Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVIII CHAPTER VII

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 CHAPTER VII
 How Sir Launcelot fought against Sir Mador for the queen,
 and how he overcame Sir Mador, and discharged the
 queen.
 
 
 THEN the king called to that knight, and asked him if
 he would fight for the queen.  Then he answered to the
 king:  Therefore came I hither, and therefore, sir king, he
 said, tarry me no longer, for I may not tarry.  For anon
 as I have finished this battle I must depart hence, for I
 have ado many matters elsewhere.  For wit you well, said
 that knight, this is dishonour to you all knights of the
 Round Table, to see and know so noble a lady and so
 courteous a queen as Queen Guenever is, thus to be
 rebuked and shamed amongst you.  Then they all marvelled
 what knight that might be that so took the battle upon
 him.  For there was not one that knew him, but if it were
 Sir Bors.
 
 Then said Sir Mador de la Porte unto the king:  Now
 let me wit with whom I shall have ado withal.  And then
 they rode to the lists' end, and there they couched their
 spears, and ran together with all their might, and Sir
 Mador's spear brake all to pieces, but the other's spear
 held, and bare Sir Mador's horse and all backward to the
 earth a great fall.  But mightily and suddenly he avoided
 his horse and put his shield afore him, and then drew his
 sword, and bade the other knight alight and do battle
 with him on foot.  Then that knight descended from his
 horse lightly like a valiant man, and put his shield afore
 him and drew his sword; and so they came eagerly unto
 battle, and either gave other many great strokes, tracing
 and traversing, racing and foining, and hurtling together
 with their swords as it were wild boars.  Thus were they
 fighting nigh an hour, for this Sir Mador was a strong
 knight, and mightily proved in many strong battles.  But
 at the last this knight smote Sir Mador grovelling upon
 the earth, and the knight stepped near him to have pulled
 Sir Mador flatling upon the ground; and therewith
 suddenly Sir Mador arose, and in his rising he smote that
 knight through the thick of the thighs that the blood ran
 out fiercely.  And when he felt himself so wounded, and
 saw his blood, he let him arise upon his feet.  And then
 he gave him such a buffet upon the helm that he fell to
 the earth flatling, and therewith he strode to him to have
 pulled off his helm off his head.  And then Sir Mador
 prayed that knight to save his life, and so he yielded him
 as overcome, and released the queen of his quarrel.  I will
 not grant thee thy life, said that knight, only that thou
 freely release the queen for ever, and that no mention be
 made upon Sir Patrise's tomb that ever Queen Guenever
 consented to that treason.  All this shall be done, said Sir
 Mador, I clearly discharge my quarrel for ever.
 
 Then the knights parters of the lists took up Sir
 Mador, and led him to his tent, and the other knight
 went straight to the stair-foot where sat King Arthur;
 and by that time was the queen come to the king, and
 either kissed other heartily.  And when the king saw that
 knight, he stooped down to him, and thanked him, and
 in likewise did the queen; and the king prayed him to
 put off his helmet, and to repose him, and to take a sop
 of wine.  And then he put off his helm to drink, and then
 every knight knew him that it was Sir Launcelot du Lake.
 Anon as the king wist that, he took the queen in his hand,
 and yode unto Sir Launcelot, and said:  Sir, grant mercy
 of your great travail that ye have had this day for me and
 for my queen.  My lord, said Sir Launcelot, wit ye well I
 ought of right ever to be in your quarrel, and in my lady
 the queen's quarrel, to do battle; for ye are the man that
 gave me the high order of knighthood, and that day my
 lady, your queen, did me great worship, and else I had
 been shamed; for that same day ye made me knight,
 through my hastiness I lost my sword, and my lady, your
 queen, found it, and lapped it in her train, and gave me
 my sword when I had need thereto, and else had I been
 shamed among all knights; and therefore, my lord Arthur, I
 promised her at that day ever to be her knight in right outher
 in wrong.  Grant mercy, said the king, for this journey;
 and wit ye well, said the king, I shall acquit your goodness.
 
 And ever the queen beheld Sir Launcelot, and wept so
 tenderly that she sank almost to the ground for sorrow
 that he had done to her so great goodness where she
 shewed him great unkindness.  Then the knights of his
 blood drew unto him, and there either of them made great
 joy of other.  And so came all the knights of the Table
 Round that were there at that time, and welcomed him.
 And then Sir Mador was had to leech-craft, and Sir
 Launcelot was healed of his wound.  And then there was
 made great joy and mirths in that court.