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"Who am I?" replied King Bagdemagus scornfully.
"I am he that shall give a good account of myself with thee."
With that he levelled his lance and ran furiously upon the knight. But the
other stood still, and when the spearhead was nigh his shield, he lightly
turned it aside, and as Sir Bagdemagus swept by, the knight, with a quick
fierce stroke of his sword, smote him so hard that the blade bit through the
mail even to the shoulderbone; whereby Sir Bagdemagus fell to the ground in a
swoon.
The white knight called the squire to him and said:
"Bear ye this shield to the young knight, Sir Galahad, who is at the white
abbey.
Greet him from me, and say that it is for him to wear this shield, and none
other.
And tell him that I shall meet him erelong, if God wills, and that we shall
fare together to that which is appointed us."
The squire did as he was bidden, and told Sir Galahad of the white knight's
words. Sir Galahad asked him what was the device upon the shield of the white
knight, and he answered, "A red heart." Then said the young knight, "It shall
be even as he saith."
Sir Galahad mounted his horse and rode alone, ever northward. Many days he
rode without adventure, until on a day he came to an old and venerable wood,
dark and thick and close, where the moss hung like thick beards from the hoary
branches.
There, in a laund or glade in the midmost part of the forest, he found an old
and white dame, kneeling before a green cross beside the path, weeping
piteously as she prayed and beat her breast.
"What ails ye, lady?" asked Sir Galahad.
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IX. HOW THE THREE GOOD KNIGHTS ACHIEVED THE HOLY GRAAL
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"Ah, good knight," said the old dame, and as she rose it was well seen she was
of gentle birth, "I weep for that I have lived to see the day when sons of
mine shall slay each the other. Two are wasteful livers, and have taken from
me all that whereby I lived; and ever hath my youngest boy, Sir Hewlin,
withstood their evil ways. Wherefore they hated him. And yesterday did Sir
Nulloth and Sir Dew, my elder sons, return, and did quarrel with my dear lad
Hewlin. And now I fear they go about to slay him. Oh, if that they kill him,
who is the prop and comfort of my old age, I shall surely die."
"Sad it is, lady." said Sir Galahad, and mournful was his mind, "to think that
in this dear land of Britain there should be knights that are given to such
thoughts of evil as to slay their own kin. Lead me to them, I pray ye."
He set the dame upon his saddle before him, and she led the way through the
forest. When they had gone but a mile she started, and stopped the horse, and
then they heard the sound of clashing steel. Sadly did that poor lady shriek
and cry:
"Ah! they slay him now! My dear son! My dear boy! "
Swiftly Sir Galahad made his horse to leap forward, and in a little while they
came upon a great meadow where two knights on foot were together fighting
another single knight with swords. Forthwith Sir Galahad cried with a loud and
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a stem voice, "Hold, put up your swords, ye evil brothers, that would slay
each other!"
All turned at the cry. Then, seeing his mother, the young knight Sir Hewlin
threw down his sword. And leaping from Sir Galahad's horse the reverend lady
tottered to her youngest son and threw herself upon his breast, and he clasped
his mother in his arms.
But the two evil brothers laughed scornfully at Sir Galahad.
"Who art thou, thou knight in red?" they cried.
"Thinkest thou to frighten us with thy big words?"
Quickly they mounted their horses and ran upon Sir Galahad together. But the
lance of one he received upon his shield, and the weapon snapped in twain; and
that of the other he thrust aside, and as the knight thundered by, he brought
down his sword with so fierce and wrathful a stroke that the head of the
knight flew from his shoulders.
Seeing this, the other, who was Sir Nulloth, made haste to throw himself from
his horse, and came and kneeled before Sir Galahad, praying mercy.
"I know who ye are," he said. "You are Sir Galahad, the stainless knight, who
shall prevail in all thy deeds, and whom no weapon may wound until ye have
fulfilled your high destiny. And I will do faithfully any behest ye may lay
upon me."
"I will then," said Sir Galahad sternly, "that thou makest peace with thy
mother and thy brother here instantly;
that thou seekest naught of them till thy dying day, which shall not be far
from thee; and that thou goest this day and place thyself in the service of
Sir Bedevere, or Sir Uriens upon the coasts, and help to thrust forth the
hateful pagan from the land."
The knight swore to do all this, and after he had made his peace with his
kindred, he set forth to do Sir
Galahad's bidding. And it was as the stainless knight had foretold, for in
seven days Sir Nulloth had found death, bravely fighting the pagan pirates.
KING ARTHUR'S KNIGHTS. THE TALES RETOLD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
IX. HOW THE THREE GOOD KNIGHTS ACHIEVED THE HOLY GRAAL
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Sir Galahad went forward, sore of heart to think that such evil was in the
land and in men's minds, that any could be found to wish the death of a
brother and to care naught for the sorrow of an old mother.
Thus for many months Sir Galahad rode about the land, seeking out the knights
who, with their bands of soldiers, fought to wrest from each other land and
castles. And ever he strove to make peace between them, arid to show them how,
while they fought with each other, Christian against Christian, the pagan
hordes were let unhindered into the land, ravening, burning, and slaying.
Some of the battling knights did forsake their evil ways, and went to Sir
Bedevere and Sir Uriens, with whom they strove to push back the fierce pagans
into their long black ships. But many others, so lost to honour and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]