King Arthur {15} was at Caerlleon upon Usk; and one day he sat in his
chamber; and with him were Owain the son of Urien, and Kynon the son of
Clydno, and Kai the son of Kyner; and Gwenhwyvar and her hand-maidens at
needlework by the window. And if it should be said that there was a
porter at Arthur's palace, there was none. Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr was
there, acting as porter, to welcome guests and strangers, and to receive
them with honour, and to inform them of the manners and customs of the
Court; and to direct those who came to the Hall or to the presence
chamber, and those who came to take up their lodging. {16}
In the centre of the chamber king Arthur sat, upon a seat of green
rushes, over which was spread a covering of flame-coloured satin; and a
cushion of red satin was under his elbow.
Then Arthur spoke, "If I thought you would not disparage me," said he, "I
would sleep while I wait for my repast; and you can entertain one another
with relating tales, and can obtain a flagon of mead and some meat from
Kai." And the King went to sleep. And Kynon the son of Clydno asked Kai
for that which Arthur had promised them. "I too will have the good tale
which he promised to me," said Kai. "Nay," answered Kynon, "fairer will
it be for thee to fulfil Arthur's behest in the first place, and then we
will tell thee the best tale that we know." So Kai went to the kitchen
and to the mead-cellar, and returned, bearing a flagon of mead, and a
golden goblet, and a handful of skewers upon which were broiled collops
of meat. Then they ate the collops and began to drink the mead. "Now"
said Kai, "it is time for you to give me my story." "Kynon," said Owain,
"do thou pay to Kai the tale that is his due." "Truly," said Kynon,
"thou art older, and are a better teller of tales, and hast seen more
marvellous things than I; do thou therefore pay Kai his tale." "Begin
thyself," quoth Owain, "with the best that thou knowest." "I will do
so," answered Kynon.
"I was the only son of my mother and father; and I was exceedingly
aspiring, and my daring was very great. I thought there was no
enterprise in the world too mighty for me, and after I had achieved all
the adventures that were in my own country, {17a} I equipped myself, and
set forth to journey through deserts, and distant regions. And at length
it chanced that I came to the fairest valley in the world, wherein were
trees of equal growth; and a river ran through the valley, and a path was
by the side of the river. And I followed the path until mid-day, and
continued my journey along the remainder of the valley until the evening;
and at the extremity of a plain I came to a large and lustrous Castle, at
the foot of which was a torrent. And I approached the Castle, and there
I beheld two youths, with yellow curling hair, each with a frontlet of
gold upon his head, and clad in a garment of yellow satin; and they had
gold clasps upon their insteps. In the hand of each of them was an ivory
bow, strung with the sinews of the stag; and their arrows had their
shafts of the bone of the whale, and were winged with peacock's feathers.
The shafts also had golden heads. And they had daggers with blades of
gold, and with hilts of the bone of the whale. And they were shooting
their daggers.
"And a little way from them, I saw a man {17b} in the prime of life, with
his beard newly shorn, clad in a robe and a mantle of yellow satin; and
round the top of his mantle was a band of gold lace. On his feet were
shoes of variegated leather, fastened by two bosses of gold. When I saw
him, I went towards him and saluted him; and such was his courtesy, that
he no sooner received my greeting than he returned it. {18a} And he went
with me towards the Castle. Now there were no dwellers in the Castle,
except those who were in one hall. And there I saw four and twenty
damsels, embroidering satin, at a window. And this I tell thee, Kai,
that {18b} the least fair of them was fairer than the fairest maid thou
didst ever behold, in the Island of Britain; and the least lovely of them
was more lovely than Gwenhwyvar, the wife of Arthur, when she appeared
loveliest at the Offering, on the day of the Nativity, or at the feast of
Easter. {18c} They rose up at my coming, and six of them took my horse,
and divested me of my armour; and six others took my arms, and washed
them in a vessel, until they were perfectly bright. And the third six
spread cloths upon the tables, and prepared meat. And the fourth six
took off my soiled garments, and placed others upon me; namely, an under
vest and a doublet of fine linen, and a robe, and a surcoat, and a mantle
of yellow satin, and a broad gold band upon the mantle. And they placed
cushions both beneath and around me, with coverings of red linen. And I
sat down. Now the six maidens who had taken my horse, unharnessed him,
as well as if they had been the best Squires in the Island of Britain.
Then, behold, they brought bowls of silver wherein was water to wash; and
towels of linen, some green and some white; and I washed. And in a
little while the man sat down to the table. {19a} And I sat next to him,
and below me sat all the maidens, except those who waited on us. And the
table was of silver; and the cloths upon the table were of linen. And no
vessel was served upon the table that was not either of gold, or of
silver, or of buffalo horn. And our meat was brought to us. And verily,
Kai, I saw there every sort of meat, and every sort of liquor, that I
ever saw elsewhere; but the meat and the liquors were better served
there, than I ever saw them in any other place.
"Until the repast was half over, neither the man nor any one of the
damsels spoke a single word to me; but when the man perceived that it
would be more agreeable to me to converse than to eat any more, he began
to enquire of me who I was. I said I was glad to find that there was
some one who would discourse with me, and that it was not considered so
great a crime at that Court, for people to hold converse together.
'Chieftain,' said the man, 'we would have talked to thee sooner, but we
feared to disturb thee during thy repast. Now, however, we will
discourse.' Then I told the man who I was, and what was the cause of my
journey. And said that I was seeking whether any one was superior to me,
or whether I could gain the mastery over all. The man looked upon me,
and he smiled, and said, 'If I did not fear to distress thee too much,
{19b} I would shew thee that which thou seekest.' Upon this I became
anxious and sorrowful; and when the man perceived it, he said, 'If thou
wouldst rather that I should shew thee thy disadvantage, than thine
advantage, I will do so. Sleep here to-night, and in the morning, arise
early, and take the road upwards through the valley, until thou reachest
the wood, through which thou camest hither. A little way within the
wood, thou wilt meet with a road, branching off to the right; by which
thou must proceed, until thou comest to a large sheltered glade, with a
mound in the centre. And thou wilt see a black man of great stature, on
the top of the mound; he is not smaller in size than two of the men of
this world. He has but one foot, and one eye, in the middle of his
forehead. And he has a club of iron, and it is certain that there are no
two men in the world, who would not find their burden in that club. And
he is not a comely man, but on the contrary he is exceedingly ill
favoured; and he is the woodward of that wood. And thou wilt see a
thousand wild animals, grazing around him. Enquire of him the way out of
the glade, and he will reply to thee briefly, {20} and will point out the
road, by which thou shalt find that which thou art in quest of.'
"And long seemed the night to me. And the next morning I arose, and
equipped myself, and mounted my horse, and proceeded straight through the
valley, to the wood, and I followed the crossroad which the man had
pointed out to me, till at length I arrived at the glade. And there was
I three times more astonished at the number of wild animals that I
beheld, than the man had said I should be. And the black man was there,
sitting upon the top of the mound. Huge of stature as the man had told
me that he was, I found him to exceed by far the description he had given
me of him. As for the iron club, which the man had told me was a burden
for two men, I am certain, Kai, that it would be a heavy weight for four
warriors to lift. And this was in the black man's hand. And he only
spoke to me in answer to my questions. {21a} Then I asked him what power
he held over those animals. 'I will shew thee, little man,' said he. And
he took his club in his hand, and with it he struck a stag a great blow,
so that he brayed vehemently, and at his braying, the animals came
together, as numerous as the stars in the sky, so that it was difficult
for me to find room in the glade, to stand among them. There were
serpents, and dragons, and divers sorts of animals. And he looked at
them, and bade them go and feed. And they bowed their heads, and did him
homage, as vassals to their lord.
"Then the black man said to me, 'Seest thou now, little man, what power I
hold over these animals?' Then I enquired of him the way; and he became
very rough in his manner to me; however he asked me whither I would go.
And when I had told him who I was, and what I sought, he directed me.
'Take,' said he, 'that path that leads towards the head of the glade, and
ascend the wooded steep, until thou comest to its summit; and there thou
wilt find an open space, like to a large valley, and in the midst of it a
tall tree, whose branches are greener than the greenest pine trees. Under
this tree is a fountain, and by the side of the fountain, a marble slab,
and on the marble slab a silver bowl, attached by a chain of silver, so
that it may not be carried away. {21b} Take the bowl, and throw a
bowlful of water upon the slab, and thou wilt hear a mighty peal of
thunder; so that thou wilt think that heaven and earth are trembling with
its fury. With the thunder there will come a shower so severe, that it
will be scarcely possible for thee to endure it and live. And the shower
will be of hailstones. And after the shower, the weather will become
fair; but every leaf that was upon the tree will have been carried away
by the shower. Then a flight of birds will come and alight upon the
tree; and in thine own country thou didst never hear a strain so sweet,
as that which they will sing. And at the moment thou art most delighted
with the song of the birds, thou wilt hear a murmuring and complaining
coming towards thee along the valley. And thou wilt see a knight upon a
coal black horse, clothed in black velvet, and with a pennon of black
linen upon his lance, and he will ride unto thee to encounter thee, with
the utmost speed. If thou fleest from him he will overtake thee, and if
thou abidest there, as sure as thou art a mounted knight, he will leave
thee on foot. And if thou dost not find trouble in that adventure, thou
needst not seek it during the rest of thy life.'
"So I journeyed on, until I reached the summit of the steep. And there I
found every thing, as the black man had described it to me. And I went
up to the tree, and beneath it I saw the fountain, and by its side the
marble slab; and the silver bowl, fastened by the chain. Then I took the
bowl, and cast a bowlful of water upon the slab; and thereupon behold the
thunder came, much more violent than the black man had led me to expect;
and after the thunder came the shower; and of a truth I tell thee, Kai,
that there is neither man nor beast that could endure that shower and
live. For not one of those hailstones would be stopped either by the
flesh, or by the skin, until it had reached the bone. I turned my
horse's flanks towards the shower, and placed the beak of my shield over
his head and neck, while I held the upper part of it over my own head.
And thus I withstood the shower. When I looked on the tree, there was
not a single leaf upon it, and then the sky became clear; and with that,
behold the birds lighted upon the tree, and sang. And truly, Kai, I
never heard any melody equal to that, either before or since. And when I
was most charmed with listening to the birds, lo, a murmuring voice was
heard through the valley, approaching me, and saying, 'Oh, Knight, what
has brought thee hither? What evil have I done to thee, that thou
shouldest act towards me and my possessions, as thou hast this day? Dost
thou not know that the shower to-day has left in my dominions neither man
nor beast alive, that was exposed to it?' And thereupon, behold a Knight
on a black horse appeared, clothed in jet black velvet, and with a tabard
of black linen about him. And we charged each other; and as the onset
was furious, it was not long before I was overthrown. Then the Knight
passed the shaft of his lance through the bridle rein of my horse, and
rode off with the two horses; leaving me where I was. And he did not
even bestow so much notice upon me, as to imprison me, nor did he despoil
me of my arms. So I returned along the road by which I had come. And
when I reached the glade where the black man was, I confess to thee, Kai,
it is a marvel that I did not melt down into a liquid pool, through the
shame that I felt at the black man's derision. And that night I came to
the same Castle, where I had spent the night preceding. And I was more
agreeably entertained that night, than I had been the night before; and I
was better feasted, and I conversed freely with the inmates of the
Castle; and none of them alluded to my expedition to the fountain,
neither did I mention it to any. And I remained there that night. When
I arose on the morrow, I found ready saddled a dark-bay palfrey, with
nostrils as red as scarlet. And after putting on my armour, and leaving
there my blessing, I returned to my own Court. And that horse I still
possess, and he is in the stable yonder. And I declare that I would not
part with him for the best palfrey in the Island of Britain.
"Now of a truth, Kai, no man ever before confessed to an adventure so
much to his own discredit; and verily it seems strange to me, that
neither before nor since have I heard of any person, besides myself, who
knew of this adventure, and that the subject of it should exist within
King Arthur's dominions, without any other person lighting upon it."
"Now," quoth Owain, "would it not be well to go and endeavour to discover
that place?"
"By the hand of my friend," said Kai, "often dost thou utter that with
thy tongue, which thou wouldest not make good with thy deeds."
"In very truth," said Gwenhwyvar, "it were better thou wert hanged, Kai,
than to use such uncourteous speech towards a man like Owain."
"By the hand of my friend, good Lady," said Kai, "thy praise of Owain is
not greater than mine."
With that Arthur awoke, and asked if he had not been sleeping a little.
"Yes, Lord," answered Owain, "thou hast slept awhile."
"Is it time for us to go to meat?"
"It is, Lord," said Owain.
Then the horn for washing was sounded, and the King and all his household
sat down to eat. And when the meal was ended, Owain withdrew to his
lodging, and made ready his horse and his arms.
On the morrow, with the dawn of day, he put on his armour, and mounted
his charger, and travelled through distant lands, and over desert
mountains. And at length he arrived at the valley which Kynon had
described to him; and he was certain that it was the same that he sought.
And journeying along the valley, by the side of the river, he followed
its course till he came to the plain, and within sight of the Castle.
When he approached the Castle, he saw the youths shooting their daggers,
in the place where Kynon had seen them; and the yellow man, to whom the
Castle belonged, standing hard by. And no sooner had Owain saluted the
yellow man, than he was saluted by him in return.
And he went forward towards the Castle, and there he saw the chamber; and
when he had entered the chamber, he beheld the maidens working at satin
embroidery, in chairs of gold. And their beauty, and their comeliness
seemed to Owain far greater than Kynon had represented to him. And they
arose to wait upon Owain, as they had done to Kynon. And the meal which
they set before him, gave more satisfaction to Owain than it had done to
Kynon.
About the middle of the repast the yellow man asked Owain the object of
his journey. And Owain made it known to him, and said, "I am in quest of
the Knight who guards the fountain." Upon this, the yellow man smiled,
and said that he was as loth to point out that adventure to Owain as he
had been to Kynon. However he described the whole to Owain, and they
retired to rest.
The next morning Owain found his horse made ready for him by the damsels,
and he set forward and came to the glade where the black man was. And
the stature of the black man seemed more wonderful to Owain, than it had
done to Kynon, and Owain asked of him his road, and he showed it to him.
And Owain followed the road, as Kynon had done, till he came to the green
tree; and he beheld the fountain, and the slab beside the fountain with
the bowl upon it. And Owain took the bowl, and threw a bowlful of water
upon the slab. And lo, the thunder was heard, and after the thunder came
the shower, much more violent than Kynon had described, and after the
shower, the sky became bright. And when Owain looked at the tree, there
was not one leaf upon it. And immediately the birds came, and settled
upon the tree, and sang. And when their song was most pleasing to Owain,
he beheld a Knight coming towards him through the valley, and he prepared
to receive him; and encountered him violently. Having broken both their
lances, they drew their swords, and fought blade to blade. Then Owain
struck the Knight a blow through his helmet, head piece and visor, and
through the skin, and the flesh, and the bone, until it wounded the very
brain. Then the black Knight felt that he had received a mortal wound,
upon which he turned his horse's head, and fled. And Owain pursued him,
and followed close upon him, although he was not near enough to strike
him with his sword. Thereupon Owain descried a vast and resplendent
Castle. And they came to the Castle gate. And the black Knight was
allowed to enter, and the portcullis was let fall upon Owain; and it
struck his horse behind the saddle, and cut him in two, and carried away
the rowels of the spurs that were upon Owain's heels. And the portcullis
descended to the floor. And the rowels of the spurs and part of the
horse were without, and Owain, with the other part of the horse remained
between the two gates, and the inner gate was closed, so that Owain could
not go thence; and Owain was in a perplexing situation. And while he was
in this state, he could see through an aperture in the gate, a street
facing him, with a row of houses on each side. And he beheld a maiden,
with yellow curling hair, and a frontlet of gold upon her head; and she
was clad in a dress of yellow satin, and on her feet were shoes of
variegated leather. And she approached the gate, and desired that it
should be opened. "Heaven knows, Lady," said Owain, "it is no more
possible for me to open to thee from hence, than it is for thee to set me
free." "Truly," said the damsel, "it is very sad that thou canst not be
released, and every woman ought to succour thee, for I never saw one more
faithful in the service of ladies than thou. As a friend thou art the
most sincere, and as a lover the most devoted. Therefore," quoth she,
"whatever is in my power to do for thy release, I will do it. Take this
ring and put it on thy finger, with the stone inside thy hand; and close
thy hand upon the stone. And as long as thou concealest it, it will
conceal thee. When they have consulted together, they will come forth to
fetch thee, in order to put thee to death; {27} and they will be much
grieved that they cannot find thee. And I will await thee on the
horseblock yonder; and thou wilt be able to see me, though I cannot see
thee; therefore come and place thy hand upon my shoulder, that I may know
that thou art near me. And by the way that I go hence, do thou accompany
me."
Then she went away from Owain, and he did all that the maiden had told
him. And the people of the Castle came to seek Owain, to put him to
death, and when they found nothing but the half of his horse, they were
sorely grieved.
And Owain vanished from among them, and went to the maiden, and placed
his hand upon her shoulder, whereupon she set off, and Owain followed
her, until they came to the door of a large and beautiful chamber, and
the maiden opened it, and they went in, and closed the door. And Owain
looked around the chamber, and behold there was not even a single nail in
it, that was not painted with gorgeous colours; and there was not a
single panel, that had not sundry images {28} in gold portrayed upon it.
The maiden kindled a fire, and took water in a silver bowl, and put a
towel of white linen on her shoulder, and gave Owain water to wash. Then
she placed before him a silver table, inlaid with gold; upon which was a
cloth of yellow linen; and she brought him food. And of a truth, Owain
never saw any kind of meat that was not there in abundance, but it was
better cooked there, than he ever found it in any other place. Nor did
he ever see so excellent a display of meat and drink as there. And there
was not one vessel from which he was served, that was not of gold, or of
silver. And Owain ate and drank, until late in the afternoon, when lo,
they heard a mighty clamour in the Castle; and Owain asked the maiden
what that outcry was. "They are administering extreme unction," said
she, "to the Nobleman who owns the Castle." And Owain went to sleep.
The couch which the maiden had prepared for him was meet for Arthur
himself; it was of scarlet, and fur, and satin, and sendall, and fine
linen. In the middle of the night they heard a woeful outcry. "What
outcry again is this?" said Owain. "The Nobleman who owned the Castle is
now dead," said the maiden. And a little after daybreak, they heard an
exceeding loud clamour and wailing. And Owain asked the maiden what was
the cause of it. "They are bearing to the church, the body of the
Nobleman who owned the Castle."
And Owain rose up, and clothed himself, and opened a window of the
chamber, and looked towards the Castle; and he could see neither the
bounds, nor the extent of the hosts that filled the streets. And they
were fully armed; and a vast number of women were with them, both on
horseback, and on foot; and all the ecclesiastics in the city, singing.
And it seemed to Owain that the sky resounded with the vehemence of their
cries, and with the noise of the trumpets, and with the singing of the
ecclesiastics. {29a} In the midst of the throng, he beheld the bier,
over which was a veil of white linen; and wax tapers were burning beside,
and around it, and none that supported the bier was lower in rank than a
powerful {29b} Baron.
Never did Owain see an assemblage so gorgeous with satin, and silk, and
sendall. And following the train, he beheld a lady with yellow hair
falling over her shoulders, and stained with blood; and about her a dress
of yellow satin, which was torn. Upon her feet were shoes of variegated
leather. And it was a marvel that the ends of her fingers were not
bruised, from the violence with which she smote her hands together. Truly
she would have been the fairest lady Owain ever saw, had she been in her
usual guise. And her cry was louder than the shout of the men, or the
clamour of the trumpets. {30} No sooner had he beheld the lady, than he
became inflamed with her love, so that it took entire possession of him.
Then he enquired of the maiden who the lady was. "Heaven knows," replied
the maiden, "she may be said to be the fairest, and the most chaste, and
the most liberal, and the wisest, and the most noble of women. And she
is my mistress; and she is called the Countess of the Fountain, the wife
of him whom thou didst slay yesterday." "Verily," said Owain, "she is
the woman that I love best." "Verily," said the maiden, "she shall also
love thee not a little."
And with that the maid arose, and kindled a fire, and filled a pot with
water, and placed it to warm; and she brought a towel of white linen, and
placed it around Owain's neck; and she took a goblet of ivory, and a
silver basin, and filled them with warm water, wherewith she washed
Owain's head. Then she opened a wooden casket, and drew forth a razor,
whose haft was of ivory, and upon which were two rivets of gold. And she
shaved his beard, and she dried his head, and his throat, with the towel.
Then she rose up from before Owain, and brought him to eat. And truly
Owain had never so good a meal, nor was he ever so well served.
When he had finished his repast, the maiden arranged his couch. "Come
here," said she, "and sleep, and I will go and woo for thee." And Owain
went to sleep, and the maiden shut the door of the chamber after her, and
went towards the Castle. When she came there, she found nothing but
mourning, and sorrow; and the Countess in her chamber could not bear the
sight of any one through grief. Luned came and saluted her, but the
Countess answered her not. And the maiden bent down towards her, and
said, "What aileth thee, that thou answerest no one to-day?" "Luned,"
said the Countess, "what change hath befallen thee, that thou hast not
come to visit me in my grief? It was wrong in thee, and I having made
thee rich; it was wrong in thee that thou didst not come to see me in my
distress. That was wrong in thee." "Truly," said Luned, "I thought thy
good sense was greater than I find it to be. Is it well for thee to
mourn after that good man, or for anything else, that thou canst not
have?" "I declare to heaven," said the Countess, "that in the whole
world there is not a man equal to him." "Not so," said Luned, "for an
ugly man would be as good as, or better than he." {31} "I declare to
heaven," said the Countess, "that were it not repugnant to me to cause to
be put to death one whom I have brought up, I would have thee executed,
for making such a comparison to me. As it is, I will banish thee." "I
am glad," said Luned, "that thou hast no other cause to do so, than that
I would have been of service to thee when thou didst not know what was to
thine advantage. And henceforth evil betide whichever of us shall make
the first advance towards reconciliation to the other; whether I should
seek an invitation from thee, or thou of thine own accord shouldest seek
to invite me."
With that Luned went forth; and the Countess arose and followed her to
the door of the chamber, and began coughing loudly. And when Luned
looked back, the Countess beckoned to her; and she returned to the
Countess. "In truth," said the Countess, "evil is thy disposition; but
if thou knowest what is to my advantage, declare it to me." "I will do
so," quoth she.
"Thou knowest that except by warfare and arms it is impossible for thee
to preserve thy possessions; delay not, therefore, to seek some one who
can defend them." "And how can I do that?" said the Countess. "I will
tell thee," said Luned, "unless thou canst defend the fountain, thou
canst not maintain thy dominions; and no one can defend the fountain,
except it be a knight of Arthur's household; and I will go to Arthur's
court, and ill betide me, if I return thence without a warrior who can
guard the fountain, as well as, or even better than, he who defended it
formerly." "That will be hard to perform," said the Countess. "Go,
however, and make proof of that which thou hast promised."
Luned set out, under the pretence of going to Arthur's court; but she
went back to the chamber where she had left Owain; and she tarried there
with him as long as it might have taken her to have travelled to the
Court of King Arthur. And at the end of that time, she apparelled
herself, and went to visit the Countess. And the Countess was much
rejoiced when she saw her, and enquired what news she brought from the
Court. "I bring thee the best of news," said Luned, "for I have
compassed the object of my mission. When wilt thou, that I should
present to thee the chieftain who has come with me hither?" "Bring him
here to visit me to-morrow, at mid-day," said the Countess, "and I will
cause the town to be assembled by that time."
And Luned returned home. And the next day, at noon, Owain arrayed
himself in a coat, and a surcoat, and a mantle of yellow satin, upon
which was a broad band of gold lace; and on his feet were high shoes of
variegated leather, which were fastened by golden clasps, in the form of
lions. And they proceeded to the chamber of the Countess.
Right glad was the Countess of their coming. And she gazed steadfastly
upon Owain, and said, "Luned, this knight has not the look of a
traveller." "What harm is there in that, Lady?" said Luned. "I am
certain," said the Countess, "that no other man than this, chased the
soul from the body of my lord." "So much the better for thee, Lady,"
said Luned, "for had he not been stronger than thy lord, he could not
have deprived him of life. There is no remedy for that which is past, be
it as it may." "Go back to thine abode," said the Countess, "and I will
take counsel."
The next day, the Countess caused all her subjects to assemble, and
shewed them that her Earldom was left defenceless, and that it could not
be protected but with horse and arms, and military skill. "Therefore,"
said she, "this is what I offer for your choice: either let one of you
take me, or give your consent for me to take a husband from elsewhere, to
defend my dominions."
So they came to the determination, that it was better that she should
have permission to marry some one from elsewhere; and thereupon she sent
for the Bishops and Archbishops, to celebrate her nuptials with Owain.
And the men of the Earldom did Owain homage.
And Owain defended the Fountain with lance and sword. And this is the
manner in which he defended it. Whensoever a knight came there, he
overthrew him, and sold him for his full worth. And what he thus gained,
he divided among his Barons, and his Knights; and no man in the whole
world could be more beloved than he was by his subjects. And it was thus
for the space of three years.
It befell that as Gwalchmai went forth one day with King Arthur, he
perceived him to be very sad and sorrowful. And Gwalchmai was much
grieved to see Arthur in this state; and he questioned him, saying, "Oh
my Lord! what has befallen thee?" "In sooth, Gwalchmai," said Arthur, "I
am grieved concerning Owain, whom I have lost these three years; and I
shall certainly die, if the fourth year passes without my seeing him. Now
I am sure, that it is through the tale which Kynon the son of Clydno
related, that I have lost Owain." "There is no need for thee," said
Gwalchmai, "to summon to arms thy whole dominions, on that account; for
thou thyself, and the men of thy household, will be able to avenge Owain,
if he be slain; or to set him free, if he be in prison; and if alive, to
bring him back with thee." And it was settled, according to what
Gwalchmai had said.
Then Arthur and the men of his household prepared to go and seek Owain;
and their number was three thousand, beside their attendants. And Kynon
the son of Clydno acted as their guide. And Arthur came to the Castle,
where Kynon had been before. And when he came there the youths were
shooting in the same place, and the yellow man was standing hard by. When
the yellow man saw Arthur, he greeted him, and invited him to the Castle.
And Arthur accepted his invitation, and they entered the Castle together.
And great as was the number of his retinue, their presence was scarcely
observed in the Castle, so vast was its extent. And the maidens rose up
to wait on them. And the service of the maidens appeared to them all to
excel any attendance they had ever met with; and even the pages who had
charge of the horses, were no worse served, that night, than Arthur
himself would have been, in his own Palace.
The next morning, Arthur set out thence, with Kynon for his guide, and
came to the place where the black man was. And the stature of the black
man was more surprising to Arthur, than it had been represented to him.
And they came to the top of the wooded steep, and traversed the valley,
till they reached the green tree; where they saw the fountain, and the
bowl and the slab. And upon that, Kai came to Arthur, and spoke to him.
"My Lord," said he, "I know the meaning of all this, and my request is,
that thou wilt permit me to throw the water on the slab, and to receive
the first advantage that may befall." And Arthur gave him leave.
Then Kai threw a bowlful of water upon the slab, and immediately there
came the thunder, and after the thunder the shower. And such a
thunderstorm they had never known before. And many of the attendants who
were in Arthur's train were killed by the shower. After the shower had
ceased, the sky became clear. And on looking at the tree, they beheld it
completely leafless. Then the birds descended upon the tree. And the
song of the birds was far sweeter than any strain they had ever heard
before. Then they beheld a Knight, on a coal-black horse, clothed in
black satin, coming rapidly towards them. And Kai met him and
encountered him, and it was not long before Kai was overthrown. And the
Knight withdrew. {36} And Arthur and his host encamped for the night.
And when they arose in the morning, they perceived the signal of combat
upon the lance of the Knight; and Kai came to Arthur, and spoke to him.
"My Lord," said he, "though I was overthrown yesterday, if it seem good
to thee, I would gladly meet the Knight again to-day." "Thou mayst do
so," said Arthur. And Kai went towards the Knight. And on the spot he
overthrew Kai, {37a} and struck him with the head of his lance in the
forehead, so that it broke his helmet and the headpiece, and pierced the
skin, and the flesh, the breadth of the spearhead, even to the bone. And
Kai returned to his companions.
After this, all the household of Arthur went forth, one after the other,
to combat the Knight, until there was not one that was not overthrown by
him, except Arthur and Gwalchmai. And Arthur armed himself to encounter
the Knight. "Oh, my lord," said Gwalchmai, "permit me to fight with him
first." And Arthur permitted him. And he went forth to meet the Knight,
having over himself and his horse, a satin robe of honour which had been
sent him by the daughter of the Earl of Rhangyw, and in this dress he was
not known by any of the host. And they charged each other, and fought
all that day until the evening. And neither of them was able to unhorse
the other.
The next day they fought with strong lances; and neither of them could
obtain the mastery.
And the third day they fought with exceeding strong lances. And they
were increased with rage, and fought furiously, even until noon. And
they gave each other such a shock, that the girths of their horses were
broken, so that they fell over their horses' cruppers to the ground. And
they rose up speedily, and drew their swords, and resumed the combat.
{37b} And the multitude that witnessed the encounter felt assured that
they had never before seen two men so valiant, or so powerful. And had
it been midnight, it would have been light from the fire that flashed
from their weapons. And the Knight gave Gwalchmai a blow that turned his
helmet from off his face, so that the Knight knew that it was Gwalchmai.
Then Owain said, "My lord Gwalchmai, I did not know thee for my cousin,
owing to the robe of honour, that enveloped thee; take my sword and my
arms." Said Gwalchmai, "Thou, Owain, art the victor; take thou my
sword." And with that Arthur saw that they were conversing, and advanced
towards them. "My lord Arthur," said Gwalchmai, "here is Owain, who has
vanquished me, and will not take my arms." "My lord," said Owain, "it is
he that has vanquished me, and he will not take my sword." "Give me your
swords," said Arthur, "and then neither of you has vanquished the other."
Then Owain put his arms around Arthur's neck, and they embraced. And all
the host hurried forward to see Owain, and to embrace him. And there was
nigh being a loss of life, so great was the press.
And they retired that night, and the next day Arthur prepared to depart.
"My lord," said Owain, "this is not well of thee. For I have been absent
from thee these three years, {38} and during all that time, up to this
very day, I have been preparing a banquet for thee, knowing that thou
wouldest come to seek me. Tarry with me therefore, until thou and thy
attendants have recovered the fatigues of the journey, and have been
anointed."
And they all proceeded to the Castle of the Countess of the Fountain, and
the banquet which had been three years preparing was consumed in three
months. Never had they a more delicious or agreeable banquet. And
Arthur prepared to depart. Then he sent an embassy to the Countess, to
beseech her to permit Owain to go with him, for the space of three
months, that he might shew him to the nobles, and the fair dames of the
Island of Britain. And the Countess gave her consent, although it was
very painful to her. So Owain came with Arthur to the Island of Britain.
And when he was once more amongst his kindred and friends, he remained
three years, instead of three months, with them.
* * * * *
And as Owain one day sat at meat, in the City of Caerlleon upon Usk,
behold a damsel entered, upon a bay horse, with a curling mane, and
covered with foam; and the bridle, and as much as was seen of the saddle,
were of gold. And the damsel was arrayed in a dress of yellow satin. And
she went up to Owain, and took the ring from off his hand. "Thus," said
she, "shall be treated the deceiver, the traitor, the faithless, the
disgraced, and the beardless." {39} And she turned her horse's head, and
departed.
Then his adventure came to Owain's remembrance, and he was sorrowful. And
having finished eating, he went to his own abode, and made preparations
that night. And the next day he arose, but did not go to the Court, but
wandered to the distant parts of the earth, and to uncultivated
mountains. And he remained there until all his apparel was worn out, and
his body was wasted away, and his hair was grown long. And he went about
with the wild beasts, and fed with them, until they became familiar with
him. But at length he grew so weak, that he could no longer bear them
company. Then he descended from the mountains to the valley, and came to
a park, that was the fairest in the world, and belonged to a widowed
Countess.
One day the Countess and her maidens went forth to walk by a lake, that
was in the middle of the park. And they saw the form of a man. And they
were terrified. Nevertheless they went near him, and touched him, and
looked at him. And they saw that there was life in him, though he was
exhausted by the heat of the sun. And the Countess returned to the
Castle, and took a flask full of precious ointment, and gave it to one of
her maidens. "Go with this," said she, "and take with thee yonder horse,
and clothing, and place them near the man we saw just now. And anoint
him with this balsam, near his heart; and if there is life in him, he
will arise, through the efficacy of this balsam. Then watch what he will
do."
And the maiden departed from her, and poured the whole of the balsam upon
Owain, and left the horse and the garments hard by, and went a little way
off, and hid herself, to watch him. In a short time she saw him begin to
move his arms; and he arose up, and looked at his person, and became
ashamed of the unseemliness of his appearance. Then he perceived the
horse and the garments, that were near him. And he crept forward till he
was able to draw the garments to him from off the saddle. And he clothed
himself, and with difficulty mounted the horse. Then the damsel
discovered herself to him, and saluted him. And he was rejoiced when he
saw her, and enquired of her, what land and what territory that was.
"Truly," said the maiden, "a widowed Countess owns yonder Castle; at the
death of her husband, he left her two Earldoms, but at this day she has
but this one dwelling that has not been wrested from her, by a young
Earl, who is her neighbour, because she refused to become his wife."
"That is pity," said Owain. And he and the maiden proceeded to the
Castle; and he alighted there, and the maiden conducted him to a pleasant
chamber, and kindled a fire, and left him.
And the maiden came to the Countess, and gave the flask into her hand.
"Ha! maiden," said the Countess, "where is all the balsam?" "Have I not
used it all?" said she. "Oh, maiden," said the Countess, "I cannot
easily forgive thee this; it is sad for me to have wasted seven-score
pounds' worth of precious ointment, upon a stranger whom I know not.
However, maiden, wait thou upon him, until he is quite recovered."
And the maiden did so, and furnished him with meat and drink, and fire,
and lodging, and medicaments, until he was well again. And in three
months he was restored to his former guise, and became even more comely,
than he had ever been before.
One day Owain heard a great tumult, and a sound of arms in the Castle,
and he enquired of the maiden the cause thereof. "The Earl," said she,
"whom I mentioned to thee, has come before the Castle, with a numerous
army, to subdue the Countess." And Owain enquired of her whether the
Countess had a horse and arms, in her possession. "She has the best in
the world," said the maiden. "Wilt thou go and request the loan of a
horse and arms for me," said Owain, "that I may go and look at this
army?" "I will," said the maiden.
And she came to the Countess, and told her what Owain had said. And the
Countess laughed. "Truly," said she, "I will even give him a horse and
arms, for ever; such a horse and such arms, had he never yet, and I am
glad that they should be taken by him to-day, lest my enemies should have
them against my will to-morrow. Yet I know not what he would do with
them."
The Countess bade them bring out a beautiful black steed, upon which was
a beechen saddle, and a suit of armour, for man and horse. And Owain
armed himself, and mounted the horse, and went forth, attended by two
pages completely equipped, with horses and arms. And when they came near
to the Earl's army, they could see neither its extent, nor its extremity.
And Owain asked the pages in which troop the Earl was. "In yonder
troop," said they, "in which are four yellow standards. Two of them are
before, and two behind him." "Now," said Owain, "do you return and await
me near the portal of the Castle." So they returned, and Owain pressed
forward, until he met the Earl. And Owain drew him completely out of his
saddle, and turned his horse's head towards the Castle, and, though it
was with difficulty, he brought the Earl to the portal, where the pages
awaited him. And in they came. And Owain presented the Earl as a gift
to the Countess. And said to her, "Behold a requittal to thee for thy
blessed balsam."
The army encamped around the Castle. And the Earl restored to the
Countess the two Earldoms, he had taken from her, as a ransom for his
life; and for his freedom, he gave her the half of his own dominions, and
all his gold, and his silver, and his jewels, besides hostages.
And Owain took his departure. And the Countess and all her subjects
besought him to remain, but Owain chose rather to wander through distant
lands and deserts.
And as he journeyed, he heard a loud yelling in a wood. And it was
repeated a second and a third time. And Owain went towards the spot, and
behold a huge craggy mound, in the middle of the wood; on the side of
which was a grey rock. And there was a cleft in the rock, and a serpent
was within the cleft. And near the rock, stood a black lion, and every
time the lion sought to go thence, the serpent darted towards him to
attack him. And Owain unsheathed his sword, and drew near to the rock;
and as the serpent sprung out, he struck him with his sword, and cut him
in two. And he dried his sword, and went on his way, as before. But
behold the lion followed him, and played about him, as though it had been
a greyhound, that he had reared.
They proceeded thus throughout the day, until the evening. And when it
was time for Owain to take his rest, he dismounted, and turned his horse
loose in a flat and wooded meadow. And he struck fire, and when the fire
was kindled, the lion brought him fuel enough to last for three nights.
And the lion disappeared. And presently the lion returned, bearing a
fine large roebuck. And he threw it down before Owain, who went towards
the fire with it.
And Owain took the roebuck, and skinned it, and placed collops of its
flesh upon skewers, around the fire. The rest of the buck he gave to the
lion to devour. While he was doing this, he heard a deep sigh near him,
and a second, and a third. And Owain called out to know whether the sigh
he heard proceeded from a mortal; and he received answer, that it did.
"Who art thou?" said Owain. "Truly," said the voice, "I am Luned, the
hand-maiden of the Countess of the Fountain." "And what dost thou here?"
said Owain. "I am imprisoned," said she, "on account of the knight who
came from Arthur's Court, and married the Countess. And he staid a short
time with her, but he afterwards departed for the Court of Arthur, and he
has not returned since. And he was the friend I loved best in the world.
And two of the pages of the Countess's chamber, traduced him, and called
him a deceiver. And I told them that they two were not a match for him
alone. So they imprisoned me in the stone vault, and said that I should
be put to death, unless he came himself, to deliver me, by a certain day;
and that is no further off, than the day after to-morrow. And I have no
one to send to seek him for me. And his name is Owain the son of Urien."
"And art thou certain, that if that knight knew all this, he would come
to thy rescue?" "I am most certain of it," said she.
When the collops were cooked, Owain divided them into two parts, between
himself and the maiden; and after they had eaten, they talked together
until the day dawned. And the next morning Owain enquired of the damsel,
if there was any place where he could get food and entertainment for that
night. "There is, lord," said she; "cross over yonder, and go along the
side of the river, and in a short time, thou wilt see a great Castle, in
which are many towers. And the Earl who owns that Castle, is the most
hospitable man in the world. There thou mayest spend the night."
Never did sentinel keep stricter watch over his lord, than the lion that
night over Owain.
And Owain accoutred his horse, and passed across by the ford, and came in
the sight of the Castle. And he entered it, and was honourably received.
And his horse was well cared for, and plenty of fodder was placed before
him. Then the lion went and laid down in the horse's manger; so that
none of the people of the Castle dared to approach him. The treatment
which Owain met with there, was such as he had never known elsewhere, for
every one was as sorrowful, as though death had been upon him. {45} And
they went to meat. And the Earl sat upon one side of Owain; and on the
other side his only daughter. And Owain had never seen any more lovely
than she. Then the lion came and placed himself between Owain's feet,
and he fed him with every kind of food, that he took himself. And he
never saw any thing equal to the sadness of the people.
In the middle of the repast, the Earl began to bid Owain welcome. "Then,"
said Owain, "behold it is time for thee to be cheerful." "Heaven knows,"
said the Earl, "that it is not thy coming that makes us sorrowful, but we
have cause enough for sadness and care." "What is that?" said Owain. "I
have two sons," replied the Earl, "and yesterday they went to the
mountains to hunt. Now there is on the mountain a monster, who kills men
and devours them. And he seized my sons. And to-morrow is the time he
has fixed to be here, and he threatens that he will then slay my sons
before my eyes, unless I will deliver into his hands this my daughter.
{46a} He has the form of a man, but in stature he is no less than a
giant."
"Truly," said Owain, "that is lamentable. And which wilt thou do?"
"Heaven knows," said the Earl, "it will be better that my sons should be
slain, against my will, than I should voluntarily give up my daughter to
him to ill-treat and destroy." Then they talked about other things, and
Owain staid there that night.
The next morning, they heard an exceeding great clamour, which was caused
by the coming of the giant, with the two youths. And the Earl was
anxious both to protect his Castle, and to release his two sons. {46b}
Then Owain put on his armour, and went forth to encounter the giant; and
the lion followed him. And when the giant saw that Owain was armed, he
rushed towards him, and attacked him. And the lion fought with the
giant, much more fiercely than Owain did.
"Truly," said the giant, "I should find no difficulty in fighting with
thee, were it not for the animal that is with thee." Upon that Owain
took the lion back to the Castle, and shut the gate upon him. And then
he returned to fight the giant, as before. And the lion roared very
loud, for he heard that it went hard with Owain. And he climbed up, till
he reached the top of the Earl's Hall; and thence he got to the top of
the Castle, and he sprang down from the walls, and went and joined Owain.
And the lion gave the giant a stroke with his paw, which tore him from
his shoulder to his hip, and his heart was laid bare. And the giant fell
down dead. Then Owain restored the two youths to their father.
The Earl besought Owain to remain with him, and he would not, but set
forward towards the meadow, where Luned was. And when he came there, he
saw a great fire kindled, and two youths with beautiful curling auburn
hair, were leading the maiden to cast her into the fire. And Owain asked
them what charge they had against her. And they told him of the compact
{47} that was between them; as the maiden had done the night before.
"And," said they, "Owain has failed her, therefore we are taking her to
be burnt." "Truly," said Owain, "he is a good knight, and if he knew
that the maiden was in such peril, I marvel that he came not to her
rescue. But if you will accept me in his stead, I will do battle with
you." "We will," said the youths, "by him who made us."
And they attacked Owain, and he was hard beset by them. And with that
the lion came to Owain's assistance; and they two got the better of the
young men. And they said to him, "Chieftain, it was not agreed that we
should fight, save with thyself alone, and it is harder for us to contend
with yonder animal, than with thee." And Owain put the lion in the place
where the maiden had been imprisoned, and blocked up the door with
stones. And he went to fight with the young men as before. But Owain
had not his usual strength, {48} and the two youths pressed hard upon
him. And the lion roared incessantly at seeing Owain in trouble. And he
burst through the wall, until he found a way out, and rushed upon the
young men, and instantly slew them. So Luned was saved from being
burned.
Then Owain returned with Luned, to the dominions of the Countess of the
Fountain. And when he went thence, he took the Countess with him to
Arthur's Court, and she was his wife as long as she lived.
And they took the road that led to the Court of the savage black man. And
Owain fought with him, and the lion did not quit Owain, until he had
vanquished him. And when he reached the Court of the savage black man,
he entered the hall: and beheld four and twenty ladies, the fairest that
could be seen. And the garments which they had on, were not worth four
and twenty pence. And they were as sorrowful as death. And Owain asked
them the cause of their sadness. And they said, "We are the daughters of
Earls, and we all came here, with our husbands, whom we dearly loved. And
we were received with honour and rejoicing. And we were thrown into a
state of stupor, and while we were thus, the demon who owns this Castle,
slew all our husbands, and took from us our horses, and our raiment, and
our gold, and our silver. And the corpses of our husbands are still in
this house, and many others with them. And this, Chieftain, is the cause
of our grief, and we are sorry that thou art come hither, lest harm
should befall thee."
And Owain was grieved, when he heard this. And he went forth from the
Castle, and he beheld a Knight approaching him, who saluted him, in a
friendly and cheerful manner, as if he had been a brother. And this was
the savage black man. "In very sooth," said Owain, "it is not to seek
thy friendship that I am here." "In sooth," said he, "thou shalt not
find it then." And with that they charged each other, and fought
furiously. And Owain overcame him, and bound his hands behind his back.
Then the black savage besought Owain to spare his life, and spoke thus,
"My lord Owain," said he, "it was foretold, that thou shouldst come
hither and vanquish me, and thou hast done so. I was a robber here, and
my house was a house of spoil. But grant me my life, and I will become
the keeper of an Hospice, and I will maintain this house as an Hospice
for weak and for strong, as long as I live, for the good of thy soul."
And Owain accepted the proposal of him, and remained there that night.
And the next day he took the four and twenty ladies, and their horses,
and their raiment, and what they possessed of goods, and jewels, and
proceeded with them to Arthur's Court. And if Arthur was rejoiced when
he saw him, after he had lost him the first time, his joy was now much
greater. And of those ladies, such as wished to remain in Arthur's
Court, remained there; and such as wished to depart, departed.
And thenceforward Owain dwelt at Arthur's Court, greatly beloved as the
head of his household, until he went away with his followers; and those
were the army of three hundred ravens which Kenverchyn had left him. And
wherever Owain went with these, he was victorious.
And this is the tale of THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN.