QUEEN GUENEVER'S MAY-DAY RIDE AND WHAT CAME OF IT
Thus it passed on from Candlemas until after Easter, and soon the month
of May was come, when every manly heart begins to blossom and to bring
forth fruit. For as herbs and trees flourish in May, likewise every
lusty heart springeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds, for more than any
other month May giveth unto all men renewed courage, and calleth again
to their mind old gentleness and old service, and many kind deeds that
were forgotten by negligence. Therefore, as the month of May flowereth
and flourisheth in many gardens, so let every man of honour bring forth
fruit in his heart, first unto God, and next unto the joy of them to
whom he has promised his faith.
So it befell in the month of May that Queen Guenever called unto her
ten knights of the Table Round, and she bade them ride with her
a-Maying on the morrow into the woods and fields near Westminster. And
"I bid you," said she, "that ye all be well horsed, and that ye all be
clothed in green, either silk or woollen, and I shall bring with me ten
ladies, and every knight shall have a lady behind him, and every knight
shall have a squire and two yeomen."
So they made themselves ready in the freshest manner, and in the
morning rode with the Queen a-Maying in woods and meadows as it pleased
them in great joy and delight. The Queen purposed to be again with
King Arthur at the furthest by ten of the clock.
Now there was a knight called Meliagrance, who had at that time a
castle, the gift of King Arthur, within seven miles of Westminster. He
had long lain in wait to steal away the Queen, but had feared to do the
base deed when Sir Launcelot was in her company. It was her custom at
that time never to ride without a great fellowship of men of arms about
her, for the most part young men eager for honour, and called the
Queen's knights. But this knight, Sir Meliagrance, had espied the
Queen well and her purpose on this May morning, and had seen how Sir
Launcelot was not with her, and how she had for this once no men of
arms with her but the ten noble knights all arrayed in green for
Maying. Then he provided him twenty men of arms and a hundred archers,
to destroy the Queen's knights, for he thought that time was the best
season to take the Queen prisoner.
So while the Queen and all her knights were gathering herbs and mosses
and flowers in the best manner and freshest, just then there came out
of a wood Sir Meliagrance with eight-score men, well armed, and bade
the Queen and her knights to stand.
"Traitor knight," said Queen Guenever, "what intendest thou to do?
Wilt thou shame thyself? Bethink thee how thou art a king's son, and
knight of the Table Round, and thou art about to dishonour the noble
king that made thee knight; thou shamest all knighthood and thyself;
but me, I let thee wit, thou shalt never shame, for I had rather cut my
throat in twain than that thou shouldst dishonour me."
"As for all this language," said Sir Meliagrance, "be it as it may,
never before could I get you at such advantage as I do now, and
therefore I will take you as I find you."
All the ten noble knights sought to dissuade him from dishonouring
himself and from forcing them to jeopard their lives, unarmed as they
were, in defending the Queen. But Sir Meliagrance would not yield, and
the ten knights of the Table Round drew their swords and stood manly
against the spears and swords of the others. But Sir Meliagrance had
them at great advantage, and anon six of them were smitten to the earth
with grimly wounds. The other four fought long, but at last they also
were sore wounded.
When the Queen saw that her knights needs must be slain at the last,
she for pity and sorrow agreed to go with Sir Meliagrance to his castle
upon this covenant, that he suffer not her knights to be more hurt, and
that they be led wheresoever she was taken. "For," said she, "I will
rather slay myself than go with thee, unless these my noble knights may
be in my presence."
Meliagrance consented, and by the Queen's commandment they left battle.
The wounded knights were placed on horseback, some sitting, some across
the horses' backs in a pitiful manner, and all rode in haste to the
castle. Then Sir Meliagrance charged the Queen and all her knights
that no one should depart from her, for full sore he dreaded Sir
Launcelot, lest he should have any knowledging.
But the Queen privily called unto her a page who could ride swiftly,
gave him her ring, and told him to bear it, when he saw a chance to
slip away quietly, unto Sir Launcelot of the Lake, and pray him to
rescue her. "And spare thou not thy horse," said she, "neither for
water nor for land."
So the page espied his time, and lightly he touched his horse with the
spurs, and departed as fast as he might. Sir Meliagrance saw him so
flee, and understood that it was to warn Sir Launcelot. Then they that
were best horsed chased him and shot at him, but he escaped them all,
and anon found Sir Launcelot. And when he had told his message, and
delivered him the Queen's ring, "Alas," said Sir Launcelot, "now am I
shamed forever, unless that I may rescue that noble lady from
dishonour."
Then he eagerly called for his armour, and ever the page told him how
the ten knights had fought marvellously, till at last the Queen made
appointment to go with Sir Meliagrance for to save their lives.
"Alas," said Sir Launcelot, "that most noble lady, that she should be
so destroyed! I would give all France to have been there well armed."
So when Sir Launcelot was armed and upon his horse, he sent the Queen's
page to tell Sir Lavaine how suddenly he had departed, and for what
cause, and to pray him to come anon to the castle where Sir Meliagrance
abideth.
Sir Launcelot, it is said, took to the water at Westminster bridge and
made his horse swim over the Thames to Lambeth; and then he rode as
fast as he might, until within a while he came to the place where the
ten knights had fought with Sir Meliagrance. He then followed the path
until he came to a straight way through the wood. Here he was stopped
by thirty archers that Sir Meliagrance had sent out to slay Sir
Launcelot's horse, but in no wise to have ado with him bodily, "for,"
he had said, "he is overhard to overcome." These archers bade Sir
Launcelot to turn again and follow no longer that track, and when Sir
Launcelot gave right naught for them, then they shot his horse, and
smote him with many arrows. Sir Launcelot now set out on foot, but
there were so many ditches and hedges betwixt the archers and him that
he could not meddle with any one of them.
He went on a while, but was much cumbered by his armour, his shield,
and his spear. Wit ye well he was sore annoyed at his slow progress,
but was loath to leave anything that belonged unto him, for he dreaded
sore the treason of Sir Meliagrance.
Just then by chance there came by a cart, that was sent thither to
fetch wood. "Tell me, carter," said Sir Launcelot, "what shall I give
thee to take me in thy cart unto a castle within two miles of here?"
"Thou shalt not set foot in my cart," said the man, "for I am sent to
fetch wood for my lord Sir Meliagrance."
Then Sir Launcelot jumped upon him and gave the man such a blow that he
fell to the earth stark dead. Then the other carter, his fellow, was
afraid of going the same way, and cried out, "Fair lord, save my life
and I will bring you where ye will."
Sir Launcelot leaped into the cart, and the carter drove at a great
gallop, Sir Launcelot's horse following after with more than forty
arrows in him.
More than an hour and a half later, Queen Guenever was in a bay window
of the castle with her ladies, and espied an armed knight approaching,
standing in a cart.
"See, madam," said a lady to her, "there rideth in a cart a goodly
armed knight; I suppose he rideth to hanging."
Then the Queen espied by his shield that Sir Launcelot of the Lake
himself was there. "Alas," said the Queen; "now I see that well is it
with him who hath a trusty friend. Ah, most noble knight, I see well
thou are hard bestead, when thou ridest in a cart."
By this time Sir Launcelot had come to the gates of that castle, and
there he descended from the cart, and cried so that all the castle
rang: "Where art thou, false traitor Sir Meliagrance, and knight of the
Table Round? Now come forth here, thou traitor knight, thou and thy
fellowship with thee, for here I am, Sir Launcelot of the Lake, that
shall fight with thee."
With these words he burst the gate wide open upon the porter, and smote
him under his ear with his gauntlet so that he staggered back like a
dead man. When Sir Meliagrance heard that Sir Launcelot was there, he
ran unto Queen Guenever and fell upon his knees, putting himself wholly
at her mercy, and begging her to control the wrath of Sir Launcelot.
"Better is peace than ever war," said the Queen, "and the less noise
the more is my honour."
So she and her ladies went down to Sir Launcelot, thanked him for all
his trouble in her behalf, told him of Meliagrance's repentance, and
bade him come in peaceably with her.
"Madam," said Sir Launcelot, "if ye are accorded with him, I am not
inclined to be against peace, howbeit Sir Meliagrance hath done full
shamefully to me, and cowardly. Ah, madam, had I known ye would be so
soon accorded with him, I would not have made such haste unto you."
"What," said the Queen, "do ye repent of your good deeds? Wit ye well
I never made peace with him for labour or love that I had unto him, but
to suppress all shameful noise."
"Madam," said Sir Launcelot, "ye understand full well I was never glad
of shameful slander nor noise; and there is neither king, queen, nor
knight alive except my lord King Arthur and you, madam, that should
hinder me from making Sir Meliagrance's heart full cold or ever I
departed from hence."
Then the Queen and Sir Launcelot went in together, and she commanded
him to be unarmed. Then he asked where the ten knights were that were
wounded sore. So she led Sir Launcelot to them, and they made great
joy of his coming, and he made great dole of their hurts, and bewailed
them greatly. And then Sir Launcelot told them how he had been obliged
to put himself into a cart. Thus they complained each to other, and
full gladly would they have been revenged, but they restrained
themselves because of the Queen. So Sir Launcelot was called for many
a day thereafter the Chevalier of the Cart, and he did many deeds, and
great adventures he had. And so we leave this tale of the Knight of
the Cart, and turn to others.