Complete Works of Sir Thomas Malory

by Thomas Malory

  And therewythall the kynge spake no more. But all sir Launcelottys kynnesmen knew for whom he wente oute of hys mynde. And than there was made grete feystys, and grete joy was there amonge them. And all lordys and ladyes made grete joy whan they harde how sir Launcelot was com agayne unto the courte.

  NOW WOLL WE LEVE OF THYS MATER, AND SPEKE WE OFF SIR TRYSTRAM AND OF SIR PALOMYDES THAT WAS THE SAREZEN

  UNCRYSTYNDE.

  XV. CONCLUSION

  WHAN sir Trystram was com home unto Joyus Garde from hys [11] adventures — and all thys whyle that sir Launcelot was thus myste, two yere and more, sir Trystram bare the brewte and renowne thorow all the realme of Logyrs, and many stronge adventures befelle hym, and full well and worshypfully he brought hem to an ende — so whan he was com home La Beall Isode tolde hym off the grete feste that sholde be at Pentecoste nexte folowynge. And there she tolde hym how sir Launcelot had bene myssed two yere, and all that whyle he had bene oute of hys mynde, and how he was holpyn by the holy vessell of the Sankgreall.

  ‘Alas!’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘that caused som debate betwyxte hym and quene Gwenyver.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde dame Isode, ‘I knowe hyt all, for quene Gwenyver sente me a lettir all how hyt was done, for because I sholde requyre you to seke hym. And now, blessyd be God,’ seyde La Beall Isode, ‘he ys hole and sounde and comyn ayen to the courte.’

  ‘A, Jesu! thereof am I fayne,’ seyde sir Trystram. ‘And now shall ye and I make us redy, for bothe ye and I woll be at that feste.”Sir,’ seyde dame Isode, ‘and hyt please you, I woll nat be there, for thorow me ye bene marked of many good knyghtes, and that causyth you for to have muche more laboure for my sake than nedyth you to have.’

  Than woll I nat be there,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘but yf ye be there.”God deffende,’ seyde La Beall Isode, ‘for than shall I be spokyn of shame amonge all quenys and ladyes of astate; for ye that ar called one of the nobelyste knyghtys of the worlde and a knyght of the Rounde Table, how may ye be myssed at the feste? For what shall be sayde of you amonge all knyghtes? “A! se how sir Trystram huntyth and hawkyth, and cowryth wythin a castell wyth hys lady, and forsakyth us. Alas!” shall som sey, “hyt ys pyté that ever he was knyght, or ever he shulde have the love of a lady.” Also, what shall quenys and ladyes say of me? “Hyt ys pyté that I have my lyff, that I wolde holde so noble a knyght as ye ar frome hys worshyp.’”

  ‘So God me helpe,’ seyde sir Trystram unto La Beall Isode, ‘hyt ys passyngly well seyde of you and nobely counceyled. And now I well undirstonde that ye love me. And lyke as ye have councyled me I woll do a parte thereaftir, but there shall no man nor chylde ryde wyth me but myselff alone. And so I woll ryde on Tewysday next commynge, and no more harneyse of warre but my speare and my swerde.’

  And so whan the day come sir Trystram toke hys leve at La Beall Isode, and she sente wyth hym four knyghtys; and wythin halff a myle he sente them agayne. And within a myle way aftir sir Trystram sawe afore hym where sir Palomydes had stryken downe a knyght and allmoste wounded hym to the dethe. Than sir Trystram repented hym that he was nat armed, and therewyth he hoved stylle. And anone as sir Palomydes saw sir Trystram he cryed on hyght, ‘Sir Trystram, now be we mette, for or we departe we shall redresse all our olde sorys!’

  As for that,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘there was never yet no Crystyn man that ever myght make hys boste that ever I fledde from hym. And wyte thou well, sir Palomydes, thou that arte a Sarezen shall never make thy boste that ever sir Trystram de Lyones shall fle fro the!’

  And therewyth sir Trystram made hys horse to ren, and wyth all hys myght he cam streyte uppon sir Palomydes and braste hys speare uppon hym at an hondred pecis. And furthwythall sir Trystram drewe hys swerde, and than he turned hys horse and stroke togydyrs six grete strokys uppon hys helme. And than sir Palomydes stode stylle and byhylde sir Trystram and mervayled gretely at hys woodnes and of hys foly.

  And than sir Palomydes seyde unto hymselff, ‘And thys sir Trystram were armed, hyt were harde to cese hym frome hys batayle, and yff I turne agayne and sle hym I am shamed wheresomevir I go.’ Than sir Trystram spake and seyde, ‘Thou cowarde knyght, what castyste thou to do? And why wolt thou nat do batayle wyth me? For have thou no doute I shall endure the and all thy malyce!’

  ‘A, sir Trystram!’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘full well thou wotyste I may nat have ado wyth the for shame, for thou arte here naked and I am armede, and yf that I sle the, dyshonoure shall be myne. And well thou wotyste,’ seyde sir Palomydes unto sir Trystram, ‘I knowe thy strengthe and thy hardynes to endure ayenste a goode knyght.’

  ‘That ys trouthe,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘I undirstonde thy valyauntenesse.’

  ‘Ye say well,’ seyde sir Palomydes. ‘Now, I requyre you, telle me a questyon that I shall sey unto you.’

  ‘Than telle me what hyt ys,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘and I shall answere you of the trouthe, as God me helpe.’

  ‘Sir, I put a case,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘that ye were armed at all ryghtes as well as I am, and I naked as ye be, what wolde ye do to me now, be youre trewe knyghthode?’

  ‘A,’ seyde sir Trystram, now I undirstonde the well, sir Palomydes, for now muste I sey myne owne jugemente! And, as God me blysse, that I shall sey shall nat be seyde for no feare that I have of the, sir Palomydes. But thys ys all: wyte thou well, sir Palomydes, as at thys tyme thou sholdyst departe from me, for I wol nat have ado wyth the.’

  ‘No more woll I,’ seyde sir Palomydes. ‘And therefore ryde furth on thy way!’

  ‘As for that,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘I may chose othir to ryde othir to go. But, sir Palomydes,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘I mervayle greatly of one thynge, that thou arte so good a knyght, that thou wolt nat be crystynde, and thy brothir, sir Saffir, hath bene crystynde many a day.’

  [13] As for that,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘I may nat yet be crystyned for a vowe that I have made many yerys agone. Howbehyt in my harte and in my soule I have had many a day a good beleve in Jesu Cryste and hys mylde modir Mary, but I have but one batayle to do, and were that onys done I wolde be baptyzed.’

  ‘Be my hede,’ seyde sir Trystram, as for one batayle, thou shalt nat seke hyt longe. For God deffende,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘that thorow my defaute thou sholdyste lengar lyve thus a Sarazyn. For yondyr ys a knyght that ye have hurte and smyttyn downe: now helpe me than that I were armed in hys armoure, and I shall sone fullfyll thyne avowys.’

  As ye wyll,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘so shall hyt be.’

  So they rode bothe unto that knyght that sate uppon a banke, and than sir Trystram salewed hym, and he waykely salewed hym agayne.

  ‘Sir knyght,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘I requyre you tell me youre ryght name.’

  ‘Syr,’ he seyde, my ryght name ys sir Galleron off Galowey, and a knyght of the Table Rounde.’

  ‘So God me helpe,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘I am ryght hevy of youre hurtys! But thys ys all: I muste pray you to leane me youre hole armoure, for ye se that I am unarmed, and I muste do batayle wyth thys knyght.’

  ‘Sir, ye shall have hyt wyth a good wyll. But ye muste beware, for I warne you that knyght ys an hardy knyght as ever I mette wythall. But, sir,’ seyde sir Galeron, ‘I pray you, telle me youre name, and what ys that knyghtes name that hath beatyn me?’

  ‘Sir, as for my name, wyte you well yt ys sir Trystram de Lyones, and as for hym, hys name ys sir Palomydes, brothir unto the good knyght sir Sapher, and yet ys sir Palomydes uncrystynde.”Alas!’ seyde sir Galleron, ‘that ys grete pyté that so good a knyght and so noble a man off armys sholde be uncrystynde.’

  ‘So God me helpe,’ seyde sir Trystram, owthyr he shall sle me, othir I hym, but that he shall be crystynde or ever we departe in sundir.’

  ‘My lorde, sir Trystram,’ seyde sir Galleron, ‘youre renowne and worshyp ys well knowyn thorow many realmys, and God save you thys day frome senshyp and shame!’

  Than sir Trystram unarmed sir Galleron, the whyche was a noble knyght and had done many dedys of armys
; and he was a large knyght of fleyshe and boone. And whan he was unarmed he stood on hys feete, for he was sore brused in the backe wyth a speare; yet as well as sir Galleron myght he armed sir Trystram.

  And than sir Trystram mounted uppon hys horse, and in hys honde he gate sir Galleron hys speare; and therewythall sir Palomydes was redy. And so they cam hurtleynge togydyrs, and aythir smote othir in myddys off there shyldys. And therewythall sir Palomydes speare brake, and sir Trystram smote downe sir Palomydes, horse and man, to the erthe.

  And than sir Palomydes, as sone as he myght, avoyded hys horse, and dressed hys shylde, and pulled oute hys swerde. That sawe sir Trystram, and therewythall he alyght and tyed hys horse to a tre. And than they cam togydyrs egirly as two wylde borys, and so [14] they layshed togydyrs, trasynge and traversynge as noble men that offten had bene well proved in batayle. But ever sir Palomydes dred passynge sore the myght of sir Trystram, and therefore he suffyrd hym to breeth hym, and thus they faught more than two owrys. But oftyntymes sir Trystram smote suche strokys at sir Palomydes that he made hym to knele, and sir Palomydes brake and kutte many pecis of sir Trystrams shylde, and than sir Palomydes wounded sir Trystram passynge sore, for he was a well fyghtynge man.

  Than sir Trystram waxed wood wrothe oute off mesure, and russhed uppon sir Palomydes wyth suche a myght that sir Palomydes felle grovelynge to the erthe. And therewythall he lepe up lyghtly uppon hys feete, and than sir Trystram wounded sore sir Palomydes thorow the shuldir. And ever sir Trystram fought stylle in lyke harde, and sir Palomydes fayled hym nat but gaff hym many sad strokys agayne. And at the laste sir Trystram doubeled hys strokys uppon hym, and by fortune sir Trystram smote sir Palomydes swerde oute of hys honde, and yf sir Palomydes had stouped for hys swerde he had bene slayne. And than sir Palomydes stood stylle and behylde hys swerde wyth a sorowfull harte.

  ‘How now?’ sayde sir Trystram. ‘For now I have the at avauntayge,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘as thou haddist me thys day, but hyt shall never be seyde in no courte nor amonge no good knyghtes that sir Trystram shall sle ony knyght that ys wepynles. And therefore take thou thy swerde, and lat us make an ende of thys batayle!”As for to do thys batayle,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘I dare ryght well ende hyt. But I have no grete luste to fyght no more, and for thys cause,’ seyde sir Palomydes: ‘myne offence ys to you nat so grete but that we may be fryendys, for all that I have offended ys and was for the love of La Beall Isode. And as for her, I dare say she ys pyerles of all othir ladyes, and also I profyrd her never no maner of dyshonoure, and by her I have getyn the moste parte of my worshyp. And sytthyn I had offended never as to her owne persone, and as for the offence that I have done, hyt was ayenste youre owne persone, and for that fo ffence ye have gyvyn me thys day many sad strokys and som I have gyffyn you agayne, and now I dare sey I felte never man of youre myght nothir so well-brethed but yf hit were sir Launcelot du Laake, wherefore I requyre you, my lorde, forgyff me all that I have offended unto you! And thys same day have me to the nexte churche, and fyrste lat me be clene confessed, and aftir that se youreselff that I be truly baptysed. And than woll we all ryde togydyrs unto the courte of kynge Arthure, that we may be there at the nexte hyghe feste folowynge.’

  ‘Than take youre horse,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘and as ye sey, so shall hyt be; and all my evyll wyll God forgyff hyt you, and I do. And hereby wythin thys myle ys the suffrygan of Carlehylle whyche shall gyff you the sacramente of baptyme.’

  And anone they toke there horsys, and sir Galleron rode wyth them, and whan they cam to the suffrygan sir Trystram tolde hym there desyre. Than the suffrygan let fylle a grete vessell wyth watyr, and whan he had halowed hyt he than conffessed clene sir Palomydes. And Trystram and sir Galleron were hys two godfadyrs.

  And than sone afftyr they departed and rode towarde Camelot where that kynge Arthure and quene Gwenyvir was, and the moste party of all the knyghtes of the Rounde Table were there also. And so the kynge and all the courte were ryght glad that sir Palomydes was crystynde.

  And that same feste in cam sir Galahad that was son unto sir Launcelot du Lake, and sate in the Syge Perelous. And so therewythall they departed and dysceyvirde, all the knyghtys of the Rounde Table.

  And than sir Trystram returned unto Joyus Garde, and sir Palomydes folowed aftir the Questynge Beste.

  HERE ENDYTH THE SECUNDE BOKE OFF SYR TRYSTRAM DE LYONES, WHYCHE DRAWYN WAS OUTE OF FREYNSHE BY SIR THOMAS MALLEORRE, KNYGHT, AS JESU BE HYS HELPE. AMEN. BUT HERE YS NO REHERSALL OF THE THIRDE BOOKE.

  BUT HERE FOLOWYTH THE NOBLE TALE OFF THE SANKEGREALL, WHYCHE CALLED YS THE HOLY VESSELL AND THE SYGNYFYCACION OF BLYSSED BLOODE OFF OURE LORDE JESU CRYSTE, WHYCHE WAS BROUGHT INTO THYS LONDE BY JOSEPH OFF ARAMATHYE.

  THEREFORE ON ALL SYNFULL, BLYSSED LORDE, HAVE ON THY KNYGHT MERCY. AMEN.

  BOOK VI. THE TALE OF THE SANKGREAL BRIEFLY DRAWN OUT OF FRENCH WHICH IS A TALE CHRONICLED FOR ONE OF THE TRUEST AND ONE OF THE HOLIEST THAT IS IN THIS WORLD

  I. THE DEPARTURE

  [1] AT the vigyl of Pentecoste, whan all the felyship of the Table Rownde were com unto Camelot and there harde hir servyse, so at the laste the tablys were sette redy to the meete, ryght so entird into the halle a full fayre jantillwoman on horsebacke that had ryddyn full faste, for hir horse was all beswette. Than she there alyght and com before the kynge and salewed hym, and he seyde, ‘Damesell, God you blysse!’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde she, ‘for Goddis sake telle me where ys sir Launcelot.”He ys yondir, ye may se hym,’ seyd the kynge.

  Than she wente unto sir Launcelot and seyde, ‘Sir Launcelot, I salew you on kynge Pelles behalff, and I also requyre you to com with me hereby into a foreste.’

  Than sir Launcelot asked her with whom she dwelled.

  ‘I dwelle,’ she seyde, ‘with kynge Pelles.’

  ‘What woll ye with me?’ seyde sir Launcelot.

  ‘Ye shall know,’ she seyde, ‘whan ye com thydir.’

  ‘Well,’ seyde he, ‘I woll gladly go with you.’

  So sir Launcelot bade hys squyre sadyll hys horse and brynge hys armys in haste. So he ded hys commandemente. Than come the quene unto sir Launcelot and seyde, ‘Woll ye leve us now alone at thys hyghe feste?’

  ‘Madam,’ seyde the jantyllwoman, ‘wyte you well he shall be with you to-morne by dyner tyme.’

  ‘If I wyste,’ seyde the quene, ‘that he sholde nat be here with us to-morne, he sholde nat go with you be my good wyll!’

  Ryght so departed sir Launcelot, and rode untyll that he com into a foreste and into a grete valey where they sye an abbey of nunnys. And there was a squyre redy, and opened the gatis, and so they entird and descended of their horsys. And anone there cam a fayre felyship aboute sir Launcelot and wellcomed hym, and were passyng gladde of his comynge; and than they ladde hym unto the abbas chambir and unarmed hym.

  And ryght so he was ware uppon a bed lyynge two of hys cosyns, sir Bors and sir Lyonell. And anone he waked them, and whan they syghe hym they made grete joy.

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Bors unto sir Launcelot, what adventure hath brought you hidir? For we wende to have founde you to-morne at Camelot.’

  ‘So God me helpe,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘a jantillwoman brought me hydir, but I know nat the cause.’

  So in the meanewhyle that they thus talked togydir, there com in twelve nunnes that brought with hem Galahad, the whych was passynge fayre and welle made, that unneth in the worlde men myght nat fynde hys macche. And all the ladyes wepte.

  ‘Sir,’ seyd they all, ‘we brynge you hyre thys chylde the whycch we have norysshed, and we pray you to make hym knyght, for of a more worthyer mannes honde may he nat resceyve the Order of Knyghthode.’

  Sir Launcelot behylde thys yonge squyer and saw hym semely and demure as a dove, with all maner of goode fetures, that he wende of hys ayge never to have seene so fayre a fourme of a man. Than seyde sir Launcelot, ‘Commyth thys desyre of hymselff?’

  He and all they seyde ‘yes.’

  ‘Than shall he,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘
resseyve the Order of Knyghthode at the reverence of the hyghe feste.’

  So that nyght sir Launcelot had passyng good chere. And on the morn e at the howre of pryme at Galahaddis desyre he made hym knyght, and seyde, ‘God make you a good man, for of beauté faylith you none as ony that ys now lyvynge. Now, fayre sir,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘woll ye [2] com with me unto the courte of kynge Arthure?’

  ‘Nay,’ seyde he, ‘I woll nat go with you at thys tyme.’

  Than he departed frome them and toke hys two cosynes with hym. And so they com unto Camelot by the owre of undirne on Whytsonday. So by that tyme the kynge and the quene was gone to the mynster to here their servyse. Than the kynge and the quene were passynge glad of sir Bors and sir Lyonel, and so was all the felyshyp.

  So whan the kynge and all the knyghtes were com frome servyse the barownes aspyed in the segys of the Rounde Table all aboute wretyn with golde lettirs:

  ‘HERE OUGHT TO SITTE HE’, and ‘HE OUGHT TO SITTE HYRE.’ And thus they wente so longe tylle that they com to the Sege Perelous, where they founde lettirs newly wrytten of golde, whych seyde:

  ‘FOUR HONDRED WYNTIR AND FOUR AND FYFFTY ACOMPLYVVSSHED AFTIR THE PASSION OF OURE LORDE JESU CRYST OUGHTE THYS SYEGE TO BE FULFYLLED.’

  Than all they seyde, ‘Thys ys a mervylous thynge and an adventures!’

  ‘In the name of God!’ seyde sir Launcelot, and than accounted the terme of the wrytynge, frome the byrth of oure Lorde untyll that day.

  ‘Hit semyth me,’ seyd sir Launcelot, ‘that thys syge oughte to be fulfylled thys same day, for thys ys the Pentecoste after the four hondred and four and fyffty yere. And if hit wolde please all partyes, I wolde none of thes lettirs were sene thys day tyll that he be com that ought to enchyve thys adventure.’

  Than made they to ordayne a cloth of sylke for to cover thes lettirs in the Syege Perelous. Than the kynge bade haste unto dyner.