HOW KING ARTHUR AND SIR GAWAINE INVADED
SIR LAUNCELOT'S REALM
When Sir Launcelot came again to Joyous Gard from Carlisle, he called
his fellowship unto him, and asked them what they would do. Then they
answered all wholly together with one voice, they would as he would do.
"My fair fellows," said he: "I must depart out of this most noble
realm. And now I am to depart, it grieveth me sore, for I shall depart
with no honour. A banished man departed never out of any realm with
honour; and that is my heaviness, for ever I fear that after my days
they will chronicle upon me that I was banished out of this land."
Then spake many noble knights: "Sir, we will never fail. Since it
liked us to take a part with you in your distress and heaviness in this
realm, wit ye well it shall like us as well to go in other countries
with you, and there to take such part as ye do."
"My fair lords," said Sir Launcelot, "I well understand you, and, as I
can, thank you. And ye shall understand, such livelihood and lands as
I am born unto I shall freely share among you, and I myself will have
as little as any of you, for if I have sufficient for my personal
needs, I will ask none other rich array; and I trust to God to maintain
you on my lands as well as ever were maintained any knights."
Then spake all the knights at once: "He have shame that will leave you.
We all understand in this realm will be now no quiet, but ever strife
and debate, now the fellowship of the Round Table is broken; for by the
noble fellowship of the Round Table was King Arthur upborne, and by
their nobleness the King and all his realm was in quiet and in rest.
And a great part," they said all, "was because of your nobleness."
So, to make short tale, they packed up, and paid all that would ask
them, and wholly an hundred knights departed with Sir Launcelot at
once, and made avows they would never leave him for weal nor for woe.
They shipped at Cardiff, and sailed unto Benwick. But to say the
sooth, Sir Launcelot and his nephews were lords of all France, and of
all the lands that belong unto France through Sir Launcelot's noble
prowess. When he had established all these countries, he shortly
called a parliament, and appointed officers for his realm. Thus Sir
Launcelot rewarded his noble knights and many more, that me seemeth it
were too long to rehearse.
Now leave we Sir Launcelot in his lands, and his noble knights with
him, and return we again unto King Arthur and to Sir Gawaine, that made
a great host ready, to the number of three-score thousand. All things
were made ready for their shipping to pass over the sea, and so they
shipped at Cardiff. And there King Arthur made Sir Mordred chief ruler
of all England, and also he put Queen Guenever under his governance.
So King Arthur passed over the sea, and landed upon Sir Launcelot's
lands, and there burned and wasted, through the vengeance of Sir
Gawaine, all that they might overrun.
When this word came to Sir Launcelot, that King Arthur and Sir Gawaine
were landed upon his lands, and made a full destruction and waste, then
said Sir Lionel, that was ware and wise: "My Lord, Sir Launcelot, I
will give you this counsel: Let us keep our strong walled towns until
they have hunger and cold, and blow upon their nails, and then let us
freshly set upon them, and shred them down as sheep in a field, that
aliens may take ensample for ever how they set foot upon our lands."
Then said Sir Galihud unto Sir Launcelot, "Sir, here be knights come of
king's blood that will not long droop; therefore give us leave, like as
we be knights, to meet them in the field, and we shall slay them, that
they shall curse the time that ever they came into this country."
Then spake all at once seven brethren of North Wales,--and they were
seven noble knights, a man might seek in seven lands ere he might find
such seven knights: "Sir Launcelot, let us ride out with Sir Galihud,
for we be never wont to cower in castle, or in noble towns."
But then spake Sir Launcelot, that was master and governor of them all:
"My fair lords, wit ye well I am full loath to ride out with my
knights, for shedding of Christian blood; and yet my lands I understand
to be full bare to sustain any host a while, for the mighty wars that
whilom made King Claudas upon this country, upon my father King Ban and
on mine uncle King Bors. Howbeit we will at this time keep our strong
walls, and I shall send a messenger unto my lord Arthur, a treaty for
to take, for better is peace than always war."
So he sent forth a damsel, and a dwarf with her, requiring King Arthur
to leave his warring upon his lands. When she came to the pavilion of
King Arthur there met her a gentle knight, Sir Lucan the butler, and
when he knew that she was a messenger from Sir Launcelot to the King he
said: "I pray God, damsel, ye may speed well. My Lord Arthur would
love Launcelot, but Sir Gawaine will not suffer him."
So Lucan led the damsel unto the King, and when she had told her tale,
all the lords were full glad to advise him to be accorded with Sir
Launcelot, save only Sir Gawaine, who would not turn again, now that
they were past thus far upon the journey.
"Wit ye well, Sir Gawaine," said Arthur, "I will do as ye will advise
me; and yet me seemeth his fair proffers were not good to be refused."
Then Sir Gawaine sent the damsel away with the answer that it was now
too late for peace. And so the war went on. Sir Launcelot was never
so loath to do battle, but he must needs defend himself; and when King
Arthur's host besieged Benwick round about, and fast began to set up
ladders, then Sir Launcelot beat them from the walls mightily.
Then upon a day it befell that Sir Gawaine came before the gates fully
armed on a noble horse, with a great spear in his hand, and cried with
a loud voice: "Where art thou now, thou false traitor, Launcelot? Why
hidest thou thyself within holes and walls like a coward? Look out
now, thou false traitor knight, and here I shall revenge upon thy body
the death of my three brethren."
All this language heard Sir Launcelot, and he wist well that he must
defend himself, or else be recreant. So he armed himself at all
points, and mounted upon his horse, and gat a great spear in his hand,
and rode out at the gate. And both the hosts were assembled, of them
without and of them within, and stood in array full manly. And both
parties were charged to hold them still, to see and behold the battle
of these two noble knights.
Then they laid their spears in their rests, and came together as
thunder. Sir Gawaine brake his spear upon Sir Launcelot in an hundred
pieces unto his hand, and Sir Launcelot smote him with a greater might,
so that Sir Gawaine's horse's feet raised, and the horse and he fell to
the earth. Then they dressed their shields and fought with swords on
foot, giving many sad strokes, so that all men on both parties had
thereof passing great wonder. But Sir Launcelot withheld his courage
and his wind, and kept himself wonderly covert of his might. Under his
shield he traced and traversed here and there, to break Sir Gawaine's
strokes and his courage, and Sir Gawaine enforced himself with all his
might to destroy Sir Launcelot.
At the first ever Sir Gawaine's power increased, and right so his wind
and his evil will. For a time Sir Launcelot had great pain to defend
himself, but when three hours were passed, and Sir Launcelot felt that
Sir Gawaine was come to his full strength, then Sir Launcelot said, "I
feel that ye have done your mighty deeds; now wit you well I must do my
deeds."
So he doubled his strokes, and soon smote such a buffet upon Sir
Gawaine's helm that he sank down upon his side in a swoon. Anon as he
did awake, he waved at Sir Launcelot as he lay, and said, "Traitor
knight, wit thou well I am not yet slain; come thou near me, and
perform this battle unto the uttermost."
"I will no more do than I have done," said Sir Launcelot. "When I see
you on foot I will do battle upon you all the while I see you stand on
your feet; but to smite a wounded man, that may not stand, God defend
me from such a shame."
Then he turned and went his way towards the city, and Sir Gawaine,
evermore calling him traitor knight, said, "Wit thou well, Sir
Launcelot, when I am whole, I shall do battle with thee again; for I
shall never leave thee till one of us be slain."
Thus this siege endured. Sir Gawaine lay sick near a month, and when
he was well recovered, and ready within three days to do battle again
with Sir Launcelot, right so came tidings unto Arthur from England,
that made him and all his host to remove.