首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第38章
  RghtsoSrGrngamorewentuntoSrGareth,andsad,Sr,makeyegoodcheer,foryeshallhavenoneothercause,forthslady,mysster,syoursatalltmes,herworshpsaved,forwtyewellshelovethyouaswellasyedoher,andbetterfbettermaybe。Anwstthat,sadSrGareth,therelvednotagladdermanthanwouldbe。Uponmyworshp,sadSrGrngamore,trustuntomypromse;andaslongastlkethyouyeshallsojournwthme,andthsladyshallbewthusdalyandnghtlytomakeyouallthecheerthatshecan。wllwell,sadSrGareth,forhavepromsedtobenghthscountrythstwelvemonth。AndwellamsureKngArthurandothernobleknghtswllfndmewherethatamwthnthstwelvemonth。
  Forshallbesoughtandfound,fthatbealve。AndthenthenobleknghtSrGarethwentuntotheDameLonesse,whchhethenmuchloved,andkssedhermanytmes,andethermadegreatjoyofother。Andthereshepromsedhmherlovecertanly,tolovehmandnoneotherthedaysofherlfe。Thenthslady,DameLonesse,bytheassentofherbrother,toldSrGarethallthetruthwhatshewas,andhowshewasthesameladythatheddbattlefor,andhowshewasladyoftheCastlePerlous,andthereshetoldhmhowshecausedherbrothertotakeawayhsdwarf,[*2]forthscause,toknowthecertantywhatwasyourname,andofwhatknyewerecome。
  ]PrntedbyCaxtonaspartofchap……
  Howatnghtcameanarmedknght,andfoughtwthSrGareth,andhe,sorehurtnthethgh,smoteofftheknght’shead。
  ANDthensheletfetchto-forehmLnet,thedamoselthathadrddenwthhmmanywldsomeways。ThenwasSrGarethmoregladderthanhewasto-fore。Andthentheytroth-plghteachothertolove,andnevertofalwhlestherlfelasteth。Andsotheyburntbothnlove,thattheywereaccordedtoabatetherlustssecretly。AndthereDameLonessecounselledSrGarethtosleepnnoneotherplacebutnthehall。Andthereshepromsedhmtocometohsbedalttleaforemdnght。
  Thscounselwasnotsoprvlykeptbuttwasunderstood;fortheywerebutyoungboth,andtenderofage,andhadnotusednonesuchcraftsto-fore。WhereforethedamoselLnetwasalttledspleased,andshethoughtherssterDameLonessewasalttleover-hasty,thatshemghtnotabdethetmeofhermarrage;andforsavngtherworshp,shethoughttoabatetherhotlusts。Andsosheletordanbyhersubtlecraftsthattheyhadnottherntentsnetherwthother,asntherdelghts,untltheyweremarred。Andsotpassedon。At-
  aftersupperwasmadecleanavodance,thateverylordandladyshouldgountohsrest。ButSrGarethsadplanlyhewouldgonofartherthanthehall,fornsuchplaces,hesad,wasconvenentforanerrant-knghttotakehsrestn;andsotherewereordanedgreatcouches,andthereonfeatherbeds,andthereladhmdowntosleep;andwthnawhlecameDameLonesse,wrappednamantlefurredwthermne,andladherdownbesdeSrGareth。Andtherewthalhebegantokssher。Andthenhelookedaforehm,andthereheappercevedandsawcomeanarmedknght,wthmanylghtsabouthm;andthsknghthadalonggsarmnhshand,andmadegrmcountenancetosmtehm。WhenSrGarethsawhmcomenthatwse,heleaptoutofhsbed,andgatnhshandhssword,andleaptstraghttowardthatknght。AndwhentheknghtsawSrGarethcomesofercelyuponhm,hesmotehmwthafonthroughthethckofthethghthatthewoundwasashaftmonbroadandhadcuta-twomanyvensandsnews。AndtherewthalSrGarethsmotehmuponthehelmsuchabuffetthathefellgrovellng;andthenheleaptoverhmandunlacedhshelm,andsmoteoffhsheadfromthebody。Andthenhebledsofastthathemghtnotstand,butsoheladhmdownuponhsbed,andthereheswoonedandlayashehadbeendead。
  ThenDameLonessecredaloud,thatherbrotherSrGrngamoreheard,andcamedown。AndwhenhesawSrGarethsoshamefullywoundedhewassoredspleased,andsad:amshamedthatthsnobleknghtsthushonoured。Sr,sadSrGrngamore,howmaythsbe,thatyebehere,andthsnobleknghtwounded?
  Brother,shesad,cannottellyou,fortwasnotdonebyme,norbymneassent。Forhesmylordandamhs,andhemustbemnehusband;therefore,mybrother,wllthatyewt
  shamemenottobewthhm,nortodohmallthepleasurethatcan。Sster,sadSrGrngamore,andwllthatyewtt,andSrGarethboth,thattwasneverdonebyme,norbymyassentthatthsunhappydeedwasdone。Andtheretheystaunchedhsbleedngaswellastheymght,andgreatsorrowmadeSrGrngamoreandDameLonesse。
  AndforthwthalcameDameLnet,andtookuptheheadnthesghtofthemall,andanontedtwthanontmentthereastwassmttenoff;andnthesamewsesheddtotheotherpartthereastheheadstuck,andthenshesetttogether,andtstuckasfastasevertdd。Andtheknghtaroselghtlyup,andthedamoselLnetputhmnherchamber。AllthssawSrGrngamoreandDameLonesse,andsoddSrGareth;andwellheespedthattwasthedamoselLnet,thatrodewthhmthroughtheperlouspassages。Ahwell,damosel,sadSrGareth,
  weenedyewouldnothavedoneasyehavedone。MylordGareth,sadLnet,allthathavedonewllavow,andallthathavedoneshallbeforyourhonourandworshp,andtousall。AndsowthnawhleSrGarethwasnghwhole,andwaxedlghtandjocund,andsang,danced,andgamed;andheandDameLonesseweresohotnburnnglovethattheymadethercovenantatthetenthnghtafter,thatsheshouldcometohsbed。Andbecausehewaswoundedafore,heladhsarmourandhsswordnghhsbed’ssde。
  Howthesadknghtcameaganthenextnghtandwasbeheadedagan,andhowatthefeastofPentecostalltheknghtsthatSrGarethhadovercomecameandyeldedthemtoKngArthur。
  RGHTasshepromsedshecame;andshewasnotsosoonnhsbedbutsheespedanarmedknghtcomngtowardthebed:
  therewthalshewarnedSrGareth,andlghtlythroughthegoodhelpofDameLonessehewasarmed;andtheyhurtledtogetherwthgreatreandmalceallaboutthehall;andtherewasgreatlghtasthadbeenthenumberoftwentytorchesbothbeforeandbehnd,sothatSrGarethstranedhm,sothathsoldwoundbrastagana-bleedng;buthewashotandcourageousandtooknokeep,butwthhsgreatforcehestruckdownthatknght,andvodedhshelm,andstruckoffhshead。Thenhehewedtheheadnanhundredpeces。Andwhenhehaddonesohetookupallthosepeces,andthrewthemoutatawndowntothedtchesofthecastle;andbythsdonehewassofantthatunnetheshemghtstandforbleedng。Andbywhenhewasalmostunarmedhefellnadeadlyswoononthefloor;andthenDameLonessecredsothatSrGrngamoreheard;andwhenhecameandfoundSrGarethnthatplghthemadegreatsorrow;andthereheawakedSrGareth,andgavehmadrnkthatrelevedhmwonderlywell;
  butthesorrowthatDameLonessemadetheremaynotonguetell,forshesofaredwthherselfasshewouldhaveded。
  RghtsocamethsdamoselLnetbeforethemall,andshehadfetchedallthegobbetsoftheheadthatSrGarethhadthrownoutatawndow,andtheresheanontedthemasshehaddoneto-
  fore,andsetthemtogetheragan。Well,damoselLnet,sadSrGareth,havenotdeservedallthsdesptethatyedountome。
  Srknght,shesad,havenothngdonebutwllavow,andallthathave>doneshallbetoyourworshp,andtousall。AndthenwasSrGarethstaunchedofhsbleedng。Buttheleechessadthattherewasnomanthatbarethelfeshouldhealhmthroughoutofhswoundbutftheyhealedhmthatcausedthatstrokebyenchantment。
  SoleaveweSrGareththerewthSrGrngamoreandhsssters,andturnweuntoKngArthur,thatatthenextfeastofPentecostheldhsfeast;andtherecametheGreenKnghtwthfftyknghts,andyeldedthemalluntoKngArthur。AndsotherecametheRedKnghthsbrother,andyeldedhmtoKngArthur,andthreescoreknghtswthhm。AlsotherecametheBlueKnght,brothertothem,wthanhundredknghts,andyeldedthemuntoKngArthur;andtheGreenKnght’snamewasPertolepe,andtheRedKnght’snamewasPermones,andtheBlueKnght’snamewasSrPersantofnde。ThesethreebrethrentoldKngArthurhowtheywereovercomebyaknghtthatadamoselhadwthher,andcalledhmBeaumans。Jesu,sadthekng,marvelwhatknghthes,andofwhatlneagehescome。Hewaswthmeatwelvemonth,andpoorlyandshamefullyhewasfostered,andSrKaynscornnamedhmBeaumans。Sorghtasthekngstoodsotalkngwththesethreebrethren,therecameSrLauncelotduLake,andtoldthekngthattherewascomeagoodlylordwthshundredknghtswthhm。
  ThenthekngwentoutofCarlon,fortherewasthefeast,andtherecametohmthslord,andsalutedthekngnagoodlymanner。Whatwllye,sadKngArthur,andwhatsyourerrand?
  Sr,hesad,mynamestheRedKnghtoftheRedLaunds,butmynamesSrronsde;andsr,wtyewell,hereamsenttoyouofaknghtthatscalledBeaumans,forhewonmenplanbattlehandforhand,andsoddnevernoknghtbuthe,thateverhadthebetterofmethsthrtywnter;thewhchcommandedtoyeldmetoyouatyourwll。Yearewelcome,sadthekng,foryehavebeenlongagreatfoetomeandmycourt,andnow
  trusttoGodshallsoentreatyouthatyeshallbemyfrend。
  Sr,bothandthesefvehundredknghtsshallalwaysbeatyoursummonstodoyouservceasmaylenourpowers。Jesumercy,sadKngArthur,ammuchbeholdenuntothatknghtthathathputsohsbodyndevortoworshpmeandmycourt。Andastothee,ronsde,thatartcalledtheRedKnghtoftheRedLaunds,thouartcalledaperlousknght;andfthouwltholdofmeshallworshptheeandmaketheeknghtoftheTableRound;butthenthoumustbenomoreamurderer。Sr,astothat,havepromseduntoSrBeaumansnevermoretousesuchcustoms,foralltheshamefulcustomsthatusedddattherequestofaladythatloved;andthereforemustgountoSrLauncelot,anduntoSrGawane,andaskthemforgvenessoftheevlwllhaduntothem;forallthatputtodeathwasallonlyfortheloveofSrLauncelotandofSrGawane。Theybeherenow,sadthekng,aforethee,nowmayyesaytothemwhatyewll。AndthenhekneeleddownuntoSrLauncelot,andtoSrGawane,andprayedthemofforgvenessofhsenmtythateverhehadaganstthem。
  X
  HowKngArthurpardonedthem,anddemandedofthemwhereSrGarethwas。
  THENgoodlytheysadallatonce,Godforgveyou,andwedo,andprayyouthatyewlltelluswherewemayfndSrBeaumans。Farlords,sadSrronsde,cannottellyou,fortsfullhardtofndhm;forsuchyoungknghtsashesone,whentheybentheradventuresbeneverabdngnnoplace。
  ButtosaytheworshpthattheRedKnghtoftheRedLaunds,andSrPersantandhsbrothersadofBeaumans,twasmarveltohear。Well,myfarlords,sadKngArthur,wtyouwell
  shalldoyouhonourfortheloveofSrBeaumans,andassoonasevermeetwthhmshallmakeyouallupononedayknghtsoftheTableRound。Andastothee,SrPersantofnde,thouhastbeenevercalledafullnobleknght,andsohaveeverbeenthythreebrethrencalled。Butmarvel,sadthekng,thathearnotoftheBlackKnghtyourbrother,hewasafullnobleknght。Sr,sadPertolepe,theGreenKnght,SrBeaumansslewhmnarecounterwthhsspear,hsnamewasSrPercard。Thatwasgreatpty,sadthekng,andsosadmanyknghts。ForthesefourbrethrenwerefullwellknownnthecourtofKngArthurfornobleknghts,forlongtmetheyhadholdenwaragansttheknghtsoftheRoundTable。ThensadPertolepe,theGreenKnght,tothekng:AtapassageofthewaterofMortasethereencounteredSrBeaumanswthtwobrethrenthateverforthemostpartkeptthatpassage,andtheyweretwodeadlyknghts,andthereheslewtheeldestbrothernthewater,andsmotehmupontheheadsuchabuffetthathefelldownnthewater,andtherehewasdrowned,andhsnamewasSrGherardleBreusse;andafterheslewtheotherbrotherupontheland,hsnamewasSrArnoldleBreusse。
  nCaxton’sedtonthssmsnumbered。,settngthenumeratonwrongtotheendofthebook。