Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table 9

Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table 9

After they had gone Sir Lancelot waked up wholly, and thought of what he

had seen, wondering if he were in a dream or not. Suddenly a voice spoke

to him and it said, "Sir Lancelot, more hard than is the stone, more

bitter than is the wood, more naked and barren than is the leaf of the

fig tree, art thou; therefore go from hence and withdraw thee from this

holy place." When Sir Lancelot heard this, his heart was passing heavy,

and he wept, cursing the day when he had been born. But his helm and

sword had gone from the spot where he had laid them at the foot of the

cross, and his horse was gone also. And he smote himself and cried, "My

sin and my wickedness have done me this dishonour; for when I sought

worldly adventures I ever achieved them and had the better in every

place, and never was I discomfited in any quarrel, were it right or

wrong. But now I take upon me the adventures of holy things, I see and

understand that my old sin hinders me, so that I could not move or speak

when the Holy Graal passed by." Thus he sorrowed till it was day, and he

heard the birds sing, and at that he felt comforted. And as his horse

was gone also, he departed on foot with a heavy heart.

 

 

V.

The Adventure of Sir Percivale.

 

All this while Sir Percivale had pursued adventures of his own, and came

nigh unto losing his life, but he was saved from his enemies by the good

Knight, Sir Galahad, whom he did not know, although he was seeking him,

for Sir Galahad now bore a red shield, and not a white one. And at last

the foes fled deep into the forest, and Sir Galahad followed; but Sir

Percivale had no horse and was forced to stay behind. Then his eyes were

opened, and he knew it was Sir Galahad who had come to his help, and he

sat down under a tree and grieved sore.

 

While he was sitting there a Knight passed by riding a black horse, and

when he was out of sight a yeoman came pricking after as fast as he

could, and, seeing Sir Percivale, asked if he had seen a Knight mounted

on a black horse. "Yes, Sir, forsooth," answered Sir Percivale, "why do

you want to know?" "Ah, Sir, that is my steed which he has taken from

me, and wherever my lord shall find me, he is sure to slay me." "Well,"

said Sir Percivale, "thou seest that I am on foot, but had I a good

horse I would soon come up with him." "Take my hackney," said the

yeoman, "and do the best you can, and I shall follow you on foot to

watch how you speed." So Sir Percivale rode as fast as he might, and at

last he saw that Knight, and he hailed him. The Knight turned and set

his spear against Sir Percivale, and smote the hackney in the breast, so

that he fell dead to the earth, and Sir Percivale fell with him; then

the Knight rode away. But Sir Percivale was mad with wrath, and cried to

the Knight to return and fight with him on foot; but the Knight answered

not and went on his way. When Sir Percivale saw that he would not turn,

he threw himself on the ground, and cast away his helm and sword, and

bemoaned himself for the most unhappy of all Knights; and there he abode

the whole day, and, being faint and weary, slept till it was midnight.

At midnight he waked and saw before him a woman, who said to him right

fiercely, "Sir Percivale, what doest thou here?" "Neither good nor great

ill," answered he. "If thou wilt promise to do my will when I call upon

thee," said she, "I will lend thee my own horse, and he shall bear thee

whither thou shalt choose." This Sir Percivale promised gladly, and the

woman went and returned with a black horse, so large and well-apparelled

that Sir Percivale marvelled. But he mounted him gladly, and drove in

his spurs, and within an hour and less the horse bare him four days'

journey thence, and would have borne him into a rough water, had not Sir

Percivale pulled at his bridle. The Knight stood doubting, for the water

made a great noise, and he feared lest his horse could not get through

it. Still, wishing greatly to pass over, he made himself ready, and

signed the sign of the cross upon his forehead.

 

At that the fiend which had taken the shape of a horse shook off Sir

Percivale and dashed into the water, crying and making great sorrow; and

it seemed to him that the water burned. Then Sir Percivale knew that it

was not a horse but a fiend which would have brought him to perdition,

and he gave thanks and prayed all that night long. As soon as it was day

he looked about him, and saw he was in a wild mountain, girt round with

the sea and filled with wild beasts. Then he rose and went into a

valley, and there he saw a young serpent bring a young lion by the neck,

and after that there passed a great lion, crying and roaring after the

serpent, and a fierce battle began between them. Sir Percivale thought

to help the lion, as he was the more natural beast of the twain, and he

drew his sword and set his shield before him, and gave the serpent a

deadly buffet. When the lion saw that, he made him all the cheer that a

beast might make a man, and fawned about him like a spaniel, and stroked

him with his paws. And about noon the lion took his little whelp, and

placed him on his back, and bare him home again, and Sir Percivale,

being left alone, prayed till he was comforted. But at eventide the lion

returned, and couched down at his feet, and all night long he and the

lion slept together.

 

[Illustration: SIR PERCIVALE SLAYS THE SERPENT]

 

 

VI.

An Adventure of Sir Lancelot.

 

As Lancelot went his way through the forest he met with many hermits who

dwelled therein, and had adventure with the Knight who stole his horse

and his helm, and got them back again. And he learned from one of the

hermits that Sir Galahad was his son, and that it was he who at the

Feast of Pentecost had sat in the Siege Perilous, which it was ordained

by Merlin that none should sit in save the best Knight in the world. All

that night Sir Lancelot abode with the hermit and laid him to rest, a

hair shirt always on his body, and it pricked him sorely, but he bore it

meekly and suffered the pain. When the day dawned he bade the hermit

farewell. As he rode he came to a fair plain, in which was a great

castle set about with tents and pavilions of divers hues. Here were full

five hundred Knights riding on horseback, and those near the castle were

mounted on black horses with black trappings, and they that were without

were on white horses and their trappings white. And the two sides fought

together, and Sir Lancelot looked on.

 

At last it seemed to him that the black Knights nearest the castle fared

the worst, so, as he ever took the part of the weaker, he rode to their

help and smote many of the white Knights to the earth and did marvellous

deeds of arms. But always the white Knights held round Sir Lancelot to

tire him out. And as no man may endure for ever, in the end Sir Lancelot

waxed so faint of fighting that his arms would not lift themselves to

deal a stroke; then they took him, and led him away into the forest and

made him alight from his horse and rest, and when he was taken the

fellowship of the castle were overcome for want of him. "Never ere now

was I at tournament or jousts but I had the best," moaned Sir Lancelot

to himself, as soon as the Knights had left him and he was alone. "But

now am I shamed, and I am persuaded that I am more sinful than ever I

was." Sorrowfully he rode on till he passed a chapel, where stood a nun,

who called to him and asked him his name and what he was seeking.

 

So he told her who he was, and what had befallen him at the tournament,

and the vision that had come to him in his sleep. "Ah, Lancelot," said

she, "as long as you were a knight of earthly knighthood you were the

most wonderful man in the world and the most adventurous. But now, since

you are set among Knights of heavenly adventures, if you were worsted at

that tournament it is no marvel. For the tournament was meant for a

sign, and the earthly Knights were they who were clothed in black in

token of the sins of which they were not yet purged. And the white

Knights were they who had chosen the way of holiness, and in them the

quest has already begun. Thus you beheld both the sinners and the good

men, and when you saw the sinners overcome you went to their help, as

they were your fellows in boasting and pride of the world, and all that

must be left in that quest. And that caused your misadventure. Now that

I have warned you of your vain-glory and your pride, beware of

everlasting pain, for of all earthly Knights I have pity of you, for I

know well that among earthly sinful Knights you are without peer."

 

 

VII.

An Adventure of Sir Gawaine.

 

When Sir Gawaine departed he rode long without any adventure. From

Whitsunday to Michaelmas he rode and found not the tenth part of the

adventures he was wont to do. But it befell on a day that he met Sir

Ector de Maris, at which they rejoiced exceedingly, complaining to one

another of the lack of adventure in the quest on which they were set.

 

"Truly," said Sir Gawaine to Sir Ector, "I am nigh weary of this quest,

and loth to follow it to further strange countries."

 

"One thing seems strange to me," said Sir Ector, "I have met with twenty

Knights, and they all complain as I do."

 

"I wonder," said Sir Gawaine, "where your brother is." "I can hear

nothing of him," answered Sir Ector, "nor of Sir Galahad, Sir Percivale,

or Sir Bors, but they fare well, no doubt, for they have no peers."

 

As they sat talking there appeared before them a hand showing unto the

elbow covered with red samite, and holding a great candle that burned

right clear; and the hand passed into the chapel and vanished, they knew

not where. Then they heard a voice which said, "Knights full of evil

faith and poor belief, these two things have failed you, and therefore

you may not come to the adventure of the Holy Graal." And thereat they

went to a holy man to whom they confessed their sins. Said he, "This is

the meaning of the vision: you have failed in three things, charity,

fasting, and truth, and have been great murderers."

 

"Sir," said Gawaine, "by your words it seems that our sins will not let

us labour in that quest?" "Truly," answered the hermit, "there be an

hundred such as you to whom it will bring naught but shame." So Gawaine

departed and followed Sir Ector, who had ridden on before.

 

 

VIII.

The Adventure of Sir Bors.

 

When Sir Bors left Camelot on his quest he met a holy man riding on an

ass, and Sir Bors saluted him. Anon the good man knew him to be one of

the Knights who were in quest of the Holy Graal. "What are you?" said

he, and Sir Bors answered, "I am a Knight that fain would be counselled

in the quest of the Graal, for he shall have much earthly worship that

brings it to an end." "That is true," said the good man, "for he will be

the best Knight in the world, but know well that there shall none attain

it but by holiness and by confession of sin." So they rode together till