首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第42章
  Thencamentothecourtthrtylades,andalltheyseemedwdows,andthosethrtyladesbroughtwththemmanyfargentlewomen。AndalltheykneeleddownatonceuntoKngArthuranduntoSrGareth,andthereallthoseladestoldtheknghowSrGarethdelveredthemfromthedoloroustower,andslewtheBrownKnghtwthoutPty:Andthereforewe,andourhersforevermore,wlldohomageuntoSrGarethofOrkney。Sothenthekngsandqueens,prncesandearls,baronsandmanyboldknghts,wentuntomeat;andwellmayyewttherewereallmannerofmeatplenteously,allmannerrevelsandgames,wthallmannerofmnstrelsythatwasusednthosedays。Alsotherewasgreatjouststhreedays。ButthekngwouldnotsufferSrGarethtojoust,becauseofhsnewbrde;for,astheFrenchbooksath,thatDameLonessedesredofthekngthatnonethatwereweddedshouldjoustatthatfeast。
  SothefrstdaytherejoustedSrLamorakdeGals,forheoverthrewthrtyknghts,andddpassngmarvellouslydeedsofarms;andthenKngArthurmadeSrPersantandhstwobrethrenKnghtsoftheRoundTabletotherlves’end,andgavethemgreatlands。AlsotheseconddaytherejoustedTrstrambest,andheoverthrewfortyknghts,andddtheremarvellousdeedsofarms。AndthereKngArthurmaderonsde,thatwastheRedKnghtoftheRedLaunds,aKnghtoftheTableRoundtohslfe’send,andgavehmgreatlands。ThethrddaytherejoustedSrLauncelotduLake,andheoverthrewfftyknghts,andddmanymarvellousdeedsofarms,thatallmenwonderedonhm。AndthereKngArthur>madetheDukedelaRowseaKnghtoftheRoundTabletohslfe’send,andgavehmgreatlandstospend。Butwhenthesejoustsweredone,SrLamorakandSrTrstramdepartedsuddenly,andwouldnotbeknown,forthewhchKngArthurandallthecourtweresoredspleased。Andsotheyheldthecourtfortydayswthgreatsolemnty。AndthsSrGarethwasanobleknght,andawell-ruled,andfar-
  languaged。
  ThusendeththstaleofSrGarethofOrkneythatweddedDameLonesseoftheCastlePerlous。
  AndalsoSrGahersweddedhersster,DameLnet,thatwascalledtheDamoselSabage。AndSrAgrabaneweddedDameLaurel,afarladyandgreat,andmghtylandswthgreatrchesgavewththemKngArthur,thatroyallytheymghtlvetlltherlves’end。
  Herefolloweththev。book,thewhchsthefrstbookofSrTrstramdeLones,andwhowashsfatherandhsmother,andhowhewasbornandfostered,andhowhewasmadeknght。
  BOOKV
  HowSrTrstramdeLoneswasborn,andhowhsmotherdedathsbrth,whereforeshenamedhmTrstram。
  TwasakngthathghtMelodas,andhewaslordandkngofthecountryofLones,andthsMelodaswasalkelyknghtasanywasthattmelvng。AndbyfortuneheweddedKngMark’sssterofCornwall,andshewascalledElzabeth,thatwascalledbothgoodandfar。AndatthattmeKngArthurregned,andhewaswholekngofEngland,Wales,andScotland,andofmanyotherrealms:howbetthereweremanykngsthatwerelordsofmanycountres,butalltheyheldtherlandsofKngArthur;fornWalesweretwokngs,andnthenorthweremanykngs;andnCornwallandnthewestweretwokngs;alsonrelandweretwoorthreekngs,andallwereundertheobessanceofKngArthur。
  SowastheKngofFrance,andtheKngofBrttany,andallthelordshpsuntoRome。
  SowhenthsKngMelodashadbeenwthhswfe,wthnawhleshewaxedgreatwthchld,andshewasafullmeeklady,andwellshelovedherlord,andheheragan,sotherewasgreatjoybetwxtthem。ThentherewasaladynthatcountrythathadlovedKngMelodaslong,andbynomeanshenevercouldgethslove;thereforesheletordanuponaday,asKngMelodasrodea-huntng,forhewasagreatchaser,andtherebyanenchantmentshemadehmchaseanhartbyhmselfalonetllthathecametoanoldcastle,andthereanonhewastakenprsonerbytheladythathmloved。WhenElzabeth,KngMelodas’wfe,mssedherlord,andshewasnghoutofherwt,andalsoasgreatwthchldasshewas,shetookagentlewomanwthher,andranntotheforesttoseekherlord。Andwhenshewasfarntheforestshemghtnofarther,forshebegantotravalfastofherchld。Andshehadmanygrmlythroes;hergentlewomanhelpedherallthatshemght,andsobymracleofOurLadyofHeavenshewasdelveredwthgreatpans。Butshehadtakensuchcoldforthedefaultofhelpthatdeepdraughtsofdeathtookher,thatneedsshemustdeanddepartoutofthsworld;
  therewasnoneotherbote。
  AndwhenthsQueenElzabethsawthattherewasnoneotherbote,thenshemadegreatdole,andsaduntohergentlewoman:Whenyeseemylord,KngMelodas,recommendmeuntohm,andtellhmwhatpansendurehereforhslove,andhowmustdehereforhssakefordefaultofgoodhelp;andlethmwtthatamfullsorrytodepartoutofthsworldfromhm,thereforeprayhmtobefrendtomysoul。Nowletmeseemylttlechld,forwhomhavehadallthssorrow。Andwhenshesawhmshesadthus:Ah,mylttleson,thouhastmurderedthymother,andthereforesuppose,thouthatartamurderersoyoung,thouartfulllkelytobeamanlymannthneage。Andbecauseshalldeofthebrthofthee,chargethee,gentlewoman,thatthoupraymylord,KngMelodas,thatwhenheschrstenedletcallhmTrstram,thatsasmuchtosayasasorrowfulbrth。Andtherewththsqueengaveuptheghostandded。Thenthegentlewomanladherunderanumbreofagreattree,andthenshelappedthechldaswellasshemghtforcold。Rghtsotherecamethebarons,followngafterthequeen,andwhentheysawthatshewasdead,andunderstoodnoneotherbutthekngwasdestroyed,[*7]thencertanofthemwouldhaveslanthechld,becausetheywouldhavebeenlordsofthecountryofLones。
  PrntedbyCaxtonaspartofchap……
  HowthestepmotherofSrTrstramhadordanedposonfortohaveposonedSrTrstram。
  BUTthenthroughthefarspeechofthegentlewoman,andbythemeansthatshemade,themostpartofthebaronswouldnotassentthereto。Andthentheyletcarryhomethedeadqueen,andmuchdolewasmadeforher。
  ThenthsmeanwhleMerlndelveredKngMelodasoutofprsononthemornafterhsqueenwasdead。Andsowhenthekngwascomehomethemostpartofthebaronsmadegreatjoy。Butthesorrowthatthekngmadeforhsqueenthatmghtnotonguetell。Sothenthekngletnterherrchly,andafterheletchrstenhschldashswfehadcommandedaforeherdeath。
  AndthenheletcallhmTrstram,thesorrowfulbornchld。
  ThentheKngMelodasenduredsevenyearswthoutawfe,andallthstmeTrstramwasnourshedwell。ThentbefellthatKngMelodasweddedKngHowell’sdaughterofBrttany,andanonshehadchldrenofKngMelodas:thenwassheheavyandwroththatherchldrenshouldnotrejocethecountryofLones,whereforethsqueenordanedfortoposonyoungTrstram。SosheletposonbeputnapeceofslvernthechamberwhereasTrstramandherchldrenweretogether,untothatntentthatwhenTrstramwerethrstyheshoulddrnkthatdrnk。Andsotfelluponaday,thequeen’sson,ashewasnthatchamber,espedthepecewthposon,andheweenedthadbeengooddrnk,andbecausethechldwasthrstyhetookthepecewthposonanddrankfreely;andtherewthalsuddenlythechldbrastandwasdead。
  WhenthequeenofMelodaswstofthedeathofherson,wtyewellthatshewasheavy。Butyetthekngunderstoodnothngofhertreason。Notwthstandngthequeenwouldnotleaveths,buteftsheletordanmoreposon,andputtnapece。
  AndbyfortuneKngMelodas,herhusband,foundthepecewthwnewherewastheposon,andhethatwasmuchthrstytookthepecefortodrnkthereout。Andashewouldhavedrunkenthereofthequeenespedhm,andthensheranuntohm,andpulledthepecefromhmsuddenly。Thekngmarvelledwhysheddso,andrememberedhmhowhersonwassuddenlyslanwthposon。Andthenhetookherbythehand,andsad:Thoufalsetratress,thoushalttellmewhatmannerofdrnkthss,orelseshallslaythee。Andtherewthhepulledouthssword,andswareagreatoaththatheshouldslayherbutfshetoldhmtruth。Ah!mercy,mylord,sadshe,andshalltellyouall。AndthenshetoldhmwhyshewouldhaveslanTrstram,becauseherchldrenshouldrejocehsland。Well,sadKngMelodas,andthereforeshallyehavethelaw。Andsoshewascondemnedbytheassentofthebaronstobeburnt;andthenwastheremadeagreatfre,andrghtasshewasatthefretotakeherexecuton,youngTrstramkneeledaforeKngMelodas,andbesoughthmtogvehmaboon。wllwell,sadthekngagan。ThensadyoungTrstram,Gvemethelfeofthyqueen,mystepmother。Thatsunrghtfullyasked,sadKngMelodas,forthououghtofrghttohateher,forshewouldhaveslantheewththatposonanshemghthavehadherwll;andforthysakemostsmycausethatsheshouldde。
  Sr,sadTrstram,asforthat,beseechyouofyourmercythatyouwllforgvether,andasformypart,Godforgvether,anddo;andsomuchtlkedyourhghnesstograntmemyboon,forGod’sloverequreyouholdyourpromse。Sthentsso,sadthekng,wllthatyehaveherlfe。Then,sadthekng,gvehertoyou,andgoyetothefreandtakeher,anddowthherwhatyewll。SoSrTrstramwenttothefre,andbythecommandmentofthekngdelveredherfromthedeath。ButafterthatKngMelodaswouldneverhaveadowthher,asatbedandboard。ButbythegoodmeansofyoungTrstramhemadethekngandheraccorded。ButthenthekngwouldnotsufferyoungTrstramtoabdenolongernhscourt。
  HowSrTrstramwassentntoFrance,andhadonetogovernhmnamedGouvernal,andhowhelearnedtoharp,hawk,andhunt。
  ANDthenheletordanagentlemanthatwaswelllearnedandtaught,hsnamewasGouvernal;andthenhesentyoungTrstramwthGouvernalntoFrancetolearnthelanguage,andnurture,anddeedsofarms。AndtherewasTrstrammorethansevenyears。
  Andthenwhenhewellcouldspeakthelanguage,andhadlearnedallthathemghtlearnnthatcountry,thenhecamehometohsfather,KngMelodas,agan。AndsoTrstramlearnedtobeanharperpassngallother,thattherewasnonesuchcallednnocountry,andsoonharpngandonnstrumentsofmuscheappledhmnhsyouthfortolearn。
  Andafter,ashegrewnmghtandstrength,helabouredevernhuntngandnhawkng,sothatnevergentlemanmore,thateverweheardreadof。Andasthebooksath,hebegangoodmeasuresofblowngofbeastsofvenery,andbeastsofchase,andallmannerofvermn,andallthesetermswehaveyetofhawkngandhuntng。Andthereforethebookofvenery,ofhawkng,andhuntng,scalledthebookofSrTrstram。Wherefore,asmeseemeth,allgentlementhatbearoldarmsoughtofrghttohonourSrTrstramforthegoodlytermsthatgentlemenhaveanduse,andshalltothedayofdoom,thattherebynamannerallmenofworshpmaydsseveragentlemanfromayeoman,andfromayeomanavllan。Forhethatgentleswlldrawhmuntogentletatches,andtofollowthecustomsofnoblegentlemen。
  ThusSrTrstramendurednCornwalluntlhewasbgandstrong,oftheageofeghteenyears。AndthentheKngMelodashadgreatjoyofSrTrstram,andsohadthequeen,hswfe。
  Foreverafternherlfe,becauseSrTrstramsavedherfromthefre,sheddneverhatehmmoreafter,butlovedhmeverafter,andgaveTrstrammanygreatgfts;foreveryestatelovedhm,wherethathewent。
  HowSrMarhauscameoutofrelandfortoasktruageofCornwall,orelsehewouldfghttherefore。
  THENtbefellthatKngAngushofrelandsentuntoKngMarkofCornwallforhstruage,thatCornwallhadpadmanywnters。
  AndallthattmeKngMarkwasbehndofthetruageforsevenyears。AndKngMarkandhsbaronsgaveuntothemessengerofrelandthesewordsandanswer,thattheywouldnonepay;andbadethemessengergountohsKngAngush,andtellhmwewllpayhmnotruage,buttellyourlord,anhewllalwayshavetruageofusofCornwall,bdhmsendatrustyknghtofhsland,thatwllfghtforhsrght,andweshallfndanotherfortodefendourrght。Wththsanswerthemessengersdepartedntoreland。AndwhenKngAngushunderstoodtheanswerofthemessengershewaswonderlywroth。AndthenhecalleduntohmSrMarhaus,thegoodknght,thatwasnoblyproved,andaKnghtoftheTableRound。AndthsMarhauswasbrotheruntothequeenofreland。Thenthekngsadthus: