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The First Quest of Sir Launcelot
On the day before the Feast of Pentecost one year after Merlin had made the Round Table, King Arthur with some of his knights rode out early from Camelot to hunt in the forest. Before they had ridden far they met with a wounded knight, carried in a litter by four squires; the knight groaned like one in great pain, and as he turned upon the litter, all might see the broken blade of a sword standing out from a grim wound in his head.
‘Now tell me,’ said King Arthur, ‘wherefore you rest thus in the litter, and do you seek for a leech or a priest?’
‘Sir,’ groaned the knight, ‘I seek for neither. But I would come to the Court of King Arthur, for only there may I be cured of my grievous hurt. For there I shall find the best knight of all Logres, and he shall be known by his first deed of knighthood which shall be the healing of my wound with the touch of his hand, and the drawing forth of the steel. And such a healing shall be his last deed also, after many years, before the night falls upon Logres. These things the Lady Nimue of Avalon revealed to me.’
Then Arthur bade all his knights try, each in turn, to heal the wound: but none of them might do it, no, not even Gawain, the best knight among them.
‘To-morrow is the Feast of Pentecost,’ said King Arthur, ‘and on that day all my Knights of the Round Table shall be met together as upon their oath. Then shall we seek for this knight: but I know not who it shall be if my nephew Gawain were not worthy.’
Then the wounded knight was carried into the great hall at Camelot and well tended there all that day, while Arthur rode on into the forest.
And on the morrow all the knights were met together at the feast, each in his place at the Round Table: but some places stood empty, for there were knights who had fallen in battle since the year before.
When those who came had told each of his deeds during the year and sworn himself afresh into the high order of Knighthood, they laid hands in turn upon the wounded man in the litter, but none might heal him.
‘Now,’ said King Arthur, ‘this is a great wonder: and I know not if greater still there is to be ere we eat our meal this day.’
Hardly had he spoken these words when there came a trumpet call from without, and into the hall rode Nimue, the Lady of the Lake of Avalon, she who had laid Merlin to his long rest. And behind her came three young men, squires in white array, very goodly to behold. But the first of them was so fine a man – golden haired, broad of shoulder, open of face – that all were silent to see the goodliness of him: and Queen Guinevere sighed, and the colour fled from her face for very wonder.
‘I come to you, my lord king,’ said the Lady Nimue, ‘to bring this man, my foster child, the son of King Pant of Gwynedd. I come to bring you Merlin’s last behest: for ere he went living into the earth, he sought out this youth and bade him come to your court upon this feast of Pentecost and ask you to bestow upon him the high order of knighthood. My lord Arthur, this is Launcelot, called “of the Lake” for that he dwelt with me in my faerie dwelling many years when the wicked King Ryon ravaged his land of Gwynedd: Merlin has spoken his name to you – and see, that name grows in letters of gold upon the empty siege on the right hand of the Siege Perilous!’
Then Arthur rose and came down into the hall: drawing the sword Excalibur, he laid it upon Launcelot’s shoulders, and bade him rise a knight. And, as there were three places still empty at the Round Table where knights now dead had sat, he knighted also the two squires who came with Launcelot, his half-brother Hector and his cousin Lionel.
Now all this while the wounded knight had lain in his litter near the fire. And when Arthur had returned to his seat the Lady Nimue took Launcelot and led him over to the place. Then Launcelot stretched forth his hand and drew out the sword-blade very gently: and when it was out the wound closed up and all pain forsook the knight so that he rose from his litter, and was given the last place at the Table.
Then the Lady Nimue curtseyed low to King Arthur, kissed Sir Launcelot very tenderly on the brow, and went swiftly from the hall. But some of the older knights thought it wrong that this boy Launcelot should win such honour and be set beside the Siege Perilous when he had done no deed and followed no quest; and they murmured unkind things about Launcelot and about Sir Hector and Sir Lionel as well.
However, both King Arthur and Queen Guinevere made much of Sir Launcelot, and believed at once that he was indeed the peerless knight of whom Merlin had spoken. But they did not know that another new knight, Mordred the son of Queen Morgana le Fay, who also sat that day at the Round Table, was to be the Traitor of Camlann at the still distant hour when the darkness should fall once more upon Logres.
Now although Launcelot seemed not to hear the unkind things which some of the knights who sat near Mordred were saying, he knew none the less, and was sad. And so, early the next morning, he arose and called to him his cousin Sir Lionel:
‘Make you ready, fair cousin,’ he said, ‘for this day we ride upon our first quest. Doubt it not that we shall find adventures full many ere we come again to Camelot.’
Away they rode into the forest fully armed, in and out of the early morning shadows, as fair knights as ever there were in the world. Higher and higher rose the sun and hotter it grew, until Sir Launcelot grew so sleepy that at length he told Sir Lionel that he must stop and rest.
‘See,’ said Lionel presently, ‘yonder is a fair apple tree standing by a hedge: under its shadow both we and our horses may find rest.’
‘In good time,’ said Launcelot, ‘for truth to tell I have not been so weary these seven years!’
So they tied their horses to trees, and while Sir Lionel stood on guard against any attack by robbers, Launcelot laid himself down, with his helmet under his head for a pillow, and fell into a deep sleep.
The day was very hot and still, and Lionel was nodding over his sword as he stood leaning on the hilt of it, when suddenly he heard the jingle of armour, and on the plain at a little distance he saw three knights riding their hardest, with one passing strong and mighty knight pursuing them. Anon as he watched, the strong knight overtook first one and then another of them, and in turn smote each down on to the cold earth. Then he dismounted, flung each knight across his own saddle, tied them there with the horses’ reins, remounted his own horse, and rode away, driving the three horses with their shameful burdens before him.
When Sir Lionel had seen this he thought to himself: ‘Here may I win great honour!’ So, without waking Launcelot, he sprang upon his horse and rode after them at full speed. Very soon he came up with the strong knight and bade him turn and defend himself or straightway release the three whom he had so shamefully bound. Then the strong knight turned round, set his spear in rest, and came against Lionel so fast that he flung both horse and man to the ground. Then he dismounted, tied his hands and feet, threw him over his own horse, just as he had served the three other knights, and rode on his way, driving them before him.
Meanwhile at Camelot, Sir Hector de Maris missed his half-brother Launcelot and his cousin Lionel, and thinking that they must have set out in search of adventures, made himself ready also and rode into the forest.
For a long way he rode without finding any trace of them, and at last, seeing an old forester, he stopped and said to him:
‘Fair fellow, know you of any place hereby to which knights seeking adventure might have turned?’
‘Yes, Sir knight, indeed I do,’ answered the old man. ‘Scarcely a mile from here dwells Sir Turquyn in a strong castle by a ford. Over that ford stands a great oak tree, and from its branches hang the shields of many good knights whom he has overthrown and cast into a deep prison. Thereon also hangs a great basin of copper: strike upon it with the handle of your spear and Sir Turquyn will come forth and do battle with you.’
‘Gra’mercy,’ said Sir Hector politely, and set spurs to his horse. Soon he came to the castle by the ford; and there, sure enough, hung a gay collection of shields on a great tree – and
among them Sir Hector recognized that of his cousin Sir Lionel. Then in a fury he struck the copper basin until it boomed like a great bell, and turned to let his horse drink at the ford.
‘Come out of the water and joust with me!’ cried a loud voice behind him, and turning quickly Sir Hector found a huge knight, with spear already in rest, waiting for him.
Out of the water he came in a great rage and charged the knight so mightily that both horse and man spun round twice.
‘That was well done!’ roared Sir Turquyn. ‘You hit me as a brave knight should, and such as you rejoice my heart exceedingly!’ And with that he charged Sir Hector, caught him under the right arm, lifted him clean out of the saddle on the point of his spear, and carried him away into his castle, where he threw him down on the floor.
‘I’ll spare your life,’ said Sir Turquyn, ‘for you joust mightily!’ Then he pulled off Sir Hector’s armour and flung him into the deep dungeon with the other knights.
‘Alas,’ said Sir Hector sadly when he found Lionel also a prisoner there, ‘how has this happened to you? And where is Sir Launcelot? – No one but he could save us, for none other is strong enough to fight and overcome Sir Turquyn.’
‘I left him sleeping under an apple-tree,’ answered Lionel sadly …
And there Sir Launcelot still lay, peacefully and comfortably asleep, without any idea of what had happened to his cousin and his brother. But when the noon was passed there came four queens riding on white mules, with four knights who held a green silk awning above them with a spear at each corner so that the sun should not fall upon them too hotly.
As they rode thus they heard a war-horse neigh, and looking saw it tethered to a bush, and beside it under an apple-tree a sleeping knight armed completely except for his helmet.
Quietly they rode near to look: and the knight was so fair that all four queens loved him at once.
‘Let us not quarrel over him,’ said one of them, who was Morgana le Fay, King Arthur’s wicked sister, ‘I will cast an enchantment upon him so that he shall sleep without waking for seven hours: then we can have him carried to my castle, and when he wakes, he shall choose one of us to be his love – or else die some dreadful death in my dungeons.’
So this enchantment was cast upon Sir Launcelot; and when he woke, it was to find himself lying in a cold stone cell where a fair damsel was setting supper for him.
‘How now, Sir knight,’ said she when she saw that he was awake. ‘What cheer?’
‘But little,’ answered Launcelot, ‘for methinks I have been brought into a gloomy prison by some cruel enchantment.’
‘Make now what cheer you may.’ said the damsel, ‘and I will tell you more to-morrow morning. There is no time now for words.’ And she went away quickly, sorrowing to herself that so fine a knight should be the victim of the wicked Queen her mistress.
Next morning early Launcelot was brought before the four Queens, and Morgana le Fay said to him: ‘Right well we know that you are Launcelot of the Lake, King Arthur’s knight, whom Nimue the Lady of the Lake fostered in Avalon to be the best knight of Logres and the noblest knight living; right well we know that of ladies you serve Queen Guinevere alone: yet now, in spite of fate, she shall lose you – and you her, or else your life. For living you go not from this castle unless you take one of us to be your lady and your love.’
‘A hard choice indeed,’ said Launcelot, ‘to die or to choose one of you to be my love … Yet it is easily answered: I would rather die than shame my honour and my vows of knighthood. I will have none of you – for you are all false enchanters! As for Queen Guinevere, I will prove it in battle with any man alive that she is the truest lady to her lord of any living!’
‘Then you refuse us?’ asked Morgana le Fay.
‘Yes, by my life – I refuse the lot of you!’ cried Launcelot.
The four Queens went away threatening terrible things, and Launcelot was left to grieve alone in his cold dungeon, and wonder what cruel death they would make him die.
By and by he heard light footsteps down the stone stairs; the door opened gently and there stood the damsel who had spoken to him on the previous night, carrying food and wine for him.
She set these down on the stone table and asked him as before how he fared.
‘Truly, damsel,’ answered Launcelot, ‘never so ill as now.’
‘Alas,’ sighed the damsel, ‘it grieves me much to see so noble a knight held thus cruelly and wickedly … Maybe I could find some help for you – for indeed I love not these queens whom I serve, nor do any oaths bind me to them.’
‘Help me but to escape, fair damsel,’ exclaimed Launcelot eagerly, ‘and I will promise to repay you in any way that is not against my honour.’
‘I would ask you then, sir, to do battle on Tuesday next for my father King Bagdemagus in a great tournament. For thereat many of King Arthur’s knights shall fight, and at the last tournament three of them overcame him.’
‘In truth, your father is a goodly knight,’ said Sir Launcelot, ‘and gladly will I do battle for him.’
‘Then sir,’ she went on, ‘I will lead you out of this castle early to-morrow morning, giving you your armour, shield and spear, and your horse. Ride then through the forest and meet me at an abbey you will find not far distant: and there I will bring my father to you.’
‘All this shall be done,’ said Sir Launcelot, ‘as I am a true knight.’
Before the sun was up the damsel came to him again and led him through twelve locked doors out of the castle. ‘Damsel, I shall not fail, by the grace of God,’ said Launcelot, and rode away into the morning, the white ground mist floating up nearly to his saddle, until he seemed almost to be gliding across the waters of the Lake of Nimue, and was lost in the shadows of the forest. And the damsel sighed as she turned back into the castle, and there were tears in her eyes: for not many women could look upon Launcelot without loving him.
Not many days later Sir Launcelot met the damsel and King Bagdemagus at the abbey, and on the Tuesday he rode to the tournament carrying a plain white shield with no coat of arms on it so that no man might know who he was.
And there he fought right nobly, and with one spear smote down Sir Madore and Sir Mordred and Sir Gahalantyne, and spared their lives when they swore to come before King Arthur at the next Feast of Pentecost and tell how they had been overthrown by the Nameless Knight.
Then, without waiting for any thanks from King Bagdemagus, he rode into the forest once more and continued there many days, until on a sudden he was aware of a great knight riding a mighty horse, who jousted with Sir Gaheris, Gawain’s brother, a Knight of the Round Table. And the great knight smote Sir Gaheris to the ground, picked him up, threw him across his horse, and went on his way, driving the horse and the wounded knight in front of him.
Sir Launcelot set spurs to his horse and rode after them, crying:
‘Turn, Sir knight! Put down that wounded man to rest awhile, and let us try one another’s strength in battle! For I hear it said that you have done great shame and despite to many Knights of the Round Table. Therefore – defend yourself!’
‘Ah-ha!’ cried Sir Turquyn, for it was he, ‘if you are a Knight of the Round Table yourself, so much the better! I defy you – and all your fellowship!’
‘You have said enough for now,’ cried Launcelot. ‘This is the time for blows!’
Then they put their spears in rest, drew apart, and came together as fast as their horses could gallop: and they smote one another in the midst of their shields so hard that both their horses’ backs broke at the shock, and the two knights were flung to the ground, where they lay stunned for a little while. After that they fought for more than two hours with their swords, neither having the vantage, though both were bleeding from many wounds.
‘You are the mightiest knight that ever I met!’ gasped Sir Turquyn as they stood resting on their swords. ‘I love a good fighter, and for love of you I’ll set free all the knights in my dungeon – provided you
are not that Launcelot who slew my brother Sir Cardos of the Dolorous Tower: for him have I sworn to slay in revenge.’
‘In that tower dwelt more evil than ever yet I have seen,’ said Launcelot, ‘and I slew Sir Cardos the craven justly, whoever he was!’
‘Ah!’ cried Turquyn, ‘then you are Launcelot! You are the most welcome knight of any … Now we rest not until one of us is dead.’
To it again they went, and the end was that Launcelot smote off Sir Turquyn’s head.
‘Come now,’ said Launcelot to Gaheris; and together these two wounded knights came to Turquyn’s castle where hung the shields of Sir Hector and Sir Lionel, besides Sir Kay, Sir Marhaus and many others of the Round Table.
Then, while Launcelot washed his wounds at the ford, Gaheris went into the castle, flung down the porter and with his keys unlocked the dungeon doors and set free the prisoners.
Now, seeing that he was wounded, they all thought that he had fought and overcome Turquyn.
‘Not so, noble sirs,’ said Gaheris. ‘It was Sir Launcelot of the Lake who set you free – for he fought and killed Sir Turquyn, whom no one else could conquer. Now he bids you hasten to the Court of King Arthur, and he will meet you there next year at Pentecost, if you would speak with him. But he prays Sir Lionel and Sir Hector to meet him on that day, when King Arthur next holds his high feast.’
‘That we will do,’ said all the knights.
‘But we will ride now to seek for him,’ said Lionel and Hector.
‘And I will ride with you,’ said Sir Kay. ‘I would ask his pardon for the ill things I spoke of him on the day when our Lord Arthur made him a knight.’
Meanwhile Sir Launcelot had washed his wounds at the ford, and watered the horse which Gaheris had given to him; and, finding that the wounds were neither so deep nor so painful as he had thought, he did not come to the Castle of Turquyn, where the other knights were waiting for him, but rode on into the forest once more, to seek for further adventures.
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table Page 9
