Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VI CHAPTER IX

Sacred Texts  Legends and Sagas  Index  BOOK VI  Previous  Next 

 CHAPTER IX
 
 How Sir Turquine was slain, and how Sir Launcelot bade
 Sir Gaheris deliver all the prisoners.
 
 THEN at the last Sir Turquine waxed faint, and gave somewhat
 aback, and bare his shield low for weariness.  <189>That espied
 Sir Launcelot, and leapt upon him fiercely and gat him by the
 beaver of his helmet, and plucked him down on his knees, and anon
 he raced off his helm, and smote his neck in sunder.  And when
 Sir Launcelot had done this, he yode unto the damosel and said,
 Damosel, I am ready to go with you where ye will have me, but I
 have no horse.  Fair sir, said she, take this wounded knight's
 horse and send him into this manor, and command him to deliver
 all the prisoners.  So Sir Launcelot went unto Gaheris, and
 prayed him not to be aggrieved for to lend him his horse.  Nay,
 fair lord, said Gaheris, I will that ye take my horse at your own
 commandment, for ye have both saved me and my horse, and this day
 I say ye are the best knight in the world, for ye have slain this
 day in my sight the mightiest man and the best knight except you
 that ever I saw, and, fair sir, said Gaheris, I pray you tell me
 your name.  Sir, my name is Sir Launcelot du Lake, that ought to
 help you of right for King Arthur's sake, and in especial for my
 lord Sir Gawaine's sake, your own dear brother; and when that ye
 come within yonder manor, I am sure ye shall find there many
 knights of the Round Table, for I have seen many of their shields
 that I know on yonder tree.  There is Kay's shield, and Sir
 Brandel's shield, and Sir Marhaus' shield, and Sir Galind's
 shield, and Sir Brian de Listnois' shield, and Sir Aliduke's
 shield, with many more that I am not now advised of, and also my
 two brethren's shields, Sir Ector de Maris and Sir Lionel;
 wherefore I pray you greet them all from me, and say that I bid
 them take such stuff there as they find, and that in any wise my
 brethren go unto the court and abide me there till that I come,
 for by the feast of Pentecost I cast me to be there, for as at
 this time I must ride with this damosel for to save my promise.
 
 And so he departed from Gaheris, and Gaheris yede in to the
 manor, and there he found a yeoman porter keeping there many
 keys.  Anon withal Sir Gaheris threw the porter unto the ground
 and took the keys from him, and hastily he opened the prison
 door, and there he let <190>out all the prisoners, and every man
 loosed other of their bonds.  And when they saw Sir Gaheris, all
 they thanked him, for they weened that he was wounded.  Not so,
 said Gaheris, it was Launcelot that slew him worshipfully with
 his own hands.  I saw it with mine own eyes.  And he greeteth you
 all well, and prayeth you to haste you to the court; and as unto
 Sir Lionel and Ector de Maris he prayeth you to abide him at the
 court.  That shall we not do, says his brethren, we will find him
 an we may live.  So shall I, said Sir Kay, find him or I come at
 the court, as I am true knight.
 
 Then all those knights sought the house thereas the armour was,
 and then they armed them, and every knight found his own horse,
 and all that ever longed unto him.  And when this was done, there
 came a forester with four horses laden with fat venison.  Anon,
 Sir Kay said, Here is good meat for us for one meal, for we had
 not many a day no good repast.  And so that venison was roasted,
 baken, and sodden, and so after supper some abode there all
 night, but Sir Lionel and Ector de Maris and Sir Kay rode after
 Sir Launcelot to find him if they might.