by Howard Pyle
Quoth the Bishop, “I will bespeak the King that point. Meantime, do you remain here without endeavoring either to attack or to escape.”
She said, “I will remain here in peace until this time to-morrow.”
So the Bishop returned to the King and he brought that word to him; that a pledge must also be given for the safety to the life of those knights who thus guarded and sheltered the Queen. Then the King frowned, and he said, “What other conditions will they impose upon me; why should I give this pledge to those who have acted treasonably against me?”
The King promises to spare the knights of the castle.
Then Sir Gawaine plucked the King by the sleeve and the King turned aside with him. And Sir Gawaine whispered for awhile with the King and by and by the King turned again to the Bishop and he said to the Bishop, “Very well, then; take thou this my word to those knights that I will in no wise do harm to them whilst they are within this Kingdom of Britain. Take thou that word unto them.”
So the Bishop took that word to them within the castle and they were very glad of it. And Sir Launcelot said to the Bishop, “Let the King return to Camelot, and I will bring the Queen to him in three days’ time surrounded by all the pomp and circumstance that appertain to her lordly grace.”
So the King withdrew his army from that place and he returned to Camelot. And Sir Launcelot made ready to bring the Queen to him at Camelot.
Thus came to an ending that sad and cruel war in the which many good knights and warriors lost their lives and in which fourteen worthy knights of the Round Table lost their lives.
For though all those knights were commanders of armies and of battalions, yet death came to them as to other men of lesser note, so that many of them, even to the highest, laid down their lives in this dolorous war.
For so the hand of Fate lay heavy on that great and glorious company, for though all grieved and made great sorrow over the war, and over those who had died therein, and though comrade grieved over comrade who died therein — even over those who were upon the other side and who were enemies — yet the hand of Fate thrust them forward to do what they were compelled to do, and to slay and to be slain in that sorrowful battle.
And so it was to the end, for ere that end was reached others who were the foremost and the greatest of them all laid their bodies down to an eternal sleep upon the bosom of that earth that gave them shape and foothold. For yet were there other wars to come until all but a very few of those who were left had given all that they had of the earth to give in those wars.
But of this anon, for that which followeth has to treat of those things.
So now followeth the history of those things that remain to be hereinafter related in that which followeth, as shall now appear.
Chapter Sixth
Sir Launcelot brings the Queen to King Arthur at Camelot. He quitteth England, and King Arthur and Sir Gawaine pursue him.
SO THE KING went to Camelot, and upon the third day the Queen was brought to him at that place.
Thus saith the history of these things when the Queen was brought to the Court of the King, to wit:
How Sir Launcelot brings the Queen to Camelot.
First there came an hundred knights clad cap-a-pie all in armor and with fittings and trimmings of green velvet. And these knights wore olive wreaths upon their heads, indicative of peace. Followed these, four and twenty esquires clad all in green velvet, and these were also crowned with olive wreaths. After these came four and twenty ladies in waiting upon the Queen, and these, like all the others, were clad in green velvet and were embroidered with pearls and precious stones even to the heels of their horses, and the bridles of their horses were bound with wreaths of olive. Then came the Queen and Sir Launcelot clad all in white samite, and the Queen carried an olive branch in her hand and Sir Launcelot was crowned with an olive wreath. And the raiment of these two was all aglitter with the jewels and pearls with which their clothes were embroidered until they were stiff with that embroidery.
How the King sat at Camelot.
At that time King Arthur received them seated upon his throne with great dignity in the hall of the Castle at Camelot. And the throne upon which he sat was of wrought gold and was cushioned and trimmed with crimson velvet, embroidered in gold with the figures of leopards. And over above the throne was a great canopy of crimson velvet ornamented with the figures of leopards, embroidered with threads of gold. The King was clothed all in white, and he wore a gold chain studded with jewels about his neck and he wore his royal crown upon his head. Upon the left hand of the King stood seven bishops in full canonical robes, and upon his right hand was a throne like to his, and on that throne the Queen should have been seated. But she was not seated there, for otherwise it was empty.
Upon the left hand of the King, but upon the second step below the throne, sat Sir Gawaine, the beloved nephew of the King. And all about the hall were several hundred knights in full armor and armed cap-a-pie with sword and lance, so that that hall glittered and gleamed with the shine of that armor.
So King Arthur sat in state to receive the return of the Queen, and anon she came to that place where the King awaited her. First came the knights and esquires of Sir Launcelot, and these drew up in two parties extending the length of the hall, leaving a line between them. Then came Sir Launcelot and the Queen walking hand in hand up the length of that lane, and the faces of Sir Launcelot and of that lady were both of them exceedingly pale — hers with fear and his with fear for her. Behind these two came the four and twenty ladies in waiting upon the Queen, and these stopped in the midst of that lane and waited, whilst she and Sir Launcelot approached King Arthur.
So Sir Launcelot and the Queen came to the foot of the throne where sat the King, and when they had come to that spot Sir Launcelot kneeled and the Queen stood before King Arthur.
Sir Launcelot speaketh.
Quoth Sir Launcelot, “Dread Lord and King, here I bring to you your Queen as I have promised to do, and if I took her away in sorrow and in haste, then do I return her to you with ten thousand times the joy as compared to what was that sorrow, and in ten thousand times the peace and amity to what was that haste. Lord, for thirteen weeks has she dwelt at Joyous Gard with all the state and circumstance due to her royalty, and she cometh to you now as pure and as virginal as she came to you at Camilard when first you loved her at that place and she loved you. Lord, I pray you that you will take the Queen to your heart, and will cherish her there as you one time cherished her, for, excepting that you pledged me your word that no harm should befall her, she otherwise would not have been thus brought to you as she is brought to-day.”
The King rebukes Sir Launcelot.
Then King Arthur frowned until his eyes disappeared beneath his eyebrows. For a little he answered nothing, then in a little he said, “Messire, one time you were my friend and the best-beloved of all my knights, but that time is past and gone, never to return again, for now it is altogether otherwise with me and with you. Messire, I admire at your coolness and phlegm. For you took my Queen away from me by force and by force have you held her for all these several months. Many knights have died by your hand and through your instrumentality, and several of those knights were knights of my Round Table that one time held you to it in bonds of love and amity. Yet now you stand before me and recommend to me that I shall take back my Queen into my heart again. Messire, wit you not that that which hath been done can never be undone, but is and must remain altogether finished and completed? So it is with this thing that you have done; for it also is and must remain altogether finished and completed. Look you, Messire, here beside me is this throne, which is empty. So it shall remain forever empty for me, for never again shall Queen Guinevere or any other queen occupy it, for I hereby and herewith renounce her utterly and entirely. She hath withdrawn herself from my court and my bed and so she shall forever remain withdrawn from them, for never again will I take her to my heart, or place her in that estate which she once occupied.
“I have pledged myself that no harm shall come to her through me; but herewith I give her over to the Church. There she shall remain a recluse until the day of her death.”
So said King Arthur, and at a motion of his hand the Lord Bishop of Rochester came forth and took the Lady by the hand and led her away; and as he led her away, she was weeping very bitterly.
So the Bishop of Rochester took the Queen to the Convent of Saint Bridget at Rochester, and there she remained the lady abbess of that convent even to the day of her death, as shall hereinafter be related.
Now all this while Sir Launcelot still kneeled before King Arthur, and anon the King said to him again, “Messire, your own doom I will not announce to you; but I will relegate the annunciation of that doom to this lord, my well-beloved nephew, Sir Gawaine. For the injury which you did to him is a thousand times greater than the injury which you did to me. For though you took my Queen away from me, yet you did her no harm. But with him, you slew five of his blood; to wit, three of his brethren and two of his sons. And whilst three of them were in arms against you so that you slew them wittingly and in self-defence, yet two of those stood unarmed and naked before you, and those two loved you better than anyone in all the world. One of those two your own hand made a knight and the other was knit to you with many acts and deeds of friendship and of love. Accordingly, I commit your doom to Sir Gawaine to announce to you.”
Sir Gawaine pronounces the doom of banishment against Sir Launcelot.
Then Sir Gawaine smiled very bitterly upon Sir Launcelot, and he said, “Messire, this is the doom that I pronounce. The King hath, in his great clemency, promised you that no harm shall befall you in life or in limb. So no harm shall come to you in that way if you are reasonable and obey the commands of the King. This is his command — that in fifteen days from this you must quit this kingdom, and that you shall never again return to it whilst I live or while the King liveth.
And against his knights.
“Also I pronounce the doom of banishment against those who have been associated with you in these late affairs, to wit, against Sir Ector de Maris, Sir Bors de Ganis and Sir Ure, and Sir Blamor and Sir Bleoberis de Ganis, against Sir Galahautin, and Sir Galahud, and Sir Menaduke, and Sir Galahadin, and Sir Hebes, and Sir Lavaine, and Sir Melias de Lisle, and Sir Palamydes, and Sir Safyr, and Sir Clegis. Upon all of these I pronounce the doom of banishment upon behalf of this King, and if any of you be found within this isle of Britain fifteen days from now, you will be arrested and hanged as traitors. Meantime all your castles, earldoms, and baronies shall be forfeited to the King.”
Said Sir Launcelot, “Sir, that is a bitter sentence; for here in this island have I lived all my life, and of it I love every stock and stone that mine eyes behold. But if I be outlawed and cast forth from this kingdom, then will I go to my Castle of Chillion in the land of France, and there I believe I shall be right well welcome and protected. So come, my lords, and let us be gone to that country whiles there yet remains time for us to depart.”
Sir Launcelot and his knights withdraw.
So Sir Launcelot and all those lords who were condemned with him departed from the coast of England and entered into France, where they took up their lodging with much sorrow and repining.
And King Arthur seized upon all their earldoms, baronies, and estates, and some of these he bestowed elsewhere and some of them he held for the crown.
Now after those knights had departed for France, Sir Gawaine urged upon King Arthur that he should follow them to that kingdom and attack them there at the Castle of Chillion. King Arthur said, “Sir, why should I do this thing? Did not Sir Launcelot bring back my Queen to me and did I not forgive him for what he had done? Is he not now banished from the land, and is he not then punished for all those things that he has done? Let him now live and die in peace.”
But to this Sir Gawaine ever answered, “Sir, I cannot reconcile it to myself thus to surrender my rights in this case. For Sir Launcelot slew my brothers and my sons, and never will I forgive him for that offence. Either his blood or my blood shall answer for this; wherefore, if thou wilt not follow him to France, then I myself will go thither and will seek him out and punish him. As for thee, thou mayst forgive him as a man, but yet thou mayst not forgive him as a king. For as a king thou art the head of the law, wherefore thou mayst not forgive one who hath broken the law. So with Sir Launcelot of the Lake, for he broke the laws and he brought these Knights of the Round Table against thee and to follow him; wherefore it is thy duty under the law to assail him and to punish him for his treason, and also to punish those who follow him likewise for their treason.”
The King moveth against Sir Launcelot.
Now by this time King Arthur was growing toward being an old man, and he was much broken by sorrow and by cares, wherefore these words of Sir Gawaine so moved him that at last he agreed to sail with an army into France and to attack Sir Launcelot and his friends at Chillion. So King Arthur entrusted the government of Britain to his nephew, Sir Mordred (who was brother to Sir Gawaine), and he and Sir Gawaine departed with a great army for France.
So this army appeared before the Castle of Chillion, and they shut Sir Launcelot and his friends up within the castle and besieged them at that place.
Then said Sir Launcelot, “How is this; hath not King Arthur any mercy upon us, or doth he seek our lives and our blood? Well, if he seeks those lives and that blood, then will there be many cruel and bitter battles betwixt us, and many knights shall fall, and so will come the entire end of the Round Table. Ah, well, if God willeth that it be so, so it must be.”
Of the battles about Chillion.
So there were many battles around about Chillion and many lost their lives. And though the knights of King Arthur lost more lives than did the knights of Sir Launcelot, yet they could better afford to lose those lives because new knights were constantly coming from Britain to replenish the army of King Arthur, but no new knights were coming to the army of Sir Launcelot, wherefore his losses were not replenished to him.
Now at that time there was a very wise and learned physician in the camp of King Arthur, and one day Sir Gawaine sent for this learned man to come to him. When that wise man stood before Sir Gawaine, Sir Gawaine said to him this, “Sir, can you not produce for me a lotion that shall render me free from all wounds of any sort?”
The wise man provides medicine for Sir Gawaine.
Quoth the wise man, “Sir, this is impossible. But I can give to you a medicine of this sort, that if you take it, you will, from the ninth hour of morning until the prime of noon, have the strength in your limbs and in your arms as of ten men.” Sir Gawaine laughed, and said, “Provide me then with that medicine.”
So the wise man prepared that medicine and gave it to Sir Gawaine, and so it was for him as that physician had promised. For from the ninth hour of the morning until the prime of noon, Sir Gawaine was uplifted in arm and body to the strength of ten men.
Sir Gawaine giveth challenge against Sir Launcelot.
So the next day after this medicine had been delivered to him, Sir Gawaine went to the walls of the castle and he paraded under the walls of the castle, and he called out, “Sir Launcelot, come forth and do me battle. For this satisfaction thou owest to me for slaying my kindred.” But Sir Launcelot would not come forth to do him battle. For Sir Launcelot still loved Sir Gawaine and he loved King Arthur; both for the sake of those times that were past and gone, when they had joy and pleasure together. So because that the one was Sir Gawaine and the other was King Arthur, he would not come forth to do battle. Nay, because of his love for those two, Sir Launcelot would not fight in that part of the battle where Sir Gawaine or King Arthur was, but would do battle at other parts.
But when the next day had come, Sir Gawaine came again and the strength of ten men was in his arms and his body. And he paraded back and forth under the walls of the castle, and ever as he paraded he cried out
aloud, “Sir Launcelot, thou caitiff knight! Come forth and do me battle! For thy doom is upon thee, and thou shalt die in this war; wherefore, come and do me battle, or else announce that thou art afraid of me.”
But still Sir Launcelot would not go forth against him, but he sat in the castle and groaned for sorrow and bitterness of spirit. Then Sir Ector came to Sir Launcelot, and he said, “Kinsman, suffer me that I go forth and do battle in thy behalf; for this man sharneth us by this challenge.”
Then Sir Launcelot wept, and he said, “Thou shalt not go, for wit you that I loved this man better than mine own blood. And if he should be slain, then will my heart be filled with grief such as can never vacate it again. And if thou art killed, then will I be without my brother, and must take it upon me to fight Sir Gawaine upon the behalf of thy death. Wherefore, I pray thee go not forth to meet him.”
But ever Sir Ector besought Sir Launcelot saying, “Brother, suffer me to go!” And at last Sir Launcelot said, “Well go, and may God be with thee!”
So Sir Ector armed himself and departed out of the castle to meet Sir Gawaine.
Then Sir Gawaine rode up to Sir Ector and he said to him, “Sir, what knight are you?” Quoth Sir Ector, “I am Sir Ector de Maris, the brother of Sir Launcelot of the Lake.” Said Sir Gawaine, “Why come you here?” And Sir Ector replied, “I come to do battle with you upon my brother’s behalf.” Then Sir Gawaine laughed and he said, “Sir, you are welcome. Rather would I have it that you were Sir Launcelot, but failing him I will accept you as his proxy. So make yourself ready to encounter me.”
Sir Gawaine overthroweth Sir Ector.
So each of those two knights rode to a certain distance and prepared himself for that encounter. And when they were in all ways prepared they charged very furiously against one another. In that meeting the spear of Sir Ector broke into many pieces, but the spear of Sir Gawaine held. And because he had the strength of ten men behind his spear, it penetrated the shield of Sir Ector and it penetrated his body, so that it stood a haeadth out behind his back.