ThenLauncelottookSrBorsnhsarms,andsad:
Gentlecousn,yearerghtwelcometome,andallthatevermaydoforyouandforyoursyeshallfndmypoorbodyreadyatalltmes,whlethesprtsnt,andthat
promseyoufathfully,andnevertofal。Andwtyewell,gentlecousn,SrBors,thatyeandwllneverdepartasunderwhlstourlvesmaylast。Sr,sadhe,wllasyewll。
ThusendeththehstoryoftheSangreal,thatwasbreflydrawnoutofFrenchntoEnglsh,thewhchsastorychroncledforoneofthetruestandtheholestthatsnthsworld,thewhchsthebook。
Andherefolloweththeeghteenthbook。
BOOK
OfthejoyKngArthurandthequeenhadoftheachevementoftheSangreal;andhowLauncelotfelltohsoldloveagan。
SOafterthequestoftheSangrealwasfulflled,andallknghtsthatwereleftalvewerecomeaganuntotheTableRound,asthebookoftheSangrealmakethmenton,thenwastheregreatjoynthecourt;andnespecalKngArthurandQueenGuenevermadegreatjoyoftheremnantthatwerecomehome,andpassnggladwasthekngandthequeenofSrLauncelotandofSrBors,fortheyhadbeenpassnglongawaynthequestoftheSangreal。
Then,asthebooksath,SrLauncelotbegantoresortuntoQueenGueneveragan,andforgatthepromseandtheperfectonthathemadenthequest。For,asthebooksath,hadnotSrLauncelotbeennhsprvythoughtsandnhsmndsosetnwardlytothequeenashewasnseemngoutwardtoGod,therehadnoknghtpassedhmnthequestoftheSangreal;buteverhsthoughtswereprvlyonthequeen,andsotheylovedtogethermorehotterthantheyddto-forehand,andhadsuchprvydraughtstogether,thatmanynthecourtspakeoft,andnespecalSrAgravane,SrGawane’sbrother,forhewaseveropen-mouthed。
SobefellthatSrLauncelothadmanyresortsofladesanddamoselsthatdalyresorteduntohm,thatbesoughthmtobetherchampon,andnallsuchmattersofrghtSrLauncelotappledhmdalytodoforthepleasureofOurLord,JesuChrst。AndeverasmuchashemghthewthdrewhmfromthecompanyandfellowshpofQueenGuenever,fortoeschewtheslanderandnose;
whereforethequeenwaxedwrothwthSrLauncelot。
AnduponadayshecalledSrLauncelotuntoherchamber,andsadthus:SrLauncelot,seeandfeeldalythatthylovebegnnethtoslake,forthouhastnojoytobenmypresence,buteverthouartoutofthscourt,andquarrelsandmattersthouhastnowadaysforladesandgentlewomenmorethaneverthouwertwonttohaveaforehand。
Ahmadam,sadLauncelot,nthsyemustholdmeexcusedfordverscauses;ones,wasbutlatenthequestoftheSangreal;andthankGodofhsgreatmercy,andneverofmydesert,thatsawnthatmyquestasmuchaseversawanysnfulman,andsowasttoldme。Andfhadnothadmyprvythoughtstoreturntoyourloveaganasdo,hadseenasgreatmysteresaseversawmysonGalahad,outherPercvale,orSrBors;andtherefore,madam,wasbutlatenthatquest。Wtyewell,madam,tmaynotbeyetlghtlyforgottenthehghservcenwhomddmydlgentlabour。Also,madam,wtyewellthattherebemanymenspeakofourloventhscourt,andhaveyouandmegreatlynawat,asSrAgravaneandSrMordred;andmadam,wtyewelldreadthemmoreforyoursakethanforanyfearhaveofthemmyself,formayhappentoescapeandrdmyselfnagreatneed,whereyemustabdeallthatwllbesaduntoyou。Andthenfthatyefallnanydstressthroughwlfulfolly,thenstherenoneotherremedyorhelpbutbymeandmyblood。Andwtyewell,madam,theboldnessofyouandmewllbrngustogreatshameandslander;andthatweremeloathtoseeyoudshonoured。Andthatsthecausetakeuponmemorefortodofordamoselsandmadensthaneverddto-fore,thatmenshouldunderstandmyjoyandmydelghtsmypleasuretohaveadofordamoselsandmadens。
HowthequeencommandedSrLauncelottoavodthecourt,andofthesorrowthatLauncelotmade。
ALLthswhlethequeenstoodstllandletSrLauncelotsaywhathewould。Andwhenhehadallsadshebrastouta-weepng,andsoshesobbedandweptagreatwhle。
Andwhenshemghtspeakshesad:Launcelot,now
wellunderstandthatthouartafalserecreantknghtandacommonlecher,andlovestandholdestotherlades,andbymethouhastdsdanandscorn。Forwtthouwell,shesad,nowunderstandthyfalsehood,andthereforeshallneverlovetheenomore。Andneverbethousohardytocomenmysght;andrghtheredschargetheethscourt,thatthounevercomewthnt;and
forfendtheemyfellowshp,anduponpanofthyheadthatthouseemenomore。RghtsoSrLauncelotdepartedwthgreatheavness,thatunnethehemghtsustanhmselfforgreatdole-makng。
ThenhecalledSrBors,SrEctordeMars,andSrLonel,andtoldthemhowthequeenhadforfendedhmthecourt,andsohewasnwlltodepartntohsowncountry。Farsr,sadSrBorsdeGans,yeshallnotdepartoutofthslandbymneadvce。Yemustremembernwhathonouryearerenowned,andcalledthenoblestknghtoftheworld;andmanygreatmattersyehavenhand。Andwomenntherhastnesswlldoofttmesthatsorerepenteththem;andthereforebymneadvceyeshalltakeyourhorse,andrdetothegoodhermtageherebesdeWndsor,thatsometmewasagoodknght,hsnamesSrBrasas,andthereshallyeabdetllsendyouwordofbettertdngs。Brother,sadSrLauncelot,wtyewellamfullloathtodepartoutofthsrealm,butthequeenhathdefendedmesohghly,thatmeseemethshewllneverbemygoodladyasshehathbeen。Sayyeneverso,sadSrBors,formanytmesorthstmeshehathbeenwrothwthyou,andaftertshewasthefrstthatrepentedt。Yesaywell,sadLauncelot,fornowwlldobyyourcounsel,andtakemnehorseandmyharness,andrdetothehermtSrBrasas,andtherewllreposemeuntlhearsomemanneroftdngsfromyou;but,farbrother,prayyougetmetheloveofmylady,QueenGuenever,anyemaySr,sadSrBors,yeneednottomovemeofsuchmatters,forwellyewotwlldowhatmaytopleaseyou。
Andthenthenobleknght,SrLauncelot,departedwthrghtheavycheersuddenly,thatnoneearthlycreaturewstofhm,norwherehewasbecome,butSrBors。SowhenSrLauncelotwasdeparted,thequeenoutwardmadenomannerofsorrownshowngtononeofhsbloodnortononeother。Butwtyewell,nwardly,asthebooksath,shetookgreatthought,butshebaretoutwthaproudcountenanceasthoughshefeltnothngnordanger。
Howatadnnerthatthequeenmadetherewasaknghtenposoned,whchSrMadorladonthequeen。
ANDthenthequeenletmakeaprvydnnernLondonuntotheknghtsoftheRoundTable。AndallwasfortoshowoutwardthatshehadasgreatjoynallotherknghtsoftheTableRoundasshehadnSrLauncelot。
AllonlyatthatdnnershehadSrGawaneandhsbrethren,thatsfortosaySrAgravane,SrGahers,SrGareth,andSrMordred。AlsotherewasSrBorsdeGans,SrBlamoredeGans,SrBleobersdeGans,SrGalhud,SrGalhodn,SrEctordeMars,SrLonel,SrPalomdes,Saferehsbrother,SrLaCoteMaleTale,SrPersant,Srronsde,SrBrandles,SrKayleSeneschal,SrMadordelaPorte,SrPatrse,aknghtofreland,Alduk,SrAstamore,andSrPnelleSavage,thewhchwascousntoSrLamorakdeGals,thegoodknghtthatSrGawaneandhsbrethrenslewbytreason。Andsothesefour-and-twentyknghtsshoulddnewththequeennaprvyplacebythemself,andtherewasmadeagreatfeastofallmannerofdantes。
ButSrGawanehadacustomthatheuseddalyatdnnerandatsupper,thathelovedwellallmanneroffrut,andnespecalapplesandpears。AndthereforewhosomeverdnedorfeastedSrGawanewouldcommonlypurveyforgoodfrutforhm,andsoddthequeenfortopleaseSrGawane;sheletpurveyforhmallmanneroffrut,forSrGawanewasapassnghotknghtofnature。AndthsPnelhatedSrGawanebecauseofhsknsmanSrLamorakdeGals;andthereforeforpureenvyandhateSrPnelenposonedcertanapplesfortoenposonSrGawane。Andsothswaswelluntotheendofthemeat;andsotbefellbymsfortuneagoodknghtnamedPatrse,cousnuntoSrMadordelaPorte,totakeaposonedapple。Andwhenhehadeatentheswelledsotllhebrast,andthereSrPatrsefelldownsuddenlydeadamongthem。
Theneveryknghtleaptfromtheboardashamed,andaragedforwrath,nghoutoftherwts。Fortheywstnotwhattosay;consderngQueenGuenevermadethefeastanddnner,theyallhadsuspconuntoher。Mylady,thequeen,sadGawane,wtyewell,madam,thatthsdnnerwasmadeforme,forallfolksthatknowmycondtonunderstandthatlovewellfrut,andnowseewellhadnearbeenslan;therefore,madam,dreadmelestyewllbeshamed。Thenthequeenstoodstllandwassoreabashed,thatshenstnotwhattosay。Thsshallnotsobeended,sadSrMadordelaPorte,forherehavelostafullnobleknghtofmyblood;andthereforeuponthsshameanddesptewllberevengedtotheutterance。AndthereopenlySrMadorappealedthequeenofthedeathofhscousn,SrPatrse。Thenstoodtheyallstll,thatnonewouldspeakawordagansthm,fortheyallhadgreatsuspconuntothequeenbecausesheletmakethatdnner。Andthequeenwassoabashedthatshecouldnoneotherwaysdo,butweptsoheartlythatshefellnaswoon。WththsnoseandcrycametothemKngArthur,andwhenhewstofthattroublehewasapassngheavyman。
V
HowSrMadorappeachedthequeenoftreason,andtherewasnoknghtwouldfghtforheratthefrsttme。
ANDeverSrMadorstoodstllaforethekng,andeverheappealedthequeenoftreason;forthecustomwassuchthattmethatallmannerofshamefuldeathwascalledtreason。Farlords,sadKngArthur,merepentethofthstrouble,butthecasessomaynothaveadonthsmatter,formustbearghtfuljudge;andthatrepentethmethatmaynotdobattleformywfe,forasdeemthsdeedcameneverbyher。Andthereforesupposesheshallnotbealldstaned,butthatsomegoodknghtshallputhsbodynjeopardyformyqueenratherthansheshallbebrentnawrongquarrel。Andtherefore,SrMador,benotsohasty,fortmayhappensheshallnotbeallfrendless;andthereforedesrethouthydayofbattle,andsheshallpurveyherofsomegoodknghtthatshallansweryou,orelsetweretomegreatshame,andtoallmycourt。
Mygracouslord,sadSrMador,yemustholdmeexcused,forthoughyebeourkngnthatdegree,yearebutaknghtasweare,andyeareswornuntoknghthoodaswellaswe;andthereforebeseechyouthatyebenotdspleased,fortheresnoneofthefour-and-twentyknghtsthatwerebddentothsdnnerbutalltheyhavegreatsuspconuntothequeen。Whatsayyeall,mylords?
sadSrMador。Thentheyansweredbyandbythattheycouldnotexcusethequeen;forwhyshemadethednner,andethertmustcomebyherorbyherservants。Alas,sadthequeen,madethsdnnerforagoodntent,andneverfornoneevl,soAlmghtyGodmehelpnmyrght,aswasneverpurposedtodosuchevldeeds,andthatreportmeuntoGod。
Mylord,thekng,sadSrMador,requreyouasyebearghteousknggvemeadaythatmayhavejustce。Well,sadthekng,gvethedaythsdayffteendaysthatthoubereadyarmedonhorsebacknthemeadowbesdeWestmnster。Andftsofallthattherebeanyknghttoencounterwthyou,theremaystthoudothebest,andGodspeedtherght。Andftsofallthattherebenoknghtatthatday,thenmustmyqueenbeburnt,andtheresheshallbereadytohaveherjudgment。
amanswered,sadSrMador。Andeveryknghtwentwheretlkedthem。
Sowhenthekngandthequeenweretogetherthekngaskedthequeenhowthscasebefell。Thequeenanswered:SoGodmehelp,wotnothowornwhatmanner。WheresSrLauncelot?sadKngArthur;anhewereherehewouldnotgrudgetodobattleforyou。
Sr,sadthequeen,wotnotwherehes,buthsbrotherandhsknsmendeemthathebenotwthnthsrealm。
第119章