Le Morte Darthur: The Winchester Manuscript (Oxford World's Classics)

by Malory, Thomas

  ‘Sir,’ said King Roince, ‘I came hither by a hard adventure.’

  ‘Who won you?’ said King Arthur.

  ‘Sir,’ said he, ‘the Knight with the Two Swords and his brother, which are two marvellous knights of prowess.’

  ‘I know them not,’ said Arthur, ‘but much am I beholden to them.’

  ‘Ah, sir,’ said Merlin, ‘I shall tell you: it is Balin that achieved the sword, and his brother Balan, a good knight; there liveth not a better of prowess nor of worthiness, and it shall be the greatest dole of him that ever I knew of knight, for he shall not long endure.’

  ‘Alas,’ said King Arthur, ‘that is great pity; for I am much beholden unto him, and I have evil deserved it again* for his kindness.’

  ‘Nay, nay’ said Merlin, ‘he shall do much more for you, and that shall ye know in haste. But, sir, are ye purveyed?’* said Merlin, ‘for tomorrow the host of King Nero, King Roince’s brother, will set on you or noon with a great host, and therefore make you ready, for I will depart from you.’

  [10]

  Then King Arthur made his host ready in ten battles,* and Nero was ready in the field before the Castle Terrabil with a great host, and he had ten battles, with many more people than King Arthur had. Then Nero had the vanguard with the most part of his people.

  And Merlin came to King Lot of the Isle of Orkney, and held him with a tale of prophecy, till Nero and his people were destroyed.*

  So in the meanwhile came one to King Lot, and told him while he tarried there how Nero was destroyed and slain with all his host.

  ‘Alas,’ said King Lot, ‘I am ashamed, for in my default there is many a worshipful man slain, for and we had been together there is no host under heaven were able to have matched us. But this faitor* with his prophecy hath mocked me.’

  All that did Merlin, for he knew well that and King Lot had been with his body* at the first battle, King Arthur had been slain and all his people distressed. And well Merlin knew the one of the kings should be dead that day, and loath was Merlin that any of them both should be slain; but of the twain, he had liever King Lot of Orkney had been slain than Arthur.

  ‘What is best to do?’ said King Lot. ‘Whether is me better to treat* with King Arthur or to fight?—for the greater part of our people are slain and distressed.’

  ‘Sir,’ said a knight, ‘set ye on Arthur, for they are weary and forfoughten* and we be fresh.’

  ‘As for me,’ said King Lot, ‘I would that every knight would do his part as I would do mine.’

  Then they advanced banners and smote together and bruised their spears; and Arthur’s knights, with the help of the Knight with the Two Swords and his brother Balan, put King Lot and his host to the worse. But always King Lot held him in the forefront, and did marvellous deeds of arms; for all his host was borne up by his hands,* for he abode all knights. Alas, he might not endure, the which was great pity; so worthy a knight as he was one, that he should be overmatched, that of late time before he had been a knight of King Arthur’s, and wedded the sister of him. And for because that King Arthur lay by his wife and begot on her Sir Mordred, therefore King Lot held ever against Arthur.

  So there was a knight that was called the Knight with the Strange Beast, and at that time his right name was called Pellinore, which was a good man of prowess as few in those days living; and he struck a mighty stroke at King Lot as he fought with his enemies, and he failed of his stroke and smote the horse’s neck that he foundered to the earth with King Lot, and therewith anon King Pellinore smote him a great stroke through the helm and head unto the brows. Then all the host of Orkney fled for the death of King Lot, and there they were taken and slain, all the host. But King Pellinore bore the wite* of the death of King Lot, wherefore Sir Gawain revenged the death of his father the tenth year after he was made knight, and slew King Pellinore with his own hands.

  Also there was slain at that battle twelve kings on the side of King Lot with Nero, and were buried in the church of Saint Stephen’s in Camelot, and the remnant of knights and others were buried in a great rock.*

  [11]

  ‘Sir,’ said Merlin, ‘look ye keep well the scabbard of Excalibur, for ye shall lose no blood while ye have the scabbard upon you, though ye have as many wounds upon you as ye may have.’

  So after, for great trust, Arthur betook the scabbard unto Morgan le Fay his sister, and she loved another knight better than her husband King Uriens or King Arthur. And she would have had Arthur her brother slain, and therefore she let make another scabbard for Excalibur like it by enchantment, and gave the scabbard Excalibur to her love; and the knight’s name was called Accolon, that after had near slain King Arthur. But after this Merlin told unto King Arthur of the prophecy that there should be a great battle beside Salisbury, and Mordred his own son should be against him.

  [12]

  So within a day or two King Arthur was somewhat sick, and he let pitch his pavilion in a meadow, and there he laid him down on a pallet to sleep, but he might have no rest. Right so he heard a great noise of a horse, and therewith the King looked out at the porch door of the pavilion and saw a knight coming even by him making great dole.

  ‘Abide, fair sir,’ said Arthur, ‘and tell me wherefore thou makest this sorrow.’

  ‘Ye may little amend me,’ said the knight, and so passed forth to the castle of Meliot.

  And anon after that came Balin, and when he saw King Arthur he alit off his horse and came to the King on foot, and saluted him.

  ‘By my head,’ said Arthur, ‘ye be welcome. Sir, right now came riding this way a knight making great moan, and for what cause I cannot tell; wherefore I would desire of you of your courtesy and of your gentleness* to fetch again that knight either by force or by his good will.’

  ‘I shall do more for your lordship than that,’ said Balin, ‘or else I will grieve him.’

  So Balin rode more than apace* and found the knight with a damosel under a forest, and said, ‘Sir knight, ye must come with me unto King Arthur, for to tell him of your sorrow.’

  ‘That will I not,’ said the knight, ‘for it will harm me greatly, and do you no avail.’

  ‘Sir,’ said Balin, ‘I pray you make you ready, for ye must go with me, or else I must fight with you and bring you by force; and that were me loath to do.’

  ‘Will ye be my warrant,’ said the knight, ‘and I go with you?’

  ‘Yea,’ said Balin, ‘or else by the faith of my body I will die therefore.’

  And so he made him ready to go with Balin, and left the damosel still. And as they were even before Arthur’s pavilion, there came one invisible, and smote the knight that went with Balin throughout the body with a spear.

  ‘Alas,’ said the knight, ‘I am slain under your conduct with a knight called Garlonde. Therefore take my horse, that is better than yours, and ride to the damosel, and follow the quest that I was in as she will lead you, and revenge my death when ye may.’

  ‘That shall I do,’ said Balin, ‘and that I make avow to God and knighthood.’ And so he departed from King Arthur with great sorrow.

  So King Arthur let bury this knight richly, and made mention on his tomb how here was slain Berbeus and by whom the treachery was done, of the knight Garlonde. But ever the damosel bore the truncheon of the spear with her that Sir Harleus le Berbeus was slain withal.

  [13]

  So Balin and the damosel rode into the forest, and there met with a knight that had been hunting. And that knight asked Balin for what cause he made so great sorrow.

  ‘Me list not to tell,’ said Balin.

  ‘Now,’ said the knight, ‘and I were armed as ye be, I would fight with you but if ye told me.’

  ‘That should little need,’ said Balin, ‘I am not afraid to tell you,’ and so told him all the case how it was.

  ‘Ah,’ said the knight, ‘is this all? Here I assure you by the faith of my body never to depart from you while my life lasteth.’

  And so they went to their hostelr
y and armed them, and so rode forth with Balin. And as they came by a hermitage even by a churchyard, there came Garlonde invisible, and smote this knight, Perin de Mount Beliard, through the body with a glaive.*

  ‘Alas,’ said the knight, ‘I am slain by this traitor knight that rideth invisible.’

  ‘Alas,’ said Balin, ‘this is not the first despite that he hath done me.’

  And there the hermit and Balin buried the knight under a rich stone and a tomb royal; and on the morn they found letters of gold written, how that Sir Gawain shall revenge his father’s death on King Pellinore.

  And anon after this Balin and the damosel rode forth till they came to a castle, and anon Balin alit and went in. And as soon as he was within, the portcullis was let down at his back, and there fell many men about the damosel and would have slain her. When Balin saw that, he was sore grieved, for he might not help her. But then he went up into a tower, and leapt over the walls into the ditch, and hurt not himself; and anon he pulled out his sword and would have fought with them. And they all said nay, they would not fight with him, for they did nothing but the old custom of this castle; and told him how that their lady was sick and had lain many years, and she might not be whole but if she had blood in a silver dish full, of a clean* maid and a king’s daughter. ‘And therefore the custom of this castle is that there shall no damosel pass this way but she shall bleed of her blood a silver dish full.’

  ‘Well,’ said Balin, ‘she shall bleed as much as she may bleed, but I will not lose the life of her while my life lasteth.’

  And so Balin made her to bleed by her good will, but her blood helped not the lady. And so she and he rested there all that night and had good cheer, and in the morning they passed on their ways. And as it telleth after in the Sangrail, that Sir Percival’s sister helped that lady with her blood, whereof she was dead.

  [Balin is told that he will find Garlonde at the court of King Pellam, and goes there to seek him.]

  So after this Balin asked a knight and said, ‘Is there not a knight in this court which his name is Garlonde?’

  ‘Yes, sir, yonder he goeth, the knight with the black face; for he is the marvellest knight that is now living. And he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.’

  ‘Well,’ said Balin, ‘is that he?’ Then Balin advised* him long, and thought, ‘If I slay him here I shall not escape. And if I leave him now, peradventure I shall never meet with him again at such a Steven,* and much harm he will do and he live.’

  And therewith this Garlonde espied that Balin visaged him, so he came and slapped him on the face with the back of his hand, and said, ‘Knight, why beholdest thou me so, for shame? Eat thy meat and do that thou came for.’

  ‘Thou sayest sooth,’ said Balin, ‘this is not the first spite that thou hast done me. And therefore I will do that I came for,’ and rose him up fiercely and cleft his head to the shoulders. ‘Now give me your truncheon,’ said Balin to his lady, ‘that he slew your knight with.’ And anon she gave it him, for always she bore the truncheon with her. And there-with Balin smote him through the body and said openly, ‘With that truncheon thou slewest a good knight, and now it sticketh in thy body.’*

  [15]

  So anon all the knights rose from the table for to set on Balin. And King Pellam himself arose up fiercely and said, ‘Knight, why hast thou slain my brother? Thou shall die therefore before thou depart.’

  ‘Well,’ said Balin, ‘do it yourself.’

  ‘Yes,’ said King Pellam, ‘there shall no man have ado with thee but I myself, for the love of my brother.’

  Then King Pellam caught in his hand a grim weapon and smote eagerly at Balin, but he put his sword betwixt his head and the stroke, and therewith his sword brast* asunder. And when Balin was weaponless he ran into a chamber for to seek a weapon, from chamber to chamber, and no weapon could he find; and always King Pellam followed after him. And at the last he entered into a chamber which was marvellously dight and rich, and a bed arrayed with cloth of gold, the richest that might be, and one lying therein. And thereby stood a table of clean gold; and upon the table stood a marvellous spear strangely wrought.

  So when Balin saw the spear, he got it in his hand and turned to King Pellam, and felled him and smote him passingly sore with that spear, that King Pellam fell down in a swoon. And therewith the castle broke, roof and walls, and fell down to the earth. And Balin fell down and might not stir hand nor foot; and for the most part of that castle was dead through the dolorous stroke.

  Right so lay King Pellam and Balin three days. Then Merlin came thither and took up Balin, and got him a good horse, for his was dead, and bade him void out of* that country.

  ‘Sir, I would have my damosel,’ said Balin.

  ‘Lo,’ said Merlin, ‘where she lieth dead.’

  And King Pellam lay so many years sore wounded, and might never be whole till that Galahad the haut prince healed him in the quest of the Sangrail. For in that place was part of the blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which Joseph of Arimathea brought into this land,* and there himself lay in that rich bed. And that was the spear which Longius smote Our Lord with to the heart.* And King Pellam was nigh of Joseph’s kin, and that was the most worshipful man alive in those days, and great pity it was of his hurt, for through that stroke it turned to great dole, tray, and tene.*

  Then departed Balin from Merlin, for he said, ‘Never in this world we part nor meet no more.’ So he rode forth through the fair countries and cities, and found the people dead, slain on every side. And all that ever were alive cried and said, ‘Ah, Balin, thou hast done and caused great vengeance in these countries! For the dolorous stroke thou gave unto King Pellam, these three countries are destroyed. And doubt not but the vengeance will fall on thee at the last.’

  But when Balin was past those countries he was passing fain.*

  [17]*

  And within three days he came by a cross, and thereon were letters of gold written, that said, ‘It is not for no knight alone to ride towards this castle.’

  Then saw he an old hoar gentleman coming toward him, that said, ‘Balin le Savage, thou passest thy bounds to come this way, therefore turn again and it will avail thee.’ And he vanished away anon.

  And so he heard a horn blow as it had been the death of a beast. ‘That blast’, said Balin, ‘is blown for me, for I am the prize; and yet am I not dead.’

  Anon withal he saw a hundred ladies and many knights, that welcomed him with fair semblant* and made him passing good cheer unto his sight, and led him into the castle, and there was dancing and minstrelsy and all manner of joy.

  Then the chief lady of the castle said, ‘Knight with the Two Swords, ye must have ado and joust with a knight hereby that keepeth an island, for there may no man pass this way, but he must joust or he pass.’

  ‘That is an unhappy custom,’ said Balin, ‘that a knight may not pass this way but if he joust.’

  ‘Ye shall not have ado but with one knight,’ said the lady.

  ‘Well,’ said Balin, ‘since I shall, thereto I am ready; but travelling men are oft weary, and their horses too. But though my horse be weary, my heart is not weary. I would be fain there my death should be.’*

  ‘Sir,’ said a knight to Balin, ‘me thinketh your shield is not good, I will lend you a bigger, thereof I pray you.’

  And so he took the shield that was unknown and left his own, and so rode unto the island, and put him and his horse in a great boat. And when he came on the other side he met with a damosel, and she said, ‘O knight Balin, why have ye left your own shield? Alas, ye have put yourself in great danger, for by your shield ye should have been known. It is great pity of you as ever was of knight, for of thy prowess and hardiness thou hast no fellow living.’

  ‘Me repenteth’, said Balin, ‘that ever I came within this country; but I may not turn now again for shame, and what adventure shall fall to me, be it life or death, I will take the adventure that shall come to me.’ And then he looked on his
armour, and understood he was well armed, and therewith blessed him* and mounted upon his horse.

  [18]

  Then before him he saw come riding out of a castle a knight, and his horse trapped all red, and himself in the same colour. When this knight in the red beheld Balin, him thought it should be his brother Balin because of his two swords, but because he knew not his shield he deemed it was not he.

  And so they aventred* their spears and came marvellously fast together, and they smote other in the shields, but their spears and their courses were so big that it bore down horse and man, that they lay both in a swoon. But Balin was bruised sore with the fall of his horse, for he was weary of travel. And Balan was the first that rose on foot and drew his sword, and went towards Balin, and he arose and went against him. But Balan smote Balin first, and he put up his shield and smote him through the shield and tamed* his helm. Then Balin smote him again with that unhappy sword,* and well nigh had felled his brother Balan, and so they fought there together till their breaths failed.

  Then Balin looked up to the castle and saw the towers stand full of ladies. So they went unto battle again, and wounded each other dolefully, and then they breathed ofttimes; and so went unto battle that all the place where they fought was blood red. And at that time there was none of them both but they had either smitten other seven great wounds, so that the least of them might have been the death of the mightiest giant in this world. Then they went to battle again so marvellously that doubt* it was to hear of that battle for the great blood-shedding. And their hauberks unnailed, that naked they were on every side.

  At last Balan, the younger brother, withdrew him a little and laid him down.

  Then said Balin le Savage, ‘What knight art thou? For or now I found never no knight that matched me.’

  ‘My name is’, said he, ‘Balan, brother unto the good knight Balin.’

  ‘Alas,’ said Balin, ‘that ever I should see this day,’ and therewith he fell backward in a swoon.