首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第108章

第108章

  HowSrLauncelotcametoachapel,wherehefounddead,nawhteshrt,amanofrelgon,ofanhundredwnterold。
  WHENthehermthadkeptSrLauncelotthreedays,thehermtgathmanhorse,anhelm,andasword。Andthenhedepartedaboutthehourofnoon。Andthenhesawalttlehouse。Andwhenhecamenearhesawachapel,andtherebesdehesawanoldmanthatwasclothedallnwhtefullrchly;andthenSrLauncelotsad:Godsaveyou。Godkeepyou,sadthegoodman,andmakeyouagoodknght。ThenSrLauncelotalghtedandenteredntothechapel,andtherehesawanoldmandead,nawhteshrtofpassngfnecloth。
  Sr,sadthegoodman,thsmanthatsdeadoughtnottobensuchclothngasyeseehmn,fornthathebraketheoathofhsorder,forhehathbeenmorethananhundredwnteramanofarelgon。AndthenthegoodmanandSrLauncelotwentntothechapel;andthegoodmantookastoleabouthsneck,andabook,andthenheconjuredonthatbook;andwththattheysawnanhdeousfgureandhorrble,thattherewasnomansohard-heartednorsohardbutheshouldhavebeenafeard。
  Thensadthefend:Thouhasttravaledmegreatly;
  nowtellmewhatthouwltwthme。wll,sadthegoodman,thatthoutellmehowmyfellowbecamedead,andwhetherhebesavedordamned。Thenhesadwthanhorrblevoce:Hesnotlostbutsaved。Howmaythatbe?sadthegoodman;tseemedtomethathelvednotwell,forhebrakehsorderfortowearashrtwhereheoughttowearnone,andwhothattrespassethaganstourorderdothnotwell。Notso,sadthefend,thsmanthatlethheredeadwascomeofagreatlneage。AndtherewasalordthathghttheEarldeVale,thatheldgreatwaraganstthsman’snephew,thewhchhghtAguarus。AndsothsAguarussawtheearlwasbggerthanhe。Thenhewentfortotakecounselofhsuncle,thewhchlethheredeadasyemaysee。Andthenheaskedleave,andwentoutofhshermtagefortomantanhsnephewaganstthemghtyearl;andsothappedthatthsmanthatlethheredeadddsomuchbyhswsdomandhardnessthattheearlwastaken,andthreeofhslords,byforceofthsdeadman。
  Ofadeadman,howmenwouldhavehewnhm,andtwouldnotbe,andhowSrLauncelottooktheharofthedeadman。
  THENwastherepeacebetwxttheearlandthsAguarus,andgreatsuretythattheearlshouldneverwaragansthm。Thenthsdeadmanthatherelethcametothshermtageagan;andthentheearlmadetwoofhsnephewsfortobeavengeduponthsman。Sotheycameonaday,andfoundthsdeadmanatthesacrngofhsmass,andtheyabodehmtllhehadsadmass。
  Andthentheysetuponhmanddrewoutswordstohaveslanhm;buttherewouldnoswordbteonhmmorethanuponagadofsteel,forthehghLordwhchheservedHehmpreserved。Thenmadetheyagreatfre,andddoffallhsclothes,andtheharoffhsback。Andthenthsdeadmanhermtsaduntothem:Weenyoutoburnme?tshallnotlenyourpowernortopershmeasmuchasathread,antherewereanyonmybody。No?
  sadoneofthem,tshallbeassayed。Andthentheydespoledhm,andputuponhmthsshrt,andcasthmnafre,andtherehelayallthatnghttlltwasdaynthatfre,andwasnotdead,andsonthemorncameandfoundhmdead;butfoundnetherthreadnorskntamed,andsotookhmoutofthefrewthgreatfear,andladhmhereasyemaysee。Andnowmayyesuffermetogomyway,forhavesadyouthesooth。Andthenhedepartedwthagreattempest。
  ThenwasthegoodmanandSrLauncelotmoregladderthantheywereto-fore。AndthenSrLauncelotdwelledwththatgoodmanthatnght。Sr,sadthegoodman,beyenotSrLauncelotduLake?Yea,sr,sadhe。
  Whatseekyenthscountry?Sr,sadSrLauncelot,
  gotoseektheadventuresoftheSangreal。Well,sadhe,seektyemaywell,butthoughtwerehereyeshallhavenopowertoseetnomorethanablndmanshouldseeabrghtsword,andthatslongonyoursn,andelseyeweremoreablerthananymanlvng。AndthenSrLauncelotbegantoweep。Thensadthegoodman:WereyeconfessedsthyeenteredntothequestoftheSangreal?Yea,sr,sadSrLauncelot。Thenuponthemornwhenthegoodmanhadsunghsmass,thentheyburedthedeadman。ThenSrLauncelotsad:Father,whatshalldo?
  Now,sadthegoodman,requreyoutakethsharthatwasthsholyman’sandputtnextthyskn,andtshallprevaltheegreatly。Sr,andwlldot,sadSrLauncelot。AlsochargeyouthatyeeatnofleshaslongasyebenthequestoftheSangreal,noryeshalldrnknowne,andthatyehearmassdalyanyemaydot。Sohetooktheharandputtuponhm,andsodepartedatevensong-tme。
  Andsorodehentoaforest,andtherehemetwthagentlewomanrdnguponawhtepalfrey,andthensheaskedhm:Srknght,whtherrdeye?Certes,damosel,sadLauncelot,wotnotwhtherrdebutasfortuneleadethme。Ah,SrLauncelot,sadshe,wotwhatadventureyeseek,foryewereaforetmenearerthanyebenow,andyetshallyeseetmoreopenlythaneveryedd,andthatshallyeunderstandnshorttme。ThenSrLauncelotaskedherwherehemghtbeharbouredthatnght。Yeshallnotfndthsdaynornght,butto-mornyeshallfndharbourgood,andeaseofthatyebendoubtofAndthenhecommendedheruntoGod。ThenherodetllthathecametoaCross,andtookthatforhshostasforthatnght。
  OfanadvsonthatSrLauncelothad,andhowhetoldttoanhermt,anddesredcounselofhm。
  ANDsoheputhshorsetopasture,andddoffhshelmandhssheld,andmadehsprayersuntotheCrossthatheneverfallndeadlysnagan。Andsoheladhmdowntosleep。Andanonashewasasleeptbefellhmthereanadvson,thattherecameamanaforehmallbycompassofstars,andthatmanhadacrownofgoldonhsheadandthatmanlednhsfellowshpsevenkngsandtwoknghts。AndalltheseworshppedtheCross,kneelngupontherknees,holdnguptherhandstowardtheheaven。Andalltheysad:FarsweetFatherofheavencomeandvstus,andyelduntouseverychaswehavedeserved。
  ThenlookedLauncelotuptotheheaven,andhmseemedthecloudsddopen,andanoldmancamedown,wthacompanyofangels,andalghtedamongthem,andgaveuntoeverychhsblessng,andcalledthemhsservants,andgoodandtrueknghts。Andwhenthsoldmanhadsadthushecametooneofthoseknghts,andsad:havelostallthathavesetnthee,forthouhastruledtheeaganstmeasawarror,andusedwrongwarswthvan-glory,moreforthepleasureoftheworldthantopleaseme,thereforethoushaltbeconfoundedwthoutthouyeldmemytreasure。AllthsadvsonsawSrLauncelotattheCross。
  Andonthemornhetookhshorseandrodetllmd-
  day;andtherebyadventurehemetwththesameknghtthattookhshorse,helm,andhssword,whenhesleptwhentheSangrealappearedaforetheCross。WhenSrLauncelotsawhmhesalutedhnnotfar,butcredonhgh:Knght,keepthee,forthouhastdonetomegreatunkndness。Andthentheyputaforethemtherspears,andSrLauncelotcamesofercelyuponhmthathesmotehmandhshorsedowntotheearth,thathehadnghbrokenhsneck。ThenSrLauncelottooktheknght’shorsethatwashsownaforehand,anddescendedfromthehorsehesatupon,andmounteduponhsownhorse,andtedtheknght’sownhorsetoatree,thathemghtfndthathorsewhenthathewasarsen。ThenSrLauncelotrodetllnght,andbyadventurehemetanhermt,andeachofthemsalutedother;andthereherestedwththatgoodmanallnght,andgavehshorsesuchashemghtget。ThensadthegoodmanuntoLauncelot:Ofwhencebeye?Sr,sadhe,amofArthur’scourt,andmynamesSrLauncelotduLakethatamnthequestoftheSangreal,andthereforeprayyoutocounselmeofavsonthewhchhadattheCross。
  Andsohetoldhmall。
  V
  HowthehermtexpoundedtoSrLauncelothsadvson,andtoldhmthatSrGalahadwashsson。
  LO,SrLauncelot,sadthegoodman,therethoumghtestunderstandthehghlneagethatthouartcomeof,andthneadvsonbetokeneth。AfterthepassonofJesuChrstfortyyear,JosephofAramathepreachedthevctoryofKngEvelake,thathehadnthebattlesthebetterofhsenemes。Andofthesevenkngsandthetwoknghts:
  thefrstofthemscalledNappus,anholyman;andthesecondhghtNacen,nremembranceofhsgrandsre,andnhmdwelledourLordJesuChrst;andthethrdwascalledHelasleGrose;andthefourthhghtLsas;andtheffthhghtJonas,hedepartedoutofhscountryandwentntoWales,andtooktherethedaughterofManuel,wherebyhehadthelandofGaul,andhecametodwellnthscountry。AndofhmcameKngLauncelotthygrandsre,thewhchthereweddedthekng’sdaughterofreland,andhewasasworthyamanasthouart,andofhmcameKngBan,thyfather,thewhchwasthelastofthesevenkngs。Andbythee,SrLauncelot,tsgnfeththattheangelssadthouwerenoneofthesevenfellowshps。
  Andthelastwasthennthknght,hewassgnfedtoalon,forheshouldpassallmannerofearthlyknghts,thatsSrGalahad,thewhchthougatonKngPelles’
  daughter;andthououghttothankGodmorethananyothermanlvng,forofasnnerearthlythouhastnopeerasnknghthood,nornevershallbe。ButlttlethankhastthougventoGodforallthegreatvrtuesthatGodhathlentthee。Sr,sadLauncelot,yesaythatthatgoodknghtsmyson。Thatoughtestthoutoknowandnomanbetter,sadthegoodman,forthouknewestthedaughterofKngPellesfleshly,andonherthoubegattestGalahad,andthatwashethatatthefeastofPentecostsatntheSegePerlous;andthereforemakethoutknownopenlythathesoneofthybegettngonKngPelles’
  daughter,forthatwllbeyourworshpandhonour,andtoallthykndred。Andcounselyounnoplacepressnotuponhmtohaveadowthhm。Well,sadLauncelot,meseemeththatgoodknghtshouldprayformeuntotheHghFather,thatfallnottosnagan。Trustthouwell,sadthegoodman,thoufarestmcklethebetterforhsprayer;butthesonshallnotbearthewckednessofthefather,northefathershallnotbearthewckednessoftheson,buteverychshallbearhsownburden。AndthereforebeseekthouonlyGod,andHewllhelptheenallthyneeds。AndthenSrLauncelotandhewenttosupper,andsoladhmtorest,andtheharprckedsoSrLauncelot’ssknwhchgrevedhmfullsore,buthetooktmeekly,andsufferedthepan。Andsoonthemornheheardhsmassandtookhsarms,andsotookhsleave。
  HowSrLauncelotjoustedwthmanyknghts,andhowhewastaken。
  ANDthenmounteduponhshorse,androdentoaforest,andheldnohghway。Andashelookedaforehmhesawafarplan,andbesdethatafarcastle,andaforethecastleweremanypavlonsofslkandofdversehue。
  Andhmseemedthathesawtherefvehundredknghtsrdngonhorseback;andthereweretwopartes:theythatwereofthecastlewereallonblackhorsesandthertrappngsblack,andtheythatwerewthoutwereallonwhtehorsesandtrappngs,andeverychhurtledtootherthattmarvelledSrLauncelot。Andatthelasthmthoughttheyofthecastlewereputtotheworse。
  ThenthoughtSrLauncelotfortohelptheretheweakerpartynncreasngofhschvalry。AndsoSrLauncelotthrustnamongthepartyofthecastle,andsmotedownaknght,horseandman,totheearth。Andthenherashedhereandthere,andddmarvellousdeedsofarms。Andthenhedrewouthssword,andstruckmanyknghtstotheearth,sothatallthosethatsawhmmarvelledthateveroneknghtmghtdosogreatdeedsofarms。ButalwaysthewhteknghtsheldthemnghaboutSrLauncelot,fortotrehmandwndhm。Butatthelast,asamanmaynoteverendure,SrLauncelotwaxedsofantoffghtngandtravalng,andwassowearyofhsgreatdeeds,that[1]hemghtnotlftuphsarmsfortogveonestroke,sothatheweenednevertohavebornearms;andthentheyalltookandledhmawayntoaforest,andtheremadehmtoalghtandtoresthm。
  Andthenallthefellowshpofthecastlewereovercomeforthedefaultofhm。ThentheysadalluntoSrLauncelot:BlessedbeGodthatyebenowofourfellowshp,forweshallholdyounourprson;andsotheyleft[1]SoW。deWorde;Caxton``but。’’
  hmwthfewwords。AndthenSrLauncelotmadegreatsorrow,Forneverornowwasneverattournamentnorjoustsbuthadthebest,andnowamshamed;andthenhesad:Nowamsurethatammoresnfullerthaneverwas。