首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第115章

第115章

  Thentheywentfromthatshp,andwenttotheother。
  Andanonthewnddrovethemntotheseaagreatpace,buttheyhadnovctuals:buttbefellthattheycameonthemorntoacastlethatmencallCartelose,thatwasnthemarchesofScotland。Andwhentheyhadpassedtheport,thegentlewomansad:Lords,herebemenarrventhat,antheywstthatyewereofKngArthur’scourt,yeshouldbeassaledanon。Damosel,sadGalahad,Hethatcastusoutoftherockshalldelverusfromthem。
  HowGalahadandhsfellowscametoacastle,andhowtheywerefoughtwthal,andhowtheyslewtheradversares,andothermatters。
  SOtbefellastheyspokethustherecameasqurebythem,andaskedwhattheywere;andtheysadtheywereofKngArthur’shouse。sthatsooth?sadhe。Nowbymyhead,sadhe,yebellarrayed;andthenturnedheaganuntotheclfffortress。Andwthnawhletheyheardanhornblow。Thenagentlewomancametothem,andaskedthemofwhencetheywere;andtheytoldher。
  Farlords,sadshe,forGod’sloveturnaganfyemay,foryebecomeuntoyourdeath。Nay,theysad,wewllnotturnagan,forHeshallhelpusnwhoseservcewebeenteredn。Thenastheystoodtalkngtherecameknghtswellarmed,andbadethemyeldthemorelsetode。Thatyeldng,sadthey,shallbenoyoustoyou。Andtherewththeylettherhorsesrun,andSrPercvalesmotetheforemosttotheearth,andtookhshorse,andmountedthereupon,andthesameddGalahad。AlsoBorsservedanotherso,fortheyhadnohorsesnthatcountry,fortheylefttherhorseswhentheytookthershpnothercountres。
  Andsowhentheywerehorsedthenbegantheytosetuponthem;andtheyofthecastlefledntothestrongfortress,andthethreeknghtsafterthemntothecastle,andsoalghtedonfoot,andwththerswordsslewthemdown,andgatntothehall。
  Thenwhentheybeheldthegreatmulttudeofpeoplethattheyhadslan,theyheldthemselfgreatsnners。
  Certes,sadBors,weenanGodhadlovedthemthatweshouldnothavehadpowertohaveslanthemthus。ButtheyhavedonesomuchaganstOurLordthatHewouldnotsufferthemtoregnnolonger。Sayyenotso,sadGalahad,forftheymsddaganstGod,thevengeancesnotours,buttoHmwhchhathpowerthereof。
  Socamethereoutofachamberagoodmanwhchwasaprest,andbareGod’sbodynacup。Andwhenhesawthemwhchlaydeadnthehallhewasallabashed;andGalahadddoffhshelmandkneeleddown,andsoddhstwofellows。Sr,sadthey,haveyenodreadofus,forwebeofKngArthur’scourt。Thenaskedthegoodmanhowtheywereslansosuddenly,andtheytoldthm。
  Truly,sadthegoodman,anyemghtlveaslongastheworldmghtendure,nemghtyehavedonesogreatanalms-deedasths。Sr,sadGalahad,repentmemuch,nasmuchastheywerechrstened。Nay,repentyounot,sadhe,fortheywerenotchrstened,andshalltellyouhowthatwotofthscastle。HerewasLordEarlHernonotbutoneyear,andhehadthreesons,goodknghtsofarms,andadaughter,thefarestgentlewomanthatmenknew。Sothosethreeknghtslovedthersstersosorethattheybrentnlove,andsotheylaybyher,maugreherhead。Andforshecredtoherfathertheyslewher,andtooktherfatherandputhmnprson,andwoundedhmnghtothedeath,butacousnofhersrescuedhm。Andthenddtheygreatuntruth:theyslewclerksandprests,andmadebeatdownchapels,thatOurLord’sservcemghtnotbeservednorsad。Andthssamedayherfathersenttomefortobeconfessedandhouseled;butsuchshamehadnevermanashadthsdaywththethreebrethren,buttheearlbademesuffer,forhesadtheyshouldnotlongendure,forthreeservantsofOurLordshoulddestroythem,andnowtsbroughttoanend。AndbythsmayyewtthatOurLordsnotdspleasedwthyourdeeds。
  Certes,sadGalahad,anthadnotpleasedOurLord,nevershouldwehaveslansomanymennsolttleawhle。
  AndthentheybroughttheEarlHernooutofprsonntothemdstofthehall,thatknewGalahadanon,andyethesawhmneveraforebutbyrevelatonofOurLord。
  Howthethreeknghts,wthPercvale’ssster,cameuntothesameforest,andofanhartandfourlons,andotherthngs。
  THENbeganhetoweeprghttenderly,andsad:Longhaveabdenyourcomng,butforGod’sloveholdmenyourarms,thatmysoulmaydepartoutofmybodynsogoodaman’sarmsasyebe。Gladly,sadGalahad。Andthenonesadonhgh,thatallheard:Galahad,wellhastthouavengedmeonGod’senemes。NowbehoveththeetogototheMamedKngassoonasthoumayest,forheshallrecevebytheehealthwhchhehathabdensolong。
  Andtherewththesouldepartedfromthebody,andGalahadmadehmtobeburedashmoughttobe。
  Rghtsodepartedthethreeknghts,andPercvale’sssterwththem。Andsotheycamentoawasteforest,andtheretheysawaforethemawhtehartwhchfourlonsled。Thentheytookthemtoassentfortofo[www.kanbaapp.com]llowafterfortoknowwhthertheyrepared;andsotheyrodeafteragreatpacetllthattheycametoavalley,andtherebywasanhermtagewhereagoodmandwelled,andthehartandthelonsenteredalso。Sowhentheysawallthstheyturnedtothechapel,andsawthegoodmannarelgousweedandnthearmourofOurLord,forhewouldsngmassoftheHolyGhost;andsotheyenterednandheardmass。Andatthesecretsofthemasstheythreesawthehartbecomeaman,thewhchmarvelledthem,andsethmuponthealtarnarchsege;andsawthefourlonswerechanged,theonetotheformofaman,theothertotheformofalon,andthethrdtoaneagle,andthefourthwaschangeduntoanox。Thentooktheythersegewherethehartsat,andwentoutthroughaglasswndow,andtherewasnothngpershednorbroken;andtheyheardavocesay:nsuchamannerenteredtheSonofGodnthewombofamadMary,whosevrgntynewaspershednehurt。Andwhentheyheardthesewordstheyfelldowntotheearthandwereastoned;andtherewthwasagreatclearness。
  Andwhentheywerecometotherselfagantheywenttothegoodmanandprayedhmthathewouldsaythemtruth。Whatthnghaveyeseen?sadhe。Andtheytoldhmallthattheyhadseen。Ahlords,sadhe,yebewelcome;
  nowwotwellyebethegoodknghtsthewhchshallbrngtheSangrealtoanend;foryebetheyuntowhomOurLordshallshewgreatsecrets。AndwelloughtOurLordbesgnfedtoanhart,forthehartwhenhesoldhewaxethyoungagannhswhteskn。RghtsocomethaganOurLordfromdeathtolfe,forHelostearthlyfleshthatwasthedeadlyflesh,whchHehadtakennthewomboftheblessedVrgnMary;andforthatcauseappearedOurLordasawhtehartwthoutspot。AndthefourthatwerewthHmstounderstandthefourevangelstswhchsetnwrtngapartofJesuChrst’sdeedsthatHeddsometmewhenHewasamongyouanearthlyman;forwtyewellnevererstnemghtnoknghtknowthetruth,forofttmesorthsOurLordshowedHmuntogoodmenanduntogoodknghts,nlkenessofanhart,butsupposefromhenceforthyeshallseenomore。
  Andthentheyjoyedmuch,anddwelledthereallthatday。
  AnduponthemorrowwhentheyhadheardmasstheydepartedandcommendedthegoodmantoGod:andsotheycametoacastleandpassedby。Sotherecameaknghtarmedafterthemandsad:Lords,harkwhatshallsaytoyou。X
  Howtheyweredesredofastrangecustom,thewhchtheywouldnotobey;whereforetheyfoughtandslewmanyknghts。
  THSgentlewomanthatyeleadwthyousamad?
  Sr,sadshe,amadam。Thenhetookherbythebrdleandsad:BytheHolyCross,yeshallnotescapemeto-foreyehaveyoldenthecustomofthscastle。Lethergo,sadPercvale,yebenotwse,foramadnwhatplaceshecomethsfree。Sonthemeanwhletherecameoutatenortwelveknghtsarmed,outofthecastle,andwththemcamegentlewomenwhchheldadshofslver。
  Andthentheysad:Thsgentlewomanmustyeldusthecustomofthscastle。Sr,sadaknght,whatmadpassethherebyshallgvethsdshfullofbloodofherrghtarm。Blamehaveye,sadGalahad,thatbroughtupsuchcustoms,andsoGodmesave,ensureyouofthsgentlewomanyeshallfalwhlethatlve。SoGodmehelp,sadPercvale,hadleferbeslan。Andalso,sadSrBors。Bymytroth,sadtheknght,thenshallyede,foryemaynotendureaganstusthoughyewerethebestknghtsoftheworld。
  Thenlettheyruneachtoother,andthethreefellowsbeatthetenknghts,andthensettherhandstotherswordsandbeatthemdownandslewthem。Thentherecameoutofthecastleathreescoreknghtsarmed。Farlords,sadthethreefellows,havemercyonyourselfandhavenotadowthus。Nay,farlords,sadtheknghtsofthecastle,wecounselyoutowthdrawyou,foryebethebestknghtsoftheworld,andthereforedonomore,foryehavedoneenough。Wewllletyougowththsharm,butwemustneedshavethecustom。Certes,sadGalahad,fornoughtspeakye。Well,sadthey,wllyede?
  Webenotyetcomethereto,sadGalahad。Thenbegantheytomeddletogether,andGalahad,wththestrangegrdles,drewhssword,andsmoteontherghthandandonthelefthand,andslewwhatthateverabodehm,andddsuchmarvelsthattherewasnonethatsawhmbutweenedhehadbeennoneearthlyman,butamonster。
  Andhstwofellowshalphmpassngwell,andsotheyheldthejourneyeverychnlkehardtlltwasnght:
  thenmusttheyneedsdepart。
  Socamenagoodknght,andsadtothethreefellows:fyewllcomento-nghtandtakesuchharbourasheresyeshallberghtwelcome,andweshallensureyoubythefathofourbodes,andaswebetrueknghts,toleaveyounsuchestateto-morrowaswefndyou,wthoutanyfalsehood。Andassoonasyeknowofthecustomwedaresayyewllaccordtherefore。ForGod’slove,sadthegentlewoman,goththerandsparenotforme。Gowe,sadGalahad;andsotheyenteredntothechapel。Andwhentheywerealghtedtheymadegreatjoyofthem。Sowthnawhlethethreeknghtsaskedthecustomofthecastleandwhereforetwas。Whatts,sadthey,wewllsayyousooth。
  HowSrPercvale’sssterbledadshfullofbloodfortohealalady,whereforesheded;andhowthatthebodywasputnashp。
  THEREsnthscastleagentlewomanwhchweandthscastleshers,andmanyother。Sotbefellmanyyearsagonetherefelluponheramalady;andwhenshehadlanagreatwhleshefelluntoameasle,andofnoleechshecouldhavenoremedy。Butatthelastanoldmansadanshemghthaveadshfullofbloodofamadandacleanvrgnnwllandnwork,andakng’sdaughter,thatbloodshouldbeherhealth,andfortoanontherwthal;andforthsthngwasthscustommade。Now,sadPercvale’ssster,farknghts,seewellthatthsgentlewomansbutdead。Certes,sadGalahad,anyebleedsomuchyemayde。Truly,sadshe,andefortohealhershallgetmegreatworshpandsoul’shealth,andworshptomylneage,andbettersoneharmthantwan。Andthereforethereshallbenomorebattle,butto-mornshallyeldyouyourcustomofthscastle。Andthentherewasgreatjoymorethantherewasto-fore,forelsehadtherebeenmortalwaruponthemorn;notwthstandngshewouldnoneother,whethertheywoldornold。
  Thatnghtwerethethreefellowseasedwththebest;
  andonthemorntheyheardmass,andSrPercvale’sssterbadebrngforththescklady。Soshewas,thewhchwasevlatease。Thensadshe:Whoshallletmeblood?Soonecameforthandletherblood,andshebledsomuchthatthedshwasfull。Thenshelftupherhandandblessedher;andthenshesadtothelady:
  Madam,amcometothedeathfortomakeyouwhole,forGod’sloveprayforme。Wththatshefellnaswoon。ThenGalahadandhstwofellowsstartuptoher,andlftherupandstaunchedher,butshehadbledsomuchthatshemghtnotlve。Thenshesadwhenshewasawaked:FarbrotherPercvale,deforthehealngofthslady,sorequreyouthatyeburymenotnthscountry,butassoonasamdeadputmenaboatatthenexthaven,andletmegoasadventurewllleadme;andassoonasyethreecometotheCtyofSarras,theretoenchevetheHolyGral,yeshallfndmeunderatowerarrved,andthereburymenthesprtualplace;forsayyousomuch,thereGalahadshallbebured,andyealso,nthesameplace。