Sir Accolon. But King Arthur answered not, and gave him such a buffet on
the helm as made him stagger and nigh fall upon the ground. Then Sir
Accolon withdrew a little, and came on with Excalibur on high, and smote
King Arthur in return with such a mighty stroke as almost felled him;
and both being now in hottest wrath, they gave each other grievous and
savage blows. But Arthur all the time was losing so much blood that
scarcely could he keep upon his feet, yet so full was he of knighthood,
that knightly he endured the pain, and still sustained himself, though
now he was so feeble that he thought himself about to die. Sir Accolon,
as yet, had lost no drop of blood, and being very bold and confident in
Excalibur, even grew more vigorous and hasty in his assaults. But all
men who beheld them said they never saw a knight fight half so well as
did King Arthur, and all the people were so grieved for him that they
besought Sir Damas and Sir Outzlake to make up their quarrel and so stay
the fight; but they would not.
So still the battle raged, till Arthur drew a little back for breath and
a few moments' rest; but Accolon came on after him, following fiercely
and crying loud, "It is no time for me to suffer thee to rest," and
therewith set upon him. Then Arthur, full of scorn and rage, lifted up
his sword and struck Sir Accolon upon the helm so mightily that he drove
him to his knees; but with the force of that great stroke his brittle,
treacherous sword broke short off at the hilt, and fell down in the
grass among the blood, leaving the pommel only in his hand. At that,
King Arthur thought within himself that all was over, and secretly
prepared his mind for death, yet kept himself so knightly sheltered by
his shield that he lost no ground, and made as though he yet had hope
and cheer. Then said Sir Accolon, "Sir knight, thou now art overcome and
canst endure no longer, seeing thou art weaponless, and hast lost
already so much blood. Yet am I fully loth to slay thee; yield, then,
therefore, to me as recreant." "Nay," said King Arthur, "that may I not,
for I have promised to do battle to the uttermost by the faith of my
body while my life lasteth; and I had rather die with honor than live
with shame; and if it were possible for me to die an hundred times, I
had rather die as often than yield me to thee, for though I lack
weapons, I shall lack no worship, and it shall be to thy shame to slay
me weaponless." "Aha," shouted then Sir Accolon, "as for the shame, I
will not spare; look to thyself, sir knight, for thou art even now but a
dead man." Therewith he drove at him with pitiless force, and struck him
nearly down; but Arthur evermore waxing in valor as he waned in blood,
pressed on Sir Accolon with his shield, and hit at him so fiercely with
the pommel in his hand, as hurled him three strides backward.
This, therefore, so confused Sir Accolon, that rushing up, all dizzy, to
deliver once again a furious blow, even as he struck, Excalibur, by
Vivien's magic, fell from out his hands upon the earth. Beholding which,
King Arthur lightly sprang to it, and grasped it, and forthwith felt it
was his own good sword, and said to it, "Thou hast been from me all too
long, and done me too much damage." Then spying the scabbard hanging by
Sir Accolon's side, he sprang and pulled it from him, and cast it away
as far as he could throw it; for so long as he had worn it, Arthur knew
his life would have been kept secure. "Oh, knight!" then said the king,
"thou hast this day wrought me much damage by this sword, but now art
thou come to thy death, for I shall not warrant thee but that thou shalt
suffer, ere we part, somewhat of that thou hast made me suffer." And
therewithal King Arthur flew at him with all his might, and pulled him
to the earth, and then struck off his helm, and gave him on the head a
fearful buffet, till the blood leaped forth. "Now will I slay thee!"
cried King Arthur; for his heart was hardened, and his body all on fire
with fever, till for a moment he forgot his knightly mercy. "Slay me
thou mayest," said Sir Accolon, "for thou art the best knight I ever
found, and I see well that God is with thee; and I, as thou hast, have
promised to fight this battle to the uttermost, and never to be recreant
while I live; therefore shall I never yield me with my mouth, and God
must do with my body what he will." And as Sir Accolon spoke, King
Arthur thought he knew his voice; and parting all his blood-stained hair
from out his eyes, and leaning down towards him, saw, indeed, it was his
friend and own true knight. Then said he--keeping his own visor down--"I
pray thee tell me of what country art thou, and what court?" "Sir
knight," he answered, "I am of King Arthur's court, and my name is Sir
Accolon of Gaul." Then said the king, "Oh, sir knight! I pray thee tell
me who gave thee this sword? and from whom thou hadst it?"
Then said Sir Accolon, "Woe worth this sword, for by it I have gotten my
death. This sword hath been in my keeping now for almost twelve months,
and yesterday Queen Morgan le Fay, wife of King Urience, sent it to me
by a dwarf, that therewith I might in some way slay her brother, King
Arthur; for thou must understand that King Arthur is the man she hateth
most in all the world, being full of envy and jealousy because he is of
greater worship and renown than any other of her blood. She loveth me
also as much as she doth hate him; and if she might contrive to slay
King Arthur by her craft and magic, then would she straightway kill her
husband also, and make me the king of all this land, and herself my
queen, to reign with me; but now," said he, "all that is over, for this
day I am come to my death."
"It would have been sore treason of thee to destroy thy lord," said
Arthur. "Thou sayest truly," answered he; "but now that I have told
thee, and openly confessed to thee all that foul treason whereof I now
do bitterly repent, tell me, I pray thee, whence art thou, and of what
court?" "O, Sir Accolon!" said King Arthur, "learn that I am myself King
Arthur." When Sir Accolon heard this he cried aloud, "Alas, my gracious
lord! have mercy on me, for I knew thee not." "Thou shalt have mercy,"
said he, "for thou knewest not my person at this time; and though by
thine own confession thou art a traitor, yet do I blame thee less,
because thou hast been blinded by the false crafts of my sister Morgan
le Fay, whom I have trusted more than all others of my kin, and whom I
now shall know well how to punish." Then did Sir Accolon cry loudly, "O,
lords, and all good people! this noble knight that I have fought with is
the noblest and most worshipful in all the world; for it is King Arthur,
our liege lord and sovereign king; and full sorely I repent that I have
ever lifted lance against him, though in ignorance I did it."
Then all the people fell down on their knees and prayed the pardon of
the king for suffering him to come to such a strait. But he replied,
"Pardon ye cannot have, for, truly, ye have nothing sinned; but here ye
see what ill adventure may ofttimes befall knights-errant, for to my own
hurt, and his danger also, I have fought with one of my own knights."
Then the king commanded Sir Damas to surrender to his brother the whole
manor, Sir Outzlake only yielding him a palfrey every year; "for," said
he scornfully, "it would become thee better to ride on than a courser;"
and ordered Damas, upon pain of death, never again to touch or to
distress knights-errant riding on their adventures; and also to make
full compensation and satisfaction to the twenty knights whom he had
held in prison. "And if any of them," said the king, "come to my court
complaining that he hath not had full satisfaction of thee for his
injuries, by my head, thou shalt die therefor."
Afterwards, King Arthur asked Sir Outzlake to come with him to his
court, where he should become a knight of his, and, if his deeds were
noble, be advanced to all he might desire.
So then he took his leave of all the people and mounted upon horseback,
and Sir Accolon went with him to an abbey hard by, where both their
wounds were dressed. But Sir Accolon died within four days after. And
when he was dead, the king sent his body to Queen Morgan, to Camelot,
saying that he sent her a present in return for the sword Excalibur
which she had sent him by the damsel.
So, on the morrow, there came a damsel from Queen Morgan to the king,
and brought with her the richest mantle that ever was seen, for it was
set as full of precious stones as they could stand against each other,
and they were the richest stones that ever the king saw. And the damsel
said, "Your sister sendeth you this mantle, and prayeth you to take her
gift, and in whatsoever thing she hath offended you, she will amend it
at your pleasure." To this the king replied not, although the mantle
pleased him much. With that came in the lady of the lake, and said,
"Sir, put not on this mantle till thou hast seen more; and in nowise let
it be put upon thee, or any of thy knights, till ye have made the
bringer of it first put it on her." "It shall be done as thou dost
counsel," said the king. Then said he to the damsel that came from his
sister, "Damsel, I would see this mantle ye have brought me upon
yourself." "Sir," said she, "it will not beseem me to wear a knight's
garment." "By my head," said King Arthur, "thou shalt wear it ere it go
on any other person's back!" And so they put it on her by force, and
forthwith the garment burst into a flame and burned the damsel into
cinders. When the king saw that, he hated that false witch Morgan le Fay
with all his heart, and evermore was deadly quarrel between her and
Arthur to their lives' end.
VIII
ARTHUR IS CROWNED EMPEROR AT ROME
And now again the second time there came ambassadors from Lucius
Tiberius, Emperor of Rome, demanding, under pain of war, tribute and
homage from King Arthur, and the restoration of all Gaul, which he had
conquered from the tribune Flollo.
When they had delivered their message, the king bade them withdraw while
he consulted with his knights and barons what reply to send. Then some
of the younger knights would have slain the ambassadors, saying that
their speech was a rebuke to all who heard the king insulted by it. But
when King Arthur heard that, he ordered none to touch them upon pain of
death; and sending officers, he had them taken to a noble lodging, and
there entertained with the best cheer. "And," said he, "let no dainty be
spared, for the Romans are great lords; and though their message please
me not, yet must I remember mine honor."
Then the lords and knights of the Round Table were called on to declare
their counsel--what should be done upon this matter; and Sir Cador of
Cornwall speaking first, said, "Sir, this message is the best news I
have heard for a long time, for we have been now idle and at rest for
many days, and I trust that thou wilt make sharp war upon the Romans,
wherein, I doubt not, we shall all gain honor."
"I believe well," said Arthur, "that thou art pleased, Sir Cador; but
that is scarce an answer to the Emperor of Rome, and his demand doth
grieve me sorely, for truly I will never pay him tribute; wherefore,
lords, I pray ye counsel me. Now, I have understood that Belinus and
Brennius, knights of Britain, held the Roman Empire in their hands for
many days, and also Constantine, the son of Helen, which is open
evidence, not only that we owe Rome no tribute, but that I, being
descended from them, may, of right, myself claim the empire."
Then said King Anguish of Scotland, "Sir, thou oughtest of right to be
above all other kings, for in all Christendom is there not thine equal;
and I counsel thee never to obey the Romans. For when they reigned here
they grievously distressed us, and put the land to great and heavy
burdens; and here, for my part, I swear to avenge me on them when I may,
and will furnish thee with twenty thousand men-at-arms, whom I will pay
and keep, and who shall wait on thee with me, when it shall please
thee."
Then the King of Little Britain rose and promised King Arthur thirty
thousand men; and likewise many other kings, and dukes, and barons,
promised aid--as the lord of West Wales thirty thousand men, Sir Ewaine
and his cousin thirty thousand men, and so forth; Sir Lancelot also, and
every other knight of the Round Table, promised each man a great host.
So the king, passing joyful at their courage and good will, thanked them
all heartily, and sent for the ambassadors again, to hear his answer. "I
will," said he, "that ye now go back straightway unto the Emperor your
master, and tell him that I give no heed to his words, for I have
conquered all my kingdoms by the will of God and by my own right arm,
and I am strong enough to keep them, without paying tribute to any
earthly creature. But, on the other hand, I claim both tribute and
submission from himself, and also claim the sovereignty of all his
empire, whereto I am entitled by the right of my own ancestors--sometime
kings of this land. And say to him that I will shortly come to Rome, and
by God's grace will take possession of my empire and subdue all rebels.
Wherefore, lastly, I command him and all the lords of Rome that they
forthwith pay me their homage, under pain of my chastisement and wrath."
Then he commanded his treasurers to give the ambassadors great gifts,
and defray all their charges, and appointed Sir Cador to convey them
worshipfully out of the land.
So when they returned to Rome and came before Lucius, he was sore angry
at their words, and said, "I thought this Arthur would have instantly
obeyed my orders and have served me as humbly as any other king; but
because of his fortune in Gaul, he hath grown insolent."
"Ah, lord," said one of the ambassadors, "refrain from such vain words,
for truly I and all with me were fearful at his royal majesty and angry
countenance. I fear me thou hast made a rod for thee more sharp than
thou hast counted on. He meaneth to be master of this empire; and is
another kind of man than thou supposest, and holdeth the most noble
court of all the world. We saw him on the new year's day, served at his
table by nine kings, and the noblest company of other princes, lords,
and knights that ever was in all the world; and in his person he is the
most manly-seeming man that liveth, and looketh like to conquer all the
earth."
Then Lucius sent messengers to all the subject countries of Rome, and
brought together a mighty army, and assembled sixteen kings, and many
dukes, princes, lords, and admirals, and a wondrous great multitude of
people. Fifty giants also, born of fiends, were set around him for a
body-guard. With all that host he straightway went from Rome, and passed
beyond the mountains into Gaul, and burned the towns and ravaged all the
country of that province, in rage for its submission to King Arthur.
Then he moved on towards Little Britain.
Meanwhile, King Arthur having held a parliament at York, left the realm
in charge of Sir Badewine and Sir Constantine, and crossed the sea from
Sandwich to meet Lucius. And so soon as he was landed, he sent Sir
Gawain, Sir Bors, Sir Lionel, and Sir Bedivere to the Emperor,
commanding him "to move swiftly and in haste out of his land, and, if
not, to make himself ready for battle, and not continue ravaging the
country and slaying harmless people." Anon, those noble knights attired
themselves and set forth on horseback to where they saw, in a meadow,
many silken tents of divers colors, and the Emperor's pavilion in the
midst, with a golden eagle set above it.
Then Sir Gawain and Sir Bors rode forward, leaving the other two behind
in ambush, and gave King Arthur's message. To which the Emperor replied,
"Return, and tell your lord that I am come to conquer him and all his
land."
At this, Sir Gawain burned with anger, and cried out, "I had rather than
all France that I might fight with thee alone!"
"And I also," said Sir Bors.
Then a knight named Ganius, a near cousin of the Emperor, laughed out
aloud, and said, "Lo! how these Britons boast and are full of pride,
bragging as though they bare up all the world!"
At these words, Sir Gawain could refrain no longer, but drew forth his
sword and with one blow shore off Ganius' head; then with Sir Bors, he
turned his horse and rode over waters and through woods, back to the
ambush, where Sir Lionel and Sir Bedivere were waiting. The Romans
followed fast behind them till the knights turned and stood, and then
Sir Bors smote the foremost of them through the body with a spear, and
slew him on the spot. Then came on Calibere, a huge Pavian, but Sir Bors
overthrew him also. And then the company of Sir Lionel and Sir Bedivere
brake forth from their ambush and fell on the Romans, and slew and
hewed them down, and forced them to return and flee, chasing them to
their tents.
But as they neared the camp, a great host more rushed forth, and turned
the battle backwards, and in the turmoil, Sir Bors and Sir Berel fell
into the Romans' hands. When Sir Gawain saw that, he drew his good sword
Galotine, and swore to see King Arthur's face no more if those two
knights were not delivered; and then, with good Sir Idrus, made so sore
an onslaught that the Romans fled and left Sir Bors and Sir Berel to
their friends. So the Britons returned in triumph to King Arthur, having
slain more than ten thousand Romans, and lost no man of worship from
amongst themselves.
When the Emperor Lucius heard of that discomfiture he arose, with all
his army, to crush King Arthur, and met him in the vale of Soissons.
Then speaking to all his host, he said, "Sirs, I admonish you that this
day ye fight and acquit yourselves as men; and remembering how Rome is
chief of all the earth, and mistress of the universal world, suffer not
these barbarous and savage Britons to abide our onset." At that, the
trumpets blew so loud, that the ground trembled and shook.
Then did the rival hosts draw near each other with great shoutings; and
when they closed, no tongue can tell the fury of their smiting, and the
sore struggling, wounds, and slaughter. Then King Arthur, with his
mightiest knights, rode down into the thickest of the fight, and drew
Excalibur, and slew as lightning slays for swiftness and for force. And
in the midmost crowd he met a giant, Galapas by name, and struck off
both his legs at the knee-joints; then saying, "Now art thou a better
size to deal with!" smote his head off at a second blow: and the body
killed six men in falling down.
Anon, King Arthur spied where Lucius fought and worked great deeds of
prowess with his own hands. Forthwith he rode at him, and each attacked
the other passing fiercely; till at the last, Lucius struck King Arthur
with a fearful wound across the face, and Arthur, in return, lifting up
Excalibur on high, drove it with all his force upon the Emperor's head,
shivering his helmet, crashing his head in halves, and splitting his
body to the breast. And when the Romans saw their Emperor dead, they
fled in hosts of thousands; and King Arthur and his knights, and all his
army followed them, and slew one hundred thousand men.
Then returning to the field, King Arthur rode to the place where Lucius
lay dead, and round him the kings of Egypt and Ethiopia, and seventeen
other kings, with sixty Roman senators, all noble men. All these he
ordered to be carefully embalmed with aromatic gums, and laid in leaden
coffins, covered with their shields and arms and banners. Then calling
for three senators who were taken prisoners, he said to them, "As the
ransom of your lives, I will that ye take these dead bodies and carry
them to Rome, and there present them for me, with these letters saying I
will myself be shortly there. And I suppose the Romans will beware how
they again ask tribute of me; for tell them, these dead bodies that I
send them are for the tribute they have dared to ask of me; and if they
wish for more, when I come I will pay them the rest."
So, with that charge, the three senators departed with the dead bodies,
and went to Rome; the body of the Emperor being carried in a chariot
blazoned with the arms of the empire, all alone, and the bodies of the
kings two and two in chariots following.
After the battle, King Arthur entered Lorraine, Brabant, and Flanders,
and thence, subduing all the countries as he went, passed into Germany,
and so beyond the mountains into Lombardy and Tuscany. At length he came
before a city which refused to obey him, wherefore he sat down before it
to besiege it. And after a long time thus spent, King Arthur called Sir
Florence, and told him they began to lack food for his hosts--"And not
far from hence," said he, "are great forests full of cattle belonging to
my enemies. Go then, and bring by force all that thou canst find; and
take with thee Sir Gawain, my nephew, and Sir Clegis, Sir Claremond, the
Captain of Cardiff, and a strong band."
Anon, those knights made ready, and rode over holts and hills, and
through forests and woods, till they came to a great meadow full of fair
flowers and grass, and there they rested themselves and their horses
that night. And at the dawn of the next day, Sir Gawain took his horse
and rode away from his fellows to seek some adventure. Soon he saw an
armed knight walking his horse by a wood's side, with his shield laced
to his shoulder, and no attendant with him save a page, bearing a mighty
spear; and on his shield were blazoned three gold griffins. When Sir
Gawain spied him, he put his spear in rest, and riding straight to him,
asked who he was. "A Tuscan," said he; "and thou mayest prove me when
thou wilt, for thou shalt be my prisoner ere we part."
Then said Sir Gawain, "Thou vauntest thee greatly, and speakest proud
words; yet I counsel thee, for all thy boastings, look to thyself the
best thou canst."
At that they took their spears and ran at each other with all the might
they had, and smote each other through their shields into their
shoulders; and then drawing swords smote with great strokes, till the
fire sprang out of their helms. Then was Sir Gawain enraged, and with
his good sword Galotine struck his enemy through shield and hauberk, and
splintered into piece all the precious stones of it, and made so huge a
wound that men might see both lungs and liver. At that the Tuscan,
groaning loudly, rushed on to Sir Gawain, and gave him a deep slanting
stroke, and made a mighty wound and cut a great vein asunder, so that he
bled fast. Then he cried out, "Bind thy wound quickly up, Sir knight,
for thou be-bloodest all thy horse and thy fair armor, and all the
surgeons of the world shall never staunch thy blood; for so shall it be
to whomsoever is hurt with this good sword."
Then answered Sir Gawain, "It grieveth me but little, and thy boastful
words give me no fear, for thou shalt suffer greater grief and sorrow
ere we part; but tell me quickly who can staunch this blood."
"That can I do," said the strange knight, "and will, if thou wilt aid
and succor me to become christened, and to believe in God, which now I
do require of thee upon thy manhood."
"I am content," said Sir Gawain; "and may God help me to grant all thy
wishes. But tell me first, what soughtest thou thus here alone, and of
what land art thou?"
"Sir," said the knight, "my name is Prianius, and my father is a great
prince, who hath rebelled against Rome. He is descended from Alexander
and Hector, and of our lineage also were Joshua and Maccabæus. I am of
right the king of Alexandria, and Africa, and all the outer isles, yet I
would believe in the Lord thou worshipest, and for thy labor I will give
thee treasure enough. I was so proud in heart that I thought none my
equal, but now have I encountered with thee, who hast given me my fill
of fighting; wherefore, I pray thee, Sir knight, tell me of thyself."
"I am no knight," said Sir Gawain; "I have been brought up many years in
the wardrobe of the noble prince King Arthur, to mind his armor and
array."
"Ah," said Prianius, "if his varlets be so keen and fierce, his knights
must be passing good! Now, for the love of heaven, whether thou be
knight or knave, tell me thy name."
"By heaven!" said Gawain, "now will I tell thee the truth. My name is
Sir Gawain, and I am a knight of the Round Table."
"Now am I better pleased," said Prianius, "than if thou hadst given me
all the province of Paris the rich. I had rather have been torn by wild
horses than that any varlet should have won such victory over me as thou
hast done. But now, Sir knight, I warn thee that close by is the Duke of
Lorraine, with sixty thousand good men of war; and we had both best flee
at once, for he will find us else, and we be sorely wounded and never
likely to recover. And let my page be careful that he blow no horn, for
hard by are a hundred knights, my servants; and if they seize thee, no
ransom of gold or silver would acquit thee."