首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第43章
  Farbrother,SrMarhaus,prayyougontoCornwallformysake,anddobattleforourtruagethatofrghtweoughttohave;andwhatsomeveryespendyeshallhavesuffcently,morethanyeshallneed。Sr,sadMarhaus,wtyewellthatshallnotbeloathtodobattlentherghtofyouandyourlandwththebestknghtoftheTableRound;forknowthem,forthemostpart,whatbetherdeeds;andfortoadvancemydeedsandtoncreasemyworshpwllrghtgladlygountothsjourneyforourrght。
  SonallhastetherewasmadepurveyanceforSrMarhaus,andhehadallthngsthattohmneeded;andsohedepartedoutofreland,andarrvedupnCornwallevenfastbytheCastleofTntagl。AndwhenKngMarkunderstoodthathewastherearrvedtofghtforreland,thenmadeKngMarkgreatsorrowwhenheunderstoodthatthegoodandnobleknghtSrMarhauswascome。Fortheyknewnoknghtthatdursthaveadowthhm。ForatthattmeSrMarhauswascalledoneofthefamousestandrenownedknghtsoftheworld。AndthusSrMarhausabodenthesea,andeverydayhesentuntoKngMarkfortopaythetruagethatwasbehndofsevenyear,otherelsetofndaknghttofghtwthhmforthetruage。ThsmannerofmessageSrMarhaussentdalyuntoKngMark。
  ThentheyofCornwallletmakecresneveryplace,thatwhatknghtwouldfghtfortosavethetruageofCornwall,heshouldberewardedsothatheshouldfarethebetter,termofhslfe。
  ThensomeofthebaronssadtoKngMark,andcounselledhmtosendtothecourtofKngArthurfortoseekSrLauncelotduLake,thatwasthattmenamedforthemarvelloustknghtofalltheworld。Thenthereweresomeotherbaronsthatcounselledthekngnottodoso,andsadthattwaslabournvan,becauseSrMarhauswasaknghtoftheRoundTable,thereforeanyofthemwllbeloathtohaveadowthother,butftwereanyknghtathsownrequestwouldfghtdsgusedandunknown。SothekngandallhsbaronsassentedthattwasnobotetoseekanyknghtoftheRoundTable。ThsmeanwhlecamethelanguageandthenoseuntoKngMelodas,howthatSrMarhausabodebattlefastbyTntagl,andhowKngMarkcouldfndnomannerknghttofghtforhm。WhenyoungTrstramheardofthshewaswroth,andsoreashamedthattheredurstnoknghtnCornwallhaveadowthSrMarhausofreland。
  HowTrstramenterprzedthebattletofghtforthetruageofCornwall,andhowhewasmadeknght。
  THEREWTHALTrstramwentuntohsfather,KngMelodas,andaskedhmcounselwhatwasbesttodofortorecoverCornwallfromtruage。For,asmeseemeth,sadSrTrstram,twereshamethatSrMarhaus,thequeen’sbrotherofreland,shouldgoawayunlessthathewerefoughtenwthal。Asforthat,sadKngMelodas,wtyouwell,sonTrstram,thatSrMarhausscalledoneofthebestknghtsoftheworld,andKnghtoftheTableRound;andthereforeknownoknghtnthscountrythatsabletomatchwthhm。Alas,sadSrTrstram,thatamnotmadeknght;andfSrMarhausshouldthusdepartntoreland,Godletmeneverhaveworshp:anweremadeknghtshouldmatchhm。Andsr,sadTrstram,prayyougvemeleavetordetoKngMark;and,soyebenotdspleased,ofKngMarkwllbemadeknght。wllwell,sadKngMelodas,thatyeberuledasyourcouragewllruleyou。ThenSrTrstramthankedhsfathermuch。AndthenhemadehmreadytordentoCornwall。
  nthemeanwhletherecameamessengerwthlettersoflovefromKngFaramonofFrance’sdaughteruntoSrTrstram,thatwerefullpteousletters,andnthemwerewrttenmanycomplantsoflove;butSrTrstramhadnojoyofherlettersnorregarduntoher。Alsoshesenthmalttlebrachetthatwaspassngfar。
  Butwhenthekng’sdaughterunderstoodthatSrTrstramwouldnotloveher,asthebooksath,shededforsorrow。AndthenthesamesqurethatbroughttheletterandthebrachetcameaganuntoSrTrstram,asafteryeshallhearnthetale。
  SothsyoungSrTrstramrodeuntohseme,KngMarkofCornwall。AndwhenhecamethereheheardsaythattherewouldnoknghtfghtwthSrMarhaus。ThenyedeSrTrstramuntohsemeandsad:Sr,fyewllgvemetheorderofknghthood,wlldobattlewthSrMarhaus。Whatareye,sadthekng,andfromwhencebeyecome?Sr,sadTrstram,comefromKngMelodasthatweddedyoursster,andagentlemanwtyewellam。KngMarkbeheldSrTrstramandsawthathewasbutayoungmanofage,buthewaspassnglywellmadeandbg。
  Farsr,sadthekng,whatsyourname,andwherewereyeborn?Sr,sadheagan,mynamesTrstram,andnthecountryofLoneswasborn。Yesaywell,sadthekng;andfyewlldothsbattleshallmakeyouknght。Thereforecometoyou,sadSrTrstram,andfornoneothercause。ButthenKngMarkmadehmknght。Andtherewthal,anonashehadmadehmknght,hesentamessengeruntoSrMarhauswthlettersthatsadthathehadfoundayoungknghtreadyfortotakethebattletotheuttermost。tmaywellbe,sadSrMarhaus;buttellKngMarkwllnotfghtwthnoknghtbuthebeofbloodroyal,thatstosay,otherkng’sson,otherqueen’sson,bornofaprnceorprncess。
  WhenKngMarkunderstoodthat,hesentforSrTrstramdeLonesandtoldhmwhatwastheanswerofSrMarhaus。ThensadSrTrstram:Sthenthathesathso,lethmwtthat
  amcomeoffathersdeandmothersdeofasnoblebloodashes:for,sr,nowshallyeknowthatamKngMelodas’son,bornofyourownsster,DameElzabeth,thatdedntheforestnthebrthofme。OJesu,sadKngMark,yearewelcomefarnephewtome。ThennallthehastetheknglethorseSrTrstram,andarmedhmnthebestmannerthatmghtbehadorgottenforgoldorslver。AndthenKngMarksentuntoSrMarhaus,andddhmtowtthatabetterbornmanthanhewashmselfshouldfghtwthhm,andhsnamesSrTrstramdeLones,gottenofKngMelodas,andbornofKngMark’ssster。
  ThenwasSrMarhausgladandblthethatheshouldfghtwthsuchagentleman。AndsobytheassentofKngMarkandofSrMarhaustheyletordanthattheyshouldfghtwthnanslandnghSrMarhaus’shps;andsowasSrTrstramputntoavesselbothhshorseandhe,andallthattohmlongedbothforhsbodyandforhshorse。SrTrstramlackednothng。
  AndwhenKngMarkandhsbaronsofCornwallbeheldhowyoungSrTrstramdepartedwthsuchacarragetofghtfortherghtofCornwall,therewasnethermannorwomanofworshpbuttheywepttoseeandunderstandsoyoungaknghttojeopardyhmselffortherrght。
  HowSrTrstramarrvedntotheslandfortofurnshthebattlewthSrMarhaus。
  SOtoshortenthstale,whenSrTrstramwasarrvedwthntheslandhelookedtothefarthersde,andtherehesawatananchorsshpsnghtotheland;andundertheshadowoftheshpsupontheland,therehovedthenobleknght,SrMarhausofreland。ThenSrTrstramcommandedhsservantGouvernaltobrnghshorsetotheland,anddresshsharnessatallmannerofrghts。Andthenwhenhehadsodonehemounteduponhshorse;andwhenhewasnhssaddlewellapparelled,andhsshelddresseduponhsshoulder,TrstramaskedGouvernal,Wheresthsknghtthatshallhaveadowthal?Sr,sadGouvernal,seeyehmnot?weenedyehadseenhm;yonderhehovethundertheumbreofhsshpsonhorseback,wthhsspearnhshandandhsshelduponhsshoulder。Thatstruth,sadthenobleknght,SrTrstram,nowseehmwellenough。
  ThenhecommandedhsservantGouvernaltogotohsvesselagan:AndcommendmeuntomneemeKngMark,andprayhm,fthatbeslannthsbattle,fortontermybodyashmseemedbest;andasforme,lethmwtthatwllneveryeldmeforcowardce;andfbeslanandfleenot,thentheyhavelostnotruageforme;andfsobethatfleeoryeldmeasrecreant,bdmneemeneverburymenChrstanburals。
  Anduponthylfe,sadSrTrstramtoGouvernal,comethounotnghthsslandtllthatthouseemeovercomeorslan,orelsethatwnyonderknght。Soetherdepartedfromothersoreweepng。
  HowSrTrstramfoughtaganstSrMarhausandachevedhsbattle,andhowSrMarhausfledtohsshp。
  ANDthenSrMarhausavsedSrTrstram,andsadthus:Youngknght,SrTrstram,whatdostthouhere?mesorerepentethofthycourage,forwtthouwellhavebeenassayed,andthebestknghtsofthslandhavebeenassayedofmyhand;andalso
  havematchedwththebestknghtsoftheworld,andthereforebymycounselreturnaganuntothyvessel。Andfarknght,andwell-provedknght,sadSrTrstram,thoushaltwellwtmaynotforsaketheenthsquarrel,foramforthysakemadeknght。Andthoushaltwellwtthatamakng’ssonborn,andgottenuponaqueen;andsuchpromsehavemadeatmyuncle’srequestandmneownseekng,thatshallfghtwththeeuntotheuttermost,anddelverCornwallfromtheoldtruage。Andalsowtthouwell,SrMarhaus,thatthssthegreatestcausethatthoucouragestmetohaveadowththee,forthouartcalledoneofthemostrenownedknghtsoftheworld,andbecauseofthatnoseandfamethatthouhastthougvestmecouragetohaveadowththee,forneveryetwasprovedwthgoodknght;andsthentooktheorderofknghthoodthsday,amwellpleasedthatmayhaveadowthsogoodaknghtasthouart。Andnowwtthouwell,SrMarhaus,thatcastmetogetworshponthybody;andfthatbenotproved,trusttoGodthatshallbeworshpfullyproveduponthybody,andtodelverthecountryofCornwallforeverfromallmanneroftruagefromrelandforever。
  WhenSrMarhaushadheardhmsaywhathewould,hesadthenthusagan:Farknght,sthentssothatthoucastesttownworshpofme,lettheewtworshpmaythounonelosebymefthoumayeststandmethreestrokes;forlettheewtformynobledeeds,provedandseen,KngArthurmademeKnghtoftheTableRound。
  Thentheybegantofeutretherspears,andtheymetsofercelytogetherthattheysmoteetherotherdown,bothhorseandall。
  ButSrMarhaussmoteSrTrstramagreatwoundnthesdewthhsspear,andthentheyavodedtherhorses,andpulledouttherswords,andthrewthersheldsaforethem。Andthentheylashedtogetherasmenthatwerewldandcourageous。Andwhentheyhadstrckensotogetherlong,thentheylefttherstrokes,andfonedattherbreathsandvsors;andwhentheysawthatthatmghtnotprevalthem,thentheyhurtledtogetherlkeramstobearetherotherdown。Thustheyfoughtstllmorethanhalfaday,andetherwerewoundedpassngsore,thatthebloodrandownfreshlyfromthemupontheground。BythenSrTrstramwaxedmorefresherthanSrMarhaus,andbetterwndedandbgger;andwthamghtystrokehesmoteSrMarhausuponthehelmsuchabuffetthattwentthroughhshelm,andthroughthecofofsteel,andthroughthebran-pan,andtheswordstucksofastnthehelmandnhsbran-panthatSrTrstrampulledthrceathsswordoreverhemghtpulltoutfromhshead;
  andthereMarhausfelldownonhsknees,theedgeofTrstram’sswordleftnhsbran-pan。AndsuddenlySrMarhausrosegrovellng,andthrewhsswordandhssheldfromhm,andsorantohsshpsandfledhsway,andSrTrstramhadeverhssheldandhssword。
  AndwhenSrTrstramsawSrMarhauswthdrawhm,hesad:Ah!
  SrKnghtoftheRoundTable,whywthdrawestthouthee?thoudostthyselfandthykngreatshame,forambutayoungknght,ornowwasneverproved,andratherthanshouldwthdrawmefromthee,hadratherbehewnnanhundredpeces。SrMarhausanswerednowordbutyedehswaysoregroanng。Well,SrKnght,sadSrTrstram,promsetheethyswordandthysheldshallbemne;andthysheldshall
  wearnallplaceswhererdeonmneadventures,andnthesghtofKngArthurandalltheRoundTable。
  HowSrMarhausafterthathewasarrvednrelanddedofthestrokethatSrTrstramhadgvenhm,andhowTrstramwashurt。
  ANONSrMarhausandhsfellowshpdepartedntoreland。Andassoonashecametothekng,hsbrother,heletsearchhswounds。AndwhenhsheadwassearchedapeceofSrTrstram’sswordwasfoundtheren,andmghtneverbehadoutofhsheadfornosurgeons,andsohededofSrTrstram’ssword;andthatpeceoftheswordthequeen,hssster,kepttforeverwthher,forshethoughttoberevengedanshemght。