Complete Works of Sir Thomas Malory Page 17

  And grete joy had kynge Arthure of sir Pelleas and of sir Marhalte, but Pelleas loved never after sir Gawayne but as he spared hym for the love of the kynge; but oftyntymes at justis and at turnementes sir Pelleas quytte sir Gawayne, for so hit rehersyth in the booke of Frensh.

  So sir Trystrams many dayes aftir fought with sir Marhaute in an ilande. And there they dud a grete batayle, but the laste sir Trystrams slew hym. So sir Trystrams was so wounded that unnethe he myght recover, and lay at a nunrye half a yere.

  And sir Pelleas was a worshypfull knyght, and was one of the four that encheved the Sankgreal. And the Damesel of the Laake made by her meanes that never he had ado with sir Launcelot de Laake, for where sir Launcelot was at ony justis or at ony turnemente she wolde not suffir hym to be there that day but yf hit were on the syde of sir Launcelot.

  HERE ENDYTH THIS TALE, AS THE FREYNSHE BOOKE SEYTH, FRO THE MARYAGE OF KYNGE UTHER UNTO KYNG ARTHURE THAT REGNED AFTIR HYM AND DED MANY BATAYLES.

  AND THIS BOOKE ENDYTH WHEREAS SIR LAUNCELOT AND SIR

  TRYSTRAMS COM TO COURTE. WHO THAT WOLL MAKE ONY MORE

  LETTE HYM SEKE OTHER BOOKIS OF KYNGE ARTHURE OR OF SIR

  LAUNCELOT OR SIR TRYSTRAMS; FOR THIS WAS DRAWYN BY A KNYGHT PRESONER, SIR THOMAS MALLEORRE, THAT GOD SENDE HYM GOOD RECOVER. AMEN.

  EXPLICIT.

  BOOK II. THE TALE OF THE NOBLE KING ARTHUR THAT WAS EMPEROR HIMSELF THROUGH DIGNITY OF HIS HANDS

  [1] HYT BEFELLE whan kyng Arthur had wedded quene Gwenyvere and fulfylled the Rounde Table, and so aftir his mervelous knyghtis and he had venquyshed the moste party of his enemyes, than sone aftir com sir Launcelot de Lake unto the courte, and sir Trystrams come that tyme also, and than kyng Arthur helde a ryal feeste and Table Roundel.

  So hit befelle that the Emperour Lucius, Procurour of the publyke wele of Rome, sente unto Arthure messyngers commaundynge hym to pay his trewage that his auncettryes have payde before hym. Whan kynge Arthure wyste what they mente he loked up with his gray yghen and angred at the messyngers passyng sore. Than were this messyngers aferde and knelyd stylle and durste nat aryse, they were so aferde of his grymme countenaunce. Than one of the knyghtes messyngers spake alowde and seyde, ‘Crowned kynge, myssedo no messyngers, for we be com at his commaundemente, as servytures sholde.’

  Than spake the Conquerrour, ‘Thou recrayedest coward knyghte, why feryst thou my countenaunce? There be in this halle, and they were sore aggreved, thou durste nat for a deukedom of londis loke in their facis.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde one of the senatoures, ‘so Cryste me helpe, I was so aferde whan I loked in thy face that myne herte wolde nat serve for to sey my message. But sytthen hit is my wylle for to sey myne erande, the gretis welle Lucius, the Emperour of Roome, and commaundis the uppon payne that woll falle to sende hym the trewage of this realme that thy fadir Uther Pendragon payde, other ellys he woll bereve the all thy realmys that thou weldyst, and thou as rebelle, not knowynge hym as thy soverayne, withholdest and reteynest, contrary to the statutes and decrees maade by the noble and worthy Julius Cezar, conquerour of this realme.’

  ‘Thow seyste well,’ seyde Arthure, ‘but for all thy brym wordys I woll nat be to over-hasty, and therfore thou and thy felowys shall abyde here seven dayes; and shall calle unto me my counceyle of my moste trusty knyghtes and deukes and regeaunte kynges and erlys and barowns and of my moste wyse doctours, and whan we have takyn oure avysement ye shall have your answere playnly, suche as I shall abyde by.’

  Than somme of the yonge knyghtes, heryng this their message, wold have ronne on them to have slayne them, sayenge that it was a rebuke to alle the knyghtes there beyng present to suffre them to saye so to the kynge. And anone the kynge commaunded that none of them upon payne of dethe to myssaye them ne doo them ony harme.

  Than the noble kyng commaunded sir Clegis to loke that thes men be seteled and served with the beste, that there be no deyntés spared uppon them, that nother chylde nor horse faught nothynge, ‘for they ar full royall peple. And thoughe they have greved me and my courte, yet we muste remembir on oure worshyp.’ So they were led into chambyrs and served as rychely of deyntés that myght be gotyn. So the Romaynes had therof grete mervayle.

  Than the kynge unto counsayle called his noble lordes and knyghtes, and within a towre there they assembled, the moste party of the knyghtes of the Rounde Table. Than the kynge commaunded hem of theire beste counceyle.

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Cador of Cornuayle, ‘as for me, I am nat hevy of this message, for we have be many dayes rested now. The lettyrs of Lucius the Emperoure lykis me well, for now shall we have warre and worshyp.’

  ‘Be Cryste, I leve welle,’ seyde the kyng, ‘sir Cador, this message lykis the. But yet they may nat be so answerde, for their spyteuous speche grevyth so my herte. That truage to Roome woll I never pay. Therefore counceyle me, my knyghtes, for Crystes love of Hevyn. For this muche have I founde in the cronycles of this londe, that Ssir Belyne and sir Bryne, of my bloode elders that borne were in Bretayne, and they hath ocupyed the empyreship eyght score wyntyrs; and aftir Constantyne, oure kynnesman, conquerd hit, and dame Elyneys son, of Ingelonde, was Emperour of Roome; and he recoverde the Crosse that Cryste dyed uppon. And thus was the Empyre kepte be my kynde elders, and thus have we evydence inowghe to the empyre of hole Rome.’

  Than answerde kynge Angwysshaunce unto Arthure: ‘Sir, thou [2] oughte to be aboven all othir Crysten kynges for of knyghthode and of noble counceyle that is allway in the. And Scotlonde had never scathe syne ye were crowned kynge, and ‘whan the Romaynes raynede uppon us they raunsomed oure elders and raffte us of oure lyves. Therefore I make myne avow unto mylde Mary and unto Jesu Cryste that I shall be avenged uppon the Romayns, and to farther thy fyght I shall brynge the ferce men of armys, fully twenty thousand of tyred men. I shall yeff hem my wages for to go and warre on the Romaynes and to dystroy hem, and all shall be within two ayges to go where the lykes.’

  Than the kyng of Lytyll Brytayne sayde unto kynge Arthure, ‘Sir, answere thes alyauntes and gyff them their answere, and I shall somen my peple, and thirty thousand men shall ye have at my costis and wages.’

  ‘Ye sey well,’ seyde the kynge Arthure.

  Than spake a myghty deuke that was lorde of Weste Walys: ‘Sir, I make myne avowe to God to be revenged on the Romaynes, and to have the vawarde, and there to ‘vynquysshe with vyctory the vyscounte of Roome. For onys as I paste on pylgrymage all by the Poynte Tremble than the vyscounte was in Tuskayne, and toke up my knyghtys and raunsomed them unresonablé. And than I complayned me to the Potestate the Pope hymself, but I had nothynge ellys but plesaunte wordys; other reson at Roome myght I none have, and so I yode my way sore rebuked. And therefore to be avenged I woll arere of my wyghteste Walshemen, and of myne owne fre wagis brynge you thirty thousand.’

  Than sir Ewayne and his son Ider that were nere cosyns unto the Conquerrour, yet were they cosyns bothe twayne, and they helde Irelonde and Argayle and all the Oute Iles:’Sir,’ seyde they unto kynge Arthure, ‘here we make oure avowes untoo Cryste manly to ryde into Lumbardy and so unto Melayne wallys, and so over the Poynte Tremble into the vale of Vyterbe, and there to vytayle my knyghtes; and for to be avenged on the Romayns we shall bryng the thirty thousand of good mennys bodyes.’

  Than leepe in yong sir Launcelot de Laake with a lyght herte and seyde unto kynge Arthure, ‘Thoughe my londis marche nyghe thyne enemyes, yet shall I make myne avow aftir my power that of good men of armys aftir my bloode thus many I shall brynge with me: twenty thousand helmys in haubirkes attyred that shall never fayle you whyles oure lyves lastyth.’

  Than lowghe sir Bawdwyn of Bretayne and carpys to the kynge: ‘I make myne avow unto the vernacle noble for to brynge with me ten thousand good mennys bodyes that shall never fayle whyle there lyvis lastyth.’

  ‘Now I thanke you,’ seyde the kynge, ‘with all my trew herte. I suppose by the ende be done and dalte the Romaynes had bene bettir to have leffte their proude message.’

  So whan the se
vennyghte was atte an end the Senatours besought the kynge to have an answere.

  ‘Hit is well,’ seyde the kynge. ‘Now sey ye to youre Emperour that I shall in all haste me redy make with my keene knyghtes, and by the rever of Rome holde my Rounde Table And I woll brynge with me the beste peple of fyftene realmys, and with hem ryde on the mountaynes in the maynelondis, and myne doune the wallys of Myllayne the proude, and syth ryde unto Roome with my royallyst knyghtes. Now ye have youre answere, hygh you that ye were hense, and frome this place to the porte there ye shall passe over; and I shall gyff you seven dayes to passe unto Sandwyche.

  ‘Now spede you, I counceyle you, and spare nat youre horsis and loke ye go by Watlynge strete and no way ellys, and where nyght fallys on you, loke ye there abyde, be hit felle other towne, I take no kepe; for hit longyth nat to none alyauntis for to ryde on nyghtes. And may ony be founde a spere-lengthe oute of the way and that ye be in the watir by the sevennyghtes ende, there shall no golde undir God pay for youre raunsom.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde this senatoures, ‘this is an harde conduyte. We beseche you that we may passe saufly.’

  ‘Care ye nat,’ seyde the kynge, ‘youre conduyte is able. Thus they passed fro Carleyle unto Sandwyche-warde that hadde but seven dayes for to passe thorow the londe, and so sir Cador brought hem on her wayes. But the senatours spared for no horse, but hyred hem hakeneyes frome towne to towne, and by the sonne was sette at the seven dayes ende they come unto Sandwyche; so blythe were they never.

  And so the same nyght they toke the watir and passed into Flaundres, Almayn, and aftir that over the grete mountayne that hyght Godarde, and so aftir thorow Lumbardy and thorow Tuskayne, and sone aftir they come to the Emperour Lucius, and there they shewed hym the lettyrs of kynge Arthure, and how he was the gastfullyst man that ever they on loked.

  Whan the Emperour Lucius hadde redde the lettyrs and undirstoode them welle of theire credence, he fared as a man were rased of his wytte: ‘I wente that Arthure wold have obeyed you and served you hymself unto your honde, for so he besemed, other ony kynge crystynde, for to obey ony senatour that is sente fro my persone.’

  ‘Sir,’ sayde the senatours, ‘lette be suche wordis, for that we have ascaped on lyve we may thonke God ever; for we wolde nat passe ayen to do that message for all your brode londis. And therfore, sirres, truste to our sawys, ye shall fynde hym your uttir enemye; and seke ye hym and ye lyste, for into this londis woll he com, and that shall ye fynde within this half-yere, for he thynkys to be Emperour hymself. For he seyth ye have ocupyed the Empyre with grete wronge, for all his trew auncettryes sauff his fadir Uther were Emperoures of Rome.

  And of all the soveraynes that we sawe ever he is the royallyst kynge that lyvyth on erthe, for we sawe on Newerys day at his Rounde Table nine kyngis, and the fayryst felyship of knyghtes ar with hym that durys on lyve, and thereto of wysedome and of fayre speeche and all royalté and rychesse they fayle of none. Therefore, sir, be my counsayle, rere up your lyege peple and sende kynges and dewkes to loke unto your marchis, and that ‘the mountaynes of Almayne be myghtyly kepte.’

  ‘Be Estir,’ seyde the Emperour, ‘I caste me for to passe Almayne and so furth into Fraunce and there bereve hym his londis. I shall brynge with me many gyauntys of Geene, that one of them shall be worth an hondred of knyghtes, and perleous passage shall be surely kepte with my good knyghtes.’

  Than the Emperour sente furth his messyngers of wyse olde knyghtes unto a contrey callyd Ambage, and Arrage, and unto Alysundir, to Ynde, to Ermony that the rever of Eufrate rennys by, and to Assy, Aufryke, and Europe the large, and to Ertayne, and Elamye, to the Oute Yles, to Arrabé, to Egypte, to Damaske, and to Damyake, and to noble deukis and erlys. Also the kynge of Capydos, and the kyng of Tars, and of Turké, and of Pounce, and of Pampoyle, and oute of Preter Johanes londe, also the sowdon of Surre. And frome Nero unto Nazareth, and frome Garese to Galely, there come Sarysyns and becom sudgettis unto Rome. So they come glydyng in galyes. Also ther come the kynge of Cypres, and the Grekis were gadirde and goodly arayed with the kynge of Macidony, and of Calabe and of Catelonde bothe kynges and deukes, and the kynge of Portyngale with many thousande Spaynardis.

  Thus all thes kynges and dukys and admyrallys noblys assembled with syxtene kynges at onys, and so they com unto Rome with grete multytude of peple. Whan the Emperour undirstood their comynge he made redy all his noble Romaynes and all men of warre betwyxte hym and Flaundyrs. Also he had gotyn with hym fyffty gyauntys that were engendirde with fendis and all the he lete ordeyne for to awayte on his persone and for to breke the batayle of the frunte of Arthurs knyghts, but they were so muche of their bodyes that horsys myght nat bere them. And thus the Emperour with all hys horryble peple drew to passe Almayne to dystroy Arthures londys that he wan thorow warre of his noble knyghtes.

  And so Lucius com unto Cullayne, and thereby a castelle besegys, and wanne hit within a whyle, and feffyd hit with Saresyns. And thus Lucius within a whyle destryed many fayre contrayes that Arthure had wonne before of the myghty kynge Claudas. So this Lucius dispercled abrode his oste syxty myle large, and commaunde hem to mete with hym in Normandy, in the contray of Constantyne, ‘and at Barflete there ye me abyde, for the douchery of Bretayne I shall thorowly dystroy hit.’

  Now leve we sir Lucius and speke we of kyng Arthure that [3] commaunded all that were undir his obeysaunce, aftir the utas of Seynte Hyllary that all shulde be assembled for to holde a parlement at Yorke, within the wallys. And there they concluded shortly to arest all the shyppes of this londe, and within fyftene dayes to be redy at Sandwych.

  ‘Now, sirrys,’ seyde Arthure,’I purpose me to passe many perelles wayes and to ocupye the Empyre that myne elders afore have claymed. Therefore I pray you, counseyle me that may be beste and most worshyp.’

  The kynges and knyghtes gadirde hem unto counsayle and were condecended for to make two chyfftaynes, that was sir Baudwen of Bretayne, an auncient and an honorable knyght, for to counceyle and comforte; sir Cadore son of Cornuayle, that was at the tyme called sir Constantyne, that aftir was kynge aftir Arthurs dayes. And there in the presence of all the lordis the kynge resyned all the rule unto thes two lordis and quene Gwenyvere.

  And sir Trystrams at that tyme beleft with kynge Marke of Cornuayle for the love of La Beale Isode, wherefore sir Launcelot was passyng wrothe.

  Than quene Gwenyver made grete sorow that the kynge and all the lordys sholde so be departed, and there she fell doune on a swone, and hir ladyes bare hir to her chambir. Than the kynge commaunded hem to God and belefte the quene in sir Constantynes and sir Baudewens hondis, and all Inglonde holy to rule as themselfe demed beste. And whan the kynge was an horsebak he seyde in herynge of all the lordis, ‘If that I dye in this jurney, here I make the, sir Constantyne, my trew ayre, for thou arte nexte of my kyn save sir Cadore, thy fadir, and therefore, if that I dey, I woll that ye be crowned kynge.’

  Ryght so he sought and his knyghtes towarde Sandewyche where he founde before hym many galyard knyghtes, for there were the moste party of all the Rounde Table redy on the bankes for to sayle whan the kynge lyked. Than in all haste that myght be they shypped their horsis and harneyse and all maner of ordynaunce that fallyth for the werre, and tentys and pavylyons many were trussed, and so they shotte frome the bankes many grete caryckes and many shyppes of forestage with coggis and galeyes and spynnesse full noble with galeyes and galyottys, rowing with many ores. And thus they strekyn forth into the stremys many sadde hunderthes.

  HERE FOLOWYTH THE DREME OF KYNGE ARTHURE.

  [4] As the kynge was in his cog and lay in his caban, he felle in a slumberyng and dremed how a dredfull dragon dud drenche muche of his peple and com fleyng one wynge oute of the weste partyes. And his hede, hym semed, was enamyled with asure, and his shuldyrs shone as the golde, and his wombe was lyke mayles of a merveylous hew, and his tayle was fulle of tatyrs, and his feete were florysshed as hit were fyne sable. And his clawys were lyke clene golde, and an hydeouse flame of fyre there flowe oute
of his mowth, lyke as the londe and the watir had flawmed all on fyre.

  Than hym semed there com oute of the Oryent a grymly beare, all blak, in a clowde, and his pawys were as byg as a poste. He was all to-rongeled with lugerande lokys, and he was the fowlyst beste that ever ony man sye. He romed and rored so rudely that merveyle hit were to telle.

  Than the dredfull dragon dressyd hym ayenste hym and come in the wynde lyke a faucon, and freyshely strykis the beare. And agayne the gresly beare kuttis with his grysly tuskes, that his breste and his brayle was bloodé, and the reed blood rayled all over the see. Than the worme wyndis away and fleis uppon hyght and com downe with such a sowghe, and towched the beare on the rydge that sfro the toppe to the tayle was ten foote large. And so he rentyth the beare and brennys hym up clene that all felle on pouder, both the fleysh and the bonys, and so hit flotered abrode on the sea.

  Anone the kynge waked and was sore abasshed of his dreme, and in all haste he sente for a philozopher and charged hym to telle what sygnyfyed his dreme.

  ‘Sir,’ seyde the phylozopher, ‘the dragon thou dremyste of betokyns thyne owne persone that thus here sayles with thy syker knyghtes; and the coloure of his wyngys is thy kyngdomes that thou haste with thy knyghtes wonne. And his tayle that was all to-tatered sygnyfyed your noble knyghtes of the Rounde Table. And the beare that the dragon slowe above in the clowdis betokyns som tyraunte that turmentis thy peple, other thou art lyke to fyght with som gyaunt boldely in batayle be thyself alone. Therefore of this dredfull dreme drede the but a lytyll and care nat now, sir conquerroure, but comforth thyself.’