首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第117章

第117章

  Andsotheytookhmbyeverypartofthebody,andbarehmntoachamber,andladhmnarchbed,farfromallfolk;andsohelayfourdays。Thentheonesadhewasalve,andtheothersad,Nay。nthenameofGod,sadanoldman,fordoyouverlytowthesnotdead,buthessofulloflfeasthemghtestofyouall;andthereforecounselyouthathebewellkepttllGodsendhmlfeagan。
  HowSrlauncelothadlanfour-and-twentydaysandasmanynghtsasadeadman,andotherdversmatters。
  NsuchmannertheykeptLauncelotfour-and-twentydaysandallsomanynghts,thateverhelaystllasadeadman;andatthetwenty-ffthdaybefellhmaftermddaythatheopenedhseyes。Andwhenhesawfolkhemadegreatsorrow,andsad:Whyhaveyeawakedme,forwasmoreateasethanamnow。OJesuChrst,whomghtbesoblessedthatmghtseeopenlythygreatmarvelsofsecretnesstherewherenosnnermaybe!Whathaveyeseen?sadtheyabouthm。
  haveseen,sadhe,sogreatmarvelsthatnotonguemaytell,andmorethananyheartcanthnk,andhadnotmysonbeenhereaforemehadseenmuchmore。
  Thentheytoldhmhowhehadlantherefour-and-twentydaysandnghts。Thenhmthoughttwaspunshmentforthefour-and-twentyyearsthathehadbeenasnner,whereforeOurLordputhmnpenancefour-and-twentydaysandnghts。ThenlookedSrLauncelotaforehm,andsawtheharwhchhehadbornenghayear,forthathefor-thoughthmrghtmuchthathehadbrokenhspromseuntothehermt,whchhehadavowedtodo。Thentheyaskedhowtstoodwthhm。Forsooth,sadhe,amwholeofbody,thankedbeOurLord;therefore,srs,forGod’slovetellmewheream。ThensadtheyallthathewasnthecastleofCarbonek。
  Therewthcameagentlewomanandbroughthmashrtofsmalllnencloth,buthechangednotthere,buttookthehartohmagan。Sr,sadthey,thequestoftheSangrealsachevednowrghtnyou,thatnevershallyeseeoftheSangrealnomorethanyehaveseen。NowthankGod,sadLauncelot,ofHsgreatmercyofthathaveseen,fortsuffcethme;foras
  supposenomannthsworldhathlvedbetterthan
  havedonetoenchevethathavedone。Andtherewthhetooktheharandclothedhmnt,andabovethatheputalnenshrt,andafterarobeofscarlet,freshandnew。Andwhenhewassoarrayedtheymarvelledall,fortheyknewhmthathewasLauncelot,thegoodknght。Andthentheysadall:OmylordSrLauncelot,bethatye?Andhesad:Trulyamhe。
  ThencamewordtoKngPellesthattheknghtthathadlansolongdeadwasSrLauncelot。Thenwasthekngrghtglad,andwenttoseehm。AndwhenLauncelotsawhmcomehedressedhmagansthm,andtheremadetheknggreatjoyofhm。Andtherethekngtoldhmtdngsthathsfardaughterwasdead。ThenLauncelotwasrghtheavyoft,andsad:Sr,meforthnkeththedeathofyourdaughter,forshewasafullfarlady,freshandyoung。Andwellwotshebarethebestknghtthatsnowontheearth,orthateverwassthGodwasborn。Sothekngheldhmtherefourdays,andonthemorrowhetookhsleaveatKngPellesandatallthefellowshp,andthankedthemofthergreatlabour。
  Rghtsoastheysatattherdnnernthechefsalle,thenwassobefallenthattheSangrealhadfulflledthetablewthallmannerofmeatsthatanyheartmghtthnk。Soastheysattheysawallthedoorsandthewndowsoftheplacewereshutwthoutman’shand,whereoftheywereallabashed,andnonewstwhattodo。
  Andthenthappedsuddenlyaknghtcametothechefdoorandknocked,andcred:Undothedoor。Buttheywouldnot。Andeverhecred:Undo;buttheywouldnot。Andatlasttnoyedthemsomuchthattheknghmselfaroseandcametoawndowtherewheretheknghtcalled。Thenhesad:Srknght,yeshallnotenteratthstmewhletheSangrealshere,andthereforegontoanother;forcertesyebenoneoftheknghtsofthequest,butoneofthemwhchhathservedthefend,andhastlefttheservceofOurLord:andhewaspassngwrothatthekng’swords。Srknght,sadthekng,sthyewouldsofanenter,saymeofwhatcountryyebe。Sr,sadhe,amoftherealmofLogrs,andmynamesEctordeMars,andbrotheruntomylord,SrLauncelot。nthenameofGod,sadthekng,mefor-thnkethofwhathavesad,foryourbrothersherewthn。AndwhenEctordeMarsunderstoodthathsbrotherwasthere,forhewasthemanntheworldthathemostdreadandloved,andthenhesad:AhGod,nowdoublethmysorrowandshame。FulltrulysadthegoodmanofthehlluntoGawaneandtomeofourdreams。Thenwentheoutofthecourtasfastashshorsemght,andsothroughoutthecastle。
  HowSrLauncelotreturnedtowardsLogrs,andofotheradventureswhchhesawntheway。
  THENKngPellescametoSrLauncelotandtoldhmtdngsofhsbrother,whereofhewassorry,thathewstnotwhattodo。SoSrLauncelotdeparted,andtookhsarms,andsadhewouldgoseetherealmofLogrs,whchhavenotseenntwelvemonths。AndtherewthhecommendedthekngtoGod,andsorodethroughmanyrealms。Andatthelasthecametoawhteabbey,andtheretheymadehmthatnghtgreatcheer;andonthemornheroseandheardmass。Andaforeanaltarhefoundarchtomb,whchwasnewlymade;andthenhetookheed,andsawthesdeswrttenwthgoldwhchsad:HerelethKngBagdemagusofGore,whchKngArthur’snephewslew;andnamedhm,SrGawane。
  Thenwasnothealttlesorry,forLauncelotlovedhmmuchmorethananyother,andhadtbeenanyotherthanGawaneheshouldnothaveescapedfromdeathtolfe;andsadtohmself:AhLordGod,thssagreathurtuntoKngArthur’scourt,thelossofsuchaman。
  AndthenhedepartedandcametotheabbeywhereGalahadddtheadventureofthetombs,andwonthewhtesheldwththeredcross;andtherehadhegreatcheerallthatnght。
  AndonthemornheturneduntoCamelot,wherehefoundKngArthurandthequeen。ButmanyoftheknghtsoftheRoundTablewereslananddestroyed,morethanhalf。Andsothreewerecomehome,Ector,Gawane,andLonel,andmanyotherthatneednottoberehearsed。AndallthecourtwaspassnggladofSrLauncelot,andthekngaskedhmmanytdngsofhssonGalahad。AndthereLauncelottoldthekngofhsadventuresthathadbefallenhmsncehedeparted。AndalsohetoldhmoftheadventuresofGalahad,Percvale,andBors,whchthatheknewbytheletterofthedeaddamosel,andasGalahadhadtoldhm。NowGodwould,sadthekng,thattheywereallthreehere。Thatshallneverbe,sadLauncelot,fortwoofthemshallyeneversee,butoneofthemshallcomeagan。
  NowleavewethsstoryandspeakofGalahad。
  HowGalahadcametoKngMordrans,andofothermattersandadventures。
  NOW,saththestory,Galahadrodemanyjourneysnvan。AndatthelasthecametotheabbeywhereKngMordranswas,andwhenheheardthat,hethoughthewouldabdetoseehm。Anduponthemorn,whenhehadheardmass,GalahadcameuntoKngMordrans,andanonthekngsawhm,whchhadlanblndoflongtme。
  Andthenhedressedhmagansthm,andsad:Galahad,theservantofJesuChrst,whosecomnghaveabdensolong,nowembracemeandletmerestonthybreast,sothatmayrestbetweenthnearms,forthouartacleanvrgnaboveallknghts,astheflowerofthellynwhomvrgntyssgnfed,andthouarttherosethewhchstheflowerofallgoodvrtues,andncolouroffre。ForthefreoftheHolyGhoststakensontheethatmyfleshwhchwasalldeadofoldnesssbecomeyoungagan。ThenGalahadheardhswords,thenheembracedhmandallhsbody。Thensadhe:FarLordJesuChrst,nowhavemywll。Nowrequrethee,nthspontthatamn,thoucomeandvstme。AndanonOurLordheardhsprayer:therewththesouldepartedfromthebody。
  AndthenGalahadputhmntheearthasakngoughttobe,andsodepartedandsocamentoaperlousforestwherehefoundthewellthewhchbolethwthgreatwaves,asthetaletellethto-fore。AndassoonasGalahadsethshandtheretotceased,sothattbrentnomore,andtheheatdeparted。Forthattbrenttwasasgnoflechery,thewhchwasthattmemuchused。Butthatheatmghtnotabdehspurevrgnty。Andthswastakennthecountryforamracle。AndsoeverafterwastcalledGalahad’swell。
  ThenbyadventurehecamentothecountryofGore,andntotheabbeywhereLauncelothadbeento-forehand,andfoundthetombofKngBagdemagus,buthewasfounderthereof,JosephofAramathe’sson;andthetombofSmeonwhereLauncelothadfaled。Thenhelookedntoacroftunderthemnster,andtherehesawatombwhchbrentfullmarvellously。Thenaskedhethebrethrenwhattwas。Sr,sadthey,amarvellousadventurethatmaynotbebroughtuntononeendbutbyhmthatpassethofbountyandofknghthoodallthemoftheRoundTable。would,sadGalahad,thatyewouldleadmethereto。Gladly,sadthey,andsoledhmtllacave。
  Andhewentdownupongreses,andcamenghthetomb。Andthentheflamngfaled,andthefrestaunched,thewhchmanyadayhadbeengreat。Thencamethereavocethatsad:MuchareyebeholdentothankOurLord,thewhchhathgvenyouagoodhour,thatyemaydrawoutthesoulsofearthlypan,andtoputthemntothejoysofparadse。amofyourkndred,thewhchhathdwellednthsheatthsthreehundredwnterandfour-and-fftytobepurgedofthesnthatddaganstJosephofAramathe。ThenGalahadtookthebodynhsarmsandbaretntothemnster。AndthatnghtlayGalahadntheabbey;andonthemornhegavehmservce,andputhmntheearthaforethehghaltar。
  HowSrPercvaleandSrBorsmetwthSrGalahad,andhowtheycametothecastleofCarbonek,andothermatters。
  SOdepartedhefromthence,andcommendedthebrethrentoGod;andsoherodefvedaystllthathecametotheMamedKng。AndeverfollowedPercvalethefvedays,askngwherehehadbeen;andsoonetoldhmhowtheadventuresofLogrswereencheved。Soonadaytbefellthattheycameoutofagreatforest,andtheretheymetattraversewthSrBors,thewhchrodealone。tsnoneneedtotellftheywereglad;andthemhesaluted,andtheyyeldedhmhonourandgoodadventure,andeverychtoldother。ThensadBors:tsmothanayearandanhalfthatnelaytentmeswheremendwelled,butnwldforestsandnmountans,butGodwasevermycomfort。
  ThenrodetheyagreatwhletllthattheycametothecastleofCarbonek。AndwhentheywereenteredwthnthecastleKngPellesknewthem;thentherewasgreatjoy,fortheywstwellbythercomngthattheyhadfulflledthequestoftheSangreal。ThenElazar,KngPelles’son,broughtto-forethemthebrokenswordwherewthJosephwasstrckenthroughthethgh。ThenBorssethshandthereto,fthathemghthavesolderedtagan;buttwouldnotbe。ThenhetookttoPercvale,buthehadnomorepowertheretothanhe。Nowhaveyetagan,sadPercvaletoGalahad,forantbeeverenchevedbyanybodlymanyemustdot。Andthenhetookthepecesandsetthemtogether,andtheyseemedthattheyhadneverbeenbroken,andaswellasthadbeenfrstforged。Andwhentheywthnespedthattheadventureoftheswordwasencheved,thentheygavetheswordtoBors,fortmghtnotbebetterset;forhewasagoodknghtandaworthyman。
  Andalttleaforeeventheswordarosegreatandmarvellous,andwasfullofgreatheatthatmanymenfellfordread。Andanonalghtedavoceamongthem,andsad:TheythatoughtnottostatthetableofJesuChrstarse,fornowshallveryknghtsbefed。Sotheywentthence,allsaveKngPellesandElazar,hsson,thewhchwereholymen,andamadwhchwashsnece;
  andsothesethreefellowsandtheythreewerethere,nomo。Anontheysawknghtsallarmedcamenatthehalldoor,andddofftherhelmsandtherarms,andsaduntoGalahad:Sr,wehavehedrghtmuchfortobewthyouatthstablewheretheholymeatshallbedeparted。Thensadhe:Yebewelcome,butofwhencebeye?SothreeofthemsadtheywereofGaul,andotherthreesadtheywereofreland,andtheotherthreesadtheywereofDenmark。Soastheysatthustherecameoutabedoftree,ofachamber,thewhchfourgentlewomenbrought;andnthebedlayagoodmansck,andacrownofgolduponhshead;andtherenthemdstoftheplacetheysethmdown,andwentagantherway。Thenhelftuphshead,andsad:Galahad,Knght,yebewelcome,formuchhavedesredyourcomng,fornsuchpanandnsuchangushhavebeenlong。ButnowtrusttoGodthetermscomethatmypanshallbeallayed,thatshallpassoutofthsworldsoastwaspromsedmelongago。Therewthavocesad:
  TherebetwoamongyouthatbenotnthequestoftheSangreal,andthereforedepartye。