首页 >出版文学> Le Mort d’Arthur>第48章
  HowSrTrstramdemandedLaBealesoudforKngMark,andhowSrTrstramandsouddrankthelovedrnk。
  THENuponadayKngAngushaskedSrTrstramwhyheaskednothsboon,forwhatsomeverhehadpromsedhmheshouldhavetwthoutfal。Sr,sadSrTrstram,nowsttme;thssallthatwlldesre,thatyewllgvemeLaBealesoud,yourdaughter,notformyself,butformneuncle,KngMark,thatshallhavehertowfe,forsohavepromsedhm。Alas,sadthekng,hadleferthanallthelandthathaveyewouldwedheryourself。Sr,anddthenwereshamedforevernthsworld,andfalseofmypromse。Therefore,sadSrTrstram,prayyouholdyourpromsethatyepromsedme;forthssmydesre,thatyewllgvemeLaBealesoudtogowthmentoCornwallfortobeweddedtoKngMark,mneuncle。Asforthat,sadKngAngush,yeshallhaveherwthyoutodowthherwhattpleaseyou;thatsfortosayfthatyelsttowedheryourself,thatsmelefest,andfyewllgveheruntoKngMark,youruncle,thatsnyourchoce。So,tomakeshortconcluson,LaBealesoudwasmadereadytogowthSrTrstram,andDameBragwanewentwthherforherchefgentlewoman,wthmanyother。
  Thenthequeen,soud’smother,gavetoherandDameBragwane,herdaughter’sgentlewoman,anduntoGouvernal,adrnk,andchargedthemthatwhatdayKngMarkshouldwed,thatsamedaytheyshouldgvehmthatdrnk,sothatKngMarkshoulddrnktoLaBealesoud,andthen,sadthequeen,undertakeethershallloveotherthedaysoftherlfe。SothsdrnkwasgvenuntoDameBragwane,anduntoGouvernal。AndthenanonSrTrstramtookthesea,andLaBealesoud;andwhentheywerenthercabn,thappedsothattheywerethrsty,andtheysawalttleflasketofgoldstandbythem,andtseemedbythecolourandthetastethattwasnoblewne。ThenSrTrstramtooktheflasketnhshand,andsad,Madamsoud,heresthebestdrnkthateveryedrank,thatDameBragwane,yourmaden,andGouvernal,myservant,havekeptforthemselves。Thentheylaughedandmadegoodcheer,andetherdranktootherfreely,andtheythoughtneverdrnkthatevertheydranktootherwassosweetnorsogood。Butbythattherdrnkwasntherbodes,theylovedetherothersowellthatnevertherlovedepartedforwealnetherforwoe。AndthusthappedthelovefrstbetwxtSrTrstramandLaBealesoud,thewhchloveneverdepartedthedaysoftherlfe。
  SothentheysaledtllbyfortunetheycamenghacastlethathghtPluere,andtherebyarrvedfortoreposethem,weenngtothemtohavehadgoodharbourage。ButanonasSrTrstramwaswthnthecastletheyweretakenprsoners;forthecustomofthecastlewassuch;whothatrodebythatcastleandbroughtanylady,hemustneedsfghtwththelord,thathghtBreunor。AndftweresothatBreunorwonthefeld,thenshouldtheknghtstrangerandhsladybeputtodeath,whatthatevertheywere;
  andftweresothatthestrangeknghtwonthefeldofSrBreunor,thenshouldhedeandhsladyboth。Thscustomwasusedmanywnters,fortwascalledtheCastlePluere,thatstosaytheWeepngCastle。
  HowSrTrstramandsoudwerenprson,andhowhefoughtforherbeauty,andsmoteofanotherlady’shead。
  THUSasSrTrstramandLaBealesoudwerenprson,thappedaknghtandaladycameuntothemwheretheywere,tocheerthem。havemarvel,sadTrstramuntotheknghtandthelady,whatsthecausethelordofthscastleholdethusnprson:
  twasneverthecustomofnoplaceofworshpthatever
  camen,whenaknghtandaladyaskedharbour,andtheytorecevethem,andaftertodestroythemthatbehsguests。Sr,sadtheknght,thsstheoldcustomofthscastle,thatwhenaknghtcomethherehemustneedsfghtwthourlord,andhethatsweakermustlosehshead。Andwhenthatsdone,fhsladythathebrngethbefoulerthanourlord’swfe,shemustloseherhead:andfshebefarerprovedthansourlady,thenshalltheladyofthscastleloseherhead。SoGodmehelp,sadSrTrstram,thssafoulcustomandashameful。Butoneadvantagehave,sadSrTrstram,havealadysfarenough,farersawnevernallmylfe-days,anddoubtnotforlackofbeautysheshallnotloseherhead;andratherthan
  shouldlosemyheadwllfghtfortonafarfeld。
  Wherefore,srknght,prayyoutellyourlordthatwllbereadyasto-mornwthmylady,andmyselftodobattle,ftbesomayhavemyhorseandmnearmour。Sr,sadthatknght,
  undertakethatyourdesreshallbespedrghtwell。Andthenhesad:Takeyourrest,andlookthatyebeupbetmesandmakeyoureadyandyourlady,foryeshallwantnothngthatyoubehoveth。Andtherewthhedeparted,andonthemornbetmesthatsameknghtcametoSrTrstram,andfetchedhmoutandhslady,andbroughthmhorseandarmourthatwashsown,andbadehmmakehmreadytothefeld,foralltheestatesandcommonsofthatlordshpweretherereadytobeholdthatbattleandjudgment。
  ThencameSrBreunor,thelordofthatcastle,wthhsladynhshand,muffled,andaskedSrTrstramwherewashslady:
  Foranthyladybefarerthanmne,wththyswordsmteoffmylady’shead;andfmyladybefarerthanthne,wthmysword
  muststrkeoffherhead。Andfmaywnthee,yetshallthyladybemne,andthoushaltlosethyhead。Sr,sadTrstram,thssafoulcustomandhorrble;andratherthanmyladyshouldloseherhead,yethadleferlosemyhead。Nay,nay,sadSrBreunor,theladesshallbefrstshowedtogether,andtheoneshallhaveherjudgment。Nay,wllnotso,sadSrTrstram,forheresnonethatwllgverghteousjudgment。
  Butdoubtnot,sadSrTrstram,myladysfarerthanthne,andthatwllproveandmakegoodwthmyhand。Andwhosomeverhebethatwllsaythecontrarywllprovetonhshead。
  AndtherewthSrTrstramshowedLaBealesoud,andturnedherthrceaboutwthhsnakedswordnhshand。AndwhenSrBreunorsawthat,heddthesamewseturnhslady。ButwhenSrBreunorbeheldLaBealesoud,hmthoughthesawneverafarerlady,andthenhedreadhslady’sheadshouldbeoff。
  AndsoallthepeoplethatweretherepresentgavejudgmentthatLaBealesoudwasthefarerladyandthebettermade。Hownow,sadSrTrstram,meseemethtwereptythatmyladyshouldloseherhead,butbecausethouandsheoflongtmehaveusedthswckedcustom,andbyyoubothhavemanygoodknghtsandladesbeendestroyed,forthatcausetwerenolosstodestroyyouboth。SoGodmehelp,sadSrBreunor,fortosaythesooth,thyladysfarerthanmne,andthatmesorerepenteth。
  Andsohearthepeopleprvlysay,forofallwomensawnonesofar;andtherefore,anthouwltslaymylady,doubtnotbutshallslaytheeandhavethylady。Thoushaltwnher,sadSrTrstram,asdearaseverknghtwonlady。Andbecauseofthneownjudgment,asthouwouldsthavedonetomyladyfthatshehadbeenfouler,andbecauseoftheevlcustom,gvemethylady,sadSrTrstram。AndtherewthalSrTrstramstrodeuntohmandtookhsladyfromhm,andwthanawkstrokehesmoteoffherheadclean。Well,knght,sadSrBreunor,nowhastthoudonemeadespte;[*8]nowtakethnehorse:sthen
  amladylesswllwnthyladyanmay。
  [*8]PrntedbyCaxtonaspartofchap……
  HowSrTrstramfoughtwthSrBreunor,andatthelastsmoteoffhshead。
  THENtheytooktherhorsesandcametogetherasthadbeenthethunder;andSrTrstramsmoteSrBreunorcleanfromhshorse,andlghtlyheroseup;andasSrTrstramcameaganbyhmhethrusthshorsethroughoutboththeshoulders,thathshorsehurledhereandthereandfelldeadtotheground。AndeverSrBreunorranaftertohaveslanSrTrstram,butSrTrstramwaslghtandnmble,andvodedhshorselghtly。AndoreverSrTrstrammghtdresshssheldandhsswordtheothergavehmthreeorfoursadstrokes。Thentheyrushedtogetherlketwoboars,tracngandtraversngmghtlyandwselyastwonobleknghts。ForthsSrBreunorwasaprovedknght,andhadbeenorthenthedeathofmanygoodknghts,thattwasptythathehadsolongendured。
  Thustheyfought,hurlnghereandtherenghtwohours,andetherwerewoundedsore。ThenatthelastSrBreunorrasheduponSrTrstramandtookhmnhsarms,forhetrustedmuchnhsstrength。ThenwasSrTrstramcalledthestrongestandthehghestknghtoftheworld;forhewascalledbggerthanSrLauncelot,butSrLauncelotwasbetterbreathed。SoanonSrTrstramthrustSrBreunordowngrovellng,andthenheunlacedhshelmandstruckoffhshead。Andthenalltheythatlongedtothecastlecametohm,andddhmhomageandfealty,praynghmthathewouldabdetherestllalttlewhletofordothatfoulcustom。SrTrstramgrantedthereto。ThemeanwhleoneoftheknghtsofthecastlerodeuntoSrGalahad,thehautprnce,thewhchwasSrBreunor’sson,whchwasanobleknght,andtoldhmwhatmsadventurehsfatherhadandhsmother。
  HowSrGalahadfoughtwthSrTrstram,andhowSrTrstramyeldedhmandpromsedtofellowshpwthLauncelot。
  THENcameSrGalahad,andtheKngwththeHundredKnghtswthhm;andthsSrGalahadprofferedtofghtwthSrTrstramhandforhand。Andsotheymadethemreadytogountobattleonhorsebackwthgreatcourage。ThenSrGalahadandSrTrstrammettogethersohardthatetherbareotherdown,horseandall,totheearth。Andthentheyavodedtherhorsesasnobleknghts,anddressedthershelds,anddrewtherswordswthreandrancour,andtheylashedtogethermanysadstrokes,andonewhlestrkng,anotherwhlefonng,tracngandtraversngasnobleknghts;thustheyfoughtlong,nearhalfaday,andetherweresorewounded。AtthelastSrTrstramwaxedlghtandbg,anddoubledhsstrokes,anddroveSrGalahadabackontheonesdeandontheother,sothathewaslketohavebeenslan。
  WththatcametheKngwththeHundredKnghts,andallthatfellowshpwentfercelyuponSrTrstram。WhenSrTrstramsawthemcomnguponhm,thenhewstwellhemghtnotendure。
  Thenasawseknghtofwar,hesadtoSrGalahad,thehautprnce:Sr,yeshowtomenoknghthood,fortosufferallyourmentohaveadowthmeallatonce;andasmeseemethyebeanobleknghtofyourhandstsgreatshametoyou。SoGodmehelp,sadSrGalahad,theresnoneotherwaybutthoumustyeldtheetome,otherelsetode,sadSrGalahadtoSrTrstram。wllratheryeldmetoyouthandeforthatsmoreforthemghtofyourmenthanofyourhands。AndtherewthalSrTrstramtookhsownswordbythepont,andputthepommelnthehandofSrGalahad。
  TherewthalcametheKngwththeHundredKnghts,andhardbegantoassalSrTrstram。Letbe,sadSrGalahad,beyenotsohardytotouchhm,forhavegventhsknghthslfe。
  Thatsyourshame,sadtheKngwththeHundredKnghts;hathhenotslanyourfatherandyourmother?Asforthat,sadSrGalahad,maynotwtehmgreatly,formyfatherhadhmnprson,andenforcedhmtodobattlewthhm;andmyfatherhadsuchacustomthatwasashamefulcustom,thatwhatknghtcametheretoaskharbourhsladymustneedsdebutfshewerefarerthanmymother;andfmyfatherovercamethatknghthemustneedsde。Thswasashamefulcustomandusage,aknghtforhsharbour-askngtohavesuchharbourage。Andforthscustomwouldneverdrawabouthm。SoGodmehelp,sadtheKng,thswasashamefulcustom。Truly,sadSrGalahad,soseemedme;andmeseemedthadbeengreatptythatthsknghtshouldhavebeenslan,fordaresayhesthenoblestmanthatbearethlfe,butftwereSrLauncelotduLake。Now,farknght,sadSrGalahad,requretheetellmethyname,andofwhencethouart,andwhtherthouwlt。Sr,hesad,mynamesSrTrstramdeLones,andfromKngMarkofCornwallwassentonmessageuntoKngAngushofreland,fortofetchhsdaughtertobehswfe,andhereshesreadytogowthmentoCornwall,andhernamesLaBealesoud。And,SrTrstram,sadSrGalahad,thehautprnce,wellbeyefoundnthesemarches,andsoyewllpromsemetogountoSrLauncelotduLake,andaccompanywthhm,yeshallgowhereyewll,andyourfarladywthyou;andshallpromseyounevernallmydaysshallsuchcustomsbeusednthscastleashavebeenused。