OF THE GREAT TOURNAMENT ON CANDLEMAS DAY
At Christmas time many knights were together at the court, and every
day there was a joust made. Sir Lavaine jousted there all that
Christmas passing well, and was praised best, for there were but few
that did so well. Wherefore all knights thought that Sir Lavaine
should be made knight of the Round Table at the next feast of Pentecost.
But Sir Launcelot would joust only when a great tournament was held.
So after Christmas King Arthur had many knights called unto him, and
there they agreed together to make a party and a great tournament near
Westminster on Candlemas Day. Of this many knights were glad, and made
themselves ready to be at these jousts in the freshest manner. The
Queen Guenever sent for Sir Launcelot, and said: "At these jousts that
shall be ye shall bear upon your helmet the sleeve of gold that ye
shall have of me, and I pray you, for my sake exert yourself there so
that men may speak of your honour."
"Madam," said Sir Launcelot, "it shall be done."
And when Sir Launcelot saw his time, he told Sir Bors that he would
depart, and have no others with him than Sir Lavaine, unto the good
hermit that dwelt in the forest of Windsor,--his name was Sir
Brastias,--and there he intended to take all the repose he might,
because he wished to be fresh on the day of the jousts.
So Sir Launcelot with Sir Lavaine departed so quietly that no creature
except the noble men of his own kin knew what had become of him. And
when he had come to the hermitage, you may be sure he had good cheer.
Daily he would go to a spring hard by the hermitage, and there he would
lie down and watch the spring bubble, and sometimes he slept there.
At that time a lady dwelt in the forest, who was a great huntress.
Every day she used to hunt, and no men ever went with her, but always
women. They were all shooters, and could well kill a deer both under
cover and in the open. They always carried bows and arrows, horns and
wood-knives, and many good dogs they had.
Now it happened that this lady, the huntress, was one day chasing a
deer, keeping the direction by the noise of the hounds. The deer, hard
pressed, came down to the spring where Sir Launcelot was sleeping, and
there sank down exhausted, and lay there a great while. At length the
dogs came fast after, and beat about, for they had lost the very
perfect track of the deer. Just then there came that lady, the
huntress, who knew by the sounds of the dogs that the deer must be at
the spring. So she came swiftly and found the deer. She put a broad
arrow in her bow, and shot at it, but aimed too high, and so by
misfortune the arrow smote Sir Launcelot deep in the thick of the
thigh. When Sir Launcelot felt himself so hurt, he jumped up madly,
and saw the lady that had smitten him. And when he saw it was a woman,
he said thus; "Lady or damsel, whatever thou be, in an evil time ye
bare a bow; the devil made you a shooter."
"Now mercy, fair sir," said the lady; "I am a gentlewoman that am wont
to hunt here in this forest, and truly I saw you not; there was the
deer by the spring, and I believed I was doing well to shoot, but my
hand swerved."
"Alas," said Sir Launcelot, "ye have done mischief to me."
And so the lady departed, and Sir Launcelot, as well as he might,
pulled out the arrow, but the head remained still in his thigh; and so
he went feebly to the hermitage, ever bleeding as he went. And when
Sir Lavaine and the hermit spied that Sir Launcelot was hurt, wit ye
well they were passing sorry; but neither Sir Lavaine nor the hermit
knew how he was hurt, or by whom. Then with great pain the hermit gat
the arrow's head out of Sir Launcelot's thigh, but much of his blood
was shed, and the wound was passing sore.
"Ah, mercy," said Sir Launcelot, "I call myself the most unhappy man
that liveth; for ever when I would most gladly have honour there
befalleth me some unhappy thing. Now, so heaven help me, I shall be in
the field upon Candlemas Day at the jousts, whatsoever come of it."
So all that might heal Sir Launcelot was gotten, and, when the day
came, he and Sir Lavaine had themselves and their horses arrayed, and
so departed and came nigh to the field. Many proved good knights with
their retainers were there ready to joust, and King Arthur himself came
into the field with two hundred knights, the most part noble knights of
the Table Round. And there were old knights set in scaffolds, for to
judge with the Queen who did best.
Then they blew to the field, and the knights met in the battle,
furiously smiting down one and another in the rush of the tournament.
King Arthur himself ran into the lists with a hundred followers,
smiting to the earth four knights, one after the other, and even when
his spear was broken he did passing well. And so knight after knight
came in,--Sir Gawaine, and Sir Gaheris, and Sir Agravaine, and Sir
Mordred, and many others; all pressed their opponents hard, some being
discomfited and others gaining great honour by their mighty prowess.
All this doing Sir Launcelot saw, and then he came into the field with
Sir Lavaine, as if it had been thunder. He encountered with Sir
Gawaine, and by force smote him and his horse to the earth, and then
one knight after another all with one spear. And Sir Lavaine
encountered with Sir Palamides, and either met other so hard and so
fiercely that both their horses fell to the earth. But they were
horsed again, and then Sir Launcelot met with Sir Palamides, and there
Sir Palamides had a fall. And so Sir Launcelot, as fast as he could
get spears, smote down thirty knights, and the most part of them were
knights of the Table Round. And then King Arthur was wroth when he saw
Sir Launcelot do such deeds, and with nine chosen knights made ready to
set upon Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine.
All this espied Sir Gareth, and he said to Sir Bors, "I will ride unto
my lord Sir Launcelot for to help him, fall of it what may, for he is
the same man that made me knight."
"Ye shall not so," said Sir Bors, "by my counsel, unless ye be
disguised."
"Ye shall see me disguised," said Sir Gareth.
So he rode to a Welsh knight who lay to repose himself, for he was sore
hurt afore by Sir Gawaine, and Sir Gareth prayed him of his knighthood
to lend him his green shield for his.
"I will well," said the Welsh knight.
So Sir Gareth came driving to Sir Launcelot with all his might, and
bore him fellowship for old love he had shown him. And so the King and
his nine knights encountered with Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine and Sir
Gareth. And Sir Gareth did such deeds of arms that all men wondered
what knight he was with the green shield; for he smote down that day
and pulled down more than thirty knights. Also Sir Launcelot knew not
Sir Gareth, and marvelled, when he beheld him do such deeds, what
knight he might be.
So this tournament and this joust lasted long, till it was near
evening, for the knights of the Round Table ever came to the relief of
King Arthur, who was wroth out of measure that he and his knights could
not prevail that day over Sir Launcelot and the knights who were with
him.
So when they had long dealt one another great strokes and neither might
prevail, King Arthur said to Sir Gawaine, "Tell me now, nephew, what is
your best counsel?"
"Sir," said Sir Gawaine, "ye shall have my counsel. Have sounded the
call unto lodging, for, trust me, truly it will be of no avail to
strive with Sir Launcelot of the Lake and my brother, Sir Gareth,--for
he it is with the green shield,--helped as they are by that good young
knight, Sir Lavaine, unless we should fall ten or twelve upon one
knight, and that would be no honour, but shame."
"Ye say truth," said the King, "and it were shame to us, so many as we
are, to set upon them any more."
So then they blew unto lodging, and King Arthur rode after Sir
Launcelot and prayed him and other of the knights to supper.
So they went unto Arthur's lodging all together, and there was a great
feast and great revel, and the prize was given unto Sir Launcelot.
Then Sir Launcelot told the King and the Queen how the lady huntress
shot him in the forest of Windsor in the thigh with a broad arrow.
Also Arthur blamed Sir Gareth, because he left his fellowship and held
with Sir Launcelot.
"My lord," said Sir Gareth, "he made me a knight, and when I saw him so
hard bestead, me thought it was my honour to help him, for I saw him do
so much, and I was ashamed to see so many noble knights against him
alone."
"Truly," said King Arthur unto Sir Gareth, "ye say well, and honourably
have ye done, and all the days of my life be sure I shall love you and
trust you the more for the great honour ye have done to yourself. For
ever it is an honourable knight's duty to help another honourable
knight when he seeth him in a great danger, for ever an honourable man
will be loath to see an honourable man put to shame. He that is of no
honour, and fareth with cowardice, will never show gentleness nor any
manner of goodness where he seeth a man in any danger, for never will a
coward show any mercy, and always a good man will do to another man as
he would be done to himself."
So then there were great feasts unto kings and dukes; and revel, game,
and play, and all manner of nobleness was used; and he that was
courteous, true, and faithful to his friend was at that time cherished.