So sir Launcelot sente forthe a damesel wyth a dwarff with her, requyryng kynge Arthur to leve hys warryng uppon hys londys. And so he starte uppon a palferey, and a dwarffe ran by her syde, and whan she cam to the pavelon of kynge Arthur, there she alyght. And there mette her a jantyll knyght, sir Lucan the Butlere, and seyde, ‘Fayre damesell, come ye frome sir Launcelot du Lake?’
‘Yee, sir,’ she seyde, ‘therefore cam I hyddir to speke with my lorde the kynge.’
‘Alas,’ seyde sir Lucan, ‘my lorde Arthure wolde accorde with sir Launcelot, but sir Gawayne woll nat suffir hym.’ And than he seyde, ‘I pray to God, damesell, that ye may spede well, for all we that bene aboute the kynge wolde that Launcelot ded beste of ony knyght lyvynge.’
And so with thys sir Lucan lad the damesell to the kynge, where he sate with syr Gawayne, for to hyre what she wolde say. So whan she had tolde her tale the watir ran oute of the kyngis yen. And all the lordys were full glad for to advyce the kynge to be accorded with sir Launcelot, save all only sir Gawayne. And he seyde, ‘My lorde, myne uncle, what woll ye do? Woll ye now turne agayne, now ye ar paste thys farre uppon youre journey? All the worlde woll speke of you vylany and shame.’
‘Now,’ seyde kynge Arthur, ‘wyte you well, sir Gawayne, I woll do as ye advyse me; and yet mesemyth,’ seyde kynge Arthur, ‘hys fayre proffers were nat good to be reffused. But sytthyn I am com so far uppon thys journey, I woll that ye gyff the damesell her answere, for I may nat speke to her for pité: for her profirs ben so large.’ Than sir Gawayne seyde unto the damesell thus:
‘Sey ye to sir Launcelot that hyt ys waste laboure now to sew to myne uncle. For telle hym, and he wolde have made ony laboure for pease, he sholde have made hit or thys tyme, for telle hym now hit ys to late. And say to hym that I, sir Gawayne, so sende hym word, that I promyse hym by the faythe that I owghe to God and to knyghthode, I shall never leve hym tylle he hathe slayne me or I hym!’
So the damesell wepte and departed, and so there was many a wepyng yghe. And than sir Lucan brought the damesell to her palffrey; and so she cam to sir Launcelot, where he was amonge all hys knyghtes, and whan sir Launcelott had harde hir answere, than the tearys ran downe by hys chekys. And than hys noble knyghtes com aboute hym and seyde, ‘Sir Launcelot, wherefore make ye suche chere? Now thynke what ye ar, and what men we ar, and lat us, noble knyghtis, macche hem in myddis of the fylde.’
‘That may be lyghtly done,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘but I was never so lothe to do batayle. And therefore I pray you, sirres, as ye love me, be ruled at thys tyme as I woll have you. For I woll allwayes fle that noble kynge that made me knyght; and whan I may no farther, I muste nedis deffende me. And that woll be more worshyp for me and us all than to compare with that noble kynge whom we have all served.’
Than they hylde their langayge, and as that nyght they toke their reste. And uppon the mornyng erly, in the dawnynge of the day, as knyghtes loked oute they saw the cité of Benwyke besyged rounde aboute, and gan faste to sette up laddirs. And they within kepte them oute of the towne and bete hem myghtyly frome the wallis. Than cam forthe sir Gawayne, well armede, uppon a styff steede, and he cam before the chyeff gate with hys speare in hys honde, cryynge:
‘Where art thou, sir Launcelot? Ys there none of all your proude knyghtes that dare breake a speare with me?’
Than sir Bors made hym redy and cam forth oute of the towne. And there sir Gawayne encountred with sir Bors, and at that tyme he smote hym downe frome hys horse, and allmoste he had slayne hym. And so sir Bors was rescowed and borne into the towne.
Than cam forthe sir Lyonell, brother to sir Bors, and thoughte to revenge hym; and aythir feawtred their spearys and so ran togydirs, and there they mette spiteuously, but sir Gawayne had such a grace that he smote sir Lyonell downe, and wounded hym there passyngly sore. And than sir Lyonell was rescowed and borne into the towne.
And thus sir Gawayne com every day, and fayled nat but that he smote downe one knyght or othir. So thus they endured halff a yere, and muche slaughter was of people on bothe partyes.
Than hit befelle uppon a day that sir Gawayne cam afore the gatis, armed at all pecis, on a noble horse, with a greate speare in hys honde, and than he cryed with a lowde voyce and seyde, ‘Where arte thou now, thou false traytour, sir Launcelot? Why holdyst thou thyselff within holys and wallys lyke a cowarde? Loke oute, thou false traytoure knyght, and here I shall revenge uppon thy body the dethe of my three brethirne!’
And all thys langayge harde sir Launcelot every deale. Than hys kynne and hys knyghtes drew aboute hym, and all they seyde at onys unto sir Launcelot, ‘Sir, now muste you deffende you lyke a knyght, othir ellis ye be shamed for ever, for now ye be called uppon treson, hit ys tyme for you to styrre! For ye have slepte over longe, and suffirde overmuche.”So God me helpe,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘I am ryght hevy at sir Gawaynes wordys, for now he chargith me with a grete charge. And therefore I wote as well as ye I muste nedys deffende me, other ellis to be recreaunte.’
Than sir Launcelot bade sadyll hys strongest horse and bade let fecche hys armys and brynge all to the towre of the gate. And than sir Launcelot spake on hyght unto the kynge and seyde, ‘My lorde Arthur, and noble kynge that made me knyght! Wyte you well I am ryght hevy for youre sake that ye thus sewe uppon me. And allwayes I forbeare you, for and I wolde be vengeable I myght have mette you in myddys the fylde or thys tyme, and there to have made your boldiste knyghtes full tame. And now I have forborne you and suffirde you halff a yere, and sir Gawayne, to do what ye wolde do. And now I may no lenger suffir to endure, but nedis I muste deffende myselff, insomuch as sir Gawayn hathe becalled me of treson; whych ys gretly ayenste my wyll that ever I shulde fyght ayenste ony of youre blood, but now I may nat forsake hit: for I am dryvyn thereto as beste tylle a bay.’
Than sir Gawayne seyde unto sir Launcelotte, ‘And thou darste do batayle, leve thy babelynge and com off, and lat us ease oure hartis!’
Than sir Launcelot armed hym and mownted uppon hys horse, and aythir of them gate greate spearys in their hondys. And so the oste withoute stoode stylle all aparte, and the noble knyghtes of the cité cam a greate numbir, that whan kynge Arthur saw the numbir of men and knyghtes he mervaylde and seyde to hymselff, ‘Alas, that ever sir Launcelot was ayenst me! For now I se that he hath forborne me.’
And so the covenaunte was made, there sholde no man nyghe hem nother deale wyth them tylle the tone were dede other yolden.
Than sir Launcelot and sir Gawayne departed a greate way in sundir, and than they cam togydirs with all their horse myghtes as faste as they myght renne, and aythir smote othir in myddis of their shyldis. But the knyghtes were so stronge and their spearys so bygge that their horsis myght nat endure their buffettis, and so their horsis felle to the erthe. And than they avoyded their horsys and dressed their shyldis afore them; than they cam togydirs and gaff many sad strokis on dyverse placis of their bodyes, that the bloode braste oute on many sydis.
Than had sir Gawayne suche a grace and gyffte that an holy man had gyvyn hym, that every day in the yere, frome undern tyll hyghe noone, hys myght encresed the three owres as much as thryse hys strength. And that caused sir Gawayne to wynne grete honoure. And for hys sake kynge Arthur made an ordynaunce that all maner off batayles for ony quarels that shulde be done afore kynge Arthur shulde begynne at undern; and all was done for sir Gawaynes love, that by lyklyhode if sir Gawayne were on the tone parté, he shulde have the bettir in batayle whyle hys strengthe endured three owrys. But there were that tyme but feaw knyghtes lyvynge that knewe thys advauntayge that sir Gawayne had, but kynge Arthure all only.
So sir Launcelot faught wyth sir Gawayne, and whan sir Launcelot felte hys myght evermore encrese, sir Launcelot wondred and drad hym sore to be shamed; for, as the Freynshe booke seyth, he wende, whan he felte sir Gawaynes double hys strengthe, that he had bene a fyende and none earthely man. Wherefore sir Launcelot traced and traverced, and coverde hymselff with hys shylde, and kepte hys myght and hys brethe duryng thre
e owrys. And that whyle sir Gawayne gaff hym many sad bruntis and many sad strokis, that all knyghtes that behylde sir Launcelot mervayled how he myght endure hym, but full lytyll undirstood they that travayle that sir Launcelot had to endure hym.
And than whan hit was paste noone sir Gawaynes strengthe was gone and he had no more but hys owne myght. Whan sir Launcelot felte hym so com downe, than he strecched hym up and strode nere sir Gawayne and seyde thus:
‘Now I fele ye have done youre warste! And now, my lorde sir Gawayn, I muste do my parte, for many a grete and grevous strokis I have endured you thys day with greate payne.’
And so sir Launcelot doubled hys strokis and gaff sir Gawayne suche a stroke uppon the helmet that sydelynge he felle downe uppon hys one syde. And sir Launcelot withdrew hym frome hym.
‘Why wythdrawyst thou the?’ seyde sir Gawayne. ‘Turne agayne, false traytoure knyght, and sle me oute! For and thou leve me thus, anone as I am hole I shall do batayle with the agayne.’
‘Sir,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘I shall endure you, be Goddis grace!
But wyte thou well, sir Gawayne, I woll never smyte a felde knyght.’
And so sir Launcelot departed and wente unto the cité. And sir Gawayne was borne unto kynge Arthurs pavylon, and anone lechys were brought unto hym of the beste, and serched and salved hym with souffte oynementis. And than sir Launcelot seyde, ‘Now have good day, my lorde the kynge! For wyte you welle ye wynne no worshyp at thes wallis, for and I wolde my knyghtes outebrynge, there shulde many a douty man dye. And therefore, my lorde Arthur, remembir you of olde kyndenes, and howsomever I fare, Jesu be youre gyde in all placis.’
‘Now, alas,’ seyde the kynge, ‘that ever thys unhappy warre began! [22] For ever sir Launcelot forbearyth me in all placis, and in lyke wyse my kynne, and that ys sene well thys day, what curtesy he shewed my neveawe, sir Gawayne.’
Than kynge Arthur felle syke for sorow of sir Gawayne, that he was so sore hurte, and bycause of the warre betwyxte hym and sir Launcelot. So aftir that they on kynge Arthurs party kepte the sege with lytyll warre wythouteforthe, and they withinforthe kepte their wallys and deffended them whan nede was.
Thus sir Gawayne lay syke and unsounde three wykes in hys tends with all maner of lechecrauffte that myght be had. And as sone as sir Gawayne myght go and ryde, he armed hym at all poyntis and bestroode a styff courser and gate a grete speare in hys honde, and so he cam rydynge afore the chyeff gate of Benwyke. And there he cryed on hyght and seyde, ‘Where arte thou, sir Launcelot? Com forth, thou false traytoure knyght and recrayed, for I am here, sir Gawayne, that woll preve thys that I say uppon the!’
And all thys langayge sir Launcelot harde and sayde thus:
‘Sir Gawayne, me repentis of youre fowle sayinge, that ye woll nat cease your langayge. For ye wote well, sir Gawayne, I know youre myght and all that ye may do, and well ye wote, sir Gawayne, ye may nat greatly hurte me.’
‘Com downe, traytoure knyght,’ seyde he, ‘and make hit good the contrary wyth thy hondys! For hit myssehapped me the laste batayle to be hurte of thy hondis, therefore, wyte thou well, I am com thys day to make amendis, for I wene this day to ley the as low as thou laydest me.’
‘Jesu deffende me,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘that ever I be so farre in youre daunger as ye have bene in myne, for than my dayes were done. But, Gawayne,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ye shall nat thynke that I shall tarry longe, but sytthyn that ye unknyghtly calle me thus of treson, ye shall have bothe youre hondys fulle of me.’
And than sir Launcelot armed hym at all poyntis and mounted uppon hys horse and gate a grete speare in hys honde and rode oute at the gate. And bothe their ostis were assembled, of them withoute and within, and stood in aray full manly, and bothe partyes were charged to holde hem stylle to se and beholde the batayle of thes two noble knyghtes.
And than they layde their spearys in their restis and so cam togydir as thundir. And sir Gawayne brake hys speare in an hondred peces to hys honde, and sir Launcelot smote hym with a gretter myght, that sir Gawaynes horse feete reysed, and so the horse and he felle to the erthe. Than sir Gawayne delyverly devoyded hys horse and put hys shylde afore hym, and egirly drew hys swerde and bade sir Launcelot, ‘alyght, traytoure knyght!’ and seyde, ‘Gyff a marys sonne hath fayled me, wyte thou well a kyngis sonne and a quenys sonne shall nat fayle the!’
Than sir Launcelot devoyded hys horse and dressed hys shylde afore hym and drew hys swerde, and so cam egirly togydirs and gaff many sad strokis, that all men on bothe partyes had wondir.
But whan sir Launcelot felte sir Gawaynes myght so mervaylously encres, he than wythhylde hys corayge and hys wynde, and so he kepte hym undir coverte of hys myght and of hys shylde: he traced and traverced here and there to breake sir Gawaynys strokys and hys currayge. And ever sir Gawayne enforced hymselff wyth all hys myght and power to destroy sir Launcelot, for, as the Freynshe booke saythe, ever as sir Gawaynes myght encreased, ryght so encreced hys wynde and hys evyll wyll.
And thus he ded grete payne unto sir Launcelot three owres, that he had much ado to defende hym. And whan the three owres were paste, that he felte sir Gawayne was com home to his owne propir strengthe, than sir Launcelot seyde, ‘Sir, now I have preved you twyse that ye ar a full daungerous knyght and a wondirfull man of your myght! And many wondir dedis have ye done in youre dayes, for by youre myght encresyng ye have desceyved many a full noble knyght. And now I fele that ye have done youre myghty dedis, now, wyte you well, I muste do my dedis!’
And than sir Launcelot strode nere sir Gawayne and doubled hys strokis, and ever sir Gawayne deffended hym myghtyly, but nevertheles sir Launcelot smote such a stroke uppon hys helme and uppon the olde wounde that sir Gawayne sanke downe and sowned. And anone as he ded awake he waved and foyned at sir Launcelot as he lay, and seyde, ‘Traytoure knyght, wyte thou well I am nat yet slayne. Therefore com thou nere me and performe thys batayle to the utteraunce!’
‘I woll no more do than I have done,’ seyde sir Launcelot. ‘For whan I se you on foote I woll do batayle uppon you all the whyle I se you stande uppon youre feete; but to smyte a wounded man that may nat stonde, God defende me from such a shame!’
And than he turned hym and wente hys way towarde the cité, and sir Gawayne evermore callyng hym ‘traytoure knyght’ and seyde, ‘Traytoure knyght! Wyte thou well, sir Launcelot, whan I am hole I shall do batayle with you agayne, for I shall never leve the tylle the tone of us be slayne.’
Thus as thys syge endured and as sir Gawayne lay syke nerehande a moneth, and whan he was well recovirde and redy within three dayes to do batayle agayne with sir Launcelot, ryght so cam tydyngis unto kynge Arthur frome Inglonde that made kynge Arthur and all hys oste to remeve.
IV. THE DAY OF DESTINY
[1] As sir Mordred was rular of all Inglonde, he lete make lettirs as thoughe that they had com frome beyonde the see, and the lettirs specifyed that kynge Arthur was slayne in batayle with sir Launcelot. Wherefore sir Mordred made a parlemente, and called the lordys togydir, and there he made them to chose hym kynge. And so was he crowned at Caunturbury, and hylde a feste there fiftene dayes.
And aftirwarde he drew hym unto Wynchester, and there he toke quene Gwenyver, and seyde playnly that he wolde wedde her which was hys unclys wyff and hys fadirs wyff. And so he made redy for the feste, and a day prefyxte that they shulde be wedded; wherefore quene Gwenyver was passyng hevy. But she durst nat discover her harte, but spake fayre, and aggreed to sir Mordredys wylle.
And anone she desyred of sir Mordred to go to London to byghe all maner thynges that longed to the brydale. And bycause of her fayre speche sir Mordred trusted her and gaff her leve; and so whan she cam to London she toke the Towre of London, and suddeynly in all haste possyble she stuffed hit with all maner of vytayle, and well garnysshed hit with men, and so kepte hit.
And whan sir Mordred wyst thys he was passynge wrothe oute of mesure. And shorte tale to make, he layde a myghty syge aboute the Towre and made many assautis, and threw engynnes unto t
hem, and shotte grete gunnes. But all myght nat prevayle, for quene Gwenyver wolde never, for fayre speache nother for foule, never to truste unto sir Mordred to com in hys hondis agayne.
Than cam the Bysshop of Caunturbyry, whych was a noble clerke and an holy man, and thus he seyde unto sir Mordred:
‘Sir, what woll ye do? Woll ye firste displease God and sytthyn shame youreselff and all knyghthode? For ys nat kynge Arthur youre uncle, and no farther but youre modirs brothir, and uppon her he hymselffe begate you, uppon hys owne syster? Therefore how may ye wed youre owne fadirs wyff? And therefor, sir,’ seyde the Bysshop, ‘leve thys opynyon, other ellis I shall curse you with booke, belle and candyll.’
‘Do thou thy warste,’ seyde sir Mordred, and I defyghe the!’
‘Sir,’ seyde the Bysshop, ‘wyte you well I shall nat feare me to do that me ought to do. And also ye noyse that my lorde Arthur ys slayne, and that ys nat so, and therefore ye woll make a foule warke in thys londe!’
‘Peas, thou false pryste!’ seyde sir Mordred, ‘for and thou chauffe me ony more, I shall stryke of thy hede!’
So the Bysshop departed, and ded the cursynge in the moste orguluste wyse that myght be done. And than sir Mordred sought the Bysshop off Caunturbyry for to have slayne hym. Than the Bysshop fledde, and tooke parte of hys good with hym, and wente nyghe unto Glassyngbyry. And there he was a preste-ermyte in a chapel, and lyved in poverté and in holy prayers; for well he undirstood that myschevous warre was at honde.
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