首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第19章
  HowQueenMorganleFaymadegreatsorrowforthedeathofAccolon,andhowshestoleawaythescabbardfromArthur。
  THENcametdngsuntoMorganleFaythatAccolonwasdead,andhsbodybroughtuntothechurch,andhowKngArthurhadhsswordagan。ButwhenQueenMorganwstthatAccolonwasdead,shewassosorrowfulthatnearherheartto-brast。Butbecauseshewouldnottwereknown,outwardshekepthercountenance,andmadenosemblantofsorrow。ButwellshewstansheabodetllherbrotherArthurcamethther,thereshouldnogoldgoforherlfe。
  ThenshewentuntoQueenGuenever,andaskedherleavetordentothecountry。Yemayabde,sadQueenGuenever,tllyourbrotherthekngcomehome。maynot,sadMorganleFay,for
  havesuchhastytdngs,thatmaynottarry。Well,sadGuenever,yemaydepartwhenyewll。Soearlyonthemorn,ortwasday,shetookherhorseandrodeallthatdayandmostpartofthenght,andonthemornbynoonshecametothesameabbeyofnunswhereaslayKngArthur;andsheknownghewasthere,sheaskedwherehewas。Andtheyansweredhowhehadladhmnhsbedtosleep,forhehadhadbutlttlerestthesethreenghts。Well,sadshe,chargeyouthatnoneofyouawakehmtlldo,andthenshealghtedoffherhorse,andthoughtfortostealawayExcalburhssword,andsoshewentstraghtuntohschamber,andnomandurstdsobeyhercommandment,andthereshefoundArthurasleepnhsbed,andExcalburnhsrghthandnaked。Whenshesawthatshewaspassngheavythatshemghtnotcomebytheswordwthoutshehadawakedhm,andthenshewstwellshehadbeendead。Thenshetookthescabbardandwentherwayonhorseback。Whenthekngawokeandmssedhsscabbard,hewaswroth,andheaskedwhohadbeenthere,andtheysadhssster,QueenMorganhadbeenthere,andhadputthescabbardunderhermantleandwasgone。Alas,sadArthur,falselyyehavewatchedme。Sr,sadtheyall,wedurstnotdsobeyyoursster’scommandment。Ah,sadthekng,letfetchthebesthorsemaybefound,andbdSrOntzlakearmhmnallhaste,andtakeanothergoodhorseandrdewthme。SoanonthekngandOntzlakewerewellarmed,androdeafterthslady,andsotheycamebyacrossandfoundacowherd,andtheyaskedthepoormanftherecameanyladyrdngthatway。Sr,sadthspoorman,rghtlatecamealadyrdngwthafortyhorses,andtoyonderforestsherode。Thentheyspurredtherhorses,andfollowedfast,andwthnawhleArthurhadasghtofMorganleFay;thenhechasedasfastashemght。Whensheespedhmfollowngher,sherodeagreaterpacethroughtheforesttllshecametoaplan,andwhenshesawshemghtnotescape,sherodeuntoalakethereby,andsad,Whatsoevercomeofme,mybrothershallnothavethsscabbard。
  Andthensheletthrowthescabbardnthedeepestofthewatersotsank,fortwasheavyofgoldandprecousstones。
  Thensherodentoavalleywheremanygreatstoneswere,andwhenshesawshemustbeovertaken,sheshapedherself,horseandman,byenchantmentuntoagreatmarblestone。AnonwthalcameSrArthurandSrOntzlakewhereasthekngmghtknowhsssterandhermen,andoneknghtfromanother。Ah,sadthekng,heremayyeseethevengeanceofGod,andnowamsorrythatthsmsadventuresbefallen。Andthenhelookedforthescabbard,buttwouldnotbefound,sohereturnedtotheabbeywherehecamefrom。SowhenArthurwasgonesheturnedallntothelkelnessassheandtheywerebefore,andsad,Srs,nowmaywegowherewewll。
  HowMorganleFaysavedaknghtthatshouldhavebeendrowned,andhowKngArthurreturnedhomeagan。
  THENsadMorgan,SawyeArthur,mybrother?Yea,sadherknghts,rghtwell,andthatyeshouldhavefoundanwemghthavestrredfromonestead,forbyhsarmyvestalcountenancehewouldhavecausedustohavefled。beleveyou,sadMorgan。
  Anonafterassherodeshemetaknghtleadnganotherknghtonhshorsebeforehm,boundhandandfoot,blndfold,tohavedrownedhmnafountan。Whenshesawthsknghtsobound,sheaskedhm,Whatwllyedowththatknght?Lady,sadhe,wlldrownhm。Forwhatcause?sheasked。For
  foundhmwthmywfe,andsheshallhavethesamedeathanon。
  Thatwerepty,sadMorganleFay。Now,whatsayye,knght,sttruththathesathofyou?shesadtotheknghtthatshouldbedrowned。Naytruly,madam,hesathnotrghtonme。Ofwhencebeye,sadMorganleFay,andofwhatcountry?amofthecourtofKngArthur,andmynamesManassen,cousnuntoAccolonofGaul。Yesaywell,sadshe,andfortheloveofhmyeshallbedelvered,andyeshallhaveyouradversarynthesamecaseyeben。SoManassenwasloosedandtheotherknghtbound。AndanonManassenunarmedhm,andarmedhmselfnhsharness,andsomountedonhorseback,andtheknghtaforehm,andsothrewhmntothefountananddrownedhm。AndthenherodeuntoMorganagan,andaskedfshewouldanythnguntoKngArthur。Tellhmthatrescuedthee,notfortheloveofhmbutfortheloveofAccolon,andtellhmfearhmnotwhle
  canmakemeandthemthatbewthmenlkenessofstones;andlethmwtcandomuchmorewhenseemytme。AndsoshedepartedntothecountryofGore,andtherewassherchlyreceved,andmadehercastlesandtownspassngstrong,foralwaysshedreadedmuchKngArthur。
  Whentheknghadwellrestedhmattheabbey,herodeuntoCamelot,andfoundhsqueenandhsbaronsrghtgladofhscomng。Andwhentheyheardofhsstrangeadventuresassaforerehearsed,thenallhadmarvelofthefalsehoodofMorganleFay;manyknghtswshedherburnt。ThencameManassentocourtandtoldthekngofhsadventure。Well,sadthekng,shesakndsster;shallsobeavengedonheranlve,thatallChrstendomshallspeakoft。SoonthemorntherecameadamoselfromMorgantothekng,andshebroughtwthhertherchestmantlethateverwasseennthatcourt,fortwassetasfullofprecousstonesasonemghtstandbyanother,andtherewerethercheststonesthateverthekngsaw。Andthedamoselsad,Yoursstersendethyouthsmantle,anddesreththatyeshouldtakethsgftofher;andnwhatthngshehathoffendedyou,shewllamendtatyourownpleasure。
  Whenthekngbeheldthsmantletpleasedhmmuch,buthesadbutlttle。
  HowtheDamoseloftheLakesavedKngArthurfrommantlethatshouldhaveburnthm。
  WTHthatcametheDamoseloftheLakeuntothekng,andsad,Sr,mustspeakwthyounprvty。Sayon,sadthekng,whatyewll。Sr,sadthedamosel,putnotonyouthsmantletllyehaveseenmore,andnnowselettnotcomeonyou,noronnoknghtofyours,tllyecommandthebrngerthereoftoputtuponher。Well,sadKngArthur,tshallbedoneasyecounselme。Andthenhesaduntothedamoselthatcamefromhssster,Damosel,thsmantlethatyehavebroughtme,wllseetuponyou。Sr,shesad,twllnotbeseemmetowearakng’sgarment。Bymyhead,sadArthur,yeshallweartortcomeonmyback,oranyman’sthatheres。Andsothekngmadettobeputuponher,andforthwthalshefelldowndead,andnevermorespakewordafterandburnttocoals。Thenwasthekngwonderlywroth,morethanhewasto-forehand,andsaduntoKngUrens,Mysster,yourwfe,salwayabouttobetrayme,andwellwotetherye,ormynephew,yourson,sofcounselwthhertohavemedestroyed;butasforyou,sadthekngtoKngUrens,deemnotgreatlythatyebeofhercounsel,forAccolonconfessedtomebyhsownmouth,thatshewouldhavedestroyedyouaswellasme,thereforeholdyouexcused;butasforyourson,SrUwane,holdhmsuspect,thereforechargeyouputhmoutofmycourt。SoSrUwanewasdscharged。AndwhenSrGawanewstthat,hemadehmreadytogowthhm;andsad,Whosobanshethmycousn-germanshallbanshme。
  Sotheytwodeparted,androdentoagreatforest,andsotheycametoanabbeyofmonks,andtherewerewelllodged。ButwhenthekngwstthatSrGawanewasdepartedfromthecourt,therewasmadegreatsorrowamongalltheestates。Now,sadGahers,Gawane’sbrother,wehavelosttwogoodknghtsfortheloveofone。Soonthemorntheyheardthermassesntheabbey,andsotheyrodeforthtllthattheycametoagreatforest。ThenwasSrGawanewarenavalleybyaturret[of]twelvefardamosels,andtwoknghtsarmedongreathorses,andthedamoselswenttoandfrobyatree。AndthenwasSrGawanewarehowtherehungawhtesheldonthattree,andeverasthedamoselscamebyttheysptupont,andsomethrewmreuponthesheld。
  HowSrGawaneandSrUwanemetwthtwelvefardamosels,andhowtheycomplanedonSrMarhaus。
  THENSrGawaneandSrUwanewentandsalutedthem,andaskedwhytheyddthatdesptetothesheld。Sr,sadthedamosels,weshalltellyou。Theresaknghtnthscountrythatowneththswhtesheld,andhesapassnggoodmanofhshands,buthehatethallladesandgentlewomen,andthereforewedoallthsdesptetothesheld。shallsayyou,sadSrGawane,tbeseemethevlagoodknghttodespseallladesandgentlewomen,andperadventurethoughhehateyouhehathsomecertancause,andperadventurehelovethnsomeotherplacesladesandgentlewomen,andtobelovedagan,anhebesuchamanofprowessasyespeakof。Now,whatshsname?Sr,sadthey,hsnamesMarhaus,thekng’ssonofreland。knowhmwell,sadSrUwane,hesapassnggoodknghtasanysalve,forsawhmonceprovedatajoustswheremanyknghtsweregathered,andthattmetheremghtnomanwthstandhm。Ah!sadSrGawane,damosels,methnkethyearetoblame,fortstosuppose,hethathungthatsheldthere,hewllnotbelongtherefrom,andthenmaythoseknghtsmatchhmonhorseback,andthatsmoreyourworshpthanthus;forwllabdenolongertoseeaknght’sshelddshonoured。AndtherewthSrUwaneandGawanedepartedalttlefromthem,andthenweretheywarewhereSrMarhauscamerdngonagreathorsestraghttowardthem。AndwhenthetwelvedamoselssawSrMarhaustheyfledntotheturretastheywerewld,sothatsomeofthemfellbytheway。Thentheoneoftheknghtsofthetowerdressedhssheld,andsadonhgh,SrMarhaus,defendthee。AndsotheyrantogetherthattheknghtbrakehsspearonMarhaus,andMarhaussmotehmsohardthathebrakehsneckandthehorse’sback。Thatsawtheotherknghtoftheturret,anddressedhmtowardMarhaus,andtheymetsoeagerlytogetherthattheknghtoftheturretwassoonsmttendown,horseandman,starkdead。
  HowSrMarhausjoustedwthSrGawaneandSrUwane,andoverthrewthemboth。
  ANDthenSrMarhausrodeuntohssheld,andsawhowtwasdefouled,andsad,Ofthsdespteamapartavenged,butforherlovethatgavemethswhtesheldshallwearthee,andhangmnewherethouwast;andsohehangedtabouthsneck。
  ThenherodestraghtuntoSrGawaneandtoSrUwane,andaskedthemwhattheyddthere?TheyansweredhmthattheycamefromKngArthur’scourttoseeadventures。Well,sadSrMarhaus,hereamready,anadventurousknghtthatwllfulflanyadventurethatyewlldesre;andsodepartedfromthem,tofetchhsrange。Lethmgo,sadSrUwaneuntoSrGawane,forhesapassnggoodknghtasanyslvng;
  wouldnotbymywllthatanyofuswerematchedwthhm。Nay,sadSrGawane,notso,twereshametouswerehenotassayed,wereheneversogoodaknght。Well,sadSrUwane,wllassayhmaforeyou,forammoreweakerthanye,andfhesmtemedownthenmayyerevengeme。Sothesetwoknghtscametogetherwthgreatraundon,thatSrUwanesmoteSrMarhausthathsspearbrastnpecesonthesheld,andSrMarhaussmotehmsosorethathorseandmanhebaretotheearth,andhurtSrUwaneontheleftsde。
  ThenSrMarhausturnedhshorseandrodetowardGawanewthhsspear,andwhenSrGawanesawthathedressedhssheld,andtheyaventredtherspears,andtheycametogetherwthallthemghtoftherhorses,thatetherknghtsmoteothersohardnmdstofthershelds,butSrGawane’sspearbrake,butSrMarhaus’spearheld;andtherewthSrGawaneandhshorserusheddowntotheearth。AndlghtlySrGawaneroseonhsfeet,andpulledouthssword,anddressedhmtowardSrMarhausonfoot,andSrMarhaussawthat,andpulledouthsswordandbegantocometoSrGawaneonhorseback。Srknght,sadSrGawane,alghtonfoot,orelsewllslaythyhorse。