Mylord,sadSrGawane,ofallthshaveknowledge,ofwhosedeathsrepentmesore;butnsomuchgavethemwarnng,andtoldmybrethrenandmysonsaforehandwhatwouldfallntheend,nsomuchtheywouldnotdobymycounsel,wllnotmeddlemethereof,norrevengemenothngoftherdeaths;fortoldthemtwasnoboottostrvewthSrLauncelot。Howbetamsorryofthedeathofmybrethrenandofmysons,fortheyarethecausersoftherowndeath;forofttmes
warnedmybrotherSrAgravane,andtoldhmtheperlsthewhchbenowfallen。
HowSrLauncelotandhsknsmenrescuedthequeenfromthefre,andhowheslewmanyknghtsTHENsadthenobleKngArthurtoSrGawane:Dearnephew,prayyoumakeyoureadynyourbestarmour,wthyourbrethren,SrGahersandSrGareth,tobrngmyqueentothefre,theretohaveherjudgmentandrecevethedeath。Nay,mymostnoblelord,sadSrGawane,thatwllneverdo;forwtyouwellwllneverbenthatplacewheresonobleaqueenassmylady,DameGuenever,shalltakeashamefulend。Forwtyouwell,sadSrGawane,myheartwllneverservemetoseeherde;andtshallneverbesadthateverwasofyourcounselofherdeath。
ThensadthekngtoSrGawane:SufferyourbrothersSrGahersandSrGarethtobethere。Mylord,sadSrGawane,wtyouwelltheywllbeloathtobetherepresent,becauseofmanyadventuresthewhchbelketheretofall,buttheyareyoungandfullunabletosayyounay。ThenspakeSrGahers,andthegoodknghtSrGareth,untoSrArthur:Sr,yemaywellcommandustobethere,butwtyouwelltshallbesoreaganstourwll;butanwebetherebyyourstratcommandmentyeshallplanlyholdusthereexcused:wewllbetherenpeaceablewse,andbearnoneharnessofwaruponus。nthenameofGod,sadthekng,thenmakeyouready,forsheshallsoonhaveherjudgmentanon。Alas,sadSrGawane,thatevershouldenduretoseethswofulday。SoSrGawaneturnedhmandweptheartly,andsohewentntohschamber;andthenthequeenwasledforthwthoutCarlsle,andthereshewasdespoledntohersmock。Andsothenherghostlyfatherwasbroughttoher,tobeshrvenofhermsdeeds。
Thenwasthereweepng,andwalng,andwrngngofhands,ofmanylordsandlades,buttherewerebutfewncomparsonthatwouldbearanyarmourfortostrengththedeathofthequeen。
ThenwasthereonethatSrLauncelothadsentuntothatplacefortoespywhattmethequeenshouldgountoherdeath;andanonashesawthequeendespoledntohersmock,andsoshrven,thenhegaveSrLauncelotwarnng。Thenwastherebutspurrngandpluckngupofhorses,andrghtsotheycametothefre。Andwhothatstoodaganstthem,thereweretheyslan;theremghtnonewthstandSrLauncelot,soallthatbarearmsandwthstoodthem,thereweretheyslan,fullmanyanobleknght。FortherewasslanSrBellanceleOrgulous,SrSegwardes,SrGrflet,SrBrandles,SrAglovale,SrTor;SrGauter,SrGllmer,SrReynolds’threebrethren;SrDamas,SrPramus,SrKaytheStranger,SrDrant,SrLambegus,SrHermnde;SrPertlope,SrPermones,twobrethrenthatwerecalledtheGreenKnghtandtheRedKnght。Andsonthsrushngandhurlng,asSrLauncelotthranghereandthere,tmshappedhmtoslayGahersandSrGareth,thenobleknght,fortheywereunarmedandunware。ForastheFrenchbooksath,SrLauncelotsmoteSrGarethandSrGahersuponthebran-pans,wherethroughtheywereslannthefeld;howbetnverytruthSrLauncelotsawthemnot,andsoweretheyfounddeadamongthethckestofthepress。
ThenwhenSrLauncelothadthusdone,andslanandputtoflghtallthatwouldwthstandhm,thenherodestraghtuntoDameGuenever,andmadeakrtleandagowntobecastuponher;andthenhemadehertobesetbehndhm,andprayedhertobeofgoodcheer。Wtyouwellthequeenwasgladthatshewasescapedfromthedeath。AndthenshethankedGodandSrLauncelot;
andsoherodehswaywththequeen,astheFrenchbooksath,untoJoyousGard,andtherehekeptherasanobleknghtshoulddo;andmanygreatlordsandsomekngssentSrLauncelotmanygoodknghts,andmanynobleknghtsdrewuntoSrLauncelot。Whenthswasknownopenly,thatKngArthurandSrLauncelotwereatdebate,manyknghtsweregladoftherdebate,andmanywerefullheavyoftherdebate。
X
OfthesorrowandlamentatonofKngArthurforthedeathofhsnephewsandothergoodknghts,andalsoforthequeen,hswfeSOturnweaganuntoKngArthur,thatwhentwastoldhmhowandnwhatmannerofwsethequeenwastakenawayfromthefre,andwhenheheardofthedeathofhsnobleknghts,andnespecalofSrGahersandSrGareth’sdeath,thenthekngswoonedforpuresorrow。
Andwhenheawokeofhsswoon,thenhesad:Alas,thateverbarecrownuponmyhead!fornowhavelostthefarestfellowshpofnobleknghtsthateverheldChrstankngtogether。Alas,mygoodknghtsbeslanawayfromme:nowwthnthesetwodayshavelostfortyknghts,andalsothenoblefellowshpofSrLauncelotandhsblood,fornowmayneverholdthemtogethernomorewthmyworshp。Alasthateverthswarbegan。Nowfarfellows,sadthekng,chargeyouthatnomantellSrGawaneofthedeathofhstwobrethren;foramsure,sadthekng,whenSrGawanehearethtellthatSrGarethsdeadhewllgonghoutofhsmnd。MercyJesu,sadthekng,whyslewheSrGarethandSrGahers,fordaresayasforSrGarethhelovedSrLauncelotaboveallmenearthly。
Thatstruth,sadsomeknghts,buttheywereslannthehurtlngasSrLauncelotthrangnthethckofthepress;andastheywereunarmedhesmotethemandwstnotwhomthathesmote,andsounhapplytheywereslan。Thedeathofthem,sadArthur,wllcausethegreatestmortalwarthateverwas;amsure,wstSrGawanethatSrGarethwereslan,shouldneverhaverestofhmtllhaddestroyedSrLauncelot’sknandhmselfboth,outherelsehetodestroyme。Andtherefore,sadthekng,wtyouwellmyheartwasneversoheavyastsnow,andmuchmoreamsorrerformygoodknghts’lossthanforthelossofmyfarqueen;
forqueensmghthaveenow,butsuchafellowshpofgoodknghtsshallneverbetogethernnocompany。
Andnowdaresay,sadKngArthur,therewasneverChrstankngheldsuchafellowshptogether;andalasthateverSrLauncelotandshouldbeatdebate。AhAgravane,Agravane,sadthekng,Jesuforgvetthysoul,forthneevlwll,thatthouandthybrotherSrMordredhadstuntoSrLauncelot,hathcausedallthssorrow:andeveramongthesecomplantsthekngweptandswooned。
ThentherecameoneuntoSrGawane,andtoldhmhowthequeenwasledawaywthSrLauncelot,andnghatwenty-fourknghtsslan。OJesudefendmybrethren,sadSrGawane,forfullwellwstthatSrLauncelotwouldrescueher,outherelsehewoulddenthatfeld;
andtosaythetruthhehadnotbeenamanofworshphadhenotrescuedthequeenthatday,nsomuchsheshouldhavebeenbrentforhssake。Andasnthat,sadSrGawane,hehathdonebutknghtly,andaswouldhavedonemyselfanhadstoodnlkecase。Butwherearemybrethren?sadSrGawane,marvelhearnotofthem。Truly,sadthatman,SrGarethandSrGahersbeslan。Jesudefend,sadSrGawane,foralltheworldwouldnotthattheywereslan,andnespecalmygoodbrother,SrGareth。Sr,sadtheman,hesslan,andthatsgreatpty。Whoslewhm?sadSrGawane。
Sr,sadtheman,Launcelotslewthemboth。Thatmay
notbeleve,sadSrGawane,thateverheslewmybrother,SrGareth;fordaresaymybrotherGarethlovedhmbetterthanme,andallhsbrethren,andthekngboth。
Alsodaresay,anSrLauncelothaddesredmybrotherSrGareth,wthhmhewouldhavebeenwthhmaganstthekngandusall,andthereforemayneverbelevethatSrLauncelotslewmybrother。Sr,sadthsman,tsnosedthatheslewhm。
X
HowKngArthurattherequestofSrGawaneconcludedtomakewaraganstSrLauncelot,andladsegetohscastlecalledJoyousGardALAS,sadSrGawane,nowsmyjoygone。Andthenhefelldownandswooned,andlonghelaythereashehadbeendead。Andthen,whenhearoseofhsswoon,hecredoutsorrowfully,andsad:Alas!AndrghtsoSrGawanerantothekng,cryngandweepng:OKngArthur,mneuncle,mygoodbrotherSrGarethsslan,andsosmybrotherSrGahers,thewhchweretwonobleknghts。Thenthekngwept,andheboth;andsotheyfella-swoonng。AndwhentheywererevvedthenspakeSrGawane:Sr,wllgoseemybrother,SrGareth。Yemaynotseehm,sadthekng,forcausedhmtobenterred,andSrGahersboth;forwellunderstoodthatyewouldmakeover-muchsorrow,andthesghtofSrGarethshouldhavecausedyourdoublesorrow。
Alas,mylord,sadSrGawane,howslewhemybrother,SrGareth?Mneowngoodlordprayyoutellme。
Truly,sadthekng,shalltellyouhowtstoldme,SrLauncelotslewhmandSrGahersboth。Alas,sadSrGawane,theybarenonearmsagansthm,netherofthemboth。wotnothowtwas,sadthekng,butastssad,SrLauncelotslewthembothnthethckestofthepressandknewthemnot;andthereforeletusshapearemedyfortorevengetherdeaths。
Mykng,mylord,andmneuncle,sadSrGawane,wtyouwellnowshallmakeyouapromsethatshallholdbymyknghthood,thatfromthsdayshallneverfalSrLauncelotuntltheoneofushaveslantheother。
Andthereforerequreyou,mylordandkng,dressyoutothewar,forwtyouwellwllberevengeduponSrLauncelot;andtherefore,asyewllhavemyservceandmylove,nowhasteyouthereto,andassayyourfrends。
ForpromseuntoGod,sadSrGawane,forthedeathofmybrother,SrGareth,shallseekSrLauncelotthroughoutsevenkngs’realms,butshallslayhmorelseheshallslayme。Yeshallnotneedtoseekhmsofar,sadthekng,forashearsay,SrLauncelotwllabdemeandyountheJoyousGard;andmuchpeopledrawethuntohm,ashearsay。Thatmaybeleve,sadSrGawane;butmylord,hesad,assayyourfrends,and
wllassaymne。tshallbedone,sadthekng,andas
supposeshallbebgenoughtodrawhmoutofthebggesttowerofhscastle。
SothenthekngsentlettersandwrtsthroughoutallEngland,bothnthelengthandthebreadth,fortoassummonallhsknghts。AndsountoArthurdrewmanyknghts,dukes,andearls,sothathehadagreathost。Andwhentheywereassembled,thekngnformedthemhowSrLauncelothadberefthmhsqueen。ThenthekngandallhshostmadethemreadytolaysegeaboutSrLauncelot,wherehelaywthnJoyousGard。ThereofheardSrLauncelot,andpurveyedhmofmanygoodknghts,forwthhmheldmanyknghts;andsomeforhsownsake,andsomeforthequeen’ssake。Thustheywereonbothparteswellfurnshedandgarnshedofallmannerofthngthatlongedtothewar。ButKngArthur’shostwassobgthatSrLauncelotwouldnotabdehmnthefeld,forhewasfullloathtodobattleaganstthekng;butSrLauncelotdrewhmtohsstrongcastlewthallmannerofvctual,andasmanynoblemenashemghtsuffcewthnthetownandthecastle。ThencameKngArthurwthSrGawanewthanhugehost,andladasegeallaboutJoyousGard,bothatthetownandatthecastle,andtheretheymadestrongwaronbothpartes。ButnnowseSrLauncelotwouldrdeout,norgooutofhscastle,oflongtme;netherhewouldnoneofhsgoodknghtstossueout,nethernoneofthetownnorofthecastle,untlffteenweekswerepast。
X
OfthecommuncatonbetweenKngArthurandSrLauncelot,andhowKngArthurreprovedhm。
THENtbefelluponadaynharvesttme,SrLauncelotlookedoverthewalls,andspakeonhghuntoKngArthurandSrGawane:Mylordsboth,wtyewellallsnvanthatyemakeatthssege,forherewnyenoworshpbutmaugreanddshonour;forantlstmetocomemyselfoutandmygoodknghts,shouldfullsoonmakeanendofthswar。Comeforth,sadArthuruntoLauncelot,anthoudurst,andpromsetheeshallmeettheenmdstofthefeld。Goddefendme,sadSrLauncelot,thatevershouldencounterwththemostnoblekngthatmademeknght。Feuponthyfarlanguage,sadthekng,forwtyouwellandtrustt,amthymortalfoe,andeverwlltomydeathday;forthouhastslanmygoodknghts,andfullnoblemenofmyblood,thatshallneverrecoveragan。Alsothouhastlanbymyqueen,andholdenhermanywnters,andsthenlkeatratortakenherfrommebyforce。
Mymostnoblelordandkng,sadSrLauncelot,yemaysaywhatyewll,foryewotwellwthyourselfwll
第132章