andsohereturnedntoCornwall,andtoldKngMarkandLaBealesoudhowSrTrstramhadadvancedhmtothesleofServage,andthereheproclamednallCornwallofalltheadventuresofthesetwoknghts,sowastopenlyknown。ButfullwoewasLaBealesoudwhensheheardtellthatSrTrstramwasweddedtosoudlaBlancheMans。
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HowSrLamorakdepartedfromSrTrstram,andhowhemetwthSrFrol,andafterwthSrLauncelot。
SOturnweuntoSrLamorak,thatrodetowardArthur’scourt,andSrTrstram’swfeandKehydustookavesselandsaledntoBrttany,untoKngHowel,wherehewaswelcome。Andwhenheheardoftheseadventurestheymarvelledofhsnobledeeds。NowturnweuntoSrLamorak,thatwhenhewasdepartedfromSrTrstramherodeoutoftheforest,tllhecametoanhermtage。
Whenthehermtsawhm,heaskedhmfromwhencehecame。Sr,sadSrLamorak,comefromthsvalley。Sr,sadthehermt:
thereofmarvel。Forthstwentywntersawnevernoknghtpassthscountrybuthewasetherslanorvllanouslywounded,orpassasapoorprsoner。Thosellcustoms,sadSrLamorak,arefordone,forSrTrstramslewyourlord,SrNabon,andhsson。Thenwasthehermtglad,andallhsbrethren,forhesadtherewasneversuchatyrantamongChrstanmen。Andtherefore,sadthehermt,thsvalleyandfranchsewewllholdofSrTrstram。
SoonthemorrowSrLamorakdeparted;andasherodehesawfourknghtsfghtaganstone,andthatoneknghtdefendedhmwell,butatthelastthefourknghtshadhmdown。AndthenSrLamorakwentbetwxtthem,andaskedthemwhytheywouldslaythatoneknght,andsadtwasshame,fouraganstone。
Thoushaltwellwt,sadthefourknghts,thathesfalse。
Thatsyourtale,sadSrLamorak,andwhenhearhmalsospeak,wllsayasyesay。ThensadLamorak:Ah,knght,canyenotexcuseyou,butthatyeareafalseknght。Sr,sadhe,yetcanexcusemebothwthmywordandwthmyhands,that
wllmakegoodupononeofthebestofthem,mybodytohsbody。
Thenspaketheyallatonce:Wewllnotjeopardyourbodesasforthee。Butwtthouwell,theysad,anKngArthurwereherehmself,tshouldnotlenhspowertosavehslfe。Thatstoomuchsad,sadSrLamorak,butmanyspeakbehndamanmorethantheywllsaytohsface;andbecauseofyourwordsyeshallunderstandthatamoneofthesmplestofKngArthur’scourt;ntheworshpofmylordnowdoyourbest,andndespteofyoushallrescuehm。AndthentheylashedallatoncetoSrLamorak,butanonattwostrokesSrLamorakhadslantwoofthem,andthentheothertwofled。SothenSrLamorakturnedagantothatknght,andaskedhmhsname。Sr,hesad,mynamesSrFroloftheOutsles。ThenherodewthSrLamorakandbarehmcompany。
Andastheyrodebythewaytheysawaseemlyknghtrdngaganstthem,andallnwhte。Ah,sadFrol,yonderknghtjoustedlatewthmeandsmotemedown,thereforewlljoustwthhm。Yeshallnotdoso,sadSrLamorak,bymycounsel,anyewlltellmeyourquarrel,whetheryejoustedathsrequest,orheatyours。Nay,sadSrFrol,joustedwthhmatmyrequest。Sr,sadLamorak,thenwllcounselyoudealnomorewthhm,formeseemethbyhscountenanceheshouldbeanobleknght,andnojaper;formethnkethheshouldbeoftheTableRound。Thereforewllnotspare,sadSrFrol。Andthenhecredandsad:Srknght,maketheereadytojoust。
Thatneedethnot,sadtheWhteKnght,forhavenolusttojoustwththee;butyettheyfeutredtherspears,andtheWhteKnghtoverthrewSrFrol,andthenherodehswayasoftpace。ThenSrLamorakrodeafterhm,andprayedhmtotellhmhsname:FormeseemethyeshouldbeofthefellowshpoftheRoundTable。Uponacovenant,sadhe,wlltellyoumyname,sothatyewllnotdscovermyname,andalsothatyewlltellmeyours。Then,sadhe,mynamesSrLamorakdeGals。
AndmynamesSrLauncelotduLake。Thentheyputuptherswords,andkssedheartlytogether,andethermadegreatjoyofother。Sr,sadSrLamorak,antpleaseyouwlldoyouservce。Goddefend,sadLauncelot,thatanyofsonobleabloodasyebeshoulddomeservce。Thenhesad:More,amnaquestthatmustdomyselfalone。NowGodspeedyou,sadSrLamorak,andsotheydeparted。ThenSrLamorakcametoSrFrolandhorsedhmagan。Whatknghtsthat?sadSrFrol。
Sr,hesad,tsnotforyoutoknow,nortsnopontofmycharge。Yearethemoreuncourteous,sadSrFrol,andthereforewlldepartfromyou。Yemaydoasyelst,sadSrLamorak,andyetbymycompanyyehavesavedthefarestflowerofyourgarland;sotheydeparted。
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HowSrLamorakslewSrFrol,andofthecourteousfghtngwthSrBellancehsbrother。
THENwthntwoorthreedaysSrLamorakfoundaknghtatawellsleepng,andhsladysatwthhmandwaked。RghtsocameSrGawaneandtooktheknght’slady,andsetherupbehndhssqure。SoSrLamorakrodeafterSrGawane,andsad:SrGawane,turnagan。AndthensadSrGawane:Whatwllyedowthme?foramnephewuntoKngArthur。Sr,sadhe,forthatcausewllspareyou,elsethatladyshouldabdewthme,orelseyeshouldjoustwthme。ThenSrGawaneturnedhmandrantohmthatoughtthelady,wthhsspear,buttheknghtwthpuremghtsmotedownSrGawane,andtookhsladywthhm。AllthsSrLamoraksaw,andsadtohmself:ButrevengemyfellowhewllsayofmedshonournKngArthur’scourt。ThenSrLamorakreturnedandprofferedthatknghttojoust。Sr,sadhe,amready。Andtheretheycametogetherwthallthermght,andthereSrLamoraksmotetheknghtthroughbothsdesthathefelltotheearthdead。
Thenthatladyrodetothatknght’sbrotherthathghtBellanceleOrgulus,thatdweltfastthereby,andthenshetoldhmhowhsbrotherwasslan。Alas,sadhe,wllberevenged。Andsohehorsedhm,andarmedhm,andwthnawhleheovertookSrLamorak,andbadehm:Turnandleavethatlady,forthouandmustplayanewplay;forthouhastslanmybrotherSrFrol,thatwasabetterknghtthaneverwertthou。tmghtwellbe,sadSrLamorak,butthsdaynthefeldwasfoundthebetter。Sotheyrodetogether,andunhorsedother,andturnedthershelds,anddrewtherswords,andfoughtmghtlyasnobleknghtsproved,bythespaceoftwohours。SothenSrBellanceprayedhmtotellhmhsname。Sr,sadhe,mynamesSrLamorakdeGals。Ah,sadSrBellance,thouartthemanntheworldthatmosthate,forslewmysonsforthysake,wheresavedthylfe,andnowthouhastslanmybrotherSrFrol。Alas,howshouldbeaccordedwththee;thereforedefendthee,forthoushaltde,theresnoneotherremedy。
Alas,sadSrLamorak,fullwellmeoughttoknowyou,foryearethemanthatmosthavedoneforme。AndtherewthalSrLamorakkneeleddown,andbesoughthmofgrace。Arse,sadSrBellance,orelsethereasthoukneelestshallslaythee。Thatshallnotneed,sadSrLamorak,forwllyeldmeuntoyou,notforfearofyou,norforyourstrength,butyourgoodnessmakethmefullloathtohaveadowthyou;whereforerequreyouforGod’ssake,andforthehonourofknghthood,forgvemeallthathaveoffendeduntoyou。Alas,sadBellance,leavethykneelng,orelseshallslaytheewthoutmercy。
Thentheyyedeaganuntobattle,andetherwoundedother,thatallthegroundwasbloodythereastheyfought。AndatthelastBellancewthdrewhmabackandsethmdownsoftlyuponalttlehll,forhewassofantforbleedngthathemghtnotstand。ThenSrLamorakthrewhsshelduponhsback,andaskedhmwhatcheer。Well,sadSrBellance。Ah,Sr,yetshallshowyoufavournyourmal-ease。Ah,KnghtSrBellance,sadSrLamorak,thouartafool,foranhadhadtheeatsuchadvantageasthouhastdoneme,shouldslaythee;
butthygentlenessssogoodandsolarge,thatmustneedsforgvetheemneevlwll。AndthenSrLamorakkneeleddown,andunlacedfrsthsumberere,andthenhsown,andthenetherkssedotherwthweepngtears。ThenSrLamorakledSrBellancetoanabbeyfastby,andthereSrLamorakwouldnotdepartfromBellancetllhewaswhole。Andthentheyswaretogetherthatnoneofthemshouldneverfghtaganstother。SoSrLamorakdepartedandwenttothecourtofKngArthur。
HereleaveweofSrLamorakandofSrTrstram。
AndherebegnneththehstoryofLaCoteMaleTale。
HowayoungmancamentothecourtofKngArthur,andhowSrKaycalledhmnscornLaCoteMaleTale。
ATthecourtofKngArthurtherecameayoungmanandbglymade,andhewasrchlybeseen:andhedesredtobemadeknghtofthekng,buthsover-garmentsatover-thwartly,howbettwasrchclothofgold。Whatsyourname?sadKngArthur。
Sr,sadhe,mynamesBreunorleNore,andwthnshortspaceyeshallknowthatamofgoodkn。tmaywellbe,sadSrKay,theSeneschal,butnmockageyeshallbecalledLaCoteMaleTale,thatsasmuchtosay,theevl-shapencoattsagreatthngthatthouaskest,sadthekng;andforwhatcausewearestthouthatrchcoat?tellme,forcanwellthnkforsomecausets。Sr,heanswered,hadafather,anobleknght,andasherodea-huntng,uponadaythappedhmtolayhmdowntosleep;andtherecameaknghtthathadbeenlonghsenemy,andwhenhesawhewasfastasleepheallto-hewhm;andthssamecoathadmyfatheronthesametme;andthatmakeththscoattostsoevluponme,forthestrokesbeontas
foundt,andnevershallbeamendedforme。Thustohavemyfather’sdeathnremembrancewearthscoattllberevenged;andbecauseyearecalledthemostnoblestkngoftheworldcometoyouthatyeshouldmakemeknght。Sr,sadSrLamorakandSrGahers,twerewelldonetomakehmknght;
forhmbeseemethwellofpersonandofcountenance,thatheshallproveagoodman,andagoodknght,andamghty;for,Sr,anyeberemembered,evensuchonewasSrLauncelotduLakewhenhecamefrstntothscourt,andfullfewofusknewfromwhencehecame;andnowsheprovedthemanofmostworshpntheworld;andallyourcourtandallyourRoundTablesbySrLauncelotworshppedandamendedmorethanbyanyknghtnowlvng。Thatstruth,sadthekng,andto-morrowatyourrequestshallmakehmknght。
Soonthemorrowtherewasanhartfound,andththerrodeKngArthurwthacompanyofhsknghtstoslaythehart。AndthsyoungmanthatSrKaynamedLaCoteMaleTalewasthereleftbehndwthQueenGuenever;andbysuddenadventuretherewasanhorrblelonkeptnastrongtowerofstone,andthappenedthatheatthattmebrakeloose,andcamehurlngaforethequeenandherknghts。Andwhenthequeensawthelonshecredandfled,andprayedherknghtstorescueher。Andtherewasnoneofthemallbuttwelvethatabode,andalltheotherfled。
ThensadLaCoteMaleTale:Nowseewellthatallcowardknghtsbenotdead;andtherewthalhedrewhsswordanddressedhmaforethelon。Andthatlongapedwdeandcameuponhmrampngtohaveslanhm。Andhethensmotehmnthemdstoftheheadsuchamghtystrokethattclavehsheadnsunder,anddashedtotheearth。ThenwasttoldthequeenhowtheyoungmanthatSrKaynamedbyscornLaCoteMaleTalehadslanthelon。Wththatthekngcamehome。Andwhenthequeentoldhmofthatadventure,hewaswellpleased,andsad:
Uponpanofmneheadheshallproveanoblemanandafathfulknght,andtrueofhspromse:thenthekngforthwthalmadehmknght。NowSr,sadthsyoungknght,requreyouandalltheknghtsofyourcourt,thatyecallmebynoneothernamebutLaCoteMaleTale:nsomuchasSrKayhathsonamedmesowllbecalled。assentmewellthereto,sadthekng。
第52章