Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table 3

Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table 3

THE STORY OF SIR BALIN.

 

 

In those days many Kings reigned in the Islands of the Sea, and they

constantly waged war upon each other, and on their liege lord, and news

came to Arthur that Ryons, King of North Wales, had collected a large

host and had ravaged his lands and slain some of his people. When he

heard this, Arthur rose in anger, and commanded that all lords, Knights,

and gentlemen of arms should meet him at Camelot, where he would call a

council, and hold a tourney.

 

From every part the Knights flocked to Camelot, and the town was full to

overflowing of armed men and their horses. And when they were all

assembled, there rode in a damsel, who said she had come with a message

from the great Lady Lile of Avelion, and begged that they would bring

her before King Arthur. When she was led into his presence she let her

mantle of fur slip off her shoulders, and they saw that by her side a

richly wrought sword was buckled. The King was silent with wonder at the

strange sight, but at last he said, "Damsel, why do you wear this sword?

for swords are not the ornaments of women." "Oh, my lord," answered she,

"I would I could find some Knight to rid me of this sword, which weighs

me down and causes me much sorrow. But the man who will deliver me of it

must be one who is mighty of his hands, and pure in his deeds, without

villainy, or treason. If I find a Knight such as this, he will draw this

sword out of its sheath, and he only. For I have been at the Court of

King Ryons, and he and his Knights tried with all their strength to draw

the sword and they could not."

 

"Let me see if I can draw it," said Arthur, "not because I think myself

the best Knight, for well I know how far I am outdone by others, but to

set them an example that they may follow me." With that the King took

the sword by the sheath and by the girdle, and pulled at it with all his

force, but the sword stuck fast. "Sir," said the damsel, "you need not

pull half so hard, for he that shall pull it out shall do it with little

strength." "It is not for me," answered Arthur, "and now, my Barons, let

each man try his fortune." So most of the Knights of the Round Table

there present pulled, one after another, at the sword, but none could

stir it from its sheath. "Alas! alas!" cried the damsel in great grief,

"I thought to find in this Court Knights that were blameless and true of

heart, and now I know not where to look for them." "By my faith," said

Arthur, "there are no better Knights in the world than these of mine,

but I am sore displeased that they cannot help me in this matter."

 

Now at that time there was a poor Knight at Arthur's Court who had been

kept prisoner for a year and a half because he had slain the King's

cousin. He was of high birth and his name was Balin, and after he had

suffered eighteen months the punishment of his misdeed the Barons prayed

the King to set him free, which Arthur did willingly. When Balin,

standing apart beheld the Knights one by one try the sword, and fail to

draw it, his heart beat fast, yet he shrank from taking his turn, for he

was meanly dressed, and could not compare with the other Barons. But

after the damsel had bid farewell to Arthur and his Court, and was

setting out on her journey homewards, he called to her and said,

"Damsel, I pray you to suffer me to try your sword, as well as these

lords, for though I am so poorly clothed, my heart is as high as

theirs." The damsel stopped and looked at him, and answered, "Sir, it is

not needful to put you to such trouble, for where so many have failed it

is hardly likely that you will succeed." "Ah! fair damsel," said Balin,

"it is not fine clothes that make good deeds." "You speak truly,"

replied the damsel, "therefore do what you can." Then Balin took the

sword by the girdle and sheath, and pulled it out easily, and when he

looked at the sword he was greatly pleased with it. The King and the

Knights were dumb with surprise that it was Balin who had triumphed over

them, and many of them envied him and felt anger towards him. "In

truth," said the damsel, "this is the best Knight that I ever found,

but, Sir, I pray you give me the sword again."

 

"No," answered Balin, "I will keep it till it is taken from me by

force." "It is for your sake, not mine, that I ask for it," said the

damsel, "for with that sword you shall slay the man you love best, and

it will bring about your own ruin." "I will take what befalls me,"

replied Balin, "but the sword I will not give up, by the faith of my

body." So the damsel departed in great sorrow. The next day Sir Balin

left the Court, and, armed with his sword, set forth in search of

adventures, which he found in many places where he had not thought to

meet with them. In all the fights that he fought, Sir Balin was the

victor, and Arthur, and Merlin his friend, knew that there was no Knight

living of greater deeds, or more worthy of worship. And he was known to

all as Sir Balin le Savage, the Knight of the two swords.

 

One day he was riding forth when at the turning of a road he saw a

cross, and on it was written in letters of gold, "Let no Knight ride

towards this castle." Sir Balin was still reading the writing when there

came towards him an old man with white hair, who said, "Sir Balin le

Savage, this is not the way for you, so turn again and choose some other

path." And so he vanished, and a horn blew loudly, as a horn is blown at

the death of a beast. "That blast," said Balin, "is for me, but I am

still alive," and he rode to the castle, where a great company of

knights and ladies met him and welcomed him, and made him a feast. Then

the lady of the castle said to him, "Knight with the two swords, you

must now fight a Knight that guards an island, for it is our law that no

man may leave us without he first fight a tourney."

 

[Illustration: The Damsel Warns Sir Balin.]

 

"That is a bad custom," said Balin, "but if I must I am ready; for

though my horse is weary my heart is strong."

 

"Sir," said a Knight to him, "your shield does not look whole to me; I

will lend you another;" so Balin listened to him and took the shield

that was offered, and left his own with his own coat of arms behind him.

He rode down to the shore, and led his horse into a boat which took them

across. When he reached the other side, a damsel came to him crying, "O

knight Balin, why have you left your own shield behind you? Alas! you

have put yourself in great danger, for by your shield you should have

been known. I grieve over your doom, for there is no man living that can

rival you for courage and bold deeds."

 

"I repent," answered Balin, "ever having come into this country, but for

very shame I must go on. Whatever befalls me, either for life or death,

I am ready to take it." Then he examined his armour, and saw that it was

whole, and mounted his horse.

 

As he went along the path he beheld a Knight come out of a castle in

front, clothed in red, riding a horse with red trappings. When this red

Knight looked on the two swords, he thought for a moment it was Balin,

but the shield did not bear Balin's device. So they rode at each other

with their spears, and smote each other's shields so hard that both

horses and men fell to the ground with the shock, and the Knights lay

unconscious on the ground for some minutes. But soon they rose up again

and began the fight afresh, and they fought till the place was red with

their blood, and they had each seven great wounds. "What Knight are

you?" asked Balin le Savage, pausing for breath, "for never before have

I found any Knight to match me." "My name," said he, "is Balan, brother

to the good Knight Balin."

 

"Alas!" cried Balin, "that I should ever live to see this day," and he

fell back fainting to the ground. At this sight Balan crept on his feet

and hands, and pulled off Balin's helmet, so that he might see his face.

The fresh air revived Balin, and he awoke and said: "O Balan, my

brother, you have slain me, and I you, and the whole world will speak

ill of us both."

 

"Alas," sighed Balan, "if I had only known you! I saw your two swords,

but from your shield I thought you had been another knight."

 

"Woe is me!" said Balin, "all this was wrought by an unhappy knight in

the castle, who caused me to change my shield for his. If I lived, I

would destroy that castle that he should not deceive other men."

 

"You would have done well," answered Balan, "for they have kept me

prisoner ever since I slew a Knight that guarded this island, and they

would have kept you captive too." Then came the lady of the castle and

her companions, and listened as they made their moan. And Balan prayed

that she would grant them the grace to lie together, there where they

died, and their wish was given them, and she and those that were with

her wept for pity.

 

So they died; and the lady made a tomb for them, and put Balan's name

alone on it, for Balin's name she knew not. But Merlin knew, and next

morning he came and wrote it in letters of gold, and he ungirded Balin's

sword, and unscrewed the pommel, and put another pommel on it, and bade

a Knight that stood by handle it, but the Knight could not. At that

Merlin laughed.

 

[Illustration: The Death of Balin and Balan]

 

"Why do you laugh?" asked the Knight. "Because," said Merlin, "no man

shall handle this sword but the best Knight in the world, and that is

either Sir Lancelot or his son Sir Galahad. With this sword Sir Lancelot

shall slay the man he loves best, and his name is Sir Gawaine." And this

was later done, in a fight across the seas.

 

All this Merlin wrote on the pommel of the sword. Next he made a bridge

of steel to the island, six inches broad, and no man could pass over it

that was guilty of any evil deeds. The scabbard of the sword he left on

this side of the island, so that Galahad should find it. The sword

itself he put in a magic stone, which floated down the stream to

Camelot, that is now called Winchester. And the same day Galahad came to

the river, having in his hand the scabbard, and he saw the sword and

pulled it out of the stone, as is told in another place.

 

 

 

 

WHAT BEAUMAINS ASKED OF THE KING.

 

 

As Pentecost drew near King Arthur commanded that all the Knights of the

Round Table should keep the feast at a city called Kin-Kenadon, hard by

the sands of Wales, where there was a great castle. Now it was the

King's custom that he would eat no food on the day of Pentecost, which

we call Whit Sunday, until he had heard or seen some great marvel. So on

that morning Sir Gawaine was looking from the window a little before

noon when he espied three men on horseback, and with them a dwarf on

foot, who held their horses when they alighted. Then Sir Gawaine went to

the King and said, "Sir, go to your food, for strange adventures are at

hand." And Arthur called the other Kings that were in the castle, and

all the Knigh