shallmakeyourdelverancewthyourworshp。Tellme,sadAlsander,bywhatmeans,andyeshallhavemylove。
Farknght,sadshe,thscastleofrghtoughttobemne,andhaveanunclethewhchsamghtyearl,hesEarlofPase,andofallfolkshehatethmostMorganleFay;andshallsenduntohmandprayhmformysaketodestroythscastlefortheevlcustomsthatbeusedtheren;andthenwllhecomeandsetwld-freoneverypartofthecastle,andshallgetyououtataprvypostern,andthereshallyehaveyourhorseandyourharness。Yesaywell,damosel,sadAlsander。Andthenshesad:Yemaykeeptheroomofthscastlethstwelvemonthandaday,thenbreakyenotyouroath。
Truly,fardamosel,sadAlsander,yesaysooth。Andthenhekssedher,andddtoherpleasaunceastpleasedthembothattmesandlesures。
Soanonshesentuntoheruncleandbadehmcomeanddestroythatcastle,forasthebooksath,hewouldhavedestroyedthatcastleaforetmehadnotthatdamoselbeen。Whentheearlunderstoodherlettershesentherwordaganthatonsuchadayhewouldcomeanddestroythatcastle。SowhenthatdaycamesheshowedAlsanderaposternwherethroughheshouldfleentoagarden,andthereheshouldfndhsarmourandhshorse。Whenthedaycamethatwasset,ththercametheEarlofPasewthfourhundredknghts,andsetonfreallthepartsofthecastle,thatortheyceasedtheyleftnotastonestandng。
Andallthswhlethatthefrewasnthecastleheabodenthegarden。AndwhenthefrewasdoneheletmakeacrythathewouldkeepthatpeceofearththereasthecastleofLaBealeRegardwasatwelvemonthandaday,fromallmannerknghtsthatwouldcomeSothappedtherewasadukethathghtAnsrus,andhewasoftheknofSrLauncelot。Andthsknghtwasagreatplgrm,foreverythrdyearhewouldbeatJerusalem。AndbecauseheusedallhslfetogonplgrmagemencalledhmDukeAnsrusthePlgrm。
AndthsdukehadadaughterthathghtAlce,thatwasapassngfarwoman,andbecauseofherfathershewascalledAlcelaBealePlgrm。AndanonassheheardofthscryshewentuntoArthur’scourt,andsadopenlynhearngofmanyknghts,thatwhatknghtmayovercomethatknghtthatkeepeththatpeceofearthshallhavemeandallmylands。
WhentheknghtsoftheRoundTableheardhersaythusmanywereglad,forshewaspassngfarandofgreatrents。RghtsosheletcryncastlesandtownsasfastonhersdeasAlsanderddonhssde。ThenshedressedherpavlonstraghtbythepeceoftheearththatAlsanderkept。SoshewasnotsosoontherebuttherecameaknghtofArthur’scourtthathghtSagramoreleDesrous,andheprofferedtojoustwthAlsander;andtheyencountered,andSagramoreleDesrousbrsedhsspearuponSrAlsander,butSrAlsandersmotehmsohardthatheavodedhssaddle。AndwhenLaBealeAlcesawhmjoustsowell,shethoughthmapassnggoodlyknghtonhorseback。Andthensheleaptoutofherpavlon,andtookSrAlsanderbythebrdle,andthusshesad:Farknght,requretheeofthyknghthoodshowmethyvsage。darewell,sadAlsander,showmyvsage。Andthenheputoffhshelm;andshesawhsvsage,shesad:OsweetJesu,theemustlove,andneverother。Thenshowmeyourvsage,sadhe。
HowAlsandermetwthAlcelaBealePlgrm,andhowhejoustedwthtwoknghts;andafterofhmandofSrMordred。
Thensheunwmpledhervsage。Andwhenhesawherhesad:Herehavefoundmyloveandmylady。
Truly,farlady,sadhe,promseyoutobeyourknght,andnoneotherthatbeareththelfe。Now,gentleknght,sadshe,tellmeyourname。Mynames,sadhe,AlsanderleOrpheln。Now,damosel,tellmeyourname,sadhe。Mynames,sadshe,AlcelaBealePlgrm。Andwhenwebemoreatourheart’sease,bothyeandshalltellotherofwhatbloodwebecome。
Sotherewasgreatlovebetwxtthem。AndastheythustalkedtherecameaknghtthathghtHarsouseleBerbuse,andaskedpartofSrAlsander’sspears。ThenSrAlsanderencounteredwthhm,andatthefrstSrAlsandersmotehmoverhshorse’scroup。AndthentherecameanotherknghtthathghtSrHewgon,andSrAlsandersmotehmdownasheddthatother。ThenSrHewgonprofferedtodobattleonfoot。SrAlsanderovercamehmwththreestrokes,andtherewouldhaveslanhmhadhenotyeldedhm。SothenAlsandermadeboththoseknghtstosweartowearnonearmournatwelvemonthandaday。
ThenSrAlsanderalghteddown,andwenttoresthmandreposehm。ThenthedamoselthathelpedSrAlsanderoutofthecastle,nherplaytoldAlcealltogetherhowhewasprsonernthecastleofLaBealeRegard,andthereshetoldherhowshegothmoutofprson。
Sr,sadAlcelaBealePlgrm,meseemethyearemuchbeholdngtothsmaden。Thatstruth,sadSrAlsander。AndthereAlcetoldhmofwhatbloodshewascome。Sr,wtyewell,shesad,thatamofthebloodofKngBan,thatwasfatheruntoSrLauncelot。
Y-ws,farlady,sadAlsander,mymothertoldmethatmyfatherwasbrotheruntoakng,andnghcousnuntoSrTrstram。
Thenthswhlecametherethreeknghts,thatonehghtVans,andtheotherhghtHarvsdelesMarches,andthethrdhghtPerndelaMontane。AndwthonespearSrAlsandersmotethemdownallthree,andgavethemsuchfallsthattheyhadnolsttofghtuponfoot。
Sohemadethemtosweartowearnonearmsnatwelvemonth。
SowhentheyweredepartedSrAlsanderbeheldhsladyAlceonhorsebackashestoodnherpavlon。Andthenwashesoenamoureduponherthathewstnotwhetherhewereonhorsebackoronfoot。
RghtsocamethefalseknghtSrMordred,andsawSrAlsanderwasassotteduponhslady;andtherewthalhetookhshorsebythebrdle,andledhmhereandthere,andhadcasttohaveledhmoutofthatplacetohaveshamedhm。Whenthedamoselthathelpedhmoutofthatcastlesawhowshamefullyhewasled,anonsheletarmher,andsetashelduponhershoulder;andtherewthshemounteduponhshorse,andgatanakedswordnherhand,andshethrustuntoAlsanderwthallhermght,andshegavehmsuchabuffetthathethoughtthefreflewoutofhseyen。AndwhenAlsanderfeltthatstrokehelookedabouthm,anddrewhsswordAndwhenshesawthat,shefled,andsoddMordredntotheforest,andthedamoselfledntothepavlon。
SowhenAlsanderunderstoodhmselfhowthefalseknghtwouldhaveshamedhmhadnotthedamoselbeenthenwashewrothwthhmselfthatSrMordredwassoescapedhshands。ButthenSrAlsanderandAlcehadgoodgameatthedamosel,howsadlyshehthmuponthehelm。
ThenSrAlsanderjoustedthusdaybyday,andonfootheddmanybattleswthmanyknghtsofKngArthur’scourt,andwthmanyknghtsstrangers。Thereforetotellallthebattlesthatheddtwereovermuchtorehearse,foreverydaywthnthattwelvemonthhehadadowthoneknghtorwthother,andsomedayhehadadowththreeorwthfour;andtherewasneverknghtthatputhmtotheworse。Andatthetwelvemonth’sendhedepartedwthhslady,AlcelaBealePlgrm。
Andthedamoselwouldnevergofromhm,andsotheywentntothercountryofBenoye,andlvedtherengreatjoy。
XL
HowSrGalahaltdddocryajoustsnSurluse,andQueenGuenever’sknghtsshouldjoustaganstallthatwouldcome。
BUTasthebooksath,KngMarkwouldneverstnttllhehadslanhmbytreason。AndbyAlcehegatachldthathghtBellengerusleBeuse。AndbygoodfortunehecametothecourtofKngArthur,andprovedapassnggoodknght;andherevengedhsfather’sdeath,forthefalseKngMarkslewbothSrTrstramandAlsanderfalselyandfelonously。AndthappedsothatAlsanderhadnevergracenorfortunetocometoKngArthur’scourt。ForanhehadcometoSrLauncelot,allknghtssadthatknewhm,hewasoneofthestrongestknghtsthatwasnArthur’sdays,andgreatdolewasmadeforhm。Soletweofhmpass,andturnwetoanothertale。
SotbefellthatSrGalahalt,thehautprnce,waslordofthecountryofSurluse,whereofcamemanygoodknghts。Andthsnobleprncewasapassnggoodmanofarms,andeverheheldanoblefellowshptogether。
AndthenhecametoArthur’scourtandtoldhmhsntent,howthswashswll,howhewouldletcryajoustsnthecountryofSurluse,thewhchcountrywaswthnthelandsofKngArthur,andthereheaskedleavetoletcryajousts。wllgveyouleave,sadKngArthur;
butwtthouwell,sadKngArthur,maynotbethere。
Sr,sadQueenGuenever,pleasetyoutogvemeleavetobeatthatjousts。Wthrghtgoodwll,sadArthur;
forSrGalahalt,thehautprnce,shallhaveyoungovernance。Sr,sadGalahalt,wllasyewll。Sr,thenthequeen,wlltakewthme[SrLauncelot]andsuchknghtsaspleasemebest。Doasyelst,sadKngArthur。SoanonshecommandedSrLauncelottomakehmreadywthsuchknghtsashethoughtbest。
Soneverygoodtownandcastleofthslandwasmadeacry,thatnthecountryofSurluseSrGalahaltshouldmakeajoustthatshouldlasteghtdays,andhowthehautprnce,wththehelpofQueenGuenever’sknghts,shouldjoustaganstallmannerofmenthatwouldcome。Whenthscrywasknown,kngsandprnces,dukesandearls,baronsandnobleknghts,madethemreadytobeatthatjousts。AndatthedayofjoustngtherecamenSrDnadandsgused,andddmanygreatdeedsofarms。
XL
HowSrLauncelotfoughtnthetournament,andhowSrPalomdesddarmsthereforadamosel。
THENattherequestofQueenGueneverandofKngBagdemagusSrLauncelotcamentotherange,buthewasdsgused,andthatwasthecausethatfewfolkknewhm;andtheremetwthhmSrEctordeMars,hsownbrother,andetherbraketherspearsuponothertotherhands。Andthenethergatanotherspear。AndthenSrLauncelotsmotedownSrEctordeMars,hsownbrother。ThatsawSrBleobers,andhesmoteSrLauncelotsuchabuffetuponthehelmthathewstnotwellwherehewas。ThenSrLauncelotwaswrothyandsmoteSrBleoberssosoreuponthehelmthathsheadboweddownbackward。Andhesmoteeftanotherbuffet,thatheavodedhssaddle;andsoherodeby,andthrustforthtothethckest。WhentheKngofNorthgalssawSrEctorandBleobersleonthegroundthenwashewroth,fortheycameonhspartyaganstthemofSurluse。
SotheKngofNorthgalsrantoSrLauncelot,andbrakeaspearuponhmalltopeces。TherewthSrLauncelotovertooktheKngofNorthgals,andsmotehmsuchabuffetonthehelmwthhsswordthathemadehmtoavodhshorse;andanonthekngwashorsedagan。
SoboththeKngBagdemagus’andtheKngofNorth-gals’
partyhurledtoother;andthenbeganastrongmedley,buttheyofNorthgalswerefarbgger。
WhenSrLauncelotsawhspartygototheworsthethrangntothethckestpresswthaswordnhshand;
andtherehesmotedownontherghthandandonthelefthand,andpulleddownknghtsandracedofftherhelms,thatallmenhadwonderthateveroneknghtmghtdosuchdeedsofarms。WhenSrMelagaunce,thatwassonuntoKngBagdemagus,sawhowSrLauncelotfaredhemarvelledgreatly。Andwhenheunderstoodthattwashe,hewstwellthathewasdsgusedforhssake。ThenSrMelagaunceprayedaknghttoslaySrLauncelot’shorse,etherwthswordorwthspear。AtthattmeKngBagdemagusmetwthaknghtthathghtSausese,agoodknght,towhomhesad:
NowfarSausese,encounterwthmysonMelagaunceandgvehmlargepayment,forwouldhewerewellbeatenofthyhands,thathemghtdepartoutofthsfeld。
AndthenSrSauseseencounteredwthSrMelagaunce,andethersmoteotherdown。Andthentheyfoughtonfoot,andthereSausesehadwonSrMelagaunce,hadtherenotcomerescues。Sothenthehautprnceblewtolodgng,andeveryknghtunarmedhmandwenttothegreatfeast。