CHAPTER III. THE DWARF AND THE LANCE.
After {047}Sir Jaufry had rode on his way, Estout his promise kept, andto each knight restored both horse and arms. That evening he set out forArthur's court, which he resolved to reach before the jousts and gamesand banquetings were o'er. Eight days had they been holden in thosehalls when he arrived there with his company. 'Twas after dinner, as theking was seated with his lords, lending an ear to minstrels' tales andthe discourse of knights, who told of acts of lofty prowess done, thatEstout came with that armed troop of knights. Having alighted at thepalace-gates, they soon were led before the worthy king; when, kneelingat his feet, Estout expressed himself in terms like these:
"Sure, may that high King who made and fashioned {048}all things, He,the Lord of every sovereign, who hath nor peer nor mate, now save us inyour company!"
"Friend," the king replied, "God save you, and your friends beside! Whoare ye, and what come ye here to seek?"
"My lord, I will recount you the whole truth: from Jaufry, son of Dovon,come we, to proclaim ourselves your captives, and submit to your justlaw. Sir Jaufry hath delivered all these knights, whom I had capturedone by one, and who were bound to follow me on foot,--for they had mercyonly on such terms; now he hath conquered me by force of arms."
"And when thou last beheldst him," asked the king, "by that true faiththou ow'st to gracious Heaven, say, was he well in health?"
"Yea, sire, by the troth I owe to you, believe, that eight days since,arise to-morrow's sun, I left him sound, robust, and full of fire. Hewould not even tarry to break bread; for he declared no food should passhis lips, no joy, no pleasure, no repose be his, until the knight namedTaulat he had found. He now is on his track; and I engage, that if hemeet him, and a chance do get to measure sword with sword, it will bestrange {049}an he not force him to cry grace; for I do not believe theworld doth own a braver knight, or one more strong in arms. I speak fromproof, who dearly know his force."
"O Heaven, in which I trust," cried Arthur, as he clasped his hands,"grant me my prayer, that Jaufry fry safe and sound may back return!Already is he known a doughty knight, and noble are the gifts he hithersends."
Leave we now bold Estout to tell his tale, and turn we to our knight. Ihave related how Sir Jaufry still went on seeking his foe by valley andby mount; yet neither spied nor heard he living man to give him tidings.He rode on thus, nor met he man or beast till the high noon was passed.The sun had now become intensely hot, and hardly could he bear itsburning ray; still, neither sun, nor hunger, thirst, nor aught beside,could cow his spirit. Determined not to stop upon his road till he hadTaulat met, he still progressed, though ne'er a soul was seen.
As he pressed hotly on, some hours' riding found the youthful knightclose by a gentle hill shaded by one of nature's finest trees. Pendentthere hung from an outstretching bough a fair white lance of ash withpoint {050}of burnished steel. Thinking a knight perchance was restingnear, Jaufry in that direction turned his horse, and galloped towardsthe spot. When he had reached the bottom of the hill, he nimbly leapthim down, and walked to the high tree; but, to his great surprise,no soul was there, naught save the lance suspended to the bough. Withwonder then--asking of himself why arm so stout and good, the point ofwhich like virgin silver shone, should there be placed--he took it down,and his own resting gainst the mossy trunk, handled and brandished thisnew dainty lance, which he discovered to be good as fair.
"Good faith," quoth he, "I will e'en keep this arm, and leave mine ownbehind."
Whilst making this exchange, a dwarf of frightful shape suddenly rushedfrom out a neighbouring grove. Stunted and broad and fat, he had amonstrous head, from which straight hair streamed down and crossed hisback; long eyebrows hid his eyes; his nose was large and shapeless;nostrils so immense they would have held your fists; and thick andbluish lips rested on large and crooked fangs; a stiff moustachesurrounded this huge mouth; and to his very girdle flowed {051}hisbeard; he measured scarce a foot from waist to heel; his head was sunkenin his shoulders high; and his arms seemed so short, that useless wouldhave been the attempt to bind them at his back. As to his hands, theywere like paws of toads, so broad and webbed.
"Knight," cried this monster, "woe befals the man who meddles with thatlance! Thou wilt receive thy dues, and dangle on our tree; come, then,give up thy shield."
Sir Jaufry eyed the dwarf, and angrily replied:
"What mean you by such tale, misshapen wretch?" At this the dwarf setup so loud a cry that all the vale resounded; and at once a knight wellarmed, mounted upon a steed in iron cased, came, with high threats uponhis lips exclaiming:
"Woe to the man who hath dared touch the lance!"
Having the hill attained, he Jaufry saw; and thereupon he said:
"By Heaven, sir knight! to do what thou hast done is proof thou carestlittle for thy life."
"And why so, lord?" Sir Jaufry calmly asked.
"Thou shalt soon learn. No man doth touch that lance {052}and get himhence without a fight with me. If I unhorse the knight so bold as dareto touch it, and conquer him by arms, no ransom saves his life,--Ihang him by the neck; and on my gallows which thou seest from here fullthree-and-thirty dangle in mid air."
"Tell me now faithfully," Sir Jaufry said,--"can he who sues for mercygain it at thy hands?"
"Yea, but on one condition I have firmly fixed; which is, that never inhis life he cross a horse; ne'er cut his hair or pare his nails; ne'ereat of wheaten bread, or taste of wine; and never on his back wear otherdress than what his hands have woven. Should he such terms accept beforethe fight, he may perchance find grace; but naught can save the man whoonce hath fought."
"And if he know not how to weave such dress?" asked Jaufry.
"The art to weave, to shape the doth, and sew, must then be learned,"the knight replied. "Say, then, if thou consent; or if thou choose thishour to be thy last."
"I'll not do so," quoth Jaufry; "for too hard the labour seems."
"Thou'lt do it well before five years are fled; for thou art tall andstrong."
"No, {053}by my troth, I'd rather chance the fight, since 'twould appearI've no alternative."
"Take my defiance, then!" cried out the knight; "and bear in mind, thecombat 's to the death."
"So be it!" said Sir Jaufry; "I'll defend myself."
They drew apart some space with such-like words, each thinking on hisside a victim soon would fall. Then the knight came and thundered at hisfoe. In shivers flew the lance; but Jaufry bore the shock unmoved. Notso the knight; for Jaufry, his weapon planting at his shield, broke itright through; the hauberk too beside, and wood and iron, for a cubit'slength, pierced through the shoulder.
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He fell: Jaufry with naked blade was by his side; but as he saw himthus, so poorly sped,--
"Knight," he exclaimed, "methinks thy hanging-trade is done."
"Lord," cried the wounded man, "unhappily 'tis true. Thou hast too wellperformed thy work for safety henceforth to be banished hence."
"I will not trust to that," quoth Jaufry; "or at least, it shan'tprevent my hanging thee."
"In Heaven's name, my lord, I crave thy grace!"
"And by what claim canst thou obtain it, thou who {054}never yet hastgranted it to man? Thou shalt find pity, such as those yonder found whoonce begged grace of thee."
"If, good my lord, my head have erred, my heart been black and habitsvillanous, guard thee from following in my steps. I ask for mercy--thatshould I receive. Wilt thou, a man of lofty virtue, choose that ever thereproach should come to thee of hanging up a brave and courteous knight,such as I once did bear the title of?"
"Thou liest in thy throat," Sir Jaufry said; "never couldst thou beprized a proper knight, but rather, I believe, an arrant knave. Who dotha villain's act doth forfeit rank and chivalry alike. In vain thy suit;no pardon shalt thou find."
Undoing his steel helmet as he spoke, he seized a rope and placed itround his neck; then, dragging him beneath the dismal tree, he well andfairl
y hung him up thereto.
"Good friend," he then apostrophised the knight, "the passage now may beconsidered safe, and travellers need fear little more from thee."
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Leaving him hanging upon such adieu, he rode towards the dwarf, as withintent to kill. But when the latter {055}saw him thus return, crossinghis arms full quickly on his breast,--
"Fair sir," he cried, "I yield to you and Heaven; but grant me, pray,your pity. Of myself no evil have I done; since, had I disobeyed theknight, I should have lost my life. Maugre myself, for fourteen yearsI've watched this lance, which twice a-day I burnished. Woe had betidedme if I had bilked such task, or failed by signal to advise my lord whenit was touched by knight. This, fair my lord, hath been my only crime."
"Thou mayst have mercy," Jaufry said, "an thou dost that which I shallnow command."
"Speak, good my lord; and God confound me if I lose a word!"
"Rise, then, and hie thee to King Arthur's court. Tell to that king theson of Dovon sends thee, and presents this lance which he hath won, thefairest weapon eye hath e'er beheld. Recount to him beside thy lord'sill-deeds, how that so many worthy knights he'd hung, and how in histurn like meed was given unto him."
"My lord," exclaimed the dwarf, "all this I promise you."
And Jaufry made reply, "Well then, begone!"
It {056}was one Monday eye that this fell out, just at the setting sun.The night came shortly on serene and fair, and the full moon shone outas bright as day. Jaufry pursued his road,--for naught could change hispurpose,--and the dwarf prepared to execute his trust. At peep of mornhe started for Carlisle, where, after certain time, he safely came. Theking was breaking up his court, which for two weeks he there had held,and knights and barons all were going their way content and glad,bearing rich guerdons from their noble lord, when curiosity their stepsdetained at sight of a strange dwarf, who in his hand a handsome lancedid hold. This dwarf pushed forward to the palace-hall, where each witheager eye observed his shape; for never till that day had they beheldsuch wondrous man; but he, passing the gaping crowd without remark,straight to the monarch's throne his steps pursued; and there he said:
"May God, most noble sire, grant you weal! Albeit my form is strange,yet, please you, hear, for I do come a messenger from far."
"Dwarf," said the king, "God save thee too! for thou methinks arthonest. Speak without fear, and do thy message featly."
The {057}dwarf preluded with a sigh, and thus began:
"Sire, from Dovon's son I bear to you this lance, which has been causeof mourning dire and great. Proud of his valour and his strength, aknight had hung it to a tree upon a hill, where I have watched it,burnished it beside twice every day, for fourteen weary years. If aknight touched it, I by my cry aroused my lord, who then, all armed,would rush upon the stranger; being vanquished, he was quickly seizedand by the neck incontinently hung. 'Twas thus that three-and-thirty mettheir fate; when that the knight, whose messenger I am, conquered thislord and won the lance, hanging in turn its owner for his deeds. This isthe lance that now he sends to you; and here am I, your vassal and yourslave."
"'Tis well," the king replied; "but, dwarf, now give me, on thy faith,some news of brave Sir Jaufry: without a lie, say when thou saw'st himlast."
"'Twas Monday evening, please you, my good lord; I left him when thefray was o'er and he had finished hanging up the knight."
"And was his health then good?"
"Yea, sire, with God's help, and well disposed and gay."
"Good {058}Lord divine and full of glory," cried the king with claspedhands, "grant of your grace that I behold him safe; for scant mypleasure and my joys will be till I have held him in these arms again!"
Jaufry the Knight and the Fair Brunissende: A Tale of the Times of King Arthur Page 6