Le Morte Darthur: The Winchester Manuscript (Oxford World's Classics)

by Malory, Thomas

  Then Balan yede* on all four feet and hands, and put off the helm of his brother, and might not know him by the visage, it was so full hewn and bled; but when he awoke he said, ‘O Balan, my brother, thou hast slain me and I thee, wherefore all the wide world shall speak of us both.’

  ‘Alas,’ said Balan, ‘that ever I saw this day, that through mishap I might not know you! For I espied well your two swords, but because ye had another shield I deemed ye had been another knight.’

  ‘Alas,’ said Balin, ‘all that made an unhappy knight in the castle, for he caused me to leave my own shield to our both’s destruction. And if I might live, I would destroy that castle for ill customs.’

  ‘That were well done,’ said Balan, ‘for I had never grace to depart from them since that I came hither, for here it happed me to slay a knight that kept this island, and since might I never depart; and no more should ye, brother, and ye might have slain me* as ye have and escaped yourself with the life.’

  Right so came the lady of the tower with four knights and six ladies and six yeomen unto them, and there she heard how they made their moan either to other, and said, ‘We came both out of one womb, that is to say one mother’s belly, and so shall we lie both in one pit.’

  So Balan prayed the lady of her gentleness, for his true service, that she would bury them both in that same place where the battle was done. And she granted them with weeping it should be done richly in the best manner.

  ‘Now, will ye send for a priest, that we may receive our sacrament, and receive the blessed body of Our Lord Jesus Christ?’

  ‘Yea,’ said the lady, ‘it shall be done.’ And so she sent for a priest and gave them their rites.

  ‘Now,’ said Balin, ‘when we are buried in one tomb, and the mention made over us how two brethren slew each other, there will never good knight nor good man see our tomb but they will pray for our souls.’

  [19]

  And so all the ladies and gentlewomen wept for pity. Then anon Balan died, but Balin died not till the midnight after. And so were they buried both, and the lady let make a mention of Balan how he was there slain by his brother’s hands, but she knew not Balin’s name.

  In the morn came Merlin and let write Balin’s name on the tomb with letters of gold, that ‘Here lieth Balin le Savage that was the Knight with the Two Swords, and he that smote the dolorous stroke.’* Also Merlin let make by his subtlety that Balin’s sword was put into a marble stone standing upright, as great as a mill stone, and it hoved* always above the water and did many years. And so by adventure it swam down by the stream unto the city of Camelot, that is in English called Winchester.* And that same day Galahad the haut prince came with King Arthur; and so Galahad achieved the sword that was there in the marble stone hoving upon the water. And on Whitsunday he achieved the sword, as it is rehearsed in the Book of the Sangrail.

  Soon after this was done Merlin came to King Arthur and told him of the dolorous stroke that Balin gave King Pellam, and how Balin and Balan fought together the marvellest battle that ever was heard of, and how they were buried both in one tomb.

  ‘Alas,’ said King Arthur, ‘this is the greatest pity that ever I heard tell of two knights, for in this world I knew never such two knights.’

  Thus endeth the tale of Balin and of Balan, two brethren that were born in Northumberland, that were two passing good knights as ever were in those days.

  The Wedding of King Arthur

  [111.1]

  In the beginning of Arthur, after he was chosen king by adventure and by grace, for the most part of the barons knew not he was Uther Pendragon’s son but as Merlin* made it openly known, but yet many kings and lords held him great war for that cause. But well Arthur overcame them all. The most part the days of his life he was ruled much by the counsel of Merlin. So it fell on a time King Arthur said unto Merlin, ‘My barons will let me have no rest, but needs I must take a wife, and I would none take but by thy counsel and advice.’

  ‘It is well done’, said Merlin, ‘that ye take a wife, for a man of your bounty and noblesse* should not be without a wife. Now is there any,’ said Merlin, ‘that ye love more than another?’

  ‘Yea,’ said King Arthur, ‘I love Guenivere the king’s daughter of Lodegreance, of the land of Camelard, the which holdeth in his house the Table Round that ye told me he had it of my father Uther. And this damosel is the most valiant and fairest that I know living, or yet that ever I could find.’

  ‘Certes,’ said Merlin, ‘as of her beauty and fairness she is one of the fairest alive. But and ye loved her not so well as ye do, I should find you a damosel of beauty and of goodness that should like you and please you, and your heart were not set. But there as man’s heart is set, he will be loath to return.’

  ‘That is truth,’ said King Arthur.

  But Merlin warned the King covertly that Guenivere was not wholesome for him to take to wife, for he warned him that Lancelot should love her, and she him again; and so he turned his tale to the adventures of the Sangrail. Then Merlin desired of the King for to have men with him that should enquire of Guenivere, and so the King granted him; and so Merlin went forth unto King Lodegreance of Camelard, and told him of the desire of the King that he would have unto his wife Guenivere his daughter.

  ‘That is to me’, said King Lodegreance, ‘the best tidings that ever I heard, that so worthy a king of prowess and noblesse will wed my daughter. And as for my lands, I would give it him if I wist it might please him; but he hath lands enough, he needeth none. But I shall send him a gift shall please him much more, for I shall give him the Table Round, which Uther, his father, gave me. And when it is fully complete, there is a hundred knights and fifty; and as for a hundred good knights, I have myself; but I want fifty, for so many have been slain in my days.’

  And so King Lodegreance delivered his daughter Guenivere unto Merlin, and the Table Round with the hundred knights; and so they rode freshly* with great royalty, what by water and by land, till that they came nigh unto London.

  [2]

  When King Arthur heard of the coming of Queen Guenivere and the hundred knights with the Table Round, then King Arthur made great joy for her coming, and that rich present, and said openly, ‘This fair lady is passingly welcome to me, for I have loved her long, and therefore there is nothing so lief* to me; and these knights with the Table Round please me more than right great riches.’

  And in all haste the King let ordain for the marriage and the coronation in the most honourable wise that could be devised.

  ‘Now, Merlin,’ said King Arthur, ‘go thou and espy me in all this land fifty knights which be of most prowess and worship.’

  So within short time Merlin had found such knights that should fulfil twenty and eight knights, but no more would he find. Then the bishop of Canterbury was fetched, and he blessed the sieges* with great royalty and devotion, and there set the eight and twenty knights in their sieges. And when this was done Merlin said, ‘Fair sirs, you must all arise and come to King Arthur for to do him homage; he will the better be in will* to maintain you.’ And so they arose and did their homage. And when they were gone Merlin found in every siege letters of gold that told the knights’ names that had sat there, but two sieges were void.

  And so anon came in young Gawain and asked the King a gift.

  ‘Ask,’ said the King, ‘and I shall grant you.’

  ‘Sir, I ask that ye shall make me knight that same day that ye shall wed dame Guenivere.’

  ‘I will do it with a good will,’ said King Arthur, ‘and do unto you all the worship that I may, for I must by reason ye are my nephew, my sister’s son.’

  [3]

  Forthwith there came a poor man into the court, and brought with him a fair young man of eighteen years of age riding upon a lean mare.* And the poor man asked all men that he met, ‘Where shall I find King Arthur?’

  ‘Yonder he is,’ said the knights. ‘Wilt thou anything with him?’

  ‘Yea,’ said the poor man, �
��therefore I came hither.’

  And as soon as he came before the King, he saluted him and said, ‘King Arthur, the flower of all kings, I beseech Jesu save thee! Sir, it was told me that at this time of your marriage ye would give any man the gift that he would ask you, except it were unreasonable.’

  ‘That is truth,’ said the King, ‘such cries I let make,* and that will I hold, so it appair* not my realm nor my estate.’

  ‘Ye say well and graciously,’ said the poor man. ‘Sir, I ask nothing else but that ye will make my son knight.’

  ‘It is a great thing thou askest of me,’ said the King. ‘What is thy name?’ said the King to the poor man.

  ‘Sir, my name is Aries the cowherd.’

  ‘Whether cometh this of thee, or else of thy son?’ said the King.

  ‘Nay, sir,’ said Aries, ‘this desire cometh of my son and not of me. For I shall tell you, I have thirteen sons; and all they will fall to what labour I put them and will be right glad to do labour, but this child will not labour for nothing that my wife and I may do, but always he will be shooting or casting darts, and glad for to see battles and to behold knights. And always day and night he desireth of me to be made knight.’

  ‘What is thy name?’ said the King unto the young man.

  ‘Sir, my name is Tor.’

  Then the King beheld him fast, and saw he was passingly well-visaged and well made of his years.

  ‘Well,’ said King Arthur unto Aries the cowherd, ‘go fetch all thy sons before me that I may see them.’

  And so the poor man did, and all were shaped much like the poor man. But Tor was not like him neither in shape nor in countenance, for he was much more than any of them.

  ‘Now,’ said King Arthur unto the cowherd, ‘where is the sword he shall be made knight withal?’

  ‘It is here,’ said Tor.

  ‘Take it out of the sheath,’ said the King, ‘and require me to make you knight.’

  Then Tor alit off his mare and pulled out his sword, kneeling, and requiring the King to make him knight, and that he made him knight of the Table Round.

  ‘As for a knight, I will make you,’ and therewith smote him in the neck with the sword. ‘Be ye a good knight, and so I pray to God ye may be, and if ye be of prowess and worthiness ye shall be of the Table Round. Now, Merlin,’ said Arthur, ‘whether this Tor shall be a good man?’

  ‘Yea, hardily,* sir, he ought to be a good man, for he is come of good kindred as any alive, and of king’s blood.’

  ‘How so, sir?’ said the King.

  ‘I shall tell you,’ said Merlin. ‘This poor man, Aries the cowherd, is not his father, he is no sib* to him; for King Pellinore is his father.’

  ‘I suppose not,’ said the cowherd.

  ‘Well, fetch thy wife before me,’ said Merlin, ‘and she shall not say nay.’

  Anon the wife was fetched forth, which was a fair housewife. And there she answered Merlin full womanly, and there she told the King and Merlin that when she was a maid and went to milk her kine, ‘there met with me a stern knight, and half by force he had my maidenhood;* and at that time he begot my son Tor, and he took away from me my greyhound that I had that time with me, and said he would keep the greyhound for my love.’

  ‘Ah,’ said the cowherd, ‘I weened it had not been thus, but I may believe it well, for he had never no tatches* of me.’

  Sir Tor said unto Merlin, ‘Dishonour not my mother.’

  ‘Sir,’ said Merlin, ‘it is more for your worship than hurt, for your father is a good knight and a king. And he may right well advance you and your mother both, for ye were begotten or ever she was wedded.’

  ‘That is truth,’ said the wife.

  ‘It is the less grief unto me,’ said the cowherd.

  [4]

  So on the morn King Pellinore came to the court of King Arthur. And he had great joy of him, and told him of Sir Tor, how he was his son, and how he had made him knight at the request of the cowherd. When King Pellinore beheld Sir Tor, he pleased him much. So the King made Gawain knight; but Sir Tor was the first he made at that feast.

  ‘What is the cause’, said King Arthur, ‘that there is two places void in the sieges?’*

  ‘Sir,’ said Merlin, ‘there shall no man sit in those places but they that shall be most of worship. But in the Siege Perilous there shall never man sit but one, and if there be any so hardy to do it he shall be destroyed. And he that shall sit therein shall have no fellow.’

  And therewith Merlin took King Pellinore by the hand, and in that one hand next the two sieges and the Siege Perilous he said, in open audience, ‘This is your place, for best are ye worthy to sit therein of any that here is.’

  And thereat had Sir Gawain great envy and told Gaheris his brother, ‘Yonder knight is put to great worship, which grieveth me sore, for he slew our father King Lot. Therefore I will slay him,’ said Gawain, ‘with a sword that was sent me that is passing trenchant.’*

  ‘Ye shall not so’, said Gaheris, ‘at this time, for as now I am but your squire; and when I am made knight I will be avenged on him. And therefore, brother, it is best to suffer till another time that we may have him out of court, for and we did so we shall trouble this high feast.’

  ‘I will well,’ said Gawain.

  [5]

  Then was this feast made ready, and the King was wedded at Camelot unto Dame Guenivere in the church of Saint Stephen’s, with great solemnity.

  Then as every man was set as his degree asked, Merlin went to all the knights of the Round Table and bade them sit still, ‘that none of you remove, for ye shall see a strange and a marvellous adventure.’

  Right so as they sat there came running in a white hart into the hall, and a white brachet* next him, and thirty couple of black running hounds came after with a great cry; and the hart went about the Round Table, and as he went by the side boards* the brachet ever bit him by the buttock and pulled out a piece, wherethrough the hart leapt a great leap and overthrew a knight that sat at the side board. And therewith the knight arose and took up the brachet, and so went forth out of the hall, and took his horse and rode his way with the brachet.

  Right so came in a lady on a white palfrey, and cried aloud unto King Arthur and said, ‘Sir, suffer me not to have this despite, for the brachet is mine that the knight hath led away.’

  ‘I may not do therewith,’* said the King.

  So with this there came a knight riding all armed on a great horse and took the lady away with force with him, and ever she cried and made great dole. So when she was gone the King was glad, for she made such a noise.

  ‘Nay,’ said Merlin, ‘ye may not leave it so, this adventure, so lightly, for these adventures must be brought to an end, or else it will be disworship to you and to your feast.’

  ‘I will’, said the King, ‘that all be done by your advice.’

  Then he let call Sir Gawain, for he must bring again the white hart.*

  Here beginneth the first battle that ever Sir Gawain did after he was made knight

  [6] [7]

  Sir Gawain rode more than apace, and Gaheris his brother rode with him in the stead of a squire to do him service. And they let slip at the hart three couple of greyhounds; and so they chased the hart into a castle, and in the chief place of the castle they slew the hart, and Sir Gawain and Gaheris followed after. Right so there came a knight out of a chamber with a sword drawn in his hand and slew two of the greyhounds even in the sight of Sir Gawain, and the remnant he chased with his sword out of the castle. And when he came again, he said, ‘Ah, my white hart, me repents that thou art dead, for my sovereign lady gave thee to me, and evil have I kept thee; and thy death shall be evil bought* and I live.’ And anon he went into his chamber and armed him, and came out fiercely.

  And there met he with Sir Gawain; and he said, ‘Why have ye slain my hounds? I would that ye had wrought your anger upon me rather than upon a dumb beast.’

  ‘Thou sayest truth,’ said the knight, ‘I have ave
nged me on thy hounds, and so I will on thee or thou go.’

  Then Sir Gawain alit on foot and dressed his shield, and struck together mightily, and cleft their shields and stooned* their helms and broke their hauberks that the blood thirled* down to their feet. So at the last Sir Gawain smote so hard that the knight fell to the earth; and then he cried mercy and yielded him, and besought him as he was a gentle knight to save his life.

  ‘Thou shall die,’ said Sir Gawain, ‘for slaying of my hounds.’

  ‘I will make amends,’ said the knight, ‘to my power.’

  Bur Sir Gawain would no mercy have, but unlaced his helm to have struck off his head. Right so came his lady out of a chamber and fell over him, and so he smote off her head by misfortune.

  ‘Alas,’ said Gaheris, ‘that is foul and shamefully done, for that shame shall never from you! Also ye should give mercy unto them that ask mercy, for a knight without mercy is without worship.’

  So Sir Gawain was sore astoned of the death of this fair lady that he wist not what he did, and said unto the knight, ‘Arise, I will give thee mercy.’

  ‘Nay, nay,’ said the knight, ‘I take no force of* thy mercy now, for thou hast slain with villainy my love and my lady that I loved best of all earthly thing.’

  ‘Me sore repenteth it,’ said Sir Gawain, ‘for I meant the stroke unto thee. But now thou shalt go unto King Arthur and tell him of thy adventure, and how thou art overcome by the knight that went in the quest of the white hart.’

  ‘I take no force,’ said the knight, ‘whether I live or die.’ But at the last for fear of death he swore to go unto King Arthur.

  [8]

  Right so Sir Gawain rode forth unto Camelot. And anon as he was come, Merlin did make King Arthur* that Sir Gawain was sworn to tell of his adventure, and how he slew the lady, and how he would give no mercy unto the knight, wherethrough the lady was slain. Then the King and the Queen were greatly displeased with Sir Gawain for the slaying of the lady; and there by ordinance of the Queen there was set an inquest of ladies upon Sir Gawain, and they judged him for ever while he lived to be with all ladies and to fight for their quarrels, and ever that he should be courteous, and never to refuse mercy to him that asketh mercy. Thus was Gawain sworn upon the four Evangelists that he should never be against lady nor gentlewoman, but if he fight for a lady and his adversary fighteth for another.