So whan sir Launcelot saw the kynge and sir Gawayne, than he lad the quene by the arme, and than he kneled downe and the quene bothe. Wyte you well, than was there many a bolde knyght wyth kynge Arthur that wepte as tendirly as they had seyne all their kynne dede afore them! So the kynge sate stylle and seyde no worde. And whan sir Launcelot saw hys countenaunce he arose up and pulled up the quene with hym, and thus he seyde full knyghtly:
[15] ‘My moste redouted kynge, ye shall undirstonde, by the Popis commaundemente and youres I have brought to you my lady the quene, as ryght requyryth. And if there be ony knyght, of what degré that ever he be off, except your person, that woll sey or dare say but that she ys trew and clene to you, I here myselff, sir Launcelot du Lake, woll make hit good uppon hys body that she ys a trew lady unto you.
‘But, sir, lyars ye have lystened, and that hath caused grete debate betwyxte you and me. For tyme hath bene, my lorde Arthur, that ye were gretly pleased with me whan I ded batayle for my lady, youre quene; and full well ye know, my moste noble kynge, that she hathe be put to grete wronge or thys tyme. And sytthyn hyt pleased you at many tymys that I shulde feyght for her, therefore mesemyth, my good lorde, I had more cause to rescow her from the fyer whan she sholde have ben brente for my sake.
‘For they that tolde you the talys were lyars, and so hit felle uppon them: for by lyklyhode, had nat the myght of God bene with me, I myght never have endured with fourtene knyghtes. And they were armed and afore purposed, and I unarmed and nat purposed; for I was sente unto my lady, youre quyne, I wote nat for what cause, but I was nat so sone within the chambir dore but anone sir Aggravayne and sir Mordred called me traytoure and false recrayed knyght.’
‘Be my fayth, they called the ryght!’ seyde sir Gawayne.
‘My lorde, sir Gawayne,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘in their quarell they preved nat hemselff the beste, nother in the ryght.’
‘Well, well, sir Launcelot,’ seyde the kynge, ‘I have gyvyn you no cause to do to me as ye have done, for I have worshipt you and youres more than ony othir knyghtes.’
‘My lorde,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘so ye be nat displeased, ye shall undirstonde that I and myne have done you oftyntymes bettir servyse than ony othir knyghtes have done, in many dyverce placis; and where ye have bene full hard bestadde dyvers tymes, I have rescowed you frome many daungers; and ever unto my power I was glad to please you and my lorde sir Gawayne. In justis and in turnementis and in batayles set, bothe on horsebak and on foote, I have oftyn rescowed you, and you, my lorde sir Gawayne, and many me of youre knyghtes in many dyvers placis.
‘For now I woll make avaunte,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘I woll that ye all wyte that as yet I founde never no maner of knyght but that I was over harde for hym and I had done myne utteraunce, God graunte mercy! Howbehit I have be macched with good knyghtes, as sir Trystram and sir Lamorak, but ever I had favoure unto them and a demyng what they were. And I take God to recorde, I never was wrothe nor gretly hevy wyth no good knyght and I saw hym besy and aboute to wyn worshyp; and glad I was ever whan I founde a good knyght that myght onythynge endure me on horsebak and on foote. Howbehit sir Carados of the Dolerous Toure was a full noble knyght and a passynge stronge man, and that wote ye, my lorde sir Gawayne; for he myght well be called a noble knyght whan he be fyne fors pulled you oute of your sadyll and bounde you overthwarte afore hym to hys sadyll-bow. And there, my lorde sir Gawayne, I rescowed you and slew hym afore your syght. Also I founde your brothir, sir Gaherys, and sir Terquyn ledyng hym bounden afore hym; and there also I rescowed youre brothir and slew sir Terquyn and delyverde three score and four of my lorde Arthurs knyghtes oute of hys preson. And now I dare sey,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘I mette never wyth so stronge a knyght nor so well-fyghtyng as was sir Carados and sir Tarquyn, for they and I faught to the uttermest.
‘And therefore,’ seyde sir Launcelot unto sir Gawayne, ‘mesemyth ye ought of ryght to remembir this; for, and I myght have youre good wyll, I wold truste to God for to have my lorde Arthurs good grace.’
[16] ‘Sir, the kynge may do as he wyll,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘but wyte thou well, sir Launcelot, thou and I shall never be accorded whyle we lyve, for thou hast slayne three of my brethyrn. And two of hem thou slew traytourly and piteuously, for they bare none harneys ayenste the, nother none wold do.’
‘Sir, God wolde they had ben armed,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘for than had they ben on lyve. And wete you well, sir Gawayne, as for Gareth, I loved no kynnesman I had more than I loved hym, and ever whyle I lyve,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘I woll bewayle sir Gareth hys dethe, nat all only for the grete feare I have of you, but for many causys whych causyth me to be sorowfull. One is that I made hym knyght; another ys, I wote well he loved me aboven all othir knyghtes; and the third ys, he was passyng noble and trew, curteyse and jantill and well-condicionde. The fourthe ys, I wyste well, anone as I harde that sir Gareth was dede, I knew well that I shulde never aftir have youre love, my lorde sir Gawayne, but everlastyng warre betwyxt us. And also I wyste well that ye wolde cause my noble lorde kynge Arthur for ever to be my mortall foo. And as Jesu be my helpe, and be my knyghthode, I slewe never sir Gareth nother hys brother be my wyllynge, but alas that ever they were unarmed that unhappy day!
‘But this much I shall offir me to you,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘if hit may please the kyngis good grace and you, my lorde sir Gawayne: I shall firste begyn at Sandwyche, and there I shall go in my shearte, bare-foote; and at every ten myles ende I shall founde and gar make an house of relygions, of what order that ye woll assygne me, with an holé covente, to synge and rede day and nyght in especiall for sir Gareth sake and sir Gaherys. And thys shall I perfourme from Sandwyche unto Carlyle; and every house shall have suffycyent lyvelode. And thys shall I perfourme whyle that I have ony lyvelod in Crystyndom, and there ys none of all thes religious placis but they shall be perfourmed, furnysshed and garnysshed with all thyngis as an holy place ought to be. And thys were f ayrar and more holyar and more perfyte to their soulis than ye, my moste noble kynge, and you, sir Gawayne, to warre uppon me, for thereby shall ye gete none avayle.’
Than all the knyghtes and ladyes that were there wepte as they were madde, and the tearys felle on kynge Arthur hys chekis.
‘Sir Launcelot,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘I have ryght well harde thy langayge and thy grete proffirs. But wyte thou well, lat the kynge do as hit pleasith hym, I woll never forgyff the my brothirs dethe, and in especiall the deth of my brothir sir Gareth. And if myne uncle, kynge Arthur, wyll accorde wyth the, he shall loose my servys, for wyte thou well,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘thou arte bothe false to the kynge and to me.’
‘Sir,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘he beryth nat the lyff that may make hit good! And ye, sir Gawayne, woll charge me with so hyghe a thynge, ye muste pardone me, for than nedis must I answere you.’
‘Nay, nay,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘we ar paste that as at thys tyme, and that causyth the Pope, for he hath charged myne uncle the kynge that he shall take agayne his quene and to accorde wyth the, sir Launcelot, as for thys season, and therefore thou shalt go sauff as thou com. But in this londe thou shalt nat abyde paste a fiftene dayes, such somons I gyff the, for so the kynge and we were condescended and accorded ar thou cam. And ellis,’ seyde sir Gawayn, ‘wyte thou well, thou shulde nat a comyn here but if hit were magré thyne hede. And if hit were nat for the Popis commaundement,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘I shulde do batayle with the myne owne hondis, body for body, and preve hit uppon the that thou haste ben both false unto myne uncle, kynge Arthur, and to me bothe; and that shall I preve on thy body, whan thou arte departed fro hense, wheresomever that I fynde the!’
Than sir Launcelotte syghed, and therewith the tearys felle on [17] hys chekys, and than he seyde thus:
‘Moste nobelyst Crysten realme, whom I have loved aboven all othir realmys! And in the I have gotyn a grete parte of my worshyp, and now that I shall departe in thys wyse, truly me repentis that ever I cam in thys realme, that I shulde be thus shamefully ban
ysshyd, undeserved and causeles! But fortune ys so varyaunte, and the wheele so mutable, that there ys no constaunte abydynge. And that may be preved by many olde cronycles, as of noble Ector of Troy and Alysaunder, the myghty conquerroure, and many me other: whan they were moste in her royalté, they alyght passyng lowe. And so faryth hit by me,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘for in thys realme I had worshyp, and be me and myne all the hole Rounde Table hath bene encreced more in worshyp, by me and myne, than ever hit was by ony of you all.
‘And therefore wyte thou well, sir Gawayne, I may lyve uppon my londis as well as ony knyght that here ys. And yf ye, my moste redoutted kynge, woll com uppon my londys with sir Gawayne to warre uppon me, I muste endure you as well as I may. But as to you, sir Gawayne, if that ye com there, I pray you charge me nat wyth treson nother felony, for and ye do, I muste answere you.’
‘Do thou thy beste,’ seyde sir Gawayne, and therefore hyghe the faste that thou were gone! And wyte thou well we shall sone com aftir, and breke the strengyst castell that thou hast, uppon thy hede!’
‘Hyt shall nat nede that,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘for and I were as orgulous sette as ye ar, wyte you well I shulde mete you in myddys of the fylde.’
‘Make thou no more langayge,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘but delyvir the quene from the, and pyke the lyghtly oute of thys courte!’
‘Well,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘and I had wyste of thys shortecomyng, I wolde a advysed me twyse or that I had com here. For and the quene had be so dere unto me as ye noyse her, I durste have kepte her frome the felyshyp of the beste knyghtes undir hevyn.’
And than sir Launcelot seyde unto quene Gwenyver in hyryng of the kynge and hem all, ‘Madame, now I muste departe from you and thys noble felyshyp for ever. And sytthyn hit ys so, I besech you to pray for me, and I shall pray for you. And telle ye me, and if ye be harde bestad by ony false tunges, but lyghtly, my good lady, sende me worde; and if ony knyghtes hondys undir the hevyn may delyver you by batayle, I shall delyver you.’
And therewithall sir Launcelot kyssed the quene, and than he seyde all opynly, ‘Now lat se whatsomever he be in thys place that dare sey the quene ys nat trew unto my lorde Arthur, lat se who woll speke and he dare speke.’
And therewith he brought the quene to the kynge, and than sir Launcelot toke hys leve and departed. And there nother kynge, duke, erle, barowne, nor knyght, lady nor jantyllwoman, but all they wepte as people oute of mynde, excepte sir Gawayne. And whan thys noble knyght sir Launcelot toke his horse to ryde oute of Carlehyll, there was sobbyng and wepyng for pure dole of hys departynge.
And so he toke his way to Joyous Garde, and than ever afftir he called hit the ‘Dolerous Garde And thus departed sir Launcelot frome the courte for ever.
And so whan he cam to Joyous Garde he called hys felyshyp unto hym and asked them what they wolde do. Than they answerde all holé togydirs with one voyce, they wold do as he wolde do.
Than, my fayre felowys,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘I muste departe oute of thys moste noble realme. And now I shall departe, hit grevyth me sore, for I shall departe with no worship; for a fleymed man departith never oute of a realme with no worship. And that ys to me grete hevynes, for ever I feare aftir my dayes that men shall cronycle uppon me that I was fleamed oute of thys londe. And ellis, my fayre lordis, be ye sure, and I had nat drad shame, my lady quene Gwenyvere and I shulde never have departed.’
Than spake noble knyghtes, as sir Palomydes and sir Saffyr, hys brothir, and sir Bellynger le Bewse, and sir Urré with sir Lavayne, with many other:
‘Sir, and ye woll so be disposed to abyde in thys londe we woll never fayle you; and if ye lyste nat abyde in thys londe, there ys none of the good knyghtes that here be that woll fayle you, for many causis. One ys, all we that be nat of your bloode shall never be wellcom unto the courte. And sytthyn hit lyked us to take a parte with you in youre distres in this realme, wyte you well hit shall lyke us as well to go in othir contreyes with you and there to take suche parte as ye do.’
‘My fayre lordys,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘I well undirstond you, and as I can, I thanke you. And ye shall undirstonde, suche lyvelode as I am borne unto I shall departe with you in thys maner of wyse: that ys for to say, I shall departe all my lyvelode and all my londis frely amonge you, and myselff woll have as lytyll as ony of you; for, have I sufficiaunte that may longe unto my person, I woll aske none other ryches nother aray. And I truste to God to maynteyne you on my londys as well as ever ye were maynteyned.’
Than spake all the knyghtes at onys: ‘Have he shame that woll leve you! For we all undirstonde, in thys realme woll be no quyett, but ever debate and stryff, now the felyshyp of the Rounde Table ys brokyn. For by the noble felyshyp of the Rounde Table was kynge Arthur upborne, and by their nobeles the kynge and all the realme was ever in quyet and reste. And a grete parte,’ they sayde all, ‘was because of youre moste nobeles, sir Launcelot.’
[18] ‘Now, truly I thanke you all of youre good sayinge! Howbehit I wote well that in me was nat all the stabilité of thys realme, but in that I myght I ded my dever. And well I am sure I knew many rebellyons in my dayes that by me and myne were peased; and that I trow we all shall here of in shorte space, and that me sore repentith. For ever I drede me,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘that sir Mordred woll make trouble, for he ys passyng envyous and applyeth hym muche to trouble.’
And so they were accorded to departe wyth sir Launcelot to hys landys. And to make shorte thys tale, they trussed and payed all that wolde aske them; and holé an hondred knyghtes departed with sir Launcelot at onys, and made their avowis they wolde never leve hym for weale ne for woo.
And so they shypped at Cardyff, and sayled unto Benwyke: som men calle hit Bayan and som men calle hit Beawme, where the wyne of Beawme ys. But say the sothe, sir Launcelott and hys neveawis was lorde of all Fraunce and of all the londis that longed unto Fraunce; he and hys kynrede rejoysed hit all thorow sir Launcelottis noble proues.
And than he stuffed and furnysshed and garnysshed all his noble townys and castellis. Than all the people of tho landis cam unto sir Launcelot on foote and hondis. And so whan he had stabelysshed all those contreyes, he shortly called a parlement; and there he crowned sir Lyonell kynge off Fraunce, and sir Bors he crowned hym kynge of all kyng Claudas londis, and sir Ector de Marys, sir Launcelottis yonger brother, he crowned hym kynge of Benwyke and kynge of all Gyan, whych was sir Launcelottis owne londys. And he made sir Ector prynce of them all.
And thus he departed hys londis and avaunced all hys noble knyghtes. And firste he avaunced them off hys blood, as sir Blamour, he made hym duke of Lymosyn in Gyan, and sir Bleoberys, he made hym duke of Payters. And sir Gahalantyne, he made hym deuke of Overn; and sir Galyodyn, he made hym deuke of Sentonge; and sir Galyhud, he made hym erle of Perygot; and sir Menaduke, he made hym erle of Roerge; and sir Vyllars the Valyaunt, he made hym erle of Bearne; and sir Hebes le Renownes, he made hym erle of Comange; and sir Lavayne, he made hym erle of Armynake; and sir Urré, he made hym erle of Estrake; and sir Neroveus, he made hym erle of Pardyak; and sir Plenoryus, he made hym erle of Foyse; and sir Selyses of the Dolerous Toure, he made hym erle of Marsank; and sir Melyas de le Ile, he made hym erle of Tursanke; and sir Bellyngere le Bewse, he made hym erle of the Lawundis; and sir Palomydes, he made hym deuke of Provynce; and sir Saffir, he made hym deuke of Landok. And sir Clegys, he gaff hym the erle dome of Agente; and sir Sadok, he gaff hym the erledom of Sarlat; and sir Dynas le Senesciall, he made hym deuke of Angeoy; and sir Clarrus, he made hym duke of Normandy.
Thus sir Launcelot rewarded hys noble knyghtes, and many me that mesemyth hit were to longe to rehers.
III. THE SIEGE OF BENWICK
So leve we sir Launcelot in hys londis and hys noble knyghtes with [19] hym, and returne we agayne unto kynge Arthur and unto sir Gawayne that made a grete oste aredy to the numbir of three score thousande. And all thynge was made redy for shyppyng to passe over the see, to warre uppon sir Launcelot and uppon hys londis. And so they shypped at Car
dyff.
And there kynge Arthur made sir Mordred chyeff ruler of all Ingelonde, and also he put the quene undir hys govemaunce: bycause sir Mordred was kynge Arthurs son, he gaff hym the rule off hys londe and off hys wyff.
And so the kynge passed the see and landed uppon sir Launcelottis londis, and there he brente and wasted, thorow the vengeaunce of sir Gawayne, all that they myght overrenne. So whan thys worde was com unto sir Launcelot, that kynge Arthur and sir Gawayne were landed uppon hys londis and made full grete destruccion and waste, than spake sir Bors and seyde, ‘My lorde, sir Launcelot, hit is shame that we suffir hem thus to ryde over oure londys. For wyte you well, suffir ye hem as longe as ye wyll, they woll do you no favoure and they may handyll you.’ Than seyde sir Lyonell that was ware and wyse, ‘My lorde, sir Launcelot, I woll gyff you thys counceyle: lat us kepe oure strongewalled townys untyll they have hunger and colde, and blow on their nayles; and than lat us freysshly set uppon them and shrede hem downe as shepe in a folde, that ever aftir alyauntis may take ensample how they lande uppon oure londys!’
Than spake kynge Bagdemagus to sir Launcelot and seyde, ‘Sir, youre curtesy woll shende us all, and youre curtesy hath waked all thys sorow; for and they thus overryde oure londis, they shall by procès brynge us all to nought whyle we thus in holys us hyde.’ Than seyde sir Galyhud unto sir Launcelot, ‘Sir, here bene knyghtes com of kyngis blod that woll nat longe droupe and dare within thys wallys. Therefore gyff us leve, lyke as we ben knyghtes, to mete hem in the fylde, and we shall slee them andl so deale wyth them that they shall curse the tyme that ever they cam into thys contrey.’
Than spake seven brethirn of Northe Walis whych were seven noble knyghtes, for a man myght seke seven kyngis londis or he myght fynde such seven knyghtes. And thes seven noble knyghtes seyde all at onys, ‘Sir Launcelot, for Crystis sake, late us ryde oute with sir Galyhud, for we were never wonte to coure in castels nother in noble townys.’ Than spake sir Launcelot, that was mayster and governoure of hem all, and seyde, ‘My fayre lordis, wyte you well I am full lothe to ryde oute with my knyghtes for shedynge of Crysten blood; and yet my londis I undirstonde be full bare for to sustayne any oste awhyle for the myghty warris that whylom made kyng Claudas uppon thys contrey and uppon my fadir, kyng Ban, and on myne uncle, kynge Bors. Howbehit we woll as at this tyme kepe oure stronge wallis. And I shall sende a messyngere unto my lorde Arthur a tretyse for to take, for better ys pees than allwayes warre.’
Complete Works of Sir Thomas Malory Page 96