brandiles and Sir Mador de la Porte, and there was not
to be found anywhere in the world a company of such noble and exalted
knights as these.
Now as the King lay drowsing and as these worthies sat holding cheerful
converse together at that place, there came, of a sudden, a considerable
bustle and stir upon the outskirts of the Court, and presently there
appeared a very sad and woful sight. For there came thitherward a
knight, sore wounded, and upheld upon his horse by a golden-haired page,
clad in an apparel of white and azure. And, likewise, the knight’s
apparel and the trappings of his horse were of white and azure, and upon
his shield he bore the emblazonment of a single lily flower of silver
upon a ground of pure azure.
[Sidenote: _How the wounded knight cometh into the forest._]
But the knight was in a very woful plight. For his face was as pale as
wax and hung down upon his breast. And his eyes were glazed and saw
naught that passed around him, and his fair apparel of white and blue
was all red with the blood of life that ran from a great wound in his
side. And, as they came upon their way, the young page lamented in such
wise that it wrung the heart for to hear him.
Now, as these approached, King Arthur aroused cried out, “Alas! what
doleful spectacle is that which I behold? Now hasten, ye my lords, and
bring succor to yonder knight; and do thou, Sir Kay, go quickly and
bring that fair young page hither that we may presently hear from his
lips what mishap hath befallen his lord.”
So certain of those knights hastened at the King’s bidding and gave all
succor to the wounded knight, and conveyed him to King Arthur’s own
pavilion, which had been pitched at a little distance. And when he had
come there the King’s chirurgeon presently attended upon him--albeit his
wounds were of such a sort he might not hope to live for a very long
while.
Meantime, Sir Kay brought that fair young page before the King, where he
sat, and the King thought that he had hardly ever seen a more beautiful
countenance. And the King said, “I prithee tell me, Sir Page, who is thy
master, and how came he in such a sad and pitiable condition as that
which we have just now beheld.”
[Sidenote: The page telleth the story of the wounded knight.]
“That will I so, Lord,” said the youth. “Know that my master is entitled
Sir Myles of the White Fountain, and that he cometh from the country
north of where we are and at a considerable distance from this. In that
country he is the Lord of seven castles and several noble estates,
wherefore, as thou mayst see, he is of considerable consequence. A
fortnight ago (being doubtless moved thereunto by the lustiness of the
Springtime), he set forth with only me for his esquire, for he had a
mind to seek adventure in such manner as beseemed a good knight who
would be errant. And we had several adventures, and in all of them my
lord was entirely successful; for he overcame six knights at various
places and sent them all to his castle for to attest his valor unto his
lady.
“At last, this morning, coming to a certain place situated at a
considerable distance from this, we came upon a fair castle of the
forest, which stood in a valley surrounded by open spaces of level lawn,
bedight with many flowers of divers sorts. There we beheld three fair
damsels who tossed a golden ball from one to another, and the damsels
were clad all in flame-colored satin, and their hair was of the color of
gold. And as we drew nigh to them they stinted their play, and she who
was the chief of those damsel called out to my lord, demanding of him
whither he went and what was his errand.
“To her my lord made answer that he was errant and in search of
adventure, and upon this, the three damsels laughed, and she who had
first spoken said, ‘An thou art in search of adventure, Sir Knight,
happily I may be able to help thee to one that shall satisfy thee to thy
heart’s content.’
“Unto this my master made reply ‘I prithee, fair damsel, tell me what
that adventure may be so that I may presently assay it.’
“Thereupon this lady bade my master to take a certain path, and to
follow the same for the distance of a league or a little more, and that
he would then come to a bridge of stone that crossed a violent stream,
and she assured him that there he might find adventure enough for to
satisfy any man.
“So my master and I wended thitherward as that damoiselle had directed,
and, by and by, we came unto the bridge whereof she had spoken. And, lo!
beyond the bridge was a lonesome castle with a tall straight tower, and
before the castle was a wide and level lawn of well-trimmed grass. And
immediately beyond the bridge was an apple-tree hung over with a
multitude of shields. And midway upon the bridge was a single shield,
entirely of black; and beside it hung a hammer of brass; and beneath the
shield was written these words in letters of red:
=Whoso Smiteth This Shield
Doeth So At His Peril.=
“Now, my master, Sir Myles, when he read those words went straightway
to that shield and, seizing the hammer that hung beside it, he smote
upon it a blow so that it rang like thunder.
“Thereupon, as in answer, the portcullis of the castle was let fall, and
there immediately came forth a knight, clad all from head to foot in
sable armor. And his apparel and the trappings of his horse and all the
appointments thereof were likewise entirely of sable.
[Sidenote: The page telleth of the Sable Knight.]
“Now when that Sable Knight perceived my master he came riding swiftly
across the meadow and so to the other end of the bridge. And when he had
come there he drew rein and saluted my master and cried out, ‘Sir
Knight, I demand of thee why thou didst smite that shield. Now let me
tell thee, because of thy boldness, I shall take away from thee thine
own shield, and shall hang it upon yonder apple-tree, where thou
beholdest all those other shields to be hanging.’ Unto this my master
made reply. ‘That thou shalt not do unless thou mayst overcome me, as
knight to knight.’ And thereupon, immediately, he dressed his shield and
put himself into array for an assault at arms.
“So my master and this Sable Knight, having made themselves ready for
that encounter, presently drave together with might and main. And they
met in the middle of the course, where my master’s spear burst into
splinters. But the spear of the Sable Knight held and it pierced through
Sir Myles, his shield, and it penetrated his side, so that both he and
his horse were overthrown violently into the dust; he being wounded so
grievously that he could not arise again from the ground whereon he lay.
“Then the Sable Knight took my master’s shield and hung it up in the
branches of the apple-tree where the other shields were hanging, and,
thereupon, without paying further heed to my master, or inquiring as to
his hurt, he rode away into his castle again, whereof the portcullis was
immediately closed behind him.
“So, after that he had gone, I got my master to his horse with great
labor, and straightway took him thence, not knowing where I might find
harborage for him, until I came to this place. And that, my lord King,
is the true story of how my master came by that mortal hurt, which he
hath suffered.”
“Ha! By the glory of Paradise!” cried King Arthur, “I do consider it
great shame that in my Kingdom and so near to my Court strangers should
be so discourteously treated as Sir Myles hath been served. For it is
certainly a discourtesy for to leave a fallen knight upon the ground,
without tarrying to inquire as to his hurt how grievous it may be. And
still more discourteous is it for to take away the shield of a fallen
knight who hath done good battle.”
And so did all the knights of the King’s Court exclaim against the
discourtesy of that Sable Knight.
[Sidenote: _Griflet craveth a boon._]
Then there came forth a certain esquire attendant upon the King’s
person, by name Griflet, who was much beloved by his Royal Master, and
he kneeled before the King and cried out in a loud voice: “I crave a
boon of thee, my lord King! and do beseech thee that thou wilt grant it
unto me!”
Then King Arthur uplifted his countenance upon the youth as he knelt
before him and he said, “Ask, Griflet, and thy boon shall be granted
unto thee.”
Thereupon Griflet said, “It is this that I would ask--I crave that thou
wilt make me straightway knight, and that thou wilt let me go forth and
endeavor to punish this unkindly knight, by overthrowing him, and so
redeeming those shields which he hath hung upon that apple-tree.”
Then was King Arthur much troubled in his spirit, for Griflet was as yet
only an esquire and altogether untried in arms. So he said, “Behold,
thou art yet too young to have to do with so potent a knight as this
sable champion must be, who has thus overthrown so many knights without