Complete Works of Howard Pyle

by Howard Pyle

  Then Sir Ector fell from his horse and, in passing, the spear of Sir Gawaine was broken so that the baton of the spear of Sir Gawaine remained sticking in the body of Sir Ector; a part of it sticking out before, and a part of it sticking out behind.

  Then Sir Gawaine rode back to where Sir Ector lay, and he said to him, “Sir, how fares it with you?” Quoth Sir Ector, “Alas, Messire! I have received my death-wound.” Then Sir Gawaine laughed very bitterly, and he said, “So shall it always be with traitors, such as thou.”

  Then with that Sir Gawaine turned his horse and rode away from that place, leaving Sir Ector lying where he was.

  Anon there came forth those from within the castle and they lifted up Sir Ector where he lay. And they laid him in the hollow of the shield and bare him into the castle. And all who saw Sir Ector in that condition wept to behold him so.

  So they bore him to a chamber and laid him upon a soft couch and Sir Ector groaned very dolorously with the agony of his wound, and Sir Launcelot and several others stood before him, and ever as Sir Launcelot considered him, the tears welled out of his eyes and rolled like shining jewels down his cheeks.

  So about the eleventh hour of the night Sir Ector said to Sir Launcelot, “Sir, this wound is my death-wound. I pray you to draw out the baton of that spear and let me pass.” Sir Launcelot said, “I cannot draw it forth.” Sir Ector said, “Is there no friend here who will draw forth this baton, and suffer me to die?”

  Then said Sir Bors, “I will draw it forth,” and with that he came to the bedside of Sir Ector and he laid hold of the baton of the spear. And he drew very strongly upon that baton and it came forth out of that wound and with it came a great effusion of blood.

  Sir Ector dieth.

  Then Sir Ector groaned very deeply and he said, “I pass,” and with that he closed his eyes and in a little while he was dead. Then they who were there wept a great passion of tears, for Sir Ector was well-beloved of all of them.

  Now when the next morning was come, Sir Gawaine came again before the castle and rode there as aforetime. And ever as he rode he cried out, “Sir Launcelot, thou craven knight, come forth and do me battle.” But still Sir Launcelot would not come forth against him. Then Sir Bors de Ganis came to Sir Launcelot and he said to him, “Sir, suffer me to go forth against this knight, for he bringeth shame upon us all.”

  Quoth Sir Launcelot, “I crave you not to go, Sir; for this knight, Sir Gawaine, is a very strong and powerful knight. Already hath he slain Sir Ector, and should you also lose your life, what great loss that would be to us all.” “Nevertheless,” said Sir Bors, “I would fain go forth against him. For God may give me the victory, in which it will be a great benefit to us all in that he will no more come to trouble us.”

  Then Sir Launcelot turned away his head, and anon he said, “Go, in God’s name, and may good fortune attend you. As for me, I cannot go against Sir Gawaine because of the love I held for him. For should he slay me, that would be a great misfortune for us all, but should I slay him, never would I cease to sorrow and to repine for his death. Wherefore, I cannot now go against him, but you may go against him.”

  So Sir Bors armed himself and went forth out of the castle, and when Sir Gawaine beheld him coming he was rejoiced, for he thought that this was Sir Launcelot.

  So Sir Gawaine rode up to him as he approached, and he said to him, “Messire, what knight are you?” Him Sir Bors made answer, “Sir I am Sir Bors de Ganis, and I have come forth here against you upon behalf of Sir Launcelot of the Lake.”

  “Sir,” said Sir Gawaine, “you are very welcome; though rather would I have to do with Sir Launcelot of the Lake than with any other man in all of the world. For I have no quarrel against you, but against him I have a quarrel.”

  “Nevertheless,” said Sir Bors, “I stand here now upon his behalf to do battle for him.”

  Quoth Sir Gawaine, “Prepare yourself then for battle!” So Sir Bors took his assigned place and when they were in all wise prepared they rushed together with great violence and fury.

  In that encounter the spear of each knight was broken into many pieces, even to the very fist that held the spear, and the horse of each recoiled so that it sunk back upon its haunches and would, perhaps, have fallen, had not the address of the knight rider recovered it. Then each knight cast aside the truncheon of his spear and voided his horse, and each drew his sword with great readiness and rushed to the battle very furiously, violently and impetuously. Each smote the other many sore buffets and strokes so that each knight was wounded in several places.

  But Sir Gawaine was possessed of the strength of ten, and Sir Bors was possessed but of the strength of one, so that by and by Sir Bors was obliged to hold his shield low because of weariness from the redoubled fury of Sir Gawaine’s attack.

  Sir Gawaine woundeth Sir Bors.

  So Sir Gawaine perceived that opening which he made in his defence, and, grinding his teeth together, he whirled up his sword and smote Sir Bors upon the shoulder of that arm that held his sword. So violent and savage was the blow that it sheared through the iron of the epulier and it sheared through the flesh and bone of the shoulder so that the arm of Sir Bors fell and hung down from the shoulder and his hand dropped the sword that he held.

  Sir Bors asks his life.

  Then Sir Gawaine laughed and ran forward and he set his foot upon the sword of Sir Bors. And Sir Bors sank down upon his knees and he said in a weak and faltering voice, “Sir Gawaine, I am sorely wounded. If it please thee to do so, I pray thee to spare my life.”

  Quoth Sir Gawaine, “Why should I spare thee thy life? Thou art a traitor knave, and it is not fit that I should spare thee, but rather I should slay thee as thou kneelest before me. But I cannot forget our long and many associations; and I cannot forget that thou wert one of those three knights who achieved the Grail, and brought the Grail back again to Sarras. So I will forgive thee, and will spare thee thy life, if so be that God will also spare it.”

  Then Sir Gawaine turned and sheathed his sword, and he mounted his horse and rode away. And anon there came the friends of Sir Bors from the Castle of Chillion, and they lifted him up and laid him upon a litter, and so they bore him away into the castle.

  And they took Sir Bors to a room of the castle and stripped off his armor and beheld the wound that it was very ghastly and dismal. And so much blood was emitted from that wound that Sir Bors fainted and for awhile he hung hovering upon the edge of death.

  Sir Bors doth not die.

  But he did not die then or afterward, but he revived and his wound was healed so that he, by and by, became well and strong again.

  Then Sir Launcelot came to where Sir Bors was, and he said to him, “Sir Bors, how fared it with thee?” And Sir Bors said in a fainting voice, “Sir, I know not how it was with Sir Gawaine. For I found him to be so passing strong that never have I found a stronger. For he smote down my defences and he smote me this blow that I have received, and from which I shall maybe die. For mine arm is nearly severed from its shoulder, and I wit not whether I shall ever be strong and hale again.”

  Then Sir Launcelot wept and he said, “Alas, that this is so! For now I cannot forego this battle with Sir Gawaine any longer. For yesterday he slew my brother, Sir Ector, and to-day he hath nearly slain thee. So to-morrow I shall have to have ado with him, or else, by and by, all shall perish at this place.”

  Then Sir Bors said, “Sir, beware of him, for he hath strength more than human, wherefore I fear that he may prove to thee thy undoing.”

  To that Sir Launcelot answereth, “I should be sorry to find it so. But whether it is thus or not, still must I have ado with him upon the chance that I may thus save the lives of others within this place.”

  So it came that Sir Launcelot was prepared to do battle with Sir Gawaine.

  Now if you would hear more of this famous fight betwixt Sir Launcelot and Sir Gawaine, I pray you to read that which followeth. For there it shall be fully and distinctly set forth as it hath
been told of in several ancient histories dealing with these things.

  Chapter Seventh

  Of the battle betwixt Sir Launcelot and Sir Gawaine. Also how King Arthur returned to Little Britain.

  SO CAME THE next day and Sir Gawaine had his esquires to enclose his body in full armor of proof, and he mounted his horse and took a good stout lance of ashwood in his hand, and he set forth once more to seek Sir Launcelot as aforetime he had done. So Sir Gawaine came beneath the wall of the castle, and he paraded before the wall, and ever as he thus paraded he cried aloud and on high, “Come forth, Sir Launcelot of the Lake! Come forth, thou caitiff knight, and do me battle!”

  Then Sir Launcelot wist that now the time was come for him to do that battle.

  Sir Launcelot goeth against Sir Gawaine.

  So Sir Launcelot mounted upon his horse and took into his hand a good stout lance of ashwood for his defence, and thus armed he gave orders and the portcullis of the castle was raised and the drawbridge was let fall and Sir Launcelot rode forth all clad in that armor of proof to meet Sir Gawaine.

  Then Sir Gawaine rode up to Sir Launcelot and gave him greeting and he said to Sir Launcelot of the Lake, “Sir, I pray you tell me, are you Sir Launcelot of the Lake, or are you another knight than he? For by your figure and by your conduct and by that device which is upon your shield, I wit you to be Sir Launcelot, and yet I know not whether you are he or not he. For this is the third time I have challenged, and heretofore he would not come out against me.”

  Sir Launcelot bespeaks Sir Gawaine.

  Quoth Sir Launcelot of the Lake, “Sir, I am Sir Launcelot indeed, and wit you, Sir Gawaine, I have well tried to avoid this battle, for I fear me in this battle or in some other battle of its kind, either you or I shall be slain. And I would not slay you for the love that was of old betwixt us; for still I remember me of that love, and I hold it very dear to my heart. Wherefore I would not do battle with you if that battle could be avoided.”

  Quoth Sir Gawaine, “What prate you of love, Sir? This battle cannot be avoided, for wit you that even if ever I loved you, yet all that love is now passed away, or rather it is transformed into hate. For you have wounded me so deeply in my heart that no man can wound me so deeply and yet live while I live also upon the earth. Wherefore either you or I shall die by the hand of the other, if not at this time, then at some other time.”

  Quoth Sir Launcelot, “How have I wounded thee, Gawaine, or in what way have I done thee such hurt as this? Tell me that I may make that wrong right again.”

  Sir Gawaine accuses Sir Launcelot.

  Said Sir Gawaine, “Wit you not that I have often told you how that first you slew two of my sons, and my brother, and how that afterward you slew two more of my brothers? Is not that injury enough for any man to bear within his heart and yet to live under that injury?”

  Then Sir Launcelot sighed and he said, “Sir, wit you that those two sons and that brother I slew in battle and they were armed, and assaulting me, and I knew them not. As for those two of your brothers whom I afterward slew, them I slew in the press and fury of fighting. For I saw not their faces in that fury and knew them not. For if I had known them, wit you that I would have held my hand and spared them? Sir, for that I am grieved to the heart, for I loved them both very well; more especially Sir Gareth whom I made a knight in the field.”

  Then Sir Gawaine laughed very bitterly, and he said, “Sir, you make a very good excuse, still you did that which you did, and having done it you must pay for it. For so every man must pay for that which he hath done; let it be good or let it be ill. Come, Sir, prepare yourself for battle, for I am hungry to have battle with you.”

  Then again Sir Launcelot sighed, this time so deeply that his heart had been lifted from its strings within his bosom by that sigh. And with that sigh he closed his helmet, and reined in his horse and withdrew to that part of the field which was to be his assigned place of battle.

  Many view the battle.

  Then many of the defenders of the castle came down to the walls of the castle and stood there, and looked down from those walls upon the two who stood so in array of battle. And King Arthur and many others came from the camp of the besiegers, and also stood them afar off to behold the battle, so that with those and with these who were there it was as good an assembly as any knights could have chosen in which to do battle.

  And the sun shone very clear and strong — yet not too strong. And the breeze blew very freely so that all the poplar trees around about the castle were turned white with its blowing, and the river that ran down past the castle was dusked and rippled by that wind, and all the reeds of the river bowed and dipped into the water thereof.

  So those two knights prepared themselves for the assault, making their armor in all ways tight and secure. Then when they were in all ways ready, they shouted to their horses and so sprang to the charge, galloping against one another with a noise like to the noise of thunder.

  So they met in the midst of the course and smote one another, in the centre of the other’s shield. And before that shock the spear of each was split into a great many very small pieces, even to the hand that held it. And each horse sank quivering back upon its haunches at the recoil of that blow, and would have fallen, were it not that the extraordinary address of the knight rider recovered his horse with spur and rein and voice. Then each knight cast aside the truncheon of his spear and drew his sword, and each rushed at the other very furiously and valiantly. Then each smote the other with great power and strength.

  Sir Launcelot faileth.

  But though Sir Launcelot smote with all of his strength, yet Sir Gawaine smote with the strength of ten. So that Sir Launcelot was driven backward, and around and around in small circles, and in that assault he was altogether astonished at the fury and the strength of Sir Gawaine. For he wist not that Sir Gawaine had that strength of ten men, and he knew not that Sir Gawaine had taken that medicine to lend him that strength.

  And Sir Launcelot had much ado to defend himself so that he made no attack, but only a defence with sword and shield against the attack of Sir Gawaine. And Sir Launcelot thought that never in all of his life had he fought with so strong and so powerful a knight as Sir Gawaine — nay, not even when he fought with Sir Turquine that day at the ford before the castle of Sir Turquine. For anon the blood began to flow forth from him in spite of all his defence, so that in a little while the ground on which he fought was all sprinkled red with that blood, and his armor was all ensanguined with the crimson streams that bathed it. And in all that while Sir Gawaine had hardly any wounds at all, but he fought with all his strength and might, and with the purpose to beat down his assailant.

  But though Sir Gawaine fought in that wise, yet, by and by, it reached the prime of noon, and still he had not struck down Sir Launcelot. Then that strength of ten that he had with the medicine that he had taken began to fade and wane away as the flame of a candle flickers and wanes away when the wax is consumed. So anon Sir Launcelot felt that the attack of Sir Gawaine was no longer so furious and so violent as it had been, but that it was weaker. Therewith he redoubled his own battle with tenfold violence. And now he no longer made defence, but instead of defence he made attack. And he drave Sir Gawaine backward before him, for Sir Gawaine could not stand before the fierceness of that attack now that his strength was waning.

  Sir Gawaine faileth and is overthrown.

  So Sir Gawaine bore back from before those blows, and by and by he began to hold his shield full low for weariness. Then Sir Launcelot perceived his opening, so he rushed the attack with double fury, and anon he swung his sword and smote Sir Gawaine with it full upon the head. And so violent was that blow that it clave asunder the helmet and the coif, and it wounded the head beneath the coif.

  Then Sir Gawaine sank down upon his knees, his hand relaxed and the sword that was in his hand fell out from it upon the ground. Then Sir Launcelot ran to Sir Gawaine and he set his foot upon the sword and he rushed off the helmet of Sir G
awaine and he cried out very fiercely, “Sir, yield yourself to me or I will slay you!” But Sir Gawaine said, “I will not yield me to thee, so thou mayst slay me at thy pleasure!” Then Sir Launcelot gazed at Sir Gawaine, and as he gazed at him the fury of battle passed away from his soul like a mist from before the face of the sun; and Sir Launcelot felt such great love for Sir Gawaine and such great pity for him that his eyes ran all with tears.

  Sir Launcelot spareth him his life.

  Then Sir Launcelot said, “Sir Gawaine, even if you do not ask me for your life, yet will I grant it to you. Arise and depart!” To this Sir Gawaine said, “Messire, in this you are foolish. For if you do not slay me now, then when I am well and healed again, I will come back against you, and will assail you again as I have assailed you to-day. For wit you that in this quarrel either you shall die or I shall die.”

  Sir Launcelot said, “Sir, this matters not to me! I cannot slay you now and I will not slay you.”

  So Sir Launcelot turned away from that place. And he mounted his horse and departed thence. And as he rode back to the castle Sir Launcelot wept so that hardly could he see the way before him because of the tears that rained down from his eyes.

  Then came those from King Arthur’s side who had looked upon the battle, and they raised Sir Gawaine up and led him away to his tent. And when he had come to his couch they unarmed Sir Gawaine and searched his wounds and found that they were very deep and sore. So they dressed the wounds of Sir Gawaine and put salves and unguents upon them, and so he was made in all ways as comfortable as could be.

  And Sir Gawaine sent for that cunning and learned physician who had given him the medicine of strength, and he said to him, “Cannot you give me a stronger medicine than that, and one that will make in me the strength of twenty?” The physician said, “Sir, I cannot do that, for I have no such power.” Sir Gawaine said, “Then can you not give me a medicine that will make me stronger for a longer time than till the prime of noon?” But the physician said, “Sir, I cannot do that either.” Then Sir Gawaine sighed and he said, “Woe is me! I fear me I shall never be able to overcome Sir Launcelot.”