首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第5章
  HowelevenkngsgatheredagreathostaganstKngArthur。
  ANDSOwthnalttlespacethethreekngscameuntothecastleofBedegrane,andfoundthereapassngfarfellowshp,andwellbeseen,whereoftheyhadgreatjoy,andvctualtheywantednone。Thswasthecauseofthenorthernhost:thattheywererearedforthedespteandrebuketheskngshadatCarlon。
  Andthoseskngsbythermeans,gatuntothemfveotherkngs;andthustheybegantogathertherpeople。
  Andnowtheyswarethatforwealnorwoe,theyshouldnotleaveother,tlltheyhaddestroyedArthur。Andthentheymadeanoath。ThefrstthatbegantheoathwastheDukeofCambenet,thathewouldbrngwthhmfvethousandmenofarms,thewhchwerereadyonhorseback。ThenswareKngBrandegorsofStranggorethathewouldbrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。ThenswareKngClaranceofNorthumberlandhewouldbrngthreethousandmenofarms。ThenswaretheKngoftheHundredKnghts,thatwasapassnggoodmanandayoung,thathewouldbrngfourthousandmenofarmsonhorseback。ThentheresworeKngLot,apassnggoodknght,andSrGawan’sfather,thathewouldbrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngUrence,thatwasSrUwan’sfather,ofthelandofGore,andhewouldbrngsthousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngdresofCornwall,thathewouldbrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngCradelmastobrngfvethousandmenonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngAgwsanceofrelandtobrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngNentrestobrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngCaradostobrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。Sotherwholehostwasofcleanmenofarmsonhorsebackfftythousand,anda-foottenthousandofgoodmen’sbodes。Thenweretheysoonready,andmounteduponhorseandsentforththerfore-rders,fortheseelevenkngsntherwaysladasegeuntothecastleofBedegrane;andsotheydepartedanddrewtowardArthur,andleftfewtoabdeatthesege,forthecastleofBedegranewasholdenofKngArthur,andthementhatweretherenwereArthur’s。
  OfadreamoftheKngwththeHundredKnghts。
  SobyMerln’sadvcethereweresentfore-rderstoskmthecountry,andtheymetwththefore-rdersofthenorth,andmadethemtotellwhchwaythehostcame,andthentheytoldttoArthur,andbyKngBanandBors’councltheyletburnanddestroyallthecountryaforethem,theretheyshouldrde。
  TheKngwththeHundredKnghtsmetawonderdreamtwonghtsaforethebattle,thatthereblewagreatwnd,andblewdownthercastlesandthertowns,andafterthatcameawaterandbaretallaway。Allthatheardoftheswevensadtwasatokenofgreatbattle。ThenbycounselofMerln,whentheywstwhchwaytheelevenkngswouldrdeandlodgethatnght,atmdnghttheysetuponthem,astheywerentherpavlons。
  Butthescout-watchbytherhostcred,Lords!atarms!forherebeyourenemesatyourhand!
  HowtheelevenkngswththerhostfoughtaganstArthurandhshost,andmanygreatfeatsofthewar。
  THENKngArthurandKngBanandKngBors,wththergoodandtrustyknghts,setonthemsofercelythattheymadethemoverthrowtherpavlonsontherheads,buttheelevenkngs,bymanlyprowessofarms,tookafarchampagn,buttherewasslanthatmorrowtdetenthousandgoodmen’sbodes。Andsotheyhadaforethemastrongpassage,yetweretheyfftythousandofhardymen。Thentdrewtowardday。Nowshallyedobymneadvce,sadMerlnuntothethreekngs:wouldthatKngBanandKngBors,wththerfellowshpoftenthousandmen,wereputnawoodherebesde,nanambushment,andkeepthemprvy,andthattheybeladorthelghtofthedaycome,andthattheystrnottllyeandyourknghtshavefoughtwththemlong。Andwhentsdaylght,dressyourbattleevenaforethemandthepassage,thattheymayseeallyourhost,forthenwlltheybethemorehardy,whentheyseeyoubutabouttwentythousandmen,andcausethemtobethegladdertosufferyouandyourhosttocomeoverthepassage。AllthethreekngsandthewholebaronssadthatMerlnsadpassnglywell,andtwasdoneanonasMerlnhaddevsed。Soonthemorn,whenetherhostsawother,thehostofthenorthwaswellcomforted。ThentoUlfusandBrastasweredelveredthreethousandmenofarms,andtheysetonthemfercelynthepassage,andslewontherghthandandonthelefthandthattwaswondertotell。
  Whenthattheelevenkngssawthattherewassofewafellowshpddsuchdeedsofarms,theywereashamedandsetonthemaganfercely;andtherewasSrUlfus’shorseslanunderhm,butheddmarvellouslywellonfoot。ButtheDukeEustaceofCambenetandKngClaranceofNorthumberland,werealwaygrevousonUlfus。ThenBrastassawhsfellowfaredsowthalhesmotethedukewthaspear,thathorseandmanfelldown。
  ThatsawKngClaranceandreturneduntoBrastas,andethersmoteothersothathorseandmanwenttotheearth,andsotheylaylongastoned,andtherhorses’kneesbrasttothehardbone。ThencameSrKaytheseneschalwthsfellowswthhm,andddpassngwell。Wththatcametheelevenkngs,andtherewasGrfletputtotheearth,horseandman,andLucasthebutler,horseandman,byKngBrandegors,andKngdres,andKngAgwsance。Thenwaxedthemedleypassnghardonbothpartes。WhenSrKaysawGrfletonfoot,herodeonKngNentresandsmotehmdown,andledhshorseuntoSrGrflet,andhorsedhmagan。AlsoSrKaywththesamespearsmotedownKngLot,andhurthmpassngsore。ThatsawtheKngwththeHundredKnghts,andranuntoSrKayandsmotehmdown,andtookhshorse,andgavehmKngLot,whereofhesadgramercy。
  WhenSrGrfletsawSrKayandLucasthebutleronfoot,hetookasharpspear,greatandsquare,androdetoPnel,agoodmanofarms,andsmotehorseandmandown,andthenhetookhshorse,andgavehmuntoSrKay。ThenKngLotsawKngNentresonfoot,heranuntoMelotdelaRoche,andsmotehmdown,horseandman,andgaveKngNentresthehorse,andhorsedhmagan。
  AlsotheKngoftheHundredKnghtssawKngdresonfoot;thenheranuntoGwnartdeBlo,andsmotehmdown,horseandman,andgaveKngdresthehorse,andhorsedhmagan;andKngLotsmotedownClarancedelaForestSavage,andgavethehorseuntoDukeEustace。Andsowhentheyhadhorsedthekngsagantheydrewthem,allelevenkngs,together,andsadtheywouldberevengedofthedamagethattheyhadtakenthatday。ThemeanwhlecamenSrEctorwthaneagercountenance,andfoundUlfusandBrastasonfoot,ngreatperlofdeath,thatwerefouldefoledunderhorse-feet。
  ThenArthurasalon,ranuntoKngCradelmentofNorthWales,andsmotehmthroughtheleftsde,thatthehorseandthekngfelldown;andthenhetookthehorsebytheren,andledhmuntoUlfus,andsad,Havethshorse,mneoldfrend,forgreatneedhastthouofhorse。Gramercy,sadUlfus。ThenSrArthurddsomarvellouslynarms,thatallmenhadwonder。
  WhentheKngwththeHundredKnghtssawKngCradelmentonfoot,heranuntoSrEctor,thatwaswellhorsed,SrKay’sfather,andsmotehorseandmandown,andgavethehorseuntothekng,andhorsedhmagan。AndwhenKngArthursawthekngrdeonSrEctor’shorse,hewaswrothandwthhsswordhesmotethekngonthehelm,thataquarterofthehelmandsheldfelldown,andsotheswordcarveddownuntothehorse’sneck,andsothekngandthehorsefelldowntotheground。ThenSrKaycameuntoSrMorganore,seneschalwththeKngoftheHundredKnghts,andsmotehmdown,horseandman,andledthehorseuntohsfather,SrEctor;thenSrEctorranuntoaknght,hghtLardans,andsmotehorseandmandown,andledthehorseuntoSrBrastas,thatgreatneedhadofanhorse,andwasgreatlydefoled。WhenBrastasbeheldLucasthebutler,thatlaylkeadeadmanunderthehorses’feet,andeverSrGrfletddmarvellouslyfortorescuehm,andtherewerealwaysfourteenknghtsonSrLucas;thenBrastassmoteoneofthemonthehelm,thattwenttotheteeth,andherodetoanotherandsmotehm,thatthearmflewntothefeld。Thenhewenttothethrdandsmotehmontheshoulder,thatshoulderandarmflewnthefeld。AndwhenGrfletsawrescues,hesmoteaknghtonthetemples,thatheadandhelmwenttotheearth,andGrflettookthehorseofthatknght,andledhmuntoSrLucas,andbadehmmountuponthehorseandrevengehshurts。ForBrastashadslanaknghtto-
  foreandhorsedGrflet。
  Yetofthesamebattle。
  THENLucassawKngAgwsance,thatlatehadslanMorsdelaRoche,andLucasrantohmwthashortspearthatwasgreat,thathegavehmsuchafall,thatthehorsefelldowntotheearth。AlsoLucasfoundthereonfoot,BloasdeLaFlandres,andSrGwnas,twohardyknghts,andnthatwoodnessthatLucaswasn,heslewtwobachelorsandhorsedthemagan。Thenwaxedthebattlepassnghardonbothpartes,butArthurwasgladthathsknghtswerehorsedagan,andthentheyfoughttogether,thatthenoseandsoundrangbythewaterandthewood。WhereforeKngBanandKngBorsmadethemready,anddressedthersheldsandharness,andtheyweresocourageousthatmanyknghtsshookandbeveredforeagerness。AllthswhleLucas,andGwnas,andBrant,andBellasofFlanders,heldstrongmedleyaganstskngs,thatwasKngLot,KngNentres,KngBrandegors,Kngdres,KngUrens,andKngAgwsance。SowththehelpofSrKayandofSrGrflettheyheldtheseskngshard,thatunnethetheyhadanypowertodefendthem。ButwhenSrArthursawthebattlewouldnotbeendedbynomanner,hefaredwoodasalon,andsteeredhshorsehereandthere,ontherghthand,andonthelefthand,thathestntednottllhehadslantwentyknghts。AlsohewoundedKngLotsoreontheshoulder,andmadehmtoleavethatground,forSrKayandGrfletddwthKngArthurtheregreatdeedsofarms。ThenUlfus,andBrastas,andSrEctorencounteredagansttheDukeEustace,andKngCradelment,andKngClaranceofNorthumberland,andKngCarados,andagansttheKngwththeHundredKnghts。Sotheseknghtsencounteredwththesekngs,thattheymadethemtoavodtheground。ThenKngLotmadegreatdoleforhsdamagesandhsfellows,andsaduntothetenkngs,Butfyewlldoas
  devseweshallbeslananddestroyed;letmehavetheKngwththeHundredKnghts,andKngAgwsance,andKngdres,andtheDukeofCambenet,andwefvekngswllhaveffteenthousandmenofarmswthus,andwewllgoapartwhleyeskngsholdmedleywthtwelvethousand;anweseethatyehavefoughtenwththemlong,thenwllwecomeonfercely,andelseshallwenevermatchthem,sadKngLot,butbythsmean。Sotheydepartedastheyheredevsed,andskngsmadetherpartystrongaganstArthur,andmadegreatwarlong。
  nthemeanwhlebraketheambushmentofKngBanandKngBors,andLonsesandPharancehadthevanguard,andtheytwoknghtsmetwthKngdresandhsfellowshp,andtherebeganagreatmedleyofbreakngofspears,andsmtngofswords,wthslayngofmenandhorses,andKngdreswasnearatdscomforture。
  ThatsawAgwsancethekng,andputLonsesandPharancenpontofdeath;fortheDukeofCambenetcameonwthalwthagreatfellowshp。Sothesetwoknghtswerengreatdangeroftherlvesthattheywerefantoreturn,butalwaystheyrescuedthemselvesandtherfellowshpmarvellouslyWhenKngBorssawthoseknghtsputaback,tgrevedhmsore;thenhecameonsofastthathsfellowshpseemedasblackasnde。
  WhenKngLothadespedKngBors,heknewhmwell,thenhesad,OJesu,defendusfromdeathandhorrblemams!forseewellwebengreatperlofdeath;forseeyonderakng,oneofthemostworshpfullestmenandoneofthebestknghtsoftheworld,snclneduntohsfellowshp。Whatshe?sadtheKngwththeHundredKnghts。ts,sadKngLot,KngBorsofGaul;marvelhowtheycamentothscountrywthoutwttngofusall。twasbyMerln’sadvce,sadtheknght。Asforhm,sadKngCarados,wllencounterwthKngBors,anyewllrescuemewhenmysters。Goon,sadtheyall,wewlldoallthatwemay。ThenKngCaradosandhshostrodeonasoftpace,tllthattheycameasnghKngBorsasbow-draught;thenetherbattlelettherhorserunasfastastheymght。AndBleobers,thatwasgodsonuntoKngBors,hebarehschefstandard,thatwasapassnggoodknght。Nowshallwesee,sadKngBors,howthesenorthernBrtonscanbearthearms:andKngBorsencounteredwthaknght,andsmotehmthroughoutwthaspearthathefelldeaduntotheearth;andafterdrewhsswordandddmarvellousdeedsofarms,thatallparteshadgreatwonderthereof;andhsknghtsfalednot,butddtherpart,andKngCaradoswassmttentotheearth。WththatcametheKngwththeHundredKnghtsandrescuedKngCaradosmghtlybyforceofarms,forhewasapassnggoodknghtofakng,andbutayoungman。