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twg_000012925700 | be done by your advice." So Sir Gawaine was called, and he took his charge and armed himself for the adventure. Sir Gawaine was one of King Arthur's nephews, and had just been made a knight, for he had asked of the King the gift of knighthood on the same day that he should wed fair Guenever. So Sir Gawaine | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925701 | rode quickly forth, and Gaheris his brother rode with him, instead of a squire, to do him service. As they followed the hart by the cry of the hounds, they came to a great river. The hart swam over, and they followed after, and so at length they chased him into a castle, where in the chief courtyard the dogs | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925702 | slew the hart before Sir Gawaine and young Gaheris came up. Right so there came a knight out of a room, with a sword drawn in his hand, and he slew two of the greyhounds even in the sight of Sir Gawaine, and the remnant he chased with his sword out of the castle. When he came back he said, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925703 | "O my white hart, me repenteth that thou art dead, for my sovereign lady gave thee to me, and poorly have I kept thee. Thy death shall be dear bought, if I live." Anon he came fiercely towards Sir Gawaine, and they struck mightily together. They clove their shields and broke their helms and hauberks so that the blood ran | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925704 | down to their feet. At the last Sir Gawaine smote the knight so hard that he fell to the earth; and then he cried for mercy and yielded himself, and besought Sir Gawaine as he was a knight and gentleman to save his life. "Thou shalt die," said Sir Gawaine, "for slaying of my hounds." "I will make amends," said | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925705 | the knight, "unto my power." Sir Gawaine would no mercy have, but unlaced his helm to strike off his head, when at that instant came his lady out of a chamber. She fell upon her husband just as the blow descended, and so Sir Gawaine smote off her head by misadventure, and the knight was saved. "Alas!" said Gaheris, "that | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925706 | is foul and shamefully done; that shame shall never depart from you. Ye should give mercy unto them that ask mercy, for a knight without mercy is without honour." Sir Gawaine was so astonished at the death of the fair lady that he knew not what he did, and he said unto the knight, "Arise, I will give thee mercy; | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925707 | and go thou unto King Arthur, and tell him how thou art overcome by the knight that went in the quest of the white hart." "I care not for mercy now," said the knight, "for thou hast slain my lady that I loved best of all earthly things it matters not whether I live or die." Then Sir Gawaine went | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925708 | into the castle and made ready to rest there all night. "What will ye do?" said Gaheris; "will ye unarm you in this country? Ye may believe ye have many enemies here." He had no sooner said that word than there came four knights well armed, and anon they made Sir Gawaine and Gaheris yield themselves as prisoners, in spite | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925709 | of the brave battle wherein Sir Gawaine was sore wounded in the arm. Early on the morrow there came to Sir Gawaine in the prison one of the ladies of the castle, and said, "Sir Knight, what cheer?" "Not good," said he. "It is your own fault," said the lady, "for ye have done a passing foul deed in the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925710 | slaying of the lady, which will be great disgrace unto you. Be ye not of King Arthur's kin?" "Yes, truly," said Sir Gawaine. "My name is Gawaine, and my mother is King Arthur's sister." "Ah, then are ye nephew unto King Arthur," said the lady, "and I shall so speak for you that ye shall have conduct to King Arthur, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925711 | for love of him." Then anon they delivered Sir Gawaine under this promise, that he should bear the dead lady to the court, the severed head hanging about his neck. Right so he rode forth unto Camelot, and Merlin made him tell of his adventure, and how he slew the lady, and how he would give no mercy unto the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925712 | knight, whereby the lady was slain. Then the King and the Queen were greatly displeased with Sir Gawaine, and by ordinance of the Queen there was set a quest of ladies on Sir Gawaine, and they ordered him for ever while he lived to be with all ladies, and to fight for their quarrels; and that ever he should be | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925713 | courteous, and never refuse mercy to him that asketh mercy. Thus was Gawaine sworn upon the four Evangelists that he should never be against lady nor gentlewoman, except if he fought for a lady and his adversary fought for another. Thus endeth the adventure of Sir Gawaine, that he did at the marriage of King Arthur. WISE MERLIN'S FOOLISHNESS Arthur | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925714 | was now established as king over all the land. The great council hall at Camelot, that is Winchester, had been built, some say by Merlin's skill; and the most loyal and the bravest knights of the world had been gathered at Arthur's court to do honour to him and his fair Queen Guenever. Merlin was Arthur's wisest helper and most | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925715 | powerful friend, as he had before been the helper and friend of his father Uther, for whom he had made the Round Table, signifying the roundness of the world. We have seen how he hid the young Arthur away from the jealousy of the wild barons, and how, by his power over men and his knowledge of what would be, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925716 | he had saved the King's life and guided his wise rule. The old magician Bleise, that dwelt in Northumberland, was Merlin's master, and he it was that wrote down all the battles of Arthur with his enemies word by word as Merlin told him, and all the battles that were done in Arthur's days, until Merlin was lost, as we | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925717 | shall see, through his own foolishness. On a time Merlin told King Arthur that he should not endure long, but for all his crafts he should be put in the earth alive. Also he told many things that should befall, and how the king would miss him, so that rather than all his lands he would wish to have him | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925718 | again. "Ah," said King Arthur, "since ye know of this, provide against it, and put away by your crafts that misadventure." "Nay," said Merlin, "it cannot be done." For Merlin, now grown an old man in his dotage, had fallen under the spell of a damsel of the court named Nimue. With her he soon departed from the King, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925719 | evermore went with her wheresoever she went. Ofttimes he wished to break away from her, but he was so held that he could not be out of her presence. Ever she made him good cheer, till she had learned from him all she desired of his secret craft, and had made him swear that he would never do any enchantment | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925720 | upon her. [Illustration: Merlin and Nimue] They went together over the sea unto the land of Benwick, where Ban was king, that had helped Arthur against his enemies. Here Merlin saw young Launcelot, King Ban's son, and he told the queen that this same child should grow to be a man of great honour, so that all Christendom should speak | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925721 | of his prowess. So the queen was comforted of her great sorrow that she made for the mortal war that King Claudas waged on her lord and on her lands. Then afterwards Nimue and Merlin departed into Cornwall, and by the way he showed her many wonders, and wearied her with his desire for her love. She would fain have | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925722 | been delivered of him, for she was afraid of him, almost believing him a devil's son, and yet she could not put him away by any means. And so on a time it happened that Merlin showed to her a wonderful cavern in the cliff, closed by an enchanted stone. By her subtle working she soon made Merlin remove the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925723 | stone and go into the cavern to let her know of the marvels there. Then she so wrought through the magic he had taught her that the stone was placed back again, so that he never came out for all the craft that he could do. And then she departed and left him there. On a day a certain knight | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925724 | rode to see adventures, and happened to come to the rock where Nimue had put Merlin, and there he heard him make great lamentation. The knight would gladly have helped him, and tried to move the great stone; but it was so heavy that a hundred men might not lift it up. When Merlin knew that the knight sought his | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925725 | deliverance, he bade him leave his labour, for all was in vain. He could never be helped but by her that put him there. So Merlin's prophecy of his own end was fulfilled, and he passed from the world of men. Arthur truly missed his old friend and marvelled what had become of him. Afterwards, when the last great battle | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925726 | came, he would have given everything to have Merlin with him again, but it could not be. A STAG-HUNT AND WHAT CAME OF IT It befell that Arthur and many of his knights rode on hunting into a deep forest, and King Arthur, King Uriens of Gore that was the husband of Arthur's sister Morgan le Fay, and Sir Accolon | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925727 | of Gaul followed a great hart so fast that within a while they were ten miles from their fellowship. At the last they chased so sore that they slew their horses underneath them. Then were they all three on foot, and ever they saw the hart afore them passing weary and hard bestead[]. "Let us go on foot," said King | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925728 | Uriens, "till we meet with some lodging." Then were they ware of the hart that lay on a great water bank, and a dog biting on his throat, and more other hounds came after. King Arthur now blew the prize[] and dight[] the hart. But the three knights were in sore straits, so far from home, and without horses, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925729 | they began to look about the world. Then Arthur saw afore him in a great lake a little ship, all apparelled with silk down to the water, coming right unto them, and it landed on the sands. They went on board, all three, to see what was in the ship. Soon it was dark night, and there suddenly were about | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925730 | them an hundred torches set upon all the sides of the ship boards, and it gave great light. Therewithal there came out twelve fair damsels, and they set forth for the knights a supper of all meats that they could think. Then they showed them richly beseen[] chambers for the night, where the three huntsmen slept marvellously. But when they | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925731 | awoke next morning, everything had been changed through the sorcery of Morgan le Fay, that was secretly plotting against her brother, to destroy him. King Uriens awoke in his own bed in Camelot, and Arthur found himself in a dark prison, with many woeful knights complaining about him, and they soon told him for what cause they were there. The | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925732 | lord of the castle where they were prisoners was the falsest knight alive, a treacherous, cowardly man, named Sir Damas. He had a younger brother, Sir Ontzlake, a good knight of prowess, well beloved of all people, from whom he was keeping back unjustly a full fair manor. Great war had been betwixt these brothers. Ontzlake was a far better | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925733 | fighter than the cowardly Damas, and yet he could not bring the elder to give over the younger brother's inheritance. He offered to fight for it, and wished Sir Damas to find a knight to fight in his stead, if he himself dared not engage. But Sir Damas was so hated that there was never one would fight for him, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925734 | though he had by force taken all the knights of that whole region and brought them to his prison for to make them willing to take up his cause. Many had died there, and the twenty that were yet alive were lean and spent with hunger, but no one of them would stand against Sir Ontzlake. Anon there came a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925735 | damsel unto Arthur and asked him, "What cheer?" "I cannot say," said he. "Sir," said she, "if ye will fight for my lord, ye shall be delivered out of prison, and else ye escape never with life." "Now," said Arthur, "that is hard, yet had I liefer to fight with a knight than to die in prison," and so it | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925736 | was agreed that he should do the battle on this covenant, that he should be delivered and all the prisoners. With that all the twenty knights were brought out of the dark prison into the hall, and set free, but they all abode to see the battle. Now turn we unto Accolon of Gaul, that was with King Arthur and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925737 | King Uriens on the stag-hunt and that fell asleep on the magic ship. When he awoke he found himself beside a deep well, within half a foot of its edge, in great peril of death. "Heaven save my lord King Arthur and King Uriens," said he, "for these damsels in the ship have betrayed us. They were devils and no | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925738 | women, and if I may escape this misadventure, I shall destroy all false damsels that use enchantments, wherever I may find them." Right then there came a dwarf with a great mouth and a flat nose, and saluted Sir Accolon and said he came from Queen Morgan le Fay. "She greeteth you well," said he, "and biddeth you be of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925739 | strong heart, for ye shall fight to-morn with a knight at the hour of prime, and therefore she hath sent you here Excalibur, Arthur's sword, and the scabbard, and she biddeth you as ye love her, that ye do the battle to the uttermost without any mercy, like as ye promised her when ye spake together in private." Sir Accolon | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925740 | believed he fully understood the message, and he said he should keep his promise now that he had the sword. Just then a knight, who was no other than Sir Ontzlake himself, with a lady and six squires, came up on horseback, saluted Sir Accolon, and begged him to come and rest himself at his manor. So Accolon mounted upon | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925741 | a spare horse and rode to the manor, where he had passing good cheer. Meantime Sir Damas sent to his brother, Sir Ontzlake, and bade him make ready to fight the next day with a good knight who had agreed to do battle for the disputed heritage; and it happened through Morgan le Fay's trickery that Accolon was lodged with | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925742 | Sir Ontzlake at the very time when this message came. Now Sir Ontzlake was sore troubled at the message, for he had been wounded in both thighs by a spear a short time before, and was suffering much. Still, wounded as he was, he would have taken the battle in hand, had not Sir Accolon offered to fight in his | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925743 | stead, because Morgan le Fay had sent Excalibur and the sheath for the battle with the knight on the morrow. Then Sir Ontzlake was passing glad, and sent word unto his brother, Sir Damas, that he had a knight who would be ready in the field by to-morrow at the hour of prime. So it was arranged that Sir Arthur | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925744 | and Sir Accolon, unknown to one another, were to fight over the quarrel of the two brothers. Preparations were made accordingly, and all the knights and commons of the country were there to see the encounter. Just as Arthur was ready upon horseback, there came a damsel from Morgan le Fay bringing unto him a sword like unto Excalibur, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925745 | the scabbard, and said: "Morgan le Fay sendeth you here your sword for great love." He thanked her, not knowing that the sword and scabbard were counterfeit, and brittle and false. They went eagerly to the battle, and gave many great strokes. Sir Accolon had all advantage on his side, for he had the real Excalibur, Morgan le Fay having | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925746 | so ordained that King Arthur should have been slain that day. King Arthur's sword never bit like Sir Accolon's, and almost every stroke Sir Accolon gave wounded sore, so that it was a marvel that Arthur stood. Almost from the first it seemed to him that the sword in Accolon's hand must be Excalibur, but he was so full of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925747 | knighthood that knightly he endured the pain of the many wounds, and held out as well as he might until his sword brake at the cross and fell in the grass among the blood. Now he expected to die, but he held up his shield, and lost no ground, nor bated any cheer. All men that beheld him said they | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925748 | never saw knight fight so well as Arthur did, considering the blood that he bled, and they were sorry for him. But Accolon was so bold because of Excalibur that he grew passing hardy, and called upon Arthur to yield himself as recreant. "Nay," said Sir Arthur, "I may not so, for I have promised to do the battle to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925749 | the uttermost by the faith of my body while my life lasteth, and therefore I had rather die with honour than live with shame; and if it were possible for me to die an hundred times, I had rather die so oft than yield myself to thee; for, though I lack weapon I shall lack no honour, and if thou | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925750 | slay me weaponless that shall be thy shame." But Accolon cared not for shame, and would not spare. He gave Arthur such a stroke that he fell nigh to the earth; yet he pressed upon Accolon with his shield, and with the pommel of his sword in his hand gave such a blow that Accolon fell back a little. Now | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925751 | it chanced that one of the damsels of the court, she that had put Merlin under the stone, had come into the field for love of King Arthur, for she knew how Morgan le Fay had determined that Arthur should be slain; therefore she came to save his life. She saw how full of prowess Arthur was, and grieved that | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925752 | so good a knight should be slain through false treason. So when Accolon gave another blow, the sword Excalibur fell out of his hand to the earth. Arthur lightly leaped to it and got it in his hand, and forthwith knew that it was his own Excalibur. Then he saw the scabbard hanging by Accolon's side, and anon pulling it | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925753 | from him, he threw it off as far as he might throw it. Therewith Sir Arthur rushed upon Accolon with all his might and pulled him to the earth. He then snatched off his helmet for the final blow, and the fierce battle was at an end. "Slay me ye may well," said Accolon, "if it please you, for ye | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925754 | are the best knight that ever I found, and I see well that God is with you." But now Sir Arthur thought he must have seen this knight, and asked, "Of what country art thou, and of what court?" And when Sir Accolon told him his name, then he remembered him of his sister, Morgan le Fay, and of the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925755 | enchantment of the ship. He made Accolon tell how he came by the sword, and then Arthur knew all the plot of his sister and of Accolon to have the King slain and herself made queen. For the first time Arthur now let Accolon know against whom he had been fighting. The fallen knight cried aloud for mercy, when he | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925756 | learned that he had nearly slain the King, and said to all the knights and men that were then there gathered together, "O lords, this noble knight that I have fought withal, which I sorely repent of, is the best man of prowess, of manhood, and of honour in the world, for it is King Arthur himself, the liege lord | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925757 | of us all, and with mishap and with misadventure have I done this battle with the king and lord in whose power I am." Then all the people fell down on their knees, and called upon King Arthur for mercy, which he forthwith granted. The King was sorely hurt and Accolon's wounds were even worse. Arthur made haste to settle | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925758 | the quarrel of the brothers Sir Damas and Sir Ontzlake by giving the latter his rights and charging Sir Damas upon pain of death never to distress knights-errant that ride on their adventures, and then was carried off to a near-by abbey, and Sir Accolon with him, to have their wounds searched. Within four days Sir Accolon died from loss | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925759 | of blood during the fight, but King Arthur was well recovered. When Accolon was dead the King let send him on a horse-bier with six knights unto Camelot and said, "Bear him to my sister Morgan le Fay, and say that I send him to her as a present, and tell her that I have my sword Excalibur again and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925760 | the scabbard." So they departed with the body. [] Hard bestead: in a bad plight. [] Prize: death note. [] Dight: dressed. [] Beseen: of good appearance. THE TREACHERY OF MORGAN LE FAY The meanwhile Morgan le Fay thought that King Arthur was slain, and that she might now be queen of the land, with Sir Accolon as King. Then | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925761 | came tidings unto her that Accolon was dead and King Arthur had his sword again. When Queen Morgan wist all this she was so sorrowful that near her heart brake, but because she would not it were known, outward she kept her countenance, and made no semblance of sorrow. But well she wist, if she remained till her brother Arthur | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925762 | came thither, there should no gold go for her life. Then she went unto Queen Guenever, and asked her leave to ride into the country. "Ye may abide," said Queen Guenever, "till your brother the King come home." "I may not," said Morgan le Fay, "for I have such hasty tidings that I may not tarry." "Well," said Guenever, "ye | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925763 | may depart when ye will." So early on the morn, ere it was day, she took her horse and rode all that day and most part of the night, and on the morn by noon she came to the abbey of nuns where lay King Arthur. Knowing he was there, she asked where he was at that time; and they | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925764 | answered how he had laid him in his bed to sleep, for he had had but little rest these three nights. Then she alighted off her horse, and thought for to steal away Excalibur his sword. So she went straight unto his chamber, and no man durst disobey her commandment. There she found Arthur asleep in his bed, and Excalibur | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925765 | in his right hand naked. When she saw that, she was passing heavy that she might not come by the sword without awaking him, and that she wist well would be her death. Then she took the scabbard, and went her way on horseback. When the King a woke and missed his scabbard, he was wroth, and he asked who | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925766 | had been there. They said his sister Queen Morgan had been there, and had put the scabbard under her mantle, and was gone. "Alas," said Arthur, "falsely have ye watched me." "Sir," said they all, "we durst not disobey your sister's commandment." "Ah," said the King, "let fetch the best horse that may be found, and bid Sir Ontzlake arm | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925767 | him in all haste, and take another good horse and ride with me." So anon the King and Ontzlake were well armed, and rode after this lady; and so they came by a cross, and asked a cowherd if there came any lady late riding that way. "Sir," said the poor man, "right late came a lady riding with forty | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925768 | horses, and to yonder forest she rode." Then they spurred their horses and followed fast. Within a while Arthur had a sight of Morgan le Fay, and he chased as fast as he might. When she espied him following her, she rode a greater pace through the forest till she came to a plain. She saw she might not escape, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925769 | wherefore she rode unto a lake thereby, and said, "Whatsoever becometh of me, my brother shall not have this scabbard." And then she let throw the scabbard in the deepest of the water, where it sank anon, for it was heavy of gold and precious stones. Thereupon Queen Morgan rode into a valley where many great stones were, and when | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925770 | she saw that she must be overtaken, she shaped herself, horse and man, by enchantment, unto great marble stones. Anon came Sir Arthur and Sir Ontzlake, but they might not know the lady from her men, nor one knight from another. "Ah," said the King, "here may ye see the vengeance of God, and now I am sorry that this | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925771 | misadventure is befallen." And then he looked for the scabbard, but it could not be found, so he returned to the abbey where he came from. When Arthur was gone, Queen Morgan turned all into the likeness as she and they were before, and said, "Sirs, now may we go where we will." So she departed into the country of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925772 | Gore, and there was she richly received, and made her castles and towns passing strong, for always she feared much King Arthur. When the King had well rested him at the abbey, he rode unto Camelot, and found his Queen and his barons right glad of his coming. And when they heard of his strange adventures as is afore rehearsed, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925773 | they all had marvel of the falsehood of Morgan le Fay, and many knights wished her burned because of her wicked enchantments. "Well," said the King, "I shall so be avenged on her, if I live, that all Christendom shall speak of it." On the morn there came a damsel from Morgan to the King, and she brought with her | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925774 | the richest mantle that ever was seen in that court, for it was set as full of precious stones as one might stand by another, and there were the richest stones that ever the King saw. And the damsel said, "Your sister sendeth you this mantle, and desireth that ye should take this gift of her, and in what thing | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925775 | she hath offended you, she will amend it at your own pleasure." When the King beheld this mantle it pleased him much, but he said little. With that came one of the Damsels of the Lake unto the King and said, "Sir, I must speak with you in private." "Say on," said the King, "what ye will." "Sir," said the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925776 | damsel, "put not on you this mantle till ye have seen more, and in no wise let it come on you or any knight of yours, till ye command the bringer thereof to put it upon her." "Well," said King Arthur, "it shall be done as ye counsel me." And then he said unto the damsel that came from his | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925777 | sister, "Damsel, this mantle that ye have brought me I will see upon you." "Sir," said she, "it will not beseem me to wear a king's garment." "By my head," said Arthur, "ye shall wear it ere it come on my back, or any man's that here is." And so the King made it to be put upon her, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925778 | forthwithal she fell down dead, and nevermore spake word after, but burned to coals. Then was the King wonderfully wroth, more than he was beforehand, and said unto King Uriens, "My sister, your wife, is alway about to betray me, and well I wot either ye or your son Sir Uwaine is of counsel with her to have me destroyed; | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925779 | but as for you," said the King to King Uriens, "I deem not greatly that ye be of her counsel, for she plotted with Accolon to destroy you as well as me. Therefore I hold you excused; but as for your son, Sir Uwaine, I hold him suspected, and therefore I charge you put him out of my court." So | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925780 | Sir Uwaine was discharged. And when Sir Gawaine wist that, he made himself ready to go with his cousin. So they two departed, and rode into a great forest, and came to an abbey of monks, where they were well lodged. But when the King wist that Sir Gawaine was departed from the court, there was made great sorrow among | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925781 | all the estates. "Now," said Gaheris, Gawaine's brother, "we have lost two good knights for the sake of one." SIR LAUNCELOT OF THE LAKE When King Arthur, after long wars, rested and held a royal feast with his allies and noble knights of the Round Table, there came into his hall, he sitting on his throne royal, twelve ambassadors from | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925782 | Rome, and said to him: "The high and mighty emperor Lucius sendeth to the king of Britain greeting, commanding thee to acknowledge him for thy lord and to send the tribute due from this realm unto the empire according to the statutes and decrees made by the noble and worthy Julius Caesar, conqueror of this realm and first emperor of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925783 | Rome. And if thou refuse his demand and commandment, know thou for certain that he shall make strong war against thee, thy realms and lands, and shall chastise thee and thy subjects, so that it shall be warning perpetual unto all kings and princes not to deny their tribute unto the noble empire which dominateth the universal world." Some of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925784 | the young knights hearing this message would have run on the ambassadors to slay them, saying that it was a rebuke unto all the knights there present to suffer them to say so to the King. But King Arthur commanded that none should do them any harm, and anon let call all his lords and knights of the Round Table | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925785 | to council upon the matter. And all agreed to make sharp war on the Romans, and to aid after their power. So the messengers were allowed to depart, and they took ship at Sandwich and passed forth by Flanders, Almaine, the mountains and all Italy until they came unto Rome. There they said to Lucius, "Certainly he is a lord | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925786 | to be feared, for his estate is the royalest that ever we saw, and in his person he is the most manly man that liveth, and is likely to conquer all the world, for unto his courage it is too little; wherefore we advise you to keep well your marches and straits[] in the mountains." Then Lucius made ready a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925787 | great host and marched into Gaul, and Arthur met him there with his army. The old chronicles tell of the great battles that were fought and the brave deeds of knights and lords, how Arthur himself with Excalibur cleft the head of Lucius, and at length passed over the mountains into Lombardy and Tuscany, and so came into Rome. On | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925788 | a day appointed, as the romance telleth, he was crowned emperor by the Pope's hand with all the royalty that could be made. After he had established all his lands from Rome unto France, and had given lands and realms unto his servants and knights, to each after his desert in such wise that none complained, rich nor poor, all | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925789 | his lords and all the great men of estate assembled before him and said: "Blessed be God, your war is finished and your conquest achieved, insomuch that we know none so great nor mighty that dare make war against you; wherefore we beseech you to return homeward and give us licence to go home to our wives, from whom we | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925790 | have been long, and to rest us, for your journey is finished with honour." So they all came over sea, and landed at Sandwich, where Queen Guenever came and met the King. And he was nobly received of all the commons in every city and borough, and great gifts were presented to him at his home-coming, to welcome him. Of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925791 | all the knights that, when Arthur came into England, had increased in honour, Sir Launcelot of the Lake in especial excelled in deeds of arms both for life and death. His parents, King Ban of Benwick and his fair queen, Elaine, had first named him Galahad, and, as has already been said, Merlin, before he disappeared under the stone, had | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925792 | foretold that within twenty years he should be known over the whole world as a great and worthy knight. It is no marvel, therefore, that Launcelot is the first knight that the French aketh mention of after King Arthur came from Rome. He passed with Arthur into England, where he was received gladly and was made a knight of the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925793 | Round Table. Queen Guenever had him in great favour above all other knights, and in return he was loyal to her above all other ladies and damsels all his life, and for love of her he did many deeds of arms, and saved her from the fire through his noble chivalry. Therefore jealous people spoke evil of Sir Launcelot and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925794 | the Queen, because they were of less prowess and honour than he, and thereby great mischief arose in Arthur's court. From this came Arthur's overthrow in the end, and the downfall of his noble realm. But for long years Launcelot was the glory of knighthood, and he vied with King Arthur himself in deeds of prowess and of chivalrous courtesy | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925795 | in the tournament and on adventure. [] Strait: narrow pass. A NIGHT-TIME ADVENTURE OF SIR LAUNCELOT In fulfilment of his oath as a knight of the Round Table Sir Launcelot rode into many strange and wild countries and through many waters and valleys. He slew Sir Turquine, who watched to destroy knights, and he clove the head of another false | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925796 | traitor who attended to destroy and distress ladies, damsels, and gentlewomen. Other wrongs besides these he righted, and bravely withstood many a struggle. Now on a day it chanced that he passed a deep forest, where, as often before, he found strait lodging. But he was brave and strong, and feared no hardship provided he did nothing contrary to his | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925797 | honour as a worthy knight. As he was riding over a long bridge there started upon him suddenly a passing foul churl, who struck his horse upon the nose and asked Sir Launcelot why he rode over that bridge without licence. "Why should I not ride this way?" said Sir Launcelot; "it is the way I choose to ride." "Thou | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925798 | shall not choose," said the churl, and began to beat him with his great club shod with iron. Sir Launcelot drew his sword, and made short work of this rough porter. Then he rode right on to the end of the bridge, through the fair village, where all the people in vain gave him warning, and on straight into the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000012925799 | green courtyard of the castle, which was Tintagil, in Cornwall. Anon there came upon him two great giants, with horrible clubs in their hands. With shield and sword he soon laid on the earth one of these giants. The other ran away for fear of the horrible strokes, and Sir Launcelot entered the hall. Here he set free three-score gentlewomen, | 60 | gutenberg |
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