首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第103章

第103章

  AndthesqurewentuntoBagdemagusandaskedwhetherheweresorewoundedornot。Yeaforsooth,sadhe,
  shallescapehardfromthedeath。Thenhefetchedhshorse,andbroughthmwthgreatpanuntoanabbey。
  Thenwashetakendownsoftlyandunarmed,andladnabed,andtherewaslookedtohswounds。Andasthebooktelleth,helaytherelong,andescapedhardwththelfe。
  HowGalahaddepartedwththesheld,andhowKngEvelakehadrecevedthesheldofJosephofAramathe。
  SRGALAHAD,sadthesqure,thatknghtthatwoundedBagdemagussendethyougreetng,andbadethatyeshouldbearthssheld,wherethroughgreatadventuresshouldbefall。NowblessedbeGodandfortune,sadGalahad。
  Andthenheaskedhsarms,andmounteduponhshorse,andhungthewhtesheldabouthsneck,andcommendedthemuntoGod。AndSrUwanesadhewouldbearhmfellowshpftpleasedhm。Sr,sadGalahad,thatmayyenot,formustgoalone,savethssqureshallbearmefellowshp:andsodepartedUwane。
  ThenwthnawhlecameGalahadthereastheWhteKnghtabodehmbythehermtage,andeverychsalutedothercourteously。Sr,sadGalahad,bythssheldbemanymarvelsfallen。Sr,sadtheknght,tbefellafterthepassonofourLordJesuChrstthrty-twoyear,thatJosephofAramathe,thegentleknght,thewhchtookdownourLordofftheholyCross,atthattmehedepartedfromJerusalemwthagreatpartyofhskndredwthhm。AndsohelabouredtllthattheycametoactythathghtSarras。AndatthatsamehourthatJosephcametoSarrastherewasakngthathghtEvelake,thathadgreatwaragansttheSaracens,andnespecalaganstoneSaracen,thewhchwasKngEvelake’scousn,archkngandamghty,whchmarchednghthsland,andhsnamewascalledTollemelaFentes。Soonadaythesetwomettodobattle。ThenJoseph,thesonofJosephofAramathe,wenttoKngEvelakeandtoldhmheshouldbedscomftandslan,butfhelefthsbelefoftheoldlawandbeleveduponthenewlaw。AndthenthereheshewedhmtherghtbelefoftheHolyTrnty,tothewhchheagreeduntowthallhsheart;andtherethssheldwasmadeforKngEvelake,nthenameofHmthatdedupontheCross。AndthenthroughhsgoodbelefhehadthebetterofKngTolleme。ForwhenEvelakewasnthebattletherewasaclothsetaforethesheld,andwhenhewasnthegreatestperlheletputawaythecloth,andthenhsenemessawafgureofamanontheCross,wherethroughtheyallweredscomft。
  AndsotbefellthatamanofKngEvelake’swassmttenhshandoff,andbarethathandnhsotherhand;andJosephcalledthatmanuntohmandbadehmgowthgooddevotontouchtheCross。AndassoonasthatmanhadtouchedtheCrosswthhshandtwasaswholeasevertwasto-fore。Thensoonaftertherefellagreatmarvel,thatthecrossofthesheldatonetmevanshedawaythatnomanwstwheretbecame。AndthenKngEvelakewasbaptsed,andforthemostpartallthepeopleofthatcty。So,soonafterJosephwoulddepart,andKngEvelakewouldgowthhm,whetherhewoldornold。Andsobyfortunetheycamentothsland,thatatthattmewascalledGreatBrtan;andtheretheyfoundagreatfelonpaynm,thatputJosephntoprson。
  AndsobyfortunetdngscameuntoaworthymanthathghtMondrames,andheassembledallhspeopleforthegreatrenownhehadheardofJoseph;andsohecamentothelandofGreatBrtananddshertedthsfelonpaynmandconsumedhm,andtherewthdelveredJosephoutofprson。AndafterthatallthepeoplewereturnedtotheChrstanfath。
  HowJosephmadeacrossonthewhtesheldwthhsblood,andhowGalahadwasbyamonkbroughttoatomb。
  NOTlongafterthatJosephwasladnhsdeadlybed。
  AndwhenKngEvelakesawthathemademuchsorrow,andsad:Forthylovehaveleftmycountry,andsthyeshalldepartoutofthsworld,leavemesometokenofyoursthatmaythnkonyou。Josephsad:Thatwlldofullgladly;nowbrngmeyoursheldthattookyouwhenyewentntobattleaganstKngTolleme。
  ThenJosephbledsoreatthenose,sothathemghtnotbynomeanbestaunched。Andthereuponthatsheldhemadeacrossofhsownblood。Nowmayyeseearemembrancethatloveyou,foryeshallneverseethssheldbutyeshallthnkonme,andtshallbealwaysasfreshastsnow。Andnevershallmanbearthssheldabouthsneckbutheshallrepentt,untothetmethatGalahad,thegoodknght,beart;andthelastofmylneageshallhavetabouthsneck,thatshalldomanymarvellousdeeds。Now,sadKngEvelake,whereshallputthssheld,thatthsworthyknghtmayhavet?
  YeshallleavetthereasNacen,thehermt,shallbeputafterhsdeath;forththershallthatgoodknghtcometheffteenthdayafterthatheshallrecevetheorderofknghthood:andsothatdaythattheysetsthstmethathehavehssheld,andnthesameabbeylethNacen,thehermt。AndthentheWhteKnghtvanshedaway。
  Anonasthesqurehadheardthesewords,healghtedoffhshackneyandkneeleddownatGalahad’sfeet,andprayedhmthathemghtgowthhmtllhehadmadehmknght。Yea,[1]wouldnotrefuseyou。Thenwllyemakemeaknght?sadthesqure,andthatorder,bythegraceofGod,shallbewellsetnme。SoSrGalahadgrantedhm,andturnedaganuntotheabbeywheretheycamefrom;andtheremenmadegreatjoyofSrGalahad。
  Andanonashewasalghtedtherewasamonkbroughthmuntoatombnachurchyard,wheretherewassuchanosethatwhothatheardtshouldverlynghbemadorlosehsstrength:andsr,theysad,wedeemtsafend。
  Caxton``Yf,’’forwhch``Ye’’seemstheeasestemendatonthatwllsavethesense。
  OfthemarvelthatSrGalahadsawandheardnthetomb,andhowhemadeMelasknght。
  NOWleadmethther,sadGalahad。Andsotheydd,allarmedsavehshelm。Now,sadthegoodman,gotothetombandlfttup。Sohedd,andheardagreatnose;andpteouslyhesad,thatallmenmghtheart:
  SrGalahad,theservantofJesuChrst,comethounotnghme,forthoushaltmakemegoagantherewhere
  havebeensolong。ButGalahadwasnothngafrad,butlftedupthestone;andtherecameoutsofoulasmoke,andafterhesawthefoulestfgureleapthereoutthateverhesawnthelkenessofaman;andthenheblessedhmandwstwelltwasafend。ThenheardheavocesayGalahad,seethereenvronabouttheesomanyangelsthatmypowermaynotderethee{sc}RghtsoSrGalahadsawabodyallarmedlenthattomb,andbesdehmasword。Now,farbrother,sadGalahad,letusremovethsbody,fortsnotworthytolenthschurchyard,forhewasafalseChrstanman。Andtherewththeyalldepartedandwenttotheabbey。Andanonashewasunarmedagoodmancameandsethmdownbyhmandsad:Sr,shalltellyouwhatbetokenethallthatyesawnthetomb;forthatcoveredbodybetokeneththeduresseoftheworld,andthegreatsnthatOurLordfoundntheworld。Fortherewassuchwretchednessthatthefatherlovednottheson,northesonlovednotthefather;andthatwasoneofthecausesthatOurLordtookfleshandbloodofacleanmaden,foroursnsweresogreatatthattmethatwell-nghallwaswckedness。
  Truly,sadGalahad,beleveyourghtwell。
  SoSrGalahadrestedhmtherethatnght;anduponthemornhemadethesqureknght,andaskedhmhsname,andofwhatkndredhewascome。Sr,sadhe,mencallethmeMelasdeLle,andamthesonoftheKngofDenmark。Now,farsr,sadGalahad,sththatyebecomeofkngsandqueens,nowlookthatknghthoodbewellsetnyou,foryeoughttobeamrroruntoallchvalry。Sr,sadSrMelas,yesaysooth。But,sr,sthenyehavemademeaknghtyemustofrghtgrantmemyfrstdesrethatsreasonable。Yesaysooth,sadGalahad。Melassad:ThenthatyewllsuffermetordewthyounthsquestoftheSangreal,tllthatsomeadventuredepartus。grantyou,sr。
  ThenmenbroughtSrMelashsarmourandhsspearandhshorse,andsoSrGalahadandherodeforthallthatweekortheyfoundanyadventure。AndthenuponaMondaynthemornng,astheyweredepartedfromanabbey,theycametoacrosswhchdepartedtwoways,andnthatcrosswereletterswrttenthatsadthus:Now,yeknghtserrant,thewhchgoethtoseekknghtsadventurous,seeheretwoways;thatonewaydefendeththeethatthounegothatway,forheshallnotgooutofthewayaganbutfhebeagoodmanandaworthyknght;andfthougoonthelefthand,thoushaltnotlghtlytherewnprowess,forthoushaltnthswaybesoonassayed。
  Sr,sadMelastoGalahad,ftlkeyoutosuffermetotakethewayonthelefthand,tellme,forthereshallwellprovemystrength。twerebetter,sadGalahad,yerodenotthatway,fordeemshouldbetterescapenthatwaythanye。Nay,mylord,prayyouletmehavethatadventure。TaketnGod’sname,sadGalahad。
  OftheadventurethatMelashad,andhowGalahadrevengedhm,andhowMelaswascarredntoanabbey。
  ANDthenrodeMelasntoanoldforest,andtherenherodetwodaysandmore。Andthenhecamentoafarmeadow,andtherewasafarlodgeofboughs。Andthenheespednthatlodgeachar,wherenwasacrownofgold,subtlywrought。Alsotherewereclothscoveredupontheearth,andmanydelcousmeatssetthereon。SrMelasbeheldthsadventure,andthoughttmarvellous,buthehadnohunger,butofthecrownofgoldhetookmuchkeep;andtherewthhestoopeddownandtooktup,androdehswaywtht。Andanonhesawaknghtcamerdngafterhmthatsad:Knght,setdownthatcrownwhchsnotyours,andthereforedefendyou。ThenSrMelasblessedhmandsad:Farlordofheaven,helpandsavethynew-madeknght。Andthentheylettherhorsesrunasfastastheymght,sothattheotherknghtsmoteSrMelasthroughhauberkandthroughtheleftsde,thathefelltotheearthnghdead。Andthenhetookthecrownandwenthsway;andSrMelaslaystllandhadnopowertostr。
  nthemeanwhlebyfortunetherecameSrGalahadandfoundhmtherenperlofdeath。Andthenhesad:
  AhMelas,whohathwoundedyou?thereforethadbeenbettertohaverddentheotherway。AndwhenSrMelasheardhmspeak:Sr,hesad,forGod’sloveletmenotdenthsforest,butbearmeuntotheabbeyherebesde,thatmaybeconfessedandhavemyrghts。tshallbedone,sadGalahad,butwhereshethathathwoundedyou?WththatSrGalahadheardntheleavescryonhgh:Knght,keeptheefromme。Ahsr,sadMelas,beware,forthatshethathathslanme。SrGalahadanswered:Srknght,comeonyourperl。Thenetherdressedtoother,andcametogetherasfastastherhorsesmghtrun,andGalahadsmotehmsothathsspearwentthroughhsshoulder,andsmotehmdownoffhshorse,andnthefallngGalahad’sspearbrake。
  Wththatcameoutanotherknghtoutoftheleaves,andbrakeaspearuponGalahadoreverhemghtturnhm。ThenGalahaddrewouthsswordandsmoteofftheleftarmofhm,sothattfelltotheearth。Andthenhefled,andSrGalahadpursuedfastafterhm。AndthenheturnedaganuntoSrMelas,andtherehealghtedanddressedhmsoftlyonhshorseto-forehm,forthetruncheonofhsspearwasnhsbody;andSrGalahadstertupbehndhm,andheldhmnhsarms,andsobroughthmtotheabbey,andthereunarmedhmandbroughthmtohschamber。AndthenheaskedhsSavour。AndwhenhehadrecevedHmhesaduntoSrGalahad:Sr,letdeathcomewhentpleasethhm。Andtherewthhedrewoutthetruncheonofthespearoutofhsbody:andthenheswooned。
  Thencamethereanoldmonkwhchsometmehadbeenaknght,andbeheldSrMelas。Andanonheransackedhm;andthenhesaduntoSrGalahad:shallhealhmofhswound,bythegraceofGod,wthnthetermofsevenweeks。ThenwasSrGalahadglad,andunarmedhm,andsadhewouldabdetherethreedays。
  AndthenheaskedSrMelashowtstoodwthhm。
  Thenhesadhewasturneduntohelpng,Godbethanked。