HowSrLauncelotandSrTurqunefoughttogether。
ANDthentheyputtherspearsntherests,andcametogetherwththerhorsesasfastastheymghtrun,andethersmoteothernmdstofthershelds,thatboththerhorses’backsbrastunderthem,andtheknghtswerebothstoned。Andassoonastheymghtavodtherhorses,theytookthersheldsaforethem,anddrewouttherswords,andcametogethereagerly,andethergaveothermanystrongstrokes,fortheremghtnethersheldsnorharnessholdtherstrokes。Andsowthnawhletheyhadbothgrmlywounds,andbledpassnggrevously。Thustheyfaredtwohoursormoretrasngandrasngetherother,wheretheymghthtanybareplace。
Thenatthelasttheywerebreathlessboth,andstoodleanngontherswords。Nowfellow,sadSrTurqune,holdthyhandawhle,andtellmewhatshallaskthee。Sayon。ThenTurqunesad,Thouartthebggestmanthatevermetwthal,andthebestbreathed,andlkeoneknghtthathateaboveallotherknghts;sobetthatthoubenothewlllghtlyaccordwththee,andforthylovewlldelveralltheprsonersthat
have,thatsthreescoreandfour,sothouwlttellmethyname。Andthouandwewllbefellowstogether,andnevertofaltheewhlethatlve。tswellsad,sadSrLauncelot,butsthentssothatmayhavethyfrendshp,whatknghtshethatthousohatestaboveallother?
Fathfully,sadSrTurqune,hsnamesSrLauncelotduLake,forheslewmybrother,SrCarados,atthedoloroustower,thatwasoneofthebestknghtsalve;andthereforehmexceptofallknghts,formayoncemeetwthhm,theoneofusshallmakeanendofother,makemneavow。AndforSrLauncelot’ssakehaveslananhundredgoodknghts,andasmanyhavemamedallutterlythattheymghtneverafterhelpthemselves,andmanyhavedednprson,andyethavethreescoreandfour,andallshallbedelveredsothouwlttellmethyname,sobetthatthoubenotSrLauncelot。
Now,seewell,sadSrLauncelot,thatsuchamanmghtbe,mghthavepeace,andsuchamanmghtbe,thatthereshouldbewarmortalbetwxtus。Andnow,srknght,atthyrequest
wllthatthouwtandknowthatamLauncelotduLake,KngBan’ssonofBenwck,andveryknghtoftheTableRound。Andnowdefythee,anddothybest。Ah,sadTurqune,Launcelot,thouartuntomemostwelcomethateverwasknght,forweshallneverdeparttlltheoneofusbedead。Thentheyhurtledtogetherastwowldbullsrushngandlashngwththersheldsandswords,thatsometmetheyfellbothoverthernoses。Thustheyfoughtstlltwohoursandmore,andneverwouldhaverest,andSrTurqunegaveSrLauncelotmanywoundsthatallthegroundthereastheyfoughtwasallbespeckledwthblood。
HowSrTurqunewasslan,andhowSrLauncelotbadeSrGahersdelveralltheprsoners。
THENatthelastSrTurqunewaxedfant,andgavesomewhataback,andbarehssheldlowforwearness。ThatespedSrLauncelot,andleaptuponhmfercelyandgathmbythebeaverofhshelmet,andpluckedhmdownonhsknees,andanonheracedoffhshelm,andsmotehsnecknsunder。AndwhenSrLauncelothaddoneths,heyodeuntothedamoselandsad,Damosel,amreadytogowthyouwhereyewllhaveme,but
havenohorse。Farsr,sadshe,takethswoundedknght’shorseandsendhmntothsmanor,andcommandhmtodelveralltheprsoners。SoSrLauncelotwentuntoGahers,andprayedhmnottobeaggrevedfortolendhmhshorse。Nay,farlord,sadGahers,wllthatyetakemyhorseatyourowncommandment,foryehavebothsavedmeandmyhorse,andthsdaysayyearethebestknghtntheworld,foryehaveslanthsdaynmysghtthemghtestmanandthebestknghtexceptyouthateversaw,and,farsr,sadGahers,prayyoutellmeyourname。Sr,mynamesSrLauncelotduLake,thatoughttohelpyouofrghtforKngArthur’ssake,andnespecalformylordSrGawane’ssake,yourowndearbrother;andwhenthatyecomewthnyondermanor,amsureyeshallfndtheremanyknghtsoftheRoundTable,forhaveseenmanyofthersheldsthatknowonyondertree。TheresKay’ssheld,andSrBrandel’ssheld,andSrMarhaus’sheld,andSrGalnd’ssheld,andSrBrandeLstnos’sheld,andSrAlduke’ssheld,wthmanymorethatamnotnowadvsedof,andalsomytwobrethren’sshelds,SrEctordeMarsandSrLonel;
whereforeprayyougreetthemallfromme,andsaythatbdthemtakesuchstuffthereastheyfnd,andthatnanywsemybrethrengountothecourtandabdemetheretllthatcome,forbythefeastofPentecostcastmetobethere,forasatthstmemustrdewththsdamoselfortosavemypromse。
AndsohedepartedfromGahers,andGahersyedentothemanor,andtherehefoundayeomanporterkeepngtheremanykeys。AnonwthalSrGahersthrewtheporteruntothegroundandtookthekeysfromhm,andhastlyheopenedtheprsondoor,andthereheletoutalltheprsoners,andeverymanloosedotheroftherbonds。AndwhentheysawSrGahers,alltheythankedhm,fortheyweenedthathewaswounded。Notso,sadGahers,twasLauncelotthatslewhmworshpfullywthhsownhands。sawtwthmneowneyes。Andhegreetethyouallwell,andprayethyoutohasteyoutothecourt;andasuntoSrLonelandEctordeMarsheprayethyoutoabdehmatthecourt。Thatshallwenotdo,sayshsbrethren,wewllfndhmanwemaylve。Soshall,sadSrKay,fndhmorcomeatthecourt,asamtrueknght。
Thenallthoseknghtssoughtthehousethereasthearmourwas,andthentheyarmedthem,andeveryknghtfoundhsownhorse,andallthateverlongeduntohm。Andwhenthswasdone,therecameaforesterwthfourhorsesladenwthfatvenson。Anon,SrKaysad,Heresgoodmeatforusforonemeal,forwehadnotmanyadaynogoodrepast。Andsothatvensonwasroasted,baken,andsodden,andsoaftersuppersomeabodethereallnght,butSrLonelandEctordeMarsandSrKayrodeafterSrLauncelottofndhmftheymght。
HowSrLauncelotrodewthadamoselandslewaknghtthatdstressedallladesandalsoavllanthatkeptabrdge。
NOWturnweuntoSrLauncelot,thatrodewththedamoselnafarhghway。Sr,sadthedamosel,herebythswayhauntethaknghtthatdstressedallladesandgentlewomen,andattheleastherobbeththemorlethbythem。What,sadSrLauncelot,sheathefandaknghtandaravsherofwomen?hedothshameuntotheorderofknghthood,andcontraryuntohsoath;tsptythathelveth。But,fardamosel,yeshallrdeonafore,yourself,andwllkeepmyselfncovert,andfthathetroubleyouordstressyoushallbeyourrescueandlearnhmtoberuledasaknght。
Sothemadrodeonbythewayasoftamblngpace,andwthnawhlecameoutthatknghtonhorsebackoutofthewood,andhspagewthhm,andthereheputthedamoselfromherhorse,andthenshecred。WththatcameLauncelotasfastashemghttllhecametothatknght,sayng,Othoufalseknghtandtratoruntoknghthood,whoddlearntheetodstressladesandgentlewomen?WhentheknghtsawSrLauncelotthusrebuknghmheanswerednot,butdrewhsswordandrodeuntoSrLauncelot,andSrLauncelotthrewhsspearfromhm,anddrewouthssword,andstruckhmsuchabuffetonthehelmetthatheclavehsheadandneckuntothethroat。Nowhastthouthypaymentthatlongthouhastdeserved!Thatstruth,sadthedamosel,forlkeasSrTurqunewatchedtodestroyknghts,soddthsknghtattendtodestroyanddstresslades,damosels,andgentlewomen,andhsnamewasSrPersdeForestSavage。
Now,damosel,sadSrLauncelot,wllyeanymoreservceofme?
Nay,sr,shesad,atthstme,butalmghtyJesupreserveyouwheresomeveryerdeorgo,forthecurtestknghtthouart,andmeekestuntoallladesandgentlewomen,thatnowlveth。Butonethng,srknght,methnkethyelack,yethatareaknghtwfeless,thathewllnotlovesomemadenorgentlewoman,for
couldneverhearsaythateveryelovedanyofnomannerdegree,andthatsgreatpty;buttsnosedthatyeloveQueenGuenever,andthatshehathordanedbyenchantmentthatyeshallneverlovenoneotherbuther,nornoneotherdamoselnorladyshallrejoceyou;whereforemanynthsland,ofhghestateandlow,makegreatsorrow。
Fardamosel,sadSrLauncelot,maynotwarnpeopletospeakofmewhattpleaseththem;butfortobeaweddedman,thnktnot;forthenmustcouchwthher,andleavearmsandtournaments,battles,andadventures;andasfortosayfortotakemypleasauncewthparamours,thatwllrefusenprncpalfordreadofGod;forknghtsthatbeadventurousorlecherousshallnotbehappynorfortunateuntothewars,forothertheyshallbeovercomewthasmplerknghtthantheybethemselves,otherelsetheyshallbyunhapandthercursednessslaybettermenthantheybethemselves。Andsowhothatusethparamoursshallbeunhappy,andallthngsunhappythatsaboutthem。
AndsoSrLauncelotandshedeparted。Andthenherodenadeepforesttwodaysandmore,andhadstratlodgng。Soonthethrddayherodeoveralongbrdge,andtherestertuponhmsuddenlyapassngfoulchurl,andhesmotehshorseonthenosethatheturnedabout,andaskedhmwhyherodeoverthatbrdgewthouthslcence。Whyshouldnotrdethsway?sadSrLauncelot,maynotrdebesde。Thoushaltnotchoose,sadthechurl,andlashedathmwthagreatclubshodwthron。
ThenSrLauncelotdrewhsswordandputthestrokeaback,andclavehsheaduntothepaps。Attheendofthebrdgewasafarvllage,andallthepeople,menandwomen,credonSrLauncelot,andsad,Aworsedeedddstthouneverforthyself,forthouhastslanthechefporterofourcastle。SrLauncelotletthemsaywhattheywould,andstraghthewentntothecastle;andwhenhecamentothecastlehealghted,andtedhshorsetoarngonthewallandtherehesawafargreencourt,andththerhedressedhm,fortherehmthoughtwasafarplacetofghtn。Sohelookedabout,andsawmuchpeoplendoorsandwndowsthatsad,Farknght,thouartunhappy。
HowSrLauncelotslewtwogants,andmadeacastlefree。
ANONwthalcamethereuponhmtwogreatgants,wellarmedallsavetheheads,wthtwohorrbleclubsntherhands。SrLauncelotputhssheldaforehmandputthestrokeawayoftheonegant,andwthhsswordheclavehsheadasunder。
Whenhsfellowsawthat,heranawayashewerewood,forfearofthehorrblestrokes,andLauncelotafterhmwthallhsmght,andsmotehmontheshoulder,andclavehmtothenavel。