首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第13章
  HowapoormanrdnguponaleanmaredesredKngArthurtomakehssonknght。
  FORTHWTHALtherecameapoormanntothecourt,andbroughtwthhmafaryoungmanofeghteenyearsofagerdnguponaleanmare;andthepoormanaskedallmenthathemet,WhereshallfndKngArthur?Yonderhes,sadtheknghts,wltthouanythngwthhm?Yea,sadthepoorman,thereforecamehther。Anonashecamebeforethekng,hesalutedhmandsad:OKngArthur,theflowerofallknghtsandkngs,
  beseechJesusavethee。Sr,twastoldmethatatthstmeofyourmarrageyewouldgveanymanthegftthathewouldask,outexceptthatwereunreasonable。Thatstruth,sadthekng,suchcresletmake,andthatwllhold,sotaparnotmyrealmnormneestate。Yesaywellandgracously,sadthepoorman;Sr,asknothngelsebutthatyewllmakemysonhereaknght。tsagreatthngthouaskestofme,sadthekng。Whatsthyname?sadthekngtothepoorman。Sr,mynamesAresthecowherd。Whethercomeththsoftheeorofthyson?sadthekng。Nay,sr,sadAres,thsdesrecomethofmysonandnotofme,forshalltellyouhavethrteensons,andalltheywllfalltowhatlabourputthem,andwllberghtgladtodolabour,butthschldwllnotlabourforme,foranythngthatmywfeormaydo,butalwayshewllbeshootngorcastngdarts,andgladfortoseebattlesandtobeholdknghts,andalwaysdayandnghthedesrethofmetobemadeaknght。Whatsthyname?sadtheknguntotheyoungman。Sr,mynamesTor。Thekngbeheldhmfast,andsawhewaspassnglywell-vsagedandpassnglywellmadeofhsyears。
  Well,sadKngArthuruntoAresthecowherd,fetchallthysonsaforemethatmayseethem。Andsothepoormandd,andallwereshapedmuchlkethepoorman。ButTorwasnotlkenoneofthemallnshapenorncountenance,forhewasmuchmorethananyofthem。Now,sadKngArthuruntothecowherd,wherestheswordheshallbemadeknghtwthal?tshere,sadTor。
  Taketoutofthesheath,sadthekng,andrequremetomakeyouaknght。
  ThenToralghtedoffhsmareandpulledouthssword,kneelng,andrequrngthekngthathewouldmakehmknght,andthathemghtbeaknghtoftheTableRound。Asforaknghtwllmakeyou,andtherewthsmotehmntheneckwththesword,sayng,Beyeagoodknght,andsopraytoGodsoyemaybe,andfyebeofprowessandofworthnessyeshallbeaknghtoftheTableRound。NowMerln,sadArthur,saywhetherthsTorshallbeagoodknghtorno。Yea,sr,heoughttobeagoodknght,forhescomeofasgoodamanasanysalve,andofkngs’blood。Howso,sr?sadthekng。
  shalltellyou,sadMerln:Thspoorman,Aresthecowherd,snothsfather;hesnothngsbtohm,forKngPellnoreshsfather。supposenay,sadthecowherd。Fetchthywfeaforeme,sadMerln,andsheshallnotsaynay。Anonthewfewasfetched,whchwasafarhousewfe,andtheresheansweredMerlnfullwomanly,andthereshetoldthekngandMerlnthatwhenshewasamad,andwenttomlkkne,theremetwthherasternknght,andhalfbyforcehehadmymadenhead,andatthattmehebegatmysonTor,andhetookawayfrommemygreyhoundthathadthattmewthme,andsadthathewouldkeepthegreyhoundformylove。Ah,sadthecowherd,weenednotths,butmaybelevetwell,forhehadnevernotatchesofme。
  Sr,sadToruntoMerln,dshonournotmymother。Sr,sadMerln,tsmoreforyourworshpthanhurt,foryourfathersagoodmanandakng,andhemayrghtwelladvanceyouandyourmother,foryewerebegottenorevershewaswedded。Thatstruth,sadthewfe。tsthelessgrefuntome,sadthecowherd。
  HowSrTorwasknownforsonofKngPellnore,andhowGawanewasmadeknght。
  SOonthemornKngPellnorecametothecourtofKngArthur,whchhadgreatjoyofhm,andtoldhmofTor,howhewashsson,andhowhehadmadehmknghtattherequestofthecowherd。WhenPellnorebeheldTor,hepleasedhmmuch。SothekngmadeGawaneknght,butTorwasthefrsthemadeatthefeast。Whatsthecause,sadKngArthur,thattherebetwoplacesvodntheseges?Sr,sadMerln,thereshallnomanstnthoseplacesbuttheythatshallbeofmostworshp。ButntheSegePerlousthereshallnomansttherenbutone,andftherebeanysohardytodotheshallbedestroyed,andhethatshallstthereshallhavenofellow。AndtherewthMerlntookKngPellnorebythehand,andntheonehandnextthetwosegesandtheSegePerloushesad,nopenaudence,Thssyourplaceandbestyeareworthytosttherenofanythatshere。ThereatsatSrGawanengreatenvyandtoldGahershsbrother,yonderknghtsputtogreatworshp,thewhchgrevethmesore,forheslewourfatherKngLot,thereforewllslayhm,sadGawane,wthaswordthatwassentmethatspassngtrenchant。Yeshallnotso,sadGahers,atthstme,foratthstmeambutasqure,andwhenammadeknghtwllbeavengedonhm,andtherefore,brother,tsbestyesuffertllanothertme,thatwemayhavehmoutofthecourt,foranweddsoweshouldtroublethshghfeast。wllwell,sadGawane,asyewll。
  HowatfeastoftheweddngofKngArthurtoGuenever,awhtehartcamentothehall,andthrtycouplehounds,andhowabrachetpnchedthehartwhchwastakenaway。
  THENwasthehghfeastmadeready,andthekngwasweddedatCamelotuntoDameGuenevernthechurchofSantStephen’s,wthgreatsolemnty。Andaseverymanwassetafterhsdegree,MerlnwenttoalltheknghtsoftheRoundTable,andbadethemststll,thatnoneofthemremove。Foryeshallseeastrangeandamarvellousadventure。Rghtsoastheysattherecamerunnngnawhtehartntothehall,andawhtebrachetnexthm,andthrtycoupleofblackrunnnghoundscameafterwthagreatcry,andthehartwentabouttheTableRoundashewentbyotherboards。Thewhtebrachetbthmbythebuttockandpulledoutapece,wherethroughthehartleaptagreatleapandoverthrewaknghtthatsatattheboardsde;andtherewththeknghtaroseandtookupthebrachet,andsowentforthoutofthehall,andtookhshorseandrodehswaywththebrachet。Rghtsoanoncamenaladyonawhtepalfrey,andcredaloudtoKngArthur,Sr,suffermenottohavethsdespte,forthebrachetwasmnethattheknghtledaway。
  maynotdotherewth,sadthekng。
  Wththstherecameaknghtrdngallarmedonagreathorse,andtooktheladyawaywthhmwthforce,andevershecredandmadegreatdole。Whenshewasgonethekngwasglad,forshemadesuchanose。Nay,sadMerln,yemaynotleavetheseadventuressolghtly;fortheseadventuresmustbebroughtaganorelsetwouldbedsworshptoyouandtoyourfeast。wll,sadthekng,thatallbedonebyyouradvce。Then,sadMerln,letcallSrGawane,forhemustbrngaganthewhtehart。Also,sr,yemustletcallSrTor,forhemustbrngaganthebrachetandtheknght,orelseslayhm。AlsoletcallKngPellnore,forhemustbrngagantheladyandtheknght,orelseslayhm。Andthesethreeknghtsshalldomarvellousadventuresortheycomeagan。Thenweretheycalledallthreeastrehearsethafore,andeachofthemtookhscharge,andarmedthemsurely。ButSrGawanehadthefrstrequest,andthereforewewllbegnathm。
  HowSrGawanerodefortofetchaganthehart,andhowtwobrethrenfoughteachaganstotherforthehart。
  SRGAWANErodemorethanapace,andGahershsbrotherthatrodewthhmnsteadofasquretodohmservce。Soastheyrodetheysawtwoknghtsfghtonhorsebackpassngsore,soSrGawaneandhsbrotherrodebetwxtthem,andaskedthemforwhatcausetheyfoughtso。Theoneknghtansweredandsad,Wefghtforasmplematter,forwetwobetwobrethrenbornandbegottenofonemanandofonewoman。Alas,sadSrGawane,whydoyeso?Sr,sadtheelder,therecameawhtehartthswaythsday,andmanyhoundschasedhm,andawhtebrachetwasalwaynexthm,andweunderstoodtwasadventuremadeforthehghfeastofKngArthur,andthereforewouldhavegoneaftertohavewonmeworshp;andheremyyoungerbrothersadhewouldgoafterthehart,forhewasbetterknghtthan:andforthscausewefellatdebate,andsowethoughttoprovewhchofusbothwasbetterknght。Thssasmplecause,sadSrGawane;uncouthmenyeshoulddebatewthal,andnotbrotherwthbrother;thereforebutfyouwlldobymycounselwllhaveadowthyou,thatsyeshallyeldyouuntome,andthatyegountoKngArthurandyeldyouuntohsgrace。Srknght,sadthetwobrethren,weareforfoughtenandmuchbloodhavewelostthroughourwlfulness,andthereforewewouldbeloathtohaveadowthyou。Thendoaswllhaveyou,sadSrGawane。Wewllagreetofulflyourwll;butbywhomshallwesaythatwebeththersent?Yemaysay,Bytheknghtthatfolloweththequestofthehartthatwaswhte。Nowwhatsyourname?sadGawane。SorlouseoftheForest,sadtheelder。Andmynames,sadtheyounger,BranoftheForest。Andsotheydepartedandwenttothekng’scourt,andSrGawaneonhsquest。
  AndasGawanefollowedthehartbythecryofthehounds,evenaforehmtherewasagreatrver,andthehartswamover;andasSrGawanewouldfollowafter,therestoodaknghtovertheothersde,andsad,Srknght,comenotoverafterthshartbutfthouwltjoustwthme。wllnotfalasforthat,sadSrGawane,tofollowthequestthatamn,andsomadehshorsetoswmoverthewater。Andanontheygattherspearsandrantogetherfullhard;butSrGawanesmotehmoffhshorse,andthenheturnedhshorseandbadehmyeldhm。Nay,sadtheknght,notso,thoughthouhavethebetterofmeonhorseback。praythee,valantknght,alghtafoot,andmatchwetogetherwthswords。Whatsyourname?sadSrGawane。Allardnofthesles,sadtheother。Thenetherdressedthersheldsandsmotetogether,butSrGawanesmotehmsohardthroughthehelmthattwenttothebrans,andtheknghtfelldowndead。Ah!sadGahers,thatwasamghtystrokeofayoungknght。
  Howthehartwaschasedntoacastleandthereslan,andhowSrGawaneslewalady。
  THENGawaneandGahersrodemorethanapaceafterthewhtehart,andletslpatthehartthreecoupleofgreyhounds,andsotheychasedthehartntoacastle,andnthechefplaceofthecastletheyslewthehart;SrGawaneandGahersfollowedafter。Rghtsotherecameaknghtoutofachamberwthasworddrawnnhshandandslewtwoofthegreyhounds,evennthesghtofSrGawane,andtheremnanthechasedthemwthhsswordoutofthecastle。Andwhenhecameagan,hesad,Omywhtehart,merepenteththatthouartdead,formysoveregnladygavetheetome,andevlhavekeptthee,andthydeathshallbedearboughtanlve。Andanonhewentntohschamberandarmedhm,andcameoutfercely,andtheremethewthSrGawane。Whyhaveyeslanmyhounds?sadSrGawane,fortheyddbuttherknd,andleferhadyehadwrokenyourangeruponmethanuponadumbbeast。Thousayesttruth,sadtheknght,haveavengedmeonthyhounds,andsowllontheeorthougo。ThenSrGawanealghtedafootanddressedhssheld,andstrucktogethermghtly,andclavethershelds,andstonedtherhelms,andbraketherhauberksthatthebloodrandowntotherfeet。
  AtthelastSrGawanesmotetheknghtsohardthathefelltotheearth,andthenhecredmercy,andyeldedhm,andbesoughthmashewasaknghtandgentleman,tosavehslfe。
  Thoushaltde,sadSrGawane,forslayngofmyhounds。
  wllmakeamends,sadtheknght,untomypower。SrGawanewouldnomercyhave,butunlacedhshelmtohavestrckenoffhshead。Rghtsocamehsladyoutofachamberandfelloverhm,andsohesmoteoffherheadbymsadventure。Alas,sadGahers,thatsfoullyandshamefullydone,thatshameshallneverfromyou;alsoyeshouldgvemercyuntothemthataskmercy,foraknghtwthoutmercyswthoutworshp。SrGawanewassostonedofthedeathofthsfarladythathewstnotwhathedd,andsaduntotheknght,Arse,wllgvetheemercy。Nay,nay,sadtheknght,takenoforceofmercynow,forthouhastslanmyloveandmyladythatlovedbestofallearthlythngs。Mesorerepentetht,sadSrGawane,forthoughttostrkeuntothee;butnowthoushaltgountoKngArthurandtellhmofthneadventures,andhowthouartovercomebytheknghtthatwentnthequestofthewhtehart。takenoforce,sadtheknght,whetherlveorde;
  butsofordreadofdeathhesworetogountoKngArthur,andhemadehmtobearonegreyhoundbeforehmonhshorse,andanotherbehndhm。Whatsyourname?sadSrGawane,orwedepart。Mynames,sadtheknght,AblamaroftheMarsh。SohedepartedtowardCamelot。