Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table 11

Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table 11

After Galahad was proclaimed King, he ordered that a coffer of gold and precious stones

should be made to encompass the table of silver, and every day he and

the two Knights would kneel before it and make their prayers.

 

Now at the year's end, and on the selfsame day that Galahad had been

crowned King, he arose up early and came with the two Knights to the

Palace; and he saw a man in the likeness of a Bishop, encircled by a

great crowd of angels, kneeling before the Holy Vessel. And he called to

Galahad and said to him, "Come forth, thou servant of Christ, and thou

shalt see what thou hast much desired to see." Then Galahad began to

tremble right hard, when the flesh first beheld the things of the

spirit, and he held up his hand to heaven and said, "Lord, I thank thee,

for now I see that which hath been my desire for many a day. Now,

blessed Lord, I would no longer live, if it might please Thee." Then

Galahad went to Percivale and kissed him, and commended him to God; and

he went to Sir Bors and kissed him, and commended him to God, and said,

"Fair lord, salute me to my lord Sir Lancelot, my father, and bid him

remember this unstable world." Therewith he kneeled down before the

table and made his prayers, and while he was praying his soul suddenly

left the body and was carried by angels up into heaven, which the two

Knights right well beheld. Also they saw come from heaven a hand, but no

body behind it, and it came unto the Vessel, and took it and the spear,

and bare them back to heaven. And since then no man has dared to say

that he has seen the Holy Graal.

 

When Percivale and Bors saw Galahad lying dead they made as much sorrow

as ever two men did, and the people of the country and of the city were

right heavy. And they buried him as befitted their King. As soon as

Galahad was buried, Sir Percivale sought a hermitage outside the city,

and put on the dress of a hermit, and Sir Bors was always with him, but

kept the dress that he wore at Court. When a year and two months had

passed Sir Percivale died also, and was buried by the side of Galahad;

and Sir Bors left that land, and after long riding came to Camelot. Then

was there great joy made of him in the Court, for they had held him as

dead; and the King ordered great clerks to attend him, and to write down

all his adventures and those of Sir Percivale and Sir Galahad. Next, Sir

Lancelot told the adventures of the Graal which he had seen, and this

likewise was written and placed with the other in almonries at

Salisbury. And by-and-by Sir Bors said to Sir Lancelot, "Galahad your

son saluteth you by me, and after you King Arthur and all the Court, and

so did Sir Percivale; for I buried them with mine own hands in the City

of Sarras. Also, Sir Lancelot, Galahad prayeth you to remember of this

uncertain world, as you promised when you were together!" "That is

true," said Sir Lancelot, "and I trust his prayer may avail me." But the

prayer but little availed Sir Lancelot, for he fell to his old sins

again. And now the Knights were few that survived the search for the

Graal, and the evil days of Arthur began.

 

 

 

 

PART III.

THE FIGHT FOR THE QUEEN.

 

 

So the quest of the Holy Graal had been fulfilled, and the few Knights

that had been left alive returned to the Round Table, and there was

great joy in the Court. To do them honour the Queen made them a dinner;

and there were four and twenty Knights present, and among them Sir

Patrise of Ireland, and Sir Gawaine and his brethren, the King's

nephews, which were Sir Agrawaine, Sir Gaheris, Sir Gareth, and Sir

Mordred. Now it was the custom of Sir Gawaine daily at dinner and supper

to eat all manner of fruit, and especially pears and apples, and this

the Queen knew, and set fruit of all sorts before him. And there was

present at the dinner one Sir Pinel le Savage, who hated Sir Gawaine

because he and his brethren had slain Sir Lamorak du Galis, cousin to

Sir Pinel; so he put poison into some of the apples, hoping that Sir

Gawaine would eat one and die. But by ill fortune it befell that the

good Knight Sir Patrise took a poisoned apple, and in a few moments he

lay dead and stark in his seat. At this sight all the Knights leapt to

their feet, but said nothing, for they bethought them that Queen

Guenevere had made them the dinner, and feared that she had poisoned the

fruit.

 

"My lady, the Queen," said Sir Gawaine, who was the first to speak,

"this fruit was brought for me, for all know how well I love it;

therefore, Madam, the shame of this ill deed is yours." The Queen stood

still, pale and trembling, but kept silence, and next spoke Sir Mador de

la Porte.

 

"This shall not be ended so," said he, "for I have lost a noble Knight

of my blood, and I will be avenged of the person who has wrought this

evil." And he turned to the Queen and said "Madam, it is you who have

brought about the death of my cousin Sir Patrise!" The Knights round

listened in silence, for they too thought Sir Mador spake truth. And the

Queen still said nothing, but fell to weeping bitterly, till King Arthur

heard and came to look into the matter. And when they told him of their

trouble his heart was heavy within him.

 

"Fair lords," said the King at last, "I grieve for this ill deed; but I

cannot meddle therein, or do battle for my wife, for I have to judge

justly. Sure I am that this deed is none of hers, therefore many a good

Knight will stand her champion that she be not burned to death in a

wrong quarrel. And Sir Mador, hold not your head so high, but fix the

day of battle, when you shall find a Knight to answer you, or else it

were great shame to all my Court."

 

"My gracious lord," said Sir Mador, "you must hold me excused. But

though you are a King you are also a Knight, and must obey the laws of

Knighthood. Therefore I beseech your forgiveness if I declare that none

of the four and twenty Knights here present will fight that battle. What

say you, my lords?" Then the Knights answered that they could not hold

the Queen guiltless, for as the dinner was made by her either she or her

servants must have done this thing.

 

"Alas!" said the Queen, "no evil was in my heart when I prepared this

feast, for never have I done such foul deeds."

 

"My lord the King," cried Sir Mador, "I require of you, as you are a

just King, to fix a day that I may get ready for the fight!"

 

"Well," answered the King, "on the fifteenth day from this come on

horseback to the meadow that is by Westminster. And if it happens that

there be a Knight to fight with you, strike as hard as you will, God

will speed the right. But if no Knight is there, then must my Queen be

burned, and a fire shall be made in the meadow."

 

"I am answered," said Sir Mador, and he and the rest of the Knights

departed.

 

When the King and Queen were left alone he asked her what had brought

all this about. "God help me, that I know not," said the Queen, "nor how

it was done."

 

"Where is Sir Lancelot?" said King Arthur, looking round. "If he were

here he would not grudge to do battle for you."

 

"Sir," replied the Queen, "I know not where he is, but his brother and

his kinsmen think he is not in this realm."

 

"I grieve for that," said the King, "for he would soon stop this strife.

But I counsel you, ask Sir Bors, and he will not refuse you. For well I

see that none of the four and twenty Knights who were with you at dinner

will be your champion, and none will say well of you, but men will speak

evil of you at the Court."

 

"Alas!" sighed the Queen, "I do indeed miss Sir Lancelot, for he would

soon ease my heart."

 

"What ails you?" asked the King, "that you cannot keep Sir Lancelot at

your side, for well you know that he who Sir Lancelot fights for has the

best Knight in the world for his champion. Now go your way, and command

Sir Bors to do battle with you for Sir Lancelot's sake." So the Queen

departed from the King, and sent for Sir Bors into her chamber, and when

he came she besought his help.

 

[Illustration: SIR MADOR ACCUSES GUENEVERE]

 

"Madam," said he, "what can I do? for I may not meddle in this matter

lest the Knights who were at the dinner have me in suspicion, for I was

there also. It is now, Madam, that you miss Sir Lancelot, whom you have

driven away, as he would have done battle for you were you right or

wrong, and I wonder how for shame's sake you can ask me, knowing how I

love and honour him."

 

"Alas," said the Queen, "I throw myself on your grace," and she went

down on her knees and besought Sir Bors to have mercy on her, "else I

shall have a shameful death, and one I have never deserved." At that

King Arthur came in, and found her kneeling before Sir Bors. "Madame!

you do me great dishonour," said Sir Bors, raising her up.

 

"Ah, gentle Knight," cried the King, "have mercy on my Queen, for I am

sure that they speak falsely. And I require by the love of Sir Lancelot

that you do battle for her instead of him."

 

"My lord," answered Sir Bors, "you require of me the hardest thing that

ever any one asked of me, for well you know that if I fight for the

Queen I shall anger all my companions of the Round Table; but I will not

say nay, my lord, for Sir Lancelot's sake and for your own sake! On that

day I will be the Queen's champion, unless a better Knight is found to

do battle for her."

 

"Will you promise me this?" asked the King.

 

"Yes," answered Sir Bors, "I will not fail you nor her, unless there

should come a better Knight than I, then he shall have the battle." Then

the King and Queen rejoiced greatly, and thanked Sir Bors with all their

hearts.

 

So Sir Bors departed and rode unto Sir Lancelot, who was with the hermit

Sir Brasias, and told him of this adventure. "Ah," said Sir Lancelot,

"this has befallen as I would have it, and therefore I pray you make

ready to do battle, but delay the fight as long as you can that I may

appear. For I am sure that Sir Mador is a hot Knight, and the longer he

waits the more impatient he will be for the combat."

 

"Sir," answered Sir Bors, "let me deal with him. Doubt not you shall

have all your will." And he rode away, and came again to the Court.

 

It was soon noised about that Sir Bors would be the Queen's champion,

and many Knights were displeased with him; but there were a few who held

the Queen to be innocent. Sir Bors spoke unt