by Howard Pyle
After this they were silent for a little, and then by and by the Lady Elaine said: “Sir Knight Malfait, I would I knew who you really are and who are your fellows of whom you speak.” At that Sir Launcelot smiled and said: “Lady, I may not tell you at this present who I am nor who they are, but only that they are very good worthy knights and gentlemen.” “Aye,” quoth the Lady Elaine, “that I may very well believe.”
So at that time no more was said concerning this matter but ever the mind of the Lady Elaine rested upon that thing — to wit, that Sir Launcelot should take part in that tournament aforesaid. So at another time when they were alone together, she said: “Sir Knight Malfait, I would that thou wouldst do me a great favor.” Sir Launcelot said: “Lady, ask whatsoever thou wilt, and if it is in my power to do that thing, and if it is according to the honor of my knighthood, then I shall assuredly do whatsoever thou dost ask of me.”
“Sir,” quoth the Lady Elaine, “this is what I would fain ask of thee if I might have it. It is that thou wouldst suffer me to purvey thee a suit of strange armor so that thy friends might not know thee therein, and that thou wouldst go to the tournament disguised in that wise. And I would that thou wouldst wear my favor at that tournament so that I might have glory in that battle because of thee.”
Sir Launcelot will take part in the tournament.
Then Sir Launcelot sighed very deeply, and he looked steadfastly at the Lady Elaine, and he said: “Lady, you know not how great a thing it is you ask of my pride, for I would fain remain unknown as I am at this present. And you know not what it is you ask of my knighthood, for wit ye it must be against my one-time friends and companions-in-arms that you would have me contend. So it is that if I should have success in such an affair as this, whatsoever credit I should win therein shall bring discredit unto them. Moreover, I must tell you that never in all of my life have I worn the favor of any lady, having vowed my knighthood to one who is a queen and the wife of a king. Natheless, though all this is so, yet far be it from me to refuse a boon when it is you who ask it of me. For I speak the truth, Lady, when I say that I would freely lay down my life at your bidding. So in this case, maugre all that I have said, I will even do as you ask me, wherefore, if you will purvey me that armor of which you speak, I will do your will in all ways that I am able.”
So spake Sir Launcelot, and thereat the Lady Elaine smiled upon him in such wise and with such great loving-kindness that it was as though both her joy and her great love stood revealed in the midst of that smile. Quoth she: “Assuredly I shall gain great honor and glory at thy hands. For I believe that thou art indeed one of the very greatest and foremost knights in all of the world, as well as the perfect peer of all noble gentlemen.”
Now the Earl, the lord of that castle, had a son hight Sir Tyre, who was then lying abed, ill of a flux, and the armor of Sir Tyre was at that place. So the Lady Elaine went to the Earl and she besought him to lend her that armor for the use of Sir Launcelot, and the Earl listened to her and gave it to her.
So she had the armor of Sir Tyre brought to Sir Launcelot and thus the Lady Elaine purveyed him in all wise for that tournament so that no one might know him who he was.
The Lady Elaine giveth her sleeve to Sir Launcelot.
Then, after all this had been accomplished, the Lady Elaine came to the chamber where Sir Launcelot was, and her brother Sir Lavaine was with her. And the Lady bore in her hand a sleeve of flame-colored satin very richly bedight with many pearls of great price. And she said to Sir Launcelot: “I beseech you to take this sleeve, Sir Knight, and I beseech you that you wear it as a favor for my sake.”
Then Sir Launcelot smiled very kindly upon the Lady Elaine and he said, “Will this give you pleasure?” and she said, “Yea.” Then Sir Launcelot smiled again and he said, “It shall be in all things as you will have it.” So he took the sleeve, and he wound it about the crest of the helmet he was to wear at the tournament, and the sleeve formed a wreath of satin about the helmet like to a wreath of fire. And the pearls upon the wreath were like to drops of dew as you behold them of an early morning. Wherefore because of the brightness of that wreath and because of the pearls upon it, the favor of the Lady Elaine was of such a sort that all the world could not but see it what it was. And so Sir Launcelot accepted the favor of the Lady Elaine the Fair.
Then after Sir Launcelot had thus accepted that favor, Sir Lavaine spake and said: “Sir Knight Malfait, I beseech you that you will take me with you unto this tournament as your knight-companion. For I believe that in your company I shall assuredly gain me great honor and much glory and renown, wherefore I ask of you that you will grant me this great courtesy.”
Sir Launcelot accepteth Sir Lavaine as his companion.
Then Sir Launcelot looked upon Sir Lavaine and smiled upon him and loved him exceedingly, and he said to Sir Lavaine: “Friend, I will gladly accept thee as my companion-in-arms, and I believe in very sooth that it would be hard for me to find any one whom I would be better pleased to have with me at such a time.” And so it was that Sir Lavaine also had his will with Sir Launcelot.
Then Sir Launcelot turned him to the Lady Elaine and said, “Lady, see you this shield and this armor of mine?” And she said, “Yea, I see them.”
Sir Launcelot said: “Lady, this shield is a very precious thing to me, for it and all mine armor was given to me by a very wonderful lady who is not of this world in which we mortals dwell. Since that time she gave mine armor to me I have sought ever and in all wise to use those defences as became a gentleman so that whatever mark of battle there should be upon them there should be no mark of dishonor to mar their brightness. Now I beseech you for to take this shield and that armor to your maiden bower and to hold them there in trust for me and that as sacredly as though they were your very life.” Therewith Sir Launcelot gave the Lady Elaine his shield and he said: “I charge you, Lady, for to let no one touch this shield or to meddle with it until I return hither to reclaim it and mine armor of you.” And the Lady Elaine said: “It shall be as you say, and I shall hold this shield and this armor as sacred as my life.”
Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine depart for Astolat.
So these matters were all brought to settlement and the next day Sir Launcelot in the armor of Sir Tyre, and Sir Lavaine in his own armor, rode out from the castle of that Earl and away from that place and so betook their way toward Astolat.
Now it chanced that same day that two very worthy knights of King Arthur’s court were upon that road on which Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine travelled to Astolat, and these two knights were Sir Gawaine and Sir Mador de la Porte. With these were several lords who paid homage and respect to them, and all that party stood beneath the shade of several trees nigh to a water-mill where it was very cool and pleasant. And some of those who were there sat upon their horses, and some had dismounted therefrom and were lying in the cool and pleasant grass beneath the shade.
Then Sir Gawaine perceived where Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine came riding and he said to those who were with him: “Behold yonder two knights coming hitherward. Now I am of a mind that Sir Mador de la Porte and I shall try a fall with them, so stand ye by and see what happeneth.”
Sir Gawaine and Sir Mador bespeak Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine.
So Sir Gawaine and Sir Mador took horse and rode a little forward and met the two and saluted them very courteously, and Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine saluted those others in like manner. Then Sir Gawaine said: “Messires, I pray ye tell me who ye are and whither ye go upon this pass.”
Now Sir Launcelot knew very well who those two knights were because of the devices upon their shields. Wherefore he changed his voice a little when he answered Sir Gawaine so that Sir Gawaine should not know him. And he said: “Messire, I know not by what right ye demand such knowledge of us, nevertheless I may tell you that I am called le Chevalier Malfait, and this, my comrade, is hight Sir Lavaine of Corbin. As for our journey and its purpose, I may furthermore tell you that we intend, God willi
ng, to enter the tournament at Astolat to-morrow, in which friendly battle you also, doubtless, intend to take a part.”
Then Sir Gawaine said: “Tell me, Sir Knight Malfait, will you and your companion try a fall with me and my companions-in-arms?”
Now Sir Launcelot had no very great relish for such an encounter as that for he feared by some hap he should betray himself who he was. Yet he wist that he must accept the challenge of Sir Gawaine, wherefore after a little while of silence he said: “Sir Knight, we two would fain go our way in peace, but an it cannot be otherwise we must needs accept your challenge. But will you not let be and suffer us to pass onward?”
“Well,” said Sir Gawaine, “this is a strange thing that you should pretend to aspire to that tournament of to-morrow and yet have no heart to meet in friendly tilt two knights whom you encounter upon the way.”
“Sir,” quoth Sir Launcelot, “we fear you not in any wise, wherefore, make yourselves ready in God’s name, and we upon our side will do our endeavor.”
The four knights run a tilt.
Sir Gawaine is overthrown.
So Sir Gawaine and Sir Mador de la Porte made themselves ready as Sir Launcelot had advised, and when they were in all ways prepared they withdrew to a little distance so as to have a good course to run. Then when all were ready for that encounter, each knight shouted and set spurs to his horse, and all four thundered together with such violence that the ground trembled beneath them. So they met in the middle of the course and so furious was the meeting of those four good knights that you might have heard the roar of that encounter for half a mile away or more. In that encounter both Sir Lavaine and Sir Mador broke each his spear upon his enemy and neither of them suffered a fall. But Sir Gawaine had no such fortune for his spear broke into splinters unto the very truncheon thereof, and the spear of Sir Launcelot held, so that Sir Gawaine was lifted out from his saddle and flung upon the ground with such violence that he rolled thrice or four times over and over before he ceased to fall.
Now those who looked upon that encounter were well assured that Sir Gawaine would easily overthrow his opponent into the dust, for Sir Gawaine was held to be one of the very greatest knights in all of the world. Wherefore it was that when they beheld how violently he had been flung to earth by that unknown knight against whom he had tilted, they were astonished beyond all bounds of wonderment.
But Sir Mador de la Porte, when he beheld how Sir Gawaine lay there in the dust as though dead, voided his horse and ran to the fallen knight where he lay. And he raised the umbril of Sir Gawaine’s helmet, and lo! the face of Sir Gawaine was like to the face of one who was dead. And at first Sir Mador thought that he was dead, but after a while Sir Gawaine sighed and then sighed again, and thereupon Sir Mador knew that he was not dead, but in a swoon from the violence of the fall. And Sir Mador rejoiced very greatly that no more ill had come of that encounter.
Then Sir Mador turned to Sir Launcelot, and cried out: “Sir Knight Malfait, go thy way in the fiend’s name. For indeed thou art well named Malfait, seeing what an evil thing it is that thou hast done to this worshipful knight. For wit you that this is none other than Sir Gawaine, the nephew of King Arthur himself, whom you have overthrown; and had you slain him, as at first I believed you had, it would have been a very ill thing for you. Moreover, you are to know that this knight was to have been the leader of all those upon King Arthur’s side in the battle to-morrow-day, but now God knows if he will be able to wear armor again for many days to come. Wherefore go thy way and trouble us no more.”
Quoth Sir Launcelot: “Well, Sir Knight, this quarrel was altogether of your own seeking, and not of ours. Wherefore, if ill hath befallen this worshipful knight, it is of his own devising and not of mine.”
But Sir Mador only cried out the more vehemently: “Go your way! Go your way, and leave us in peace!” And thereupon Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine drew their bridle reins and set heel to horse and rode away from that place, leaving Sir Mador and those others who were there to cherish Sir Gawaine and to revive him from his swoon as best they might.
Sir Bernard of Astolat followeth Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine.
Now there was among those knights who were with Sir Gawaine and Sir Mador a certain old and very worthy knight of Astolat, hight Sir Bernard, surnamed of Astolat. Seeing Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine departing in that wise, Sir Bernard hied him after them and when he had come up with them he saluted them, and said, “Messires, I pray ye tell me where it is ye lodge this night.”
Sir Launcelot said: “Fair Sir, we know not where we lodge for we go to seek such lodging as we may find in Astolat.”
Sir Bernard said: “You will find no lodging in Astolat this night, for all places are full. Now I pray ye that you will lodge with me, for I have a very good and comely house and I shall be greatly honored for to have you lodge with me. For I make my vow, Sir Knight Malfait, that never saw I such a buffet as that which you gave to Sir Gawaine anon. Nor do I believe that ever Sir Launcelot of the Lake himself could have done more doughtily than you did in that encounter. Wherefore, I think that you will win you great glory to-morrow-day, and that I shall have due worship if so be that ye two shall have lodged with me over this night.”
Then Sir Launcelot laughed, and he said to Sir Bernard: “Well, Sir Knight, I give you gramercy for your courtesy, and so we will gladly take up our inn with you until the time of the tournament. Only this I demand, that we shall be privily lodged apart from any one else, for we wish it that we shall not be known until to-morrow and after this tournament shall have transpired.”
“Messire,” quoth Sir Bernard, “it shall all be as you desire.”
So those three rode on their way together until they had come to Astolat and to the habitation of Sir Bernard of Astolat.
Sir Launcelot lodgeth with Sir Bernard.
King Arthur knoweth Sir Launcelot.
Now the habitation of Sir Bernard was a very fair house over against the castle of Astolat where King Arthur and his court had taken up their inn. And there was a high terraced garden belonging to the castle of Astolat, and the garden overlooked the garden of the house of Sir Bernard. That day it chanced that King Arthur was walking back and forth in that terraced garden where the air blew cool over the plats of flowers and grass. As the King so walked he chanced to look down over the edge of the terrace into the garden of Sir Bernard’s house, and at that time Sir Launcelot was walking privily in the garden for to refresh himself, and no one was with him. At that time Sir Launcelot had laid aside his armor for the sake of coolness and was walking in light raiment and bareheaded to the air, wherefore it befell that King Arthur immediately knew him who he was.
Then the King was much astonished to see Sir Launcelot in that place, and he said to himself, “What does Sir Launcelot here?” And at first the King was of a mind to send word to Sir Launcelot, bidding him to come to where he was. But afterward he bethought him that mayhap Sir Launcelot would be displeased at being thus summoned to declare himself. For the King perceived that Sir Launcelot did not choose to be known to any one at that time. So King Arthur said to himself: “Well, let be! To-morrow, I dare say, Sir Launcelot will declare himself in such a wise as shall astonish a great many knights who shall do battle against him upon yonder meadow-of-battle. Wherefore, let him e’en declare himself in his own fashion.”
Thus it was that King Arthur communed within himself. Wherefore he did not betray the presence of Sir Launcelot to anybody at that time, but kept that matter shut in his own bosom.
Nevertheless, when he had come again to where was his court, he said to the knights there assembled: “Messires, I have this day beheld a certain knight who hath come hither who will I believe play his play with the best of you all at the jousts to-morrow.” The knights who were there said to the King: “We pray you, Lord, tell us who that knight is, so that we may pay him such regard as he is worthy of.” “Nay,” quoth King Arthur, “I will not tell you at this time who is that knight, but haply
you will know to-morrow who he is.”
Then one of the knights who was there said: “Mayhap that was the knight who overthrew Sir Gawaine this day in the highroad over against the town a little distance away. He calleth himself le Chevalier Malfait, and hath for his companion a youthful knight hight Sir Lavaine, the King’s son of Corbin.”
Then King Arthur laughed, and said, “Like enough that was he.” And so the King departed into his lodging, leaving all those knights much wondering who that knight could be of whom the King spoke to them.
Thus it was that Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine came to Astolat, and now followeth the history of that famous bout at arms so far as it affected Sir Launcelot of the Lake and his companion-at-arms, Sir Lavaine of Corbin. For in that affair at arms, as you shall presently hear tell, Sir Lavaine gained him such great glory and renown that thereafter he was regarded as one of the great heroes of chivalry, and by and by received that crowning honor of becoming a knight-companion of the Round Table.
Chapter Fourth
How Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine fought in the tournament at Astolat. How Sir Launcelot was wounded in that affair, and how Sir Lavaine brought him unto a place of safety.
OF THE LISTS at Astolat.
So it is true that in these days one may not hope ever to behold a sight like to the field-of-battle at Astolat upon Lady’s Day Assumption, when that tournament proclaimed by King Arthur was about to be fought before the eyes of the King. For upon that morning — which was wonderfully bright and clear and warm — the entire green meadow was altogether covered over with a moving throng of people of all degrees — lords and ladies, knights and dames, esquires, burghers, yeomen and tradesfolk — all moving, each toward some stand from whence he might view the battle that was about to take place. And here were gay attires and bright colors and the fluttering of silk and the flash and sparkle of shining baubles, and because of the sheen and sparkle of all these the whole world appeared to be quick with life and motion.
