Jaufry the Knight and the Fair Brunissende: A Tale of the Times of King Arthur
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CHAPTER VII. THE BLACK KNIGHT.
Well {107}pleased at Augier's words, which seemed to raise his heart byfull a span, Jaufry spurred bravely on, and by the morrow safely reachedthe spot his host had named. While he was passing through the scatteredtents, the knights, who stared at him, exclaimed aloud:
"Behold a man who has ridden the night long, and hastens forward, but toseek his loss."
Seeming as though he never heard the words, he to the noble castlestraightway hied; which seemed most rich, and sculptured with fine art.Seeing a portal set with marble leaves and tinged of various hues, hethere got down, secured his horse, and near him placing both his lanceand shield, he passed within the door. At first {108}his eyes no otherforms beheld than those which omed the walls; but as he wandered on fromroom to room, he came at length where lay the wounded knight, and at hiscouch two dames in robes of woe, and tears upon their cheeks. As he wascounselled by good Augier, then he to the elder went, and prayed hercourteously, in Heaven's name, to tell him where was Taulat, and why thepeople of that land he left did day and night so weep.
Charmed with his breeding and his knightly words, the lady thenexplained that Taulat, whose brutality and pride exceeded bounds, wouldin eight days return.
"He comes," she said, "to glut his cruelty upon the wretched man whoyonder lies. Seven years agone he with his lance did wound him cruelly;and when that wound is healed, each year, upon the feast-day of St.John, he has him fastened to a stake hard by, and beaten with a scourgeuntil the wounds are opened once again. For this the vassals of theneighbouring land of Brunissende,--whereof this knight is lord,--weepand lament, and e'en do put to death those who would spy into theircause of grief."
"Lady," Sir Jaufry said, "pride slays its lord; and by {109}that pride,I trust, will Taulat fall. In eight days' time to seek him I will come;and I can truly say that term will seem a year."
Commending her to Heaven, he left those halls, mounted again his horse,and took his way towards a neighbouring wood, where he did trust someman to meet to lodge him in his hut. The wood was gloomy, intricate,and dense; and at the first cross-road before him, he beheld, squattedbeneath a pine, a hag, whose aspect struck him with surprise.
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Her head was larger than a portal's arch; her eyes were small asdeniers, bleared besides and blue, misshapen, and deep-sunk beneathprojecting brows. Her lips were black; teeth red as orpiment, whichjutted out unseemly from her jaw. Her arms were sinewy, and her handsall knots; her face was colourless and wrinkled o'er; her body puffed;her shoulders round and high; her legs were skinny and of brownish hue;her knees were pointed; her toe-nails so long, no shoe could ever haveenclosed her feet. A verdant wreath encircled her white hair, whichstiffly stood on end. Her under-garment was of linen fine; her robe ofruddy silk; and over all a scarlet mantle fell, with ermine lined.
Jaufry saluted her; meanwhile with awe he gazed upon {110}her figurestrange, and ugly face. She turned her head, and without moving from herdarksome seat, exclaimed:
"Retrace thy steps, sir knight, and that at once."
"Not so, indeed," quoth Jaufry, "till I learn why thou dost tell me thusto flee away."
"Thou wilt repent it, then," the hag replied; "and death or dungeonshalt thou surely find."
"And wherefore so?"
"Go on, and thou wilt learn."
"Tell me at least with whom I'll have to strive."
"Those thou shalt meet will say."
"And thou, too; what art thou?"
"What thou beholdst!" the hag exclaimed, as, rising, she unfolded herhuge length, tall as a knightly lance.
"Heaven!" Sir Jaufry cried, "in thee I trust; what figure have we here?"
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"Dare to pass onwards," growled the wretched hag, "and thou shalt meetwith worse."
"Nathless they stay not me: as to thy threats," he said, "I hold them asthe wind, or nothingness." Pricking his charger as he spoke the words,he passed along the path.
The hag, {111}however, had but told the truth. For as he reached achapel small, a holy hermit served, a knight of sable hue, mountinga sable horse, with sable arms, assailed him with such strength andunawares, that horse and knight were on the turf o'er-thrown. Jaufry,all red with shame, at once upsprang, and, sword in hand, wished toavenge his fall; but, lo, no foe was there. He looked about, above,around, below, but horse and knight had vanished quite away. Again hemounted on his charger's back, when, at the instant, his strange foereturned, with lowered lance to strike at him again. Jaufry, prepared,now flew at him in turn; they midway met with shock so terrible, eachrolled upon the earth. Half-wild with anger then, quick as the lightningJaufry was afoot, with shield on guard and ready for the fight; butne'er a foe was there.
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"I will yet find him out," Sir Jaufry said, as in his saddle he againdid leap. But scarce was foot in stirrup firmly set when back returnedthe sable knight, hissing and growling as the thunder doth when tempestsvex the air, and for the third time bore him to the ground. Jaufry, onhis side, had so aimed his lance, it pierced his foe right through,and cast him on the turf. But when {112}he wished to give the_coup-de-grace_, in vain he sought the knight, he neither saw nor heard.
"Good Heaven!" Jaufry cried, "where hath this recreant, this demon,fled? I drive my lance a fathom through his breast, I hurl him to theground; and yet he flies, and doth escape my wrath! O gracious Lord, inThee I put my trust!"
Again he mounted as he spoke these words; when the invisible once moreappeared, unhorsing him anew. Why re-describe the scene? While daylightlasted, still this game went on. When off his horse, no creature did hesee; but as he sat him on his charger's back the sable knight appearedto strike and hew. Weary of fight, Sir Jaufry then resolved to go onfoot into the chapel-gate; but as he took his way, the spectre then hisonward footsteps barred, so that the battle did again commence, and inthe darkness without pause went on.
For half that night their swords and lances clashed, so that brightsparks of fire upward flew; fatigued at length to hear such din of arms,the hermit rose, and with his stole and cross and holy water, chantinga psalm, forth issued from his cell. The sable knight did not attendhis coming; shrieking aloud, at once he disappeared, albeit behind himleaving such a storm as {113}suffered no allay, until the chapel-bellrang out the matin hour.
Sheltered by this good man, Sir Jaufry asked, and thus obtained fromhim, the secret of the knight with whom he had fought so long.
"Friend, what thou ask'st I'll tell thee in few words: this knight insable armour is a fiend, evoked from realms of darkness by a hag, whomthou perchance hast met upon thy way. This hideous wretch once boastedas her spouse a monstrous giant, whose most wicked acts for twentyleagues around had spoiled the earth. As mortal, all-ferocious though hebe, is ne'er without his peer, it happed this giant did return one nightso grievously ill-used, that, at the end of three short days, he died.The hag, then, fearing for her own sad life and that of her two sons,called by her magic from the lower world that evil spirit who, forthirty years, these lands hath vexed. Meantime her sons have waxed inyears and strength, and closely followed in their father's steps. Grownleprous, one, he dwelt within a house, built by his mother by theforce of spells, whither his brother hath set out in haste, enraged andtost,--for that the rumour saith a knight of Arthur's court the wretchhath slain. An it {114}be true, may Heaven, all powerful, defend thatknight!"
"He will endeavour to defend himself," quoth Jaufry smiling; "and theraged giant, if he held the wish, need not have gone so far to find himout: I am the man who did his brother slay, and by whose hand the wickedspell was burst."
Eight days being fled, the hermit chanted mass, and at the altar prayedthe holy saints to guide Sir Jaufry, and protect his life against themonster's wrath. Having devoutly joined him in the prayer, the sonof Dovon, like a valiant knight, did joyously set out; and scarcehad ridden for an hour's space when he beheld the giant swiftly come,bearing beneath his arm,--with the same ease as he had done a
child,--adamsel, who did utter doleful cries. Her voice was hoarse from screamingout for help; her yellow hair, which sparkled in the sun, upon hershoulders all dishevelled fell like molten gold; her robe was tom, hereyes were swollen with tears; scarce, by Saint Mary! had she strengthremaining to implore help of Jaufry.
The knight, with pity touched, heard not in vain the prayer. His shieldadvanced, his lance within the rest, {115}he at the giant rode, andcalled aloud that he should loose the maid.
Letting her truly for an instant go, the giant ran towards the nearesttree, and pulling at the trunk, unearthed it, roots and all. Before,however, he had done so quite, Jaufry had plunged his lance into hisside. Checked by the stroke, and trembling in the hand, the giant's blowlost half of its effect, yet ne'er the less it bore to mother earth bothJaufry and his steed. The knight full quickly leapt upon his feet; andwith his ready sword struck at the monster with such vigorous hand, hesliced from off his flank a palm of flesh; and through the gaping woundone might behold his beating heart, whilst streams of blood pouredthrough. Exhausted, tottering, still the giant overthrew the knight bystriking with his fist upon his helm; but though his sword escaped fromJaufry's grasp, it was too late for harm,--the giant fainting fell. Onthis, the knight hewed off his monstrous feet; when, in all gentleness,the maid he raised, for she had kneeled at her preserver's side, andthus did say:
"Accept, my lord, a thousand grateful thanks; for more than life haveyou preserved for me, in saving me from him!"
"Damsel," {116}Sir Jaufry answered, "God for ever aid you! But explainhow is't I find you here?"
"My lord, 'tis easy to relate the tale: but yesterday I in an orchardstrayed, to which my mother had conducted me; it was our usual walk;when, as we left the gates, behold, yon giant suddenly appeared, seizedme at once, and to his castle now was bearing me away, when you, sirknight, so happily stepped in."
"I thank great Heaven, it was just in time! But where, I pray you, wasyour worthy sire, and where your brothers, when this giant came?"
"Hunting within the forest, good my lord: but you surprise me, askingme of them. One fain would say that you did know them all; and yet,methinks, I ne'er have seen yourself."
"Sweet damsel, yea, and that few days agone. 'Twas at your father's,Augier's good house, where I, at need, so courteously was served by youand all of yours."
"Blest be the hour, gentle lord and knight, you harboured 'neath ourroof; and we, how happy to have you for guest!"
"By this you see, my fair and courteous maid, how meet it is that weshould service do, even to those unknown. {117}One knows not who shallgo or who shall come, they who do hold or they who hold them not, orwhat the future keeps for us in store. Well it becomes us, then, torender help where help we can; welcome with courtesy, and honour guestswith shelter and with food, whom chance may send us as they onward go."
"And where, Sir Jaufry," then inquired the maid, "if I may ask, do youdirect your steps?"
"I will explain as we do ride along. But I must haste: time presses; ande'en now I greatly fear me I shall come too late."
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Remounting quickly as these words were said, he then good Augier'sdaughter lifted up and placed upon his horse; for he resolved she shouldnot quit his sight until he put her in her father's arms: this done herode apace towards the spot where lay the wounded knight.