首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第121章

第121章

  AndthenSrMadorwashadtoleech-craft,andSrLauncelotwashealedofhswound。Andthentherewasmadegreatjoyandmrthsnthatcourt。
  HowthetruthwasknownbytheMadenoftheLake,andofdversothermatters。
  ANDsotbefellthatthedamoselofthelake,hernamewasNmue,thewhchweddedthegoodknghtSrPelleas,andsoshecametothecourt;foreversheddgreatgoodnessuntoKngArthurandtoallhsknghtsthroughhersorceryandenchantments。Andsowhensheheardhowthequeenwasan-angeredforthedeathofSrPatrse,thenshetoldtopenlythatshewasnevergulty;andthereshedsclosedbywhomtwasdone,andnamedhm,SrPnel;andforwhatcauseheddt,theretwasopenlydsclosed;andsothequeenwasexcused,andtheknghtPnelfledntohscountry。ThenwastopenlyknownthatSrPnelenposonedtheapplesatthefeasttothatntenttohavedestroyedSrGawane,becauseSrGawaneandhsbrethrendestroyedSrLamorakdeGals,tothewhchSrPnelwascousnunto。ThenwasSrPatrseburednthechurchofWestmnsternatomb,andthereuponwaswrtten:HerelethSrPatrseofreland,slanbySrPnelleSavage,thatenposonedapplestohaveslanSrGawane,andbymsfortuneSrPatrseateoneofthoseapples,andthensuddenlyhebrast。AlsotherewaswrttenuponthetombthatQueenGueneverwasappealedoftreasonofthedeathofSrPatrse,bySrMadordelaPorte;andtherewasmadementonhowSrLauncelotfoughtwthhmforQueenGuenever,andovercamehmnplanbattle。AllthswaswrttenuponthetombofSrPatrsenexcusngofthequeen。AndthenSrMadorsueddalyandlong,tohavethequeen’sgoodgrace;andsobythemeansofSrLauncelothecausedhmtostandnthequeen’sgoodgrace,andallwasforgvenThustpassedontllourLadyDay,Assumpton。
  WthnaffteendaysofthatfeastthekngletcryagreatjoustsandatournamentthatshouldbeatthatdayatCamelot,thatsWnchester;andthekngletcrythatheandtheKngofScotswouldjoustaganstallthatwouldcomeaganstthem。Andwhenthscrywasmade,ththercamemanyknghts。SotherecameththertheKngofNorthgals,andKngAngushofreland,andtheKngwththeHundredKnghts,andGalahad,thehautprnce,andtheKngofNorthumberland,andmanyothernobledukesandearlsofdverscountres。SoKngArthurmadehmreadytodeparttothesejousts,andwouldhavehadthequeenwthhm,butatthattmeshewouldnot,shesad,forshewassckandmghtnotrdeatthattme。
  Thatmerepenteth,sadthekng,forthssevenyearyesawnotsuchanoblefellowshptogetherexceptatWhtsuntdewhenGalahaddepartedfromthecourt。Truly,sadthequeentothekng,yemustholdmeexcused,
  maynotbethere,andthatmerepenteth。AndmanydeemedthequeenwouldnotbetherebecauseofSrLauncelotduLake,forSrLauncelotwouldnotrdewththekng,forhesadthathewasnotwholeofthewoundthewhchSrMadorhadgvenhm;whereforethekngwasheavyandpassngwroth。AndsohedepartedtowardWnchesterwthhsfellowshp;andsobythewaytheknglodgednatowncalledAstolat,thatsnownEnglshcalledGuldford,andtheretheknglaynthecastle。
  SowhenthekngwasdepartedthequeencalledSrLauncelottoher,andsadthus:SrLauncelot,yearegreatlytoblamethustoholdyoubehndmylord;what,trowye,whatwllyourenemesandmnesayanddeem?
  noughtelsebut,SeehowSrLauncelotholdethhmeverbehndthekng,andsodoththequeen,forthattheywouldhavetherpleasuretogether。Andthuswlltheysay,sadthequeentoSrLauncelot,haveyenodoubtthereof。
  X
  HowSrLauncelotrodetoAstolat,andrecevedasleevetowearuponhshelmattherequestofamad。
  MADAM,sadSrLauncelot,allowyourwt,tsoflatecomesnceyewerewse。Andtherefore,madam,atthstmewllberuledbyyourcounsel,andthsnghtwlltakemyrest,andto-morrowbytmewlltakemywaytowardWnchester。Butwtyouwell,sadSrLauncelottothequeen,thatatthatjoustswllbeaganstthekng,andaganstallhsfellowshp。Yemaytheredoasyelst,sadthequeen,butbymycounselyeshallnotbeaganstyourkngandyourfellowshp。Fortherenbefullmanyhardknghtsofyourblood,asyewotwellenough,tneedethnottorehearsethem。Madam,sadSrLauncelot,prayyouthatyebenotdspleasedwthme,forwlltaketheadventurethatGodwllsendme。
  AndsouponthemornearlySrLauncelotheardmassandbrakehsfast,andsotookhsleaveofthequeenanddeparted。AndthenherodesomuchuntlhecametoAstolat,thatsGuldford;andtherethappedhmntheeventdehecametoanoldbaron’splacethathghtSrBernardofAstolat。AndasSrLauncelotenteredntohslodgng,KngArthurespedhmasheddwalknagardenbesdethecastle,howhetookhslodgng,andknewhmfullwell。tswell,sadKngArthuruntotheknghtsthatwerewthhmnthatgardenbesdethecastle,havenowespedoneknghtthatwllplayhsplayatthejouststothewhchwebegonetoward;undertakehewlldomarvels。Whosthat,weprayyoutellus?sadmanyknghtsthatwerethereatthattme。Yeshallnotwtforme,sadthekng,asatthstme。Andsothekngsmled,andwenttohslodgng。
  SowhenSrLauncelotwasnhslodgng,andunarmedhmnhschamber,theoldbaronandhermtcametohmmaknghsreverence,andwelcomedhmnthebestmanner;buttheoldknghtknewnotSrLauncelot。
  Farsr,sadSrLauncelottohshost,wouldprayyoutolendmeasheldthatwerenotopenlyknown,formneswellknown。Sr,sadhshost,yeshallhaveyourdesre,formeseemethyebeoneofthelkelestknghtsoftheworld,andthereforeshallshewyoufrendshp。Sr,wtyouwellhavetwosonsthatwerebutlatemadeknghts,andtheeldesthghtSrTrre,andhewashurtthatsamedayhewasmadeknght,thathemaynotrde,andhssheldyeshallhave;forthatsnotknowndaresaybuthere,andnnoplaceelse。AndmyyoungestsonhghtLavane,andftpleaseyou,heshallrdewthyouuntothatjousts;andhesofhsagestrongandwght,formuchmyheartgvethuntoyouthatyeshouldbeanobleknght,thereforeprayyou,tellmeyourname,sadSrBernard。Asforthat,sadSrLauncelot,yemustholdmeexcusedasatthstme,andfGodgvemegracetospeedwellatthejoustsshallcomeaganandtellyou。Butprayyou,sadSrLauncelot,nanywseletmehaveyourson,SrLavane,wthme,andthat
  mayhavehsbrother’ssheld。Allthsshallbedone,sadSrBernard。
  ThsoldbaronhadadaughterthatwascalledthattmetheFarMadenofAstolat。AndevershebeheldSrLauncelotwonderfully;andasthebooksath,shecastsuchaloveuntoSrLauncelotthatshecouldneverwthdrawherlove,whereforesheded,andhernamewasElaneleBlank。SothusasshecametoandfroshewassohotnherlovethatshebesoughtSrLauncelottowearuponhmatthejoustsatokenofhers。Fardamosel,sadSrLauncelot,anfgrantyouthat,yemaysay
  domoreforyourlovethaneverddforladyordamosel。
  Thenherememberedhmhewouldgotothejoustsdsgused。Andbecausehehadneverforethattmebornenomanneroftokenofnodamosel,thenhebethoughthmthathewouldbearoneofher,thatnoneofhsbloodtherebymghtknowhm,andthenhesad:
  Farmaden,wllgrantyoutowearatokenofyoursuponmnehelmet,andthereforewhatts,shewtme。
  Sr,shesad,tsaredsleeveofmne,ofscarlet,wellembroderedwthgreatpearls:andsoshebroughtthm。SoSrLauncelotrecevedt,andsad:Neverdderstsomuchfornodamosel。AndthenSrLauncelotbetookthefarmadenhssheldnkeepng,andprayedhertokeepthatuntlthathecameagan;andsothatnghthehadmerryrestandgreatcheer,foreverthedamoselElanewasaboutSrLauncelotallthewhleshemghtbesuffered。
  X
  HowthetourneybeganatWnchester,andwhatknghtswereatthejousts;andotherthngs。
  SOuponaday,onthemorn,KngArthurandallhsknghtsdeparted,fortherknghadtarredthreedaystoabdehsnobleknghts。Andsowhenthekngwasrdden,SrLauncelotandSrLavanemadethemreadytorde,andetherofthemhadwhteshelds,andtheredsleeveSrLauncelotletcarrywthhm。AndsotheytooktherleaveatSrBernard,theoldbaron,andathsdaughter,theFarMadenofAstolat。AndthentheyrodesolongtllthattheycametoCamelot,thattmecalledWnchester;andtherewasgreatpressofkngs,dukesearls,andbarons,andmanynobleknghts。ButthereSrLauncelotwaslodgedprvlybythemeansofSrLavanewtharchburgess,thatnomannthattownwaswarewhattheywere。AndsotheyreposedthemtheretllourLadyDay,Assumpton,asthegreatfeastshouldbe。Sothentrumpetsblewuntothefeld,andKngArthurwassetonhghuponascaffoldtobeholdwhoddbest。ButastheFrenchbooksath,thekngwouldnotsufferSrGawanetogofromhm,forneverhadSrGawanethebetteranSrLauncelotwerenthefeld;andmanytmeswasSrGawanerebukedwhenLauncelotcamentoanyjoustsdsgused。
  Thensomeofthekngs,asKngAngushofrelandandtheKngofScots,werethattmeturneduponthesdeofKngArthur。AndthenontheotherpartywastheKngofNorthgals,andtheKngwththeHundredKnghts,andtheKngofNorthumberland,andSrGalahad,thehautprnce。ButthesethreekngsandthsdukewerepassngweaktoholdaganstKngArthur’sparty,forwthhmwerethenoblestknghtsoftheworld。
  Sothentheywthdrewthemetherpartyfromother,andeverymanmadehmreadynhsbestmannertodowhathemght。
  ThenSrLauncelotmadehmready,andputtheredsleeveuponhshead,andfastenedtfast;andsoSrLauncelotandSrLavanedepartedoutofWnchesterprvly,androdeuntlalttleleavedwoodbehndthepartythatheldaganstKngArthur’sparty,andtheretheyheldthemstlltllthepartessmotetogether。AndthencamentheKngofScotsandtheKngofrelandonArthur’sparty,andaganstthemcametheKngofNorthumberland,andtheKngwththeHundredKnghtssmotedowntheKngofNorthumberland,andtheKngwththeHundredKnghtssmotedownKngAngushofreland。ThenSrPalomdesthatwasonArthur’spartyencounteredwthSrGalahad,andetherofthemsmotedownother,andetherpartyhalptherlordsonhorsebackagan。Sotherebeganastrongassaluponbothpartes。
  AndthencamenSrBrandles,SrSagramoreleDesrous,SrDodnasleSavage,SrKayleSeneschal,SrGrfletleFsedeDeu,SrMordred,SrMelotdeLogrs,SrOzannaleCureHardy,SrSafere,SrEpnogrs,SrGalleronofGalway。AlltheseffteenknghtswereknghtsoftheTableRound。Sothesewthmoreothercamentogether,andbeatabacktheKngofNorthumberlandandtheKngofNorthgals。WhenSrLauncelotsawths,ashehovednalttleleavedwood,thenhesaduntoSrLavane:Seeyondersacompanyofgoodknghts,andtheyholdthemtogetherasboarsthatwerechafedwthdogs。Thatstruth,sadSrLavane。
  X
  HowSrLauncelotandSrLavaneenterednthefeldaganstthemofKngArthur’scourt,andhowLauncelotwashurt。
  NOW,sadSrLauncelot,anyewllhelpmealttle,yeshallseeyonderfellowshpthatchasethnowthesemennoursde,thattheyshallgoasfastbackwardastheywentforward。Sr,sparenot,sadSrLavane,forshalldowhatmay。ThenSrLauncelotandSrLavanecamenatthethckestofthepress,andthereSrLauncelotsmotedownSrBrandles,SrSagramore,SrDodnas,SrKay,SrGrflet,andallthsheddwthonespear;andSrLavanesmotedownSrLucanleButlerandSrBedevere。AndthenSrLauncelotgatanotherspear,andtherehesmotedownSrAgravane,SrGahers,andSrMordred,andSrMelotdeLogrs;andSrLavanesmoteOzannaleCureHardy。AndthenSrLauncelotdrewhssword,andtherehesmoteontherghthandandonthelefthand,andbygreatforceheunhorsedSrSafere,SrEpnogrs,andSrGalleron;andthentheknghtsoftheTableRoundwthdrewthemaback,aftertheyhadgottentherhorsesaswellastheymght。O
  mercyJesu,sadSrGawane,whatknghtsyonderthatdothsomarvellousdeedsofarmsnthatfeld?wotwellwhathes,sadKngArthur,butasatthstme
  wllnotnamehm。Sr,sadSrGawane,wouldsaytwereSrLauncelotbyhsrdngandhsbuffetsthatseehmdeal,butevermeseemethtshouldnotbehe,forthathebeareththeredsleeveuponhshead;forwsthmneverbeartokenatnojousts,ofladynorgentlewoman。
  Lethmbe,sadKngArthur,hewllbebetterknown,anddomore,oreverhedepart。