A STAG-HUNT AND WHAT CAME OF IT
It befell that Arthur and many of his knights rode on hunting into a
deep forest, and King Arthur, King Uriens of Gore that was the husband
of Arthur's sister Morgan le Fay, and Sir Accolon of Gaul followed a
great hart so fast that within a while they were ten miles from their
fellowship. At the last they chased so sore that they slew their
horses underneath them. Then were they all three on foot, and ever
they saw the hart afore them passing weary and hard bestead[1]. "Let
us go on foot," said King Uriens, "till we meet with some lodging."
Then were they ware of the hart that lay on a great water bank, and a
dog biting on his throat, and more other hounds came after. King
Arthur now blew the prize[2] and dight[3] the hart.
But the three knights were in sore straits, so far from home, and
without horses, and they began to look about the world. Then Arthur
saw afore him in a great lake a little ship, all apparelled with silk
down to the water, coming right unto them, and it landed on the sands.
They went on board, all three, to see what was in the ship. Soon it
was dark night, and there suddenly were about them an hundred torches
set upon all the sides of the ship boards, and it gave great light.
Therewithal there came out twelve fair damsels, and they set forth for
the knights a supper of all meats that they could think. Then they
showed them richly beseen[4] chambers for the night, where the three
huntsmen slept marvellously. But when they awoke next morning,
everything had been changed through the sorcery of Morgan le Fay, that
was secretly plotting against her brother, to destroy him. King Uriens
awoke in his own bed in Camelot, and Arthur found himself in a dark
prison, with many woeful knights complaining about him, and they soon
told him for what cause they were there.
The lord of the castle where they were prisoners was the falsest knight
alive, a treacherous, cowardly man, named Sir Damas. He had a younger
brother, Sir Ontzlake, a good knight of prowess, well beloved of all
people, from whom he was keeping back unjustly a full fair manor.
Great war had been betwixt these brothers. Ontzlake was a far better
fighter than the cowardly Damas, and yet he could not bring the elder
to give over the younger brother's inheritance. He offered to fight
for it, and wished Sir Damas to find a knight to fight in his stead, if
he himself dared not engage. But Sir Damas was so hated that there was
never one would fight for him, though he had by force taken all the
knights of that whole region and brought them to his prison for to make
them willing to take up his cause. Many had died there, and the twenty
that were yet alive were lean and spent with hunger, but no one of them
would stand against Sir Ontzlake.
Anon there came a damsel unto Arthur and asked him, "What cheer?" "I
cannot say," said he. "Sir," said she, "if ye will fight for my lord,
ye shall be delivered out of prison, and else ye escape never with
life."
"Now," said Arthur, "that is hard, yet had I liefer to fight with a
knight than to die in prison," and so it was agreed that he should do
the battle on this covenant, that he should be delivered and all the
prisoners. With that all the twenty knights were brought out of the
dark prison into the hall, and set free, but they all abode to see the
battle.
Now turn we unto Accolon of Gaul, that was with King Arthur and King
Uriens on the stag-hunt and that fell asleep on the magic ship. When
he awoke he found himself beside a deep well, within half a foot of its
edge, in great peril of death.
"Heaven save my lord King Arthur and King Uriens," said he, "for these
damsels in the ship have betrayed us. They were devils and no women,
and if I may escape this misadventure, I shall destroy all false
damsels that use enchantments, wherever I may find them."
Right then there came a dwarf with a great mouth and a flat nose, and
saluted Sir Accolon and said he came from Queen Morgan le Fay. "She
greeteth you well," said he, "and biddeth you be of strong heart, for
ye shall fight to-morn with a knight at the hour of prime, and
therefore she hath sent you here Excalibur, Arthur's sword, and the
scabbard, and she biddeth you as ye love her, that ye do the battle to
the uttermost without any mercy, like as ye promised her when ye spake
together in private."
Sir Accolon believed he fully understood the message, and he said he
should keep his promise now that he had the sword. Just then a knight,
who was no other than Sir Ontzlake himself, with a lady and six
squires, came up on horseback, saluted Sir Accolon, and begged him to
come and rest himself at his manor. So Accolon mounted upon a spare
horse and rode to the manor, where he had passing good cheer.
Meantime Sir Damas sent to his brother, Sir Ontzlake, and bade him make
ready to fight the next day with a good knight who had agreed to do
battle for the disputed heritage; and it happened through Morgan le
Fay's trickery that Accolon was lodged with Sir Ontzlake at the very
time when this message came. Now Sir Ontzlake was sore troubled at the
message, for he had been wounded in both thighs by a spear a short time
before, and was suffering much. Still, wounded as he was, he would
have taken the battle in hand, had not Sir Accolon offered to fight in
his stead, because Morgan le Fay had sent Excalibur and the sheath for
the battle with the knight on the morrow. Then Sir Ontzlake was
passing glad, and sent word unto his brother, Sir Damas, that he had a
knight who would be ready in the field by to-morrow at the hour of
prime.
So it was arranged that Sir Arthur and Sir Accolon, unknown to one
another, were to fight over the quarrel of the two brothers.
Preparations were made accordingly, and all the knights and commons of
the country were there to see the encounter. Just as Arthur was ready
upon horseback, there came a damsel from Morgan le Fay bringing unto
him a sword like unto Excalibur, and the scabbard, and said: "Morgan le
Fay sendeth you here your sword for great love." He thanked her, not
knowing that the sword and scabbard were counterfeit, and brittle and
false.
They went eagerly to the battle, and gave many great strokes. Sir
Accolon had all advantage on his side, for he had the real Excalibur,
Morgan le Fay having so ordained that King Arthur should have been
slain that day. King Arthur's sword never bit like Sir Accolon's, and
almost every stroke Sir Accolon gave wounded sore, so that it was a
marvel that Arthur stood. Almost from the first it seemed to him that
the sword in Accolon's hand must be Excalibur, but he was so full of
knighthood that knightly he endured the pain of the many wounds, and
held out as well as he might until his sword brake at the cross and
fell in the grass among the blood.
Now he expected to die, but he held up his shield, and lost no ground,
nor bated any cheer. All men that beheld him said they never saw
knight fight so well as Arthur did, considering the blood that he bled,
and they were sorry for him. But Accolon was so bold because of
Excalibur that he grew passing hardy, and called upon Arthur to yield
himself as recreant.
"Nay," said Sir Arthur, "I may not so, for I have promised to do the
battle to the uttermost by the faith of my body while my life lasteth,
and therefore I had rather die with honour than live with shame; and if
it were possible for me to die an hundred times, I had rather die so
oft than yield myself to thee; for, though I lack weapon I shall lack
no honour, and if thou slay me weaponless that shall be thy shame."
But Accolon cared not for shame, and would not spare. He gave Arthur
such a stroke that he fell nigh to the earth; yet he pressed upon
Accolon with his shield, and with the pommel of his sword in his hand
gave such a blow that Accolon fell back a little.
Now it chanced that one of the damsels of the court, she that had put
Merlin under the stone, had come into the field for love of King
Arthur, for she knew how Morgan le Fay had determined that Arthur
should be slain; therefore she came to save his life. She saw how full
of prowess Arthur was, and grieved that so good a knight should be
slain through false treason. So when Accolon gave another blow, the
sword Excalibur fell out of his hand to the earth. Arthur lightly
leaped to it and got it in his hand, and forthwith knew that it was his
own Excalibur. Then he saw the scabbard hanging by Accolon's side, and
anon pulling it from him, he threw it off as far as he might throw it.
Therewith Sir Arthur rushed upon Accolon with all his might and pulled
him to the earth. He then snatched off his helmet for the final blow,
and the fierce battle was at an end.
"Slay me ye may well," said Accolon, "if it please you, for ye are the
best knight that ever I found, and I see well that God is with you."
But now Sir Arthur thought he must have seen this knight, and asked,
"Of what country art thou, and of what court?" And when Sir Accolon
told him his name, then he remembered him of his sister, Morgan le Fay,
and of the enchantment of the ship. He made Accolon tell how he came
by the sword, and then Arthur knew all the plot of his sister and of
Accolon to have the King slain and herself made queen.
For the first time Arthur now let Accolon know against whom he had been
fighting. The fallen knight cried aloud for mercy, when he learned
that he had nearly slain the King, and said to all the knights and men
that were then there gathered together, "O lords, this noble knight
that I have fought withal, which I sorely repent of, is the best man of
prowess, of manhood, and of honour in the world, for it is King Arthur
himself, the liege lord of us all, and with mishap and with
misadventure have I done this battle with the king and lord in whose
power I am." Then all the people fell down on their knees, and called
upon King Arthur for mercy, which he forthwith granted.
The King was sorely hurt and Accolon's wounds were even worse. Arthur
made haste to settle the quarrel of the brothers Sir Damas and Sir
Ontzlake by giving the latter his rights and charging Sir Damas upon
pain of death never to distress knights-errant that ride on their
adventures, and then was carried off to a near-by abbey, and Sir
Accolon with him, to have their wounds searched.
Within four days Sir Accolon died from loss of blood during the fight,
but King Arthur was well recovered. When Accolon was dead the King let
send him on a horse-bier with six knights unto Camelot and said, "Bear
him to my sister Morgan le Fay, and say that I send him to her as a
present, and tell her that I have my sword Excalibur again and the
scabbard."
So they departed with the body.
[1] Hard bestead: in a bad plight.
[2] Prize: death note.
[3] Dight: dressed.
[4] Beseen: of good appearance.