HowLucussentcertanspesnabushmentfortohavetakenhsknghtsbengprsoners,andhowtheywereletted。
NOWturnwetotheEmperorofRome,whchespedthattheseprsonersshouldbesenttoPars,andanonhesenttolenabushmentcertanknghtsandprnceswthsxtythousandmen,fortorescuehsknghtsandlordsthatwereprsoners。AndsoonthemornasLauncelotandSrCador,cheftansandgovernorsofallthemthatconveyedtheprsoners,astheyshouldpassthroughawood,SrLauncelotsentcertanknghtstoespyfanywerenthewoodstoletthem。Andwhenthesadknghtscamentothewood,anontheyespedandsawthegreatembushment,andreturnedandtoldSrLauncelotthattherelaynawatforthemthreescorethousandRomans。AndthenSrLauncelotwthsuchknghtsashehad,andmenofwartothenumberoftenthousand,putthemnarray,andmetwththemandfoughtwththemmanly,andslewanddetrenchedmanyoftheRomans,andslewmanyknghtsandadmralsofthepartyoftheRomansandSaracens;therewasslanthekngofLylyandthreegreatlords,Aladuke,Herawd,andHerngdale。ButSrLauncelotfoughtsonoblythatnomanmghtendureastrokeofhshand,butwherehecameheshowedhsprowessandmght,forheslewdownrghtoneverysde;andtheRomansandSaracensfledfromhmasthesheepfromthewolforfromthelon,andputthem,allthatabodealve,toflght。
AndsolongtheyfoughtthattdngscametoKngArthur,andanonhegrathedhmandcametothebattle,andsawhsknghtshowtheyhadvanqushedthebattle,heembracedthemknghtbyknghtnhsarms,andsad,Yebeworthytoweldallyourhonourandworshp;therewasneverkngsavemyselfthathadsonobleknghts。Sr,sadCador,therewasnoneofusfaledother,butoftheprowessandmanhoodofSrLauncelotweremorethanwondertotell,andalsoofhscousnswhchddthatdaymanynoblefeatsofwar。AndalsoSrCadortoldwhoofhsknghtswereslan,asSrBerel,andotherSrMorsandSrMaurel,twogoodknghts。Thenthekngwept,anddredhseyeswthakerchef,andsad,Yourcouragehadnear-handdestroyedyou,forthoughyehadreturnedagan,yehadlostnoworshp;
forcalltfolly,knghtstoabdewhentheybeovermatched。
Nay,sadLauncelotandtheother,foronceshamedmayneverberecovered。
HowasenatortoldtoLucusoftherdscomfture,andalsoofthegreatbattlebetweenArthurandLucus。
NOWleaveweKngArthurandhsnobleknghtswhchhadwonthefeld,andhadbroughttherprsonerstoPars,andspeakweofasenatorwhchescapedfromthebattle,andcametoLucustheemperor,andsadtohm,Sremperor,advsetheefortowthdrawthee;whatdostthouhere?thoushaltwnnothngnthesemarchesbutgreatstrokesoutofallmeasure,forthsdayoneofArthur’sknghtswasworthnthebattleanhundredofours。Feonthee,sadLucus,thouspeakestcowardly;forthywordsgrevememorethanallthelossthathadthsday。
Andanonhesentforthakng,whchhghtSrLeome,wthagreatarmy,andbadehmhehmfastto-fore,andhewouldfollowhastlyafter。KngArthurwaswarnedprvly,andsenthspeopletoSessone,andtookupthetownsandcastlesfromtheRomans。ThenthekngcommandedSrCadortotaketherearward,andtotakewthhmcertanknghtsoftheRoundTable,andSrLauncelot,SrBors,SrKay,SrMarrok,wthSrMarhaus,shallawatonourperson。ThustheKngArthurdsperpledhshostndverspartes,totheendthathsenemesshouldnotescape。
WhentheemperorwasenteredntothevaleofSessone,hemghtseewhereKngArthurwasembattledandhsbannerdsplayed;andhewasbesetroundaboutwthhsenemes,thatneedshemustfghtoryeldhm,forhemghtnotflee,butsadopenlyuntotheRomans,Srs,admonshyouthatthsdayyefghtandacqutyouasmen,andrememberhowRomedomnethandschefandheadoveralltheearthandunversalworld,andsuffernottheseBrtonsthsdaytoabdeaganstus;andtherewthheddcommandhstrumpetstoblowthebloodysounds,nsuchwsethatthegroundtrembledanddndled。
Thenthebattlesapproachedandshovedandshoutedonbothsdes,andgreatstrokesweresmttenonbothsdes,manymenoverthrown,hurt,andslan;andgreatvalances,prowessesandappertcesofwarwerethatdayshowed,whchwereoverlongtorecountthenoblefeatsofeveryman,fortheyshouldcontananwholevolume。Butnespecal,KngArthurrodenthebattleexhortnghsknghtstodowell,andhmselfddasnoblywthhshandsaswaspossbleamantodo;hedrewoutExcalburhssword,andawatedeverwhereastheRomanswerethckestandmostgrevedhspeople,andanonheaddressedhmonthatpart,andhewandslewdownrght,andrescuedhspeople;andheslewagreatgantnamedGalapas,whchwasamanofanhugequanttyandheght,heshortedhmandsmoteoffbothhslegsbytheknees,sayng,Nowartthoubetterofaszetodealwththanthouwere,andaftersmoteoffhshead。ThereSrGawanefoughtnoblyandslewthreeadmralsnthatbattle。AndsoddalltheknghtsoftheRoundTable。ThusthebattlebetweenKngArthurandLucustheEmperorenduredlong。LucushadonhssdemanySaracenswhchwereslan。Andthusthebattlewasgreat,andoftsdesthatonepartywasatafordealandanonatanafterdeal,whchenduredsolongtllatthelastKngArthurespedwhereLucustheEmperorfought,andddwonderwthhsownhands。Andanonherodetohm。Andethersmoteotherfercely,andatlastLucussmoteArthurthwartthevsage,andgavehmalargewound。AndwhenKngArthurfelthmselfhurt,anonhesmotehmaganwthExcalburthattclefthshead,fromthesummtofhshead,andstntednottlltcametohsbreast。Andthentheemperorfelldowndeadandthereendedhslfe。
Andwhentwasknownthattheemperorwasslan,anonalltheRomanswthalltherhostputthemtoflght,andKngArthurwthallhsknghtsfollowedthechase,andslewdownrghtallthemthattheymghtattan。AndthuswasthevctorygventoKngArthur,andthetrumph;andtherewereslanonthepartofLucusmorethananhundredthousand。AndafterKngArthurdddoransackthedeadbodes,anddddoburythemthatwereslanofhsretnue,everymanaccordngtotheestateanddegreethathewasof。Andthemthatwerehurtheletthesurgeonsdosearchtherhurtsandwounds,andcommandedtosparenosalvesnormedcnestlltheywerewhole。
ThenthekngrodestraghttotheplacewheretheEmperorLucuslaydead,andwthhmhefoundslantheSoudanofSyra,theKngofEgyptandofEthopa,whchweretwonoblekngs,wthseventeenotherkngsofdversregons,andalsosxtysenatorsofRome,allnoblemen,whomthekngdddobalmandgumwthmanygoodgumsaromatc,andafterdddocerethemnsxtyfoldofceredclothofsendal,andladthemnchestsoflead,becausetheyshouldnotchafenorsavour,anduponallthesebodesthersheldswththerarmsandbannerswereset,totheendtheyshouldbeknownofwhatcountrytheywere。Andafterhefoundthreesenatorswhchwerealve,towhomhesad,Fortosaveyourlveswllthatyetakethesedeadbodes,andcarrythemwthyouuntogreatRome,andpresentthemtothePotestateonmybehalf,shewnghmmyletters,andtellthemthatnmypersonshallhastlybeatRome。AndsupposetheRomansshallbewarehowtheyshalldemandanytrbuteofme。AndcommandyoutosaywhenyeshallcometoRome,tothePotestateandalltheCounclandSenate,thatsendtothemthesedeadbodesforthetrbutethattheyhavedemanded。Andftheybenotcontentwththese,shallpaymoreatmycomng,forothertrbuteowenone,nornoneotherwllpay。AndmethnkeththssuffcethforBrtan,relandandallAlmanewthGermany。Andfurthermore,chargeyoutosaytothem,thatcommandthemuponpanoftherheadsnevertodemandtrbutenortaofmenorofmylands。Thenwththschargeandcommandment,thethreesenatorsaforesaddepartedwthallthesaddeadbodes,layngthebodyofLucusnacarcoveredwththearmsoftheEmpreallalone;andafteralwaytwobodesofkngsnacharot,andthenthebodesofthesenatorsafterthem,andsowenttowardRome,andshowedtherlegatonandmessagetothePotestateandSenate,recountngthebattledonenFrance,andhowthefeldwaslostandmuchpeopleandnnumerableslan。
WhereforetheyadvsedthemnnowsetomovenomorewaraganstthatnobleconquerorArthur,forhsmghtandprowesssmosttobedoubted,seenthenoblekngsandgreatmulttudeofknghtsoftheRoundTable,towhomnoneearthlyprncemaycompare。
X
HowArthur,afterhehadachevedthebattleagansttheRomans,enteredntoAlmane,andsontotaly。
NOWturnweuntoKngArthurandhsnobleknghts,whch,afterthegreatbattleachevedagansttheRomans,enteredntoLorrane,BrabantandFlanders,andsthenreturnedntoHautAlmane,andsooverthemountansntoLombardy,andafter,ntoTuscanywherenwasactywhchnnowsewouldyeldthemselfnorobey,whereforeKngArthurbesegedt,andlaylongaboutt,andgavemanyassaultstothecty;andtheywthndefendedthemvalantly。Then,onatme,thekngcalledSrFlorence,aknght,andsadtohmtheylackedvctual,Andnotfarfromhencebegreatforestsandwoods,wherenbemanyofmneenemeswthmuchbestal:wllthatthoumaketheereadyandgoththernforayng,andtakewththeeSrGawanemynephew,SrWsshard,SrClegs,SrCleremond,andtheCaptanofCardffwthother,andbrngwthyouallthebeaststhatyetherecanget。
Andanontheseknghtsmadethemready,androdeoverholtsandhlls,throughforestsandwoods,tlltheycamentoafarmeadowfulloffarflowersandgrass;andtheretheyrestedthemandtherhorsesallthatnght。Andnthesprngngofthedaynthenextmorn,SrGawanetookhshorseandstoleawayfromhsfellowshp,toseeksomeadventures。Andanonhewaswareofamanarmed,walknghshorseeaslybyawood’ssde,andhssheldlacedtohsshoulder,sttngonastrongcourser,wthoutanymansavngapagebearngamghtyspear。Theknghtbarenhssheldthreegrffnsofgold,nsablecarbuncle,thechefofslver。WhenSrGawaneespedthsgayknght,hefeutredhsspear,androdestraghttohm,anddemandedofhmfromwhencethathewas。ThatotheransweredandsadhewasofTuscany,anddemandedofSrGawane,What,profferestthou,proudknght,theesoboldly?heregettestthounoprey,thoumayestprovewhatthouwlt,forthoushaltbemyprsonerorthoudepart。ThensadGawane,thouavauntesttheegreatlyandspeakestproudwords,counseltheeforallthyboastthatthoumaketheeready,andtakethygeartothee,to-foregreatergramefalltothee。
X
OfabattledonebySrGawaneaganstaSaracen,whchafterwasyeldenandbecameChrstan。
THENtheytooktherspearsandraneachatotherwthallthemghttheyhad,andsmoteeachotherthroughthersheldsntothershoulders,whereforeanontheypulledouttherswords,andsmotegreatstrokesthatthefresprangoutoftherhelms。
ThenSrGawanewasallabashed,andwthGalatnehsgoodswordhesmotethroughsheldandthckhauberkmadeofthckmals,andallto-rushedandbreaktheprecousstones,andmadehmalargewound,thatmenmghtseebothlverandlung。Thengroanedthatknght,andaddressedhmtoSrGawane,andwthanawkstrokegavehmagreatwoundandcutaven,whchgrevedGawanesore,andhebledsore。ThentheknghtsadtoSrGawane,bndthywoundorthyblee[dng]change,forthoube-bleedestallthyhorseandthyfararms,forallthebarbersofBrttanyshallnotconstaunchthyblood,forwhosomevershurtwththsbladeheshallneverbestaunchedofbleedng。
ThenansweredGawane,tgrevethmebutlttle,thygreatwordsshallnotfearmenorlessenmycourage,butthoushaltsufferteenandsorroworwedepart,buttellmenhastewhomaystaunchmybleedng。Thatmaydo,sadtheknght,fwll,andsowllfthouwltsuccourandadme,thatmaybechrstenedandbeleveonGod,andthereofrequretheeofthymanhood,andtshallbegreatmertforthysoul。grant,sadGawane,soGodhelpme,toaccomplshallthydesre,butfrsttellmewhatthousoughtestherethusalone,andofwhatlandandlegancethouartof。Sr,hesad,mynamesPramus,andagreatprncesmyfather,andhehathbeenrebeluntoRomeandoverrddenmanyoftherlands。MyfatherslneallydescendedofAlexanderandofHectorbyrghtlne。AndDukeJoshuaandMaccabaeuswereofourlneage。amrghtnhertorofAlexandraandAfrca,andalltheoutsles,yetwllbeleveonthyLordthatthoubeleveston;andforthylabourshallgvetheetreasureenough。wassoelateandhauteynnmyheartthatthoughtnomanmypeer,nortomesemblable。wassentntothswarwthsevenscoreknghts,andnowhaveencounteredwththee,whchhastgventomeoffghtngmyfll,whereforesrknght,praytheetotellmewhatthouart。amnoknght,sadGawane,havebeenbroughtupntheguardrobewththenobleKngArthurmanyyears,fortotakeheedtohsarmourandhsotherarray,andtoponthspaltocksthatlongtohmself。AtYulelasthemademeyeoman,andgavetomehorseandharness,andanhundredpoundnmoney;
第25章