requrethee,onthyknghthood,helpmybrotherthatssorewounded,andneverstntethbleedng;forthsdayhefoughtwthSrGlberttheBastardandslewhmnplanbattle,andtherewasmybrothersorewounded,andtheresaladyasorceressthatdwellethnacastleherebesde,andthsdayshetoldmemybrother’swoundsshouldneverbewholetllcouldfndaknghtthatwouldgontotheChapelPerlous,andthereheshouldfndaswordandabloodycloththatthewoundedknghtwaslappedn,andapeceofthatclothandswordshouldhealmybrother’swounds,sothathswoundsweresearchedwththeswordandthecloth。Thssamarvellousthng,sadSrLauncelot,butwhatsyourbrother’sname?Sr,shesad,hsnamewasSrMelotdeLogres。Thatmerepenteth,sadSrLauncelot,forhesafellowoftheTableRound,andtohshelpwlldomypower。
Then,sr,sadshe,followeventhshghway,andtwllbrngyouuntotheChapelPerlous;andhereshallabdetllGodsendyouhereagan,and,butyouspeed,knownoknghtlvngthatmayachevethatadventure
HowSrLauncelotcamentotheChapelPerlousandgatthereofadeadcorpseapeceoftheclothandasword。
RGHTsoSrLauncelotdeparted,andwhenhecameuntotheChapelPerloushealghteddown,andtedhshorseuntoalttlegate。
Andassoonashewaswthnthechurchyardhesawonthefrontofthechapelmanyfarrchsheldsturnedup-so-down,andmanyofthesheldsSrLauncelothadseenknghtsbearbeforehand。
Wththathesawbyhmtherestandathrtygreatknghts,morebyayardthananymanthateverhehadseen,andallthosegrnnedandgnashedatSrLauncelot。Andwhenhesawthercountenancehedreadedhmsore,andsoputhssheldaforehm,andtookhsswordreadynhshandreadyuntobattle,andtheywereallarmednblackharnessreadywththersheldsandtherswordsdrawn。AndwhenSrLauncelotwouldhavegonethroughoutthem,theyscatteredoneverysdeofhm,andgavehmtheway,andtherewthhewaxedallbold,andenteredntothechapel,andthenhesawnolghtbutadmlampburnng,andthenwashewareofacorpsehlledwthaclothofslk。ThenSrLauncelotstoopeddown,andcutapeceawayofthatcloth,andthentfaredunderhmastheearthhadquakedalttle;
therewthalhefeared。Andthenhesawafarswordlebythedeadknght,andthathegatnhshandandhedhmoutofthechapel。
Anonaseverhewasnthechapelyardalltheknghtsspaketohmwthagrmlyvoce,andsad,Knght,SrLauncelot,laythatswordfromtheeorelsethoushaltde。Whetherthatlveorde,sadSrLauncelot,wthnogreatwordgetyetagan,thereforefghtfortanyelst。Thenrghtsohepassedthroughoutthem,andbeyondthechapelyardtheremethmafardamosel,andsad,SrLauncelot,leavethatswordbehndthee,orthouwltdefort。leavetnot,sadSrLauncelot,fornotreates。No,sadshe,anthouddstleavethatsword,QueenGuenevershouldthouneversee。Thenwereafoolan
wouldleavethssword,sadLauncelot。Now,gentleknght,sadthedamosel,requretheetokssmebutonce。Nay,sadSrLauncelot,thatGodmeforbd。Well,sr,sadshe,anthouhadstkssedmethylfedayshadbeendone,butnow,alas,shesad,havelostallmylabour,forordanedthschapelforthysake,andforSrGawane。AndoncehadSrGawanewthnme,andatthattmehefoughtwththatknghtthatleththeredeadnyonderchapel,SrGlberttheBastard;andatthattmehesmotethelefthandoffofSrGlberttheBastard。And,SrLauncelot,nowtellthee,havelovedtheethssevenyear,buttheremaynowomanhavethylovebutQueenGuenever。Butsthenmaynotrejocetheetohavethybodyalve,hadkeptnomorejoynthsworldbuttohavethybodydead。Thenwouldhavebalmedtandservedt,andsohavekepttmylfedays,anddalyshouldhaveclppedthee,andkssedthee,ndespteofQueenGuenever。Yesaywell,sadSrLauncelot,Jesupreservemefromyoursubtlecrafts。Andtherewthalhetookhshorseandsodepartedfromher。Andasthebooksath,whenSrLauncelotwasdepartedshetooksuchsorrowthatshededwthnafourteennght,andhernamewasHellawesthesorceress,LadyoftheCastleNgramous。
AnonSrLauncelotmetwththedamosel,SrMelot’ssster。
Andwhenshesawhmsheclappedherhands,andweptforjoy。
AndthentheyrodeuntoacastletherebywherelaySrMelot。
AndanonasSrLauncelotsawhmheknewhm,buthewaspassngpale,astheearth,forbleedng。WhenSrMelotsawSrLauncelothekneeleduponhskneesandcredonhgh:OlordSrLauncelot,helpme!AnonSrLauncelotleaptuntohmandtouchedhswoundswthSrGlbert’ssword。AndthenhewpedhswoundswthapartofthebloodycloththatSrGlbertwaswrappedn,andanonanwholermannhslfewashenever。Andthentherewasgreatjoybetweenthem,andtheymadeSrLauncelotallthecheerthattheymght,andsoonthemornSrLauncelottookhsleave,andbadeSrMelothehmtothecourtofmylordArthur,fortdrawethnghtotheFeastofPentecost,andtherebythegraceofGodyeshallfndme。Andtherewththeydeparted。
HowSrLauncelotattherequestofaladyrecoveredafalcon,bywhchhewasdeceved。
ANDsoSrLauncelotrodethroughmanystrangecountres,overmarshesandvalleys,tllbyfortunehecametoafarcastle,andashepassedbeyondthecastlehmthoughtheheardtwobellsrng。Andthenwashewareofafalconcameflyngoverhsheadtowardanhghelm,andlonglunesaboutherfeet,andassheflewuntotheelmtotakeherperchthelunesover-castaboutabough。Andwhenshewouldhavetakenherflghtshehungbythelegsfast;andSrLauncelotsawhowshehung,andbeheldthefarfalconpergot,andhewassorryforher。
Themeanwhlecamealadyoutofthecastleandcredonhgh:O
Launcelot,Launcelot,asthouartflowerofallknghts,helpmetogetmyhawk,foranmyhawkbelostmylordwlldestroyme;
forkeptthehawkandsheslppedfromme,andfmylordmyhusbandwtthessohastythathewllslayme。Whatsyourlord’sname?sadSrLauncelot。Sr,shesad,hsnamesSrPhelot,aknghtthatlongethuntotheKngofNorthgals。Well,farlady,sncethatyeknowmyname,andrequremeofknghthoodtohelpyou,wlldowhatmaytogetyourhawk,andyetGodknowethamanllclmber,andthetreespassnghgh,andfewboughstohelpmewthal。AndtherewthSrLauncelotalghted,andtedhshorsetothesametree,andprayedtheladytounarmhm。Andsowhenhewasunarmed,heputoffallhsclothesuntohsshrtandbreech,andwthmghtandforceheclombuptothefalcon,andtedthelnestoagreatrottenboyshe,andthrewthehawkdownandtwthal。
Anontheladygatthehawknherhand;andtherewthalcameoutSrPhelotoutofthegrovessuddenly,thatwasherhusband,allarmedandwthhsnakedswordnhshand,andsad:OknghtLauncelot,nowhavefoundtheeaswould,andstoodattheboleofthetreetoslayhm。Ah,lady,sadSrLauncelot,whyhaveyebetrayedme?Shehathdone,sadSrPhelot,butas
commandedher,andthereforetherensnoneotherbootbutthnehourscomethatthoumustde。Thatwereshameuntothee,sadSrLauncelot,thouanarmedknghttoslayanakedmanbytreason。Thougettestnoneothergrace,sadSrPhelot,andthereforehelpthyselfanthoucanst。Truly,sadSrLauncelot,thatshallbethyshame,butsncethouwltdononeother,takemneharnesswththee,andhangmysworduponaboughthatmaygett,andthendothybesttoslaymeanthoucanst。Nay,nay,sadSrPhelot,forknowtheebetterthanthouweenest,thereforethougettestnoweapon,anmaykeepyoutherefrom。
Alas,sadSrLauncelot,thateveraknghtshoulddeweaponless。Andtherewthhewatedabovehmandunderhm,andoverhsheadhesawarownsepyk,abgboughleafless,andtherewthhebraketoffbythebody。Andthenhecamelowerandawatedhowhsownhorsestood,andsuddenlyheleaptonthefurthersdeofthehorse,fro-wardtheknght。AndthenSrPhelotlashedathmeagerly,weenngtohaveslanhm。ButSrLauncelotputawaythestrokewththerownsepyk,andtherewthhesmotehmontheonesdeofthehead,thathefelldownnaswoontotheground。SothenSrLauncelottookhsswordoutofhshand,andstruckhsneckfromthebody。Thencredthelady,Alas!whyhastthouslanmyhusband?amnotcauser,sadSrLauncelot,forwthfalsehoodyewouldhavehadslanmewthtreason,andnowtsfallenonyouboth。Andthensheswoonedasthoughshewouldde。AndtherewthalSrLauncelotgatallhsarmouraswellashemght,andputtuponhmfordreadofmoreresort,forhedreadedthattheknght’scastlewassongh。Andso,assoonashemght,hetookhshorseanddeparted,andthankedGodthathehadescapedthatadventure。
HowSrLauncelotovertookaknghtwhchchasedhswfetohaveslanher,andhowhesadtohm。
SOSrLauncelotrodemanywldways,throughoutmarchesandmanywldways。Andasherodenavalleyhesawaknghtchasngalady,wthanakedsword,tohaveslanher。Andbyfortuneasthsknghtshouldhaveslanthslady,shecredonSrLauncelotandprayedhmtorescueher。WhenSrLauncelotsawthatmschef,hetookhshorseandrodebetweenthem,sayng,Knght,feforshame,whywltthouslaythslady?thoudostshameuntotheeandallknghts。Whathastthoutodobetwxtmeandmywfe?sadtheknght。wllslayhermaugrethyhead。
Thatshallyenot,sadSrLauncelot,forratherwetwowllhaveadotogether。SrLauncelot,sadtheknght,thoudostnotthypart,forthsladyhathbetrayedme。tsnotso,sadthelady,trulyhesathwrongonme。Andforbecauseloveandchershmycousngerman,hesjealousbetwxthmandme;andasshallanswertoGodtherewasneversnbetwxtus。But,sr,sadthelady,asthouartcalledtheworshpfullestknghtoftheworld,requretheeoftrueknghthood,keepmeandsaveme。Forwhatsomeveryesayhewllslayme,forheswthoutmercy。Haveyenodoubt,sadLauncelot,tshallnotlenhspower。Sr,sadtheknght,nyoursghtwllberuledasyewllhaveme。AndsoSrLauncelotrodeontheonesdeandsheontheother:hehadnotrddenbutawhle,buttheknghtbadeSrLauncelotturnhmandlookbehndhm,andsad,Sr,yondercomemenofarmsafterusrdng。AndsoSrLauncelotturnedhmandthoughtnotreason,andtherewthwastheknghtandtheladyononesde,andsuddenlyheswappedoffhslady’shead。
AndwhenSrLauncelothadespedhmwhathehaddone,hesad,andcalledhm,Trator,thouhastshamedmeforever。AndsuddenlySrLauncelotalghtedoffhshorse,andpulledouthsswordtoslayhm,andtherewthalhefellflattotheearth,andgrppedSrLauncelotbythethghs,andcredmercy。Feonthee,sadSrLauncelot,thoushamefulknght,thoumayesthavenomercy,andthereforearseandfghtwthme。Nay,sadtheknght,wllneverarsetllyegrantmemercy。Nowwll
proffertheefar,sadLauncelot,wllunarmmeuntomyshrt,andwllhavenothnguponmebutmyshrt,andmyswordandmyhand。Andfthoucanstslayme,qutbethouforever。Nay,sr,sadPedvere,thatwllnever。Well,sadSrLauncelot,takethsladyandthehead,andbeartuponthee,andhereshaltthouswearuponmysword,tobeartalwaysuponthyback,andnevertoresttllthoucometoQueenGuenever。Sr,sadhe,thatwlldo,bythefathofmybody。Now,sadLauncelot,tellmewhatsyourname?Sr,mynamesPedvere。
第31章