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20 - Part 3 Story 1 The Fight For The Queen · Tales Of King Arthur And The Round Table

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  Speaker 1: Part three, Story one of Tales of King Arthur and
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  Speaker 1: the Round Table by Andrew Lang. This LibriVox recording is
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  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Part three Story one the fight
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  Speaker 1: for the Queen. So the quest of the Holy Grail
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  Speaker 1: had been fulfilled, and the few knights that had been
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  Speaker 1: left alive returned to the Round Table, and there was
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  Speaker 1: a great joy in the court. To do them honor,
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  Speaker 1: the Queen made them a dinner, and there were four
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  Speaker 1: and twenty knights present, and among them Sir Patrise of Ireland,
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  Speaker 1: and Sir Gawaine, and his brethren, the King's nephews, which
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  Speaker 1: were Sir Agravaine, Sir Gaheris, Sir Gareth, and Sir Mordred.
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  Speaker 1: Now was the custom of Sir Gawaine daily at dinner
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  Speaker 1: and supper to eat all manner of fruit, and especially
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  Speaker 1: pears and apples. And this the Queen knew, and set
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  Speaker 1: fruit of all sorts before him. And there was present
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  Speaker 1: at the dinner one Sir pinell La Savage, who hated
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  Speaker 1: Sir Gawaine because he and his brethren had slain Sir
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  Speaker 1: Lamorrek de Galis, cousin to Sir pere Ennel. So he
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  Speaker 1: put poison into some of the apples, hoping that Sir
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  Speaker 1: Gawaine would eat one and die. But by ill fortune
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  Speaker 1: it befell that the good knight Sir Patrice, took a
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  Speaker 1: poisoned apple, and in a few moments he lay dead
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  Speaker 1: and stark in his seat. At this sight, all the
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  Speaker 1: knights leapt to their feet, but said nothing, for they
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  Speaker 1: bethought them that Queen Guinevere had made them the dinner,
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  Speaker 1: and feared that she had poisoned the fruit. My lady,
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  Speaker 1: the Queen, said Sir Gawaine, who was the first to speak,
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  Speaker 1: This fruit was brought for me, for all know how
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  Speaker 1: well I love it. Therefore, Madam, the shame of this
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  Speaker 1: ill deed is yours. The Queen stood still, pale and trembling,
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  Speaker 1: but kept silence, and next spoke Sir Maddor de la Porte.
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  Speaker 1: This shall not be ended, so said he, for I
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  Speaker 1: have lost a noble knight of my blood, and I
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  Speaker 1: will be avenged of the person who has wrought this evil.
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  Speaker 1: And he turned to the Queen and said, Madam, it
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  Speaker 1: is you who have brought about the death of my cousin,
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  Speaker 1: Sir Patrice. The knights round listened in silence, for they
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  Speaker 1: too thought Sir Mador spoke truth, and the queen still
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  Speaker 1: said nothing, but fell to weeping bitterly, till King Arthur
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  Speaker 1: heard and came to look into the matter. And when
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  Speaker 1: they told him of their trouble, his heart was heavy
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  Speaker 1: within him. Fair lords, said the King at last, I
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  Speaker 1: grieve for this ill deed, but I cannot meddle therein
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  Speaker 1: or do battle for my wife, for I have to
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  Speaker 1: judge justly. Sure I am that this deed is none
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  Speaker 1: of hers. Therefore many a good knight will stand her champion,
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  Speaker 1: that she be not burned to death in a wrong quarrel.
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  Speaker 1: And Sir Mador, hold not your head so high, but
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  Speaker 1: fixed the day of battle when you shall find a
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  Speaker 1: knight to answer you, or else it were great shame
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  Speaker 1: to all my court. My gracious lord, said, Sir Mador.
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  Speaker 1: You must hold me excused. But though you are a king,
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  Speaker 1: you are also a knight knight, and must obey the
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  Speaker 1: laws of knighthood. Therefore I beseech your forgiveness if I
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  Speaker 1: declare that none of the four and twenty knights here
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  Speaker 1: present will fight that battle. What say you, my lords?
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  Speaker 1: Then the knights answered that they could not hold the
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  Speaker 1: queen guiltless, for as the dinner was made by her,
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  Speaker 1: either she or her servants must have done this thing.
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  Speaker 1: Alas said the Queen, no evil was in my heart
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  Speaker 1: when I prepared this feast, for never have I done
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  Speaker 1: such foul deeds. My lord the King, cried Sir Mador,
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  Speaker 1: I require of you, as you are a just king,
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  Speaker 1: to fix a day that I may get ready for
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  Speaker 1: the fight. Well, answered the King. On the fifteenth day
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  Speaker 1: from this, come on horseback to the meadow that is
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  Speaker 1: by Westminster. And if it happens that there be a
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  Speaker 1: knight to fight with you, strike as hard as you will.
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  Speaker 1: God will speed the right. But if no knight is there,
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  Speaker 1: then must my queen be burned, and a fire shall
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  Speaker 1: be made in the meadow. I am, answered, said Sir Mador,
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  Speaker 1: and he and the rest of the knights departed. When
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  Speaker 1: the King and Queen were left alone, he asked her
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  Speaker 1: what had brought all this about? God help me that
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  Speaker 1: I know not, said the queen, nor how it was done.
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  Speaker 1: Where is Sir Launcelot, said King Arthur, looking round. If
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  Speaker 1: he were here, he would not grudge to do battle
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  Speaker 1: for you, Sir replied the Queen, I know not where
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  Speaker 1: he is, but his brother and his kinsmen think he
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  Speaker 1: is not in this realm. I grieve for that, said
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  Speaker 1: the king, for he would soon stop this strife. But
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  Speaker 1: I counsel you, ask Sir Bors, and he will not
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  Speaker 1: refuse you. For well, I see that none of the
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  Speaker 1: four and twenty knights who were with you at dinner
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  Speaker 1: will be your champion, and none will say well of you,
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  Speaker 1: but men will speak evil of you at the court. Alas,
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  Speaker 1: sighed the Queen, I do indeed miss Sir Launcelot, for
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  Speaker 1: he would soon ease my heart. What ails you? Asked
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  Speaker 1: the King, that you cannot keep Sir Launcelot at your side,
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  Speaker 1: For well you know that he whom Sir Launcelot fights for,
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  Speaker 1: has the best knight in the world for his champion.
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  Speaker 1: Now go your way and command Sir Bors to do
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  Speaker 1: battle with you for Sir Launcelot's sake. So the Queen
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  Speaker 1: departed from the King and sent for Sir bors unto
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  Speaker 1: her chamber, and when he came, she besought his help.
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  Speaker 1: Madam said he, what can I do? For I may
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  Speaker 1: not meddle in this matter, lest the knights who were
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  Speaker 1: at the table have me in suspicion. For I was
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  Speaker 1: there also. It is now, madam, that you miss Sir Launcelot,
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  Speaker 1: whom you have driven away, as he would have done
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  Speaker 1: battle for you, were you right or wrong. And I
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  Speaker 1: wonder how, for shame's sake you can ask me, knowing
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  Speaker 1: how I love and honor him. Alas said the Queen,
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  Speaker 1: I throw myself on your grace. And she went down
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  Speaker 1: on her knees and besought Sir Bors to have mercy
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  Speaker 1: on her. Else I shall have a shameful death, and
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  Speaker 1: one I have never deserved. At that King Arthur came
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  Speaker 1: in and found her kneeling before Sir Bors. Madam, you
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  Speaker 1: do me great dishonor, said Sir Bors, raising her up. Ah,
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  Speaker 1: gentle Knight, cried the King, have mercy on my queen,
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  Speaker 1: for I am sure that they speak falsely, and I require,
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  Speaker 1: by the love of Sir Launcelot, that you do battle
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  Speaker 1: for her instead of him. My Lord answered Sir Bors.
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  Speaker 1: You require of me the hardest thing that ever any
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  Speaker 1: one asked of me. For well you know that if
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  Speaker 1: I fight for the Queen, I shall anger all my
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  Speaker 1: companions of the round table. But I will not say nay,
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  Speaker 1: my Lord, for Sir Launcelot's sake, and for your own sake.
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  Speaker 1: On that day, I will be the Queen's champion unless
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  Speaker 1: a better knight is found to do battle for her.
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  Speaker 1: Will you promise me, this, asked the King. Yes, answered
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  Speaker 1: Sir Bors, I will not fail you nor her unless
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  Speaker 1: there should come a better knight than I, and he
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  Speaker 1: shall have the battle. Then the King and Queen rejoiced
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  Speaker 1: greatly and thanked Sir Bors with all their hearts. So
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  Speaker 1: Sir Bors departed and rode unto Sir Launcelot, who was
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  Speaker 1: with the hermit Sir Bracius, and told him of this adventure.
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  Speaker 1: Ah said, Sir Launcelot, this has befallen as I would
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  Speaker 1: have it, and therefore I pray you make ready to
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  Speaker 1: do battle, but delay the fight as long as you
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  Speaker 1: can that I may appear. For I am sure that
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  Speaker 1: Sir Mador is a hot knight, and the longer he waits,
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  Speaker 1: the more impatient he will be for the combat. Sir
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  Speaker 1: answered Sir Bors, Let me deal with him, doubt not,
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  Speaker 1: you shall have all your will, and he rode away
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  Speaker 1: and came again to the court. It was soon noised
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  Speaker 1: about that Sir Bors would be the Queen's champion, and
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  Speaker 1: many knights were displeased with him, But there were a
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  Speaker 1: few who held the queen to be innocent. Sir Bors
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  Speaker 1: spoke unto them all and said, it were shameful, my
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  Speaker 1: fair lords, if we suffered the most noble queen in
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  Speaker 1: the world to be disgraced openly, not only for her sake,
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  Speaker 1: but for the king's. But they answered him, as for
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  Speaker 1: our lord King Arthur, we love him and honor him
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  Speaker 1: as much as you. But as for Queen Guinevere, we
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  Speaker 1: love her not, for she is the destroyer of good knights.
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  Speaker 1: Fair lords, said sir Bors, you shall not speak such words,
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  Speaker 1: for never yet have I heard that she was the
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  Speaker 1: destroyer of good knights. But at all times, as far
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  Speaker 1: as I ever knew, she maintained them and gave them
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  Speaker 1: many gifts. And therefore it were ashamed to us all
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  Speaker 1: if we suffered our noble king's wife to be put
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  Speaker 1: to death. And I will not suffer it so much.
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  Speaker 1: I will say that the queen is not guilty of
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  Speaker 1: Sir Patrice's death, for she owed him no ill will,
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  Speaker 1: and bade him and us to the dinner for no
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  Speaker 1: evil purpose, which will be proved hereafter. And in any case,
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  Speaker 1: there was foul dealing among us. We may believe your words,
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  Speaker 1: said some of the knights, but others held that he
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  Speaker 1: spoke falsely. The days passed quickly by until the evening
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  Speaker 1: before the battle, when the Queen sent for Sir Bors
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  Speaker 1: and asked him if he was ready to keep his
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  Speaker 1: promise truly. Madam answered he, I shall not fail you,
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  Speaker 1: and less a better knight than I am come to
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  Speaker 1: do battle for you. Then, Madam, I am discharged of
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  Speaker 1: my promise. Shall I tell this to my Lord Arthur,
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  Speaker 1: said the queen, if it please you, Madam, answered Sir Bors.
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  Speaker 1: So the Queen went to the King and told him
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  Speaker 1: what Sir Bors had said, and the King bade her
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  Speaker 1: to be comforted, as Sir Bors was one of the
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  Speaker 1: best knights of the round table. The next morning, the
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  Speaker 1: King and Queen and all manner of knights rode into
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  Speaker 1: the meadow of Westminster, where the battle was to be,
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  Speaker 1: and the Queen was put into the charge of the
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  Speaker 1: High Constable, and a stout iron steak was planted and
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  Speaker 1: a great fire made about it, at which the Queen
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  Speaker 1: should be burned if Sir manm Mador de la Porte
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  Speaker 1: won the fight for twas the custom in those days,
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  Speaker 1: that neither fear nor favor, love nor kinship should hinder
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  Speaker 1: right judgment. Then came Sir Mador de la Porte and
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  Speaker 1: made oath before the King that the queen had done
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  Speaker 1: to death his cousin, Sir Patrice, and he would prove
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  Speaker 1: it on her knight's body. Let who would say the contrary?
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  Speaker 1: Sir Bors likewise made answer that Queen Guinevere had done
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  Speaker 1: no wrong, and that he would make good with his
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  Speaker 1: two hands. Then get you ready, said Sir Mador. Sir
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  Speaker 1: Meador answered Sir Bors, I know you for a good knight,
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  Speaker 1: but I trust to be able to withstand your malice.
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  Speaker 1: And I have promised King Arthur and my lady the Queen,
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  Speaker 1: that I will do battle for her to the uttermost
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  Speaker 1: and less there come forth a better knight than I am.
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  Speaker 1: Is that all asked Sir Mador. But you must either
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  Speaker 1: fight now or own that you are beaten. Take your horse,
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  Speaker 1: said Sir Bors, for I shall well not verry long.
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  Speaker 1: And so Mador forthwith rode into the field with his
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  Speaker 1: shield on his shoulder and a spear in his hand,
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  Speaker 1: and he went up and down, crying unto King Arthur.
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  Speaker 1: Bid your tampion come forth, if he dare At that,
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  Speaker 1: Sir Bors was ashamed and took his horse and rode
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  Speaker 1: to the end of the lists. But from a wood
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  Speaker 1: hard by appeared a knight riding fast on a white horse,
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  Speaker 1: bearing a shield full of strange devices. When he reached
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  Speaker 1: sir Bors, he drew rein and said, fair knight, be
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  Speaker 1: not displeased, but this battle must be to a better
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  Speaker 1: knight than you, for I have come a great journey
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  Speaker 1: to fight this fight, as I promised when I spoke
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  Speaker 1: with you last, and I thank you heartily for your
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  Speaker 1: good will. So Sir Bors went to King Arthur and
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  Speaker 1: told him that a knight had come who wished to
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  Speaker 1: do battle for the queen. What knight is? He asked
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  Speaker 1: the King. That I know not, said sir Bors, but
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  Speaker 1: he made a covenant with me to be here this day,
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  Speaker 1: and now I am discharged, said sir Bors. Then the
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  Speaker 1: King called to that knight and asked him if he
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  Speaker 1: would fight for the queen for that purpose. I came hither,
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  Speaker 1: replied he. And therefore, Sir King, delay me no longer,
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  Speaker 1: for as soon as I have ended this battle, I
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  Speaker 1: must go hence, as I have many matters elsewhere, and
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  Speaker 1: I would have you know that it is a dishonor
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  Speaker 1: to all the knights of the round table to let
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  Speaker 1: so noble a lady, and so courteous a queen as
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  Speaker 1: Queen Guinevere be shamed amongst them. The knights who were
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  Speaker 1: standing round looked at each other at these words, and
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  Speaker 1: wondered much what man this was who took the battle
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  Speaker 1: upon him, for none knew him save Sir Bors. Sir said,
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  Speaker 1: Sir Mador de la Porte unto the King, let me
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  Speaker 1: know the name of him with whom I have to do.
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  Speaker 1: But the King answered nothing, and made a sign for
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  Speaker 1: the fight to begin. They rode to the end of
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  Speaker 1: the lists and couched their spears, rushed together with all
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  Speaker 1: their force, and Sir Mador's spear broke in pieces. But
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  Speaker 1: the other knight's spear held firm, and he pressed it
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  Speaker 1: on Sir Mador's horse till it fell backward with a
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  Speaker 1: great fall. Sir Medor sprang from his horse, and, placing
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  Speaker 1: his shield before him, drew his sword and bade his
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  Speaker 1: foe dismount from his horse also and do battle with
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  Speaker 1: him on foot, which the unknown knight did. For an
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  Speaker 1: hour they fought thus, as Sir Mador was a strong
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  Speaker 1: man and had proved himself the victor in many combats.
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  Speaker 1: At last the Knight smoke Sir Mador groveling to his knees,
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  Speaker 1: and the Knight stepped forward to have struck him flat
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  Speaker 1: upon the ground. Therewith, Sir Mador suddenly rose and smote
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  Speaker 1: the Knight upon the thigh, so that the blood ran
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  Speaker 1: out fiercely. But when the Knight felt himself wounded and
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  Speaker 1: saw his blood, he let Sir Meador rise to his feet,
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  Speaker 1: and then he gave him such a buffet on the
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  Speaker 1: helm that this time Sir Mador fell his length on
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  Speaker 1: the earth, and the Knight sprang to him to unloose
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  Speaker 1: his helm. At this Sir Mador prayed for his life,
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  Speaker 1: acknowledging that he was overcome, and confessed that the Queen's
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  Speaker 1: innocence had been proved. I will only grant you your life,
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  Speaker 1: said the knight, if you will proclaim publicly that you
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  Speaker 1: have foully slandered the Queen, and that you make no
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  Speaker 1: mention on the tomb of Sir Patrice that ever Queen
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  Speaker 1: guinever consented to his murder. All that will I do,
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  Speaker 1: said Sir Mador, And some knights took him up and
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  Speaker 1: carried him away to heal his wounds, and the other
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  Speaker 1: knight went straight to the foot of the steps where
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  Speaker 1: sat King Arthur, and there the Queen had just come,
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  Speaker 1: and the King and the Queen kissed each other before
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  Speaker 1: all the people. When King Arthur saw the knight standing there,
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  Speaker 1: he stooped down to him and thanked him, and so
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  Speaker 1: likewise did the Queen. And they prayed him to put
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  Speaker 1: off his helmet, and commanded wine to be brought, And
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  Speaker 1: when he unlaced his helmet to drink, they knew him
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  Speaker 1: to be Sir Launcelot du Lake. Then Arthur took the
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  Speaker 1: Queen's hand and led her to Sir Launcelot and said, Sir,
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  Speaker 1: I give you the most heartfelt thanks of the great
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  Speaker 1: deed you have done this day for me and my queen.
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  Speaker 1: My lord answered, Sir Launcelot, you know well that I
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  Speaker 1: ought of right ever to fight your battles and those
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  Speaker 1: of my lady the Queen, for it was you who
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  Speaker 1: gave me the high honor of knighthood, and that same
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  Speaker 1: day my lady the Queen did me a great service,
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  Speaker 1: else I should have been put to shame before all men,
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  Speaker 1: because in my hastiness I lost my sword, and my
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  Speaker 1: lady the Queen found it and gave it to me
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  Speaker 1: when I had sore need of it. And therefore, my
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  Speaker 1: Lord Arthur, I promised her that day that I would
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  Speaker 1: be her knight in right or in wrong. I owe
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  Speaker 1: you great thanks, said the King, and some time I
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  Speaker 1: hope to repay you. The Queen beholding Sir Launcelot, wept
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  Speaker 1: tears of joy for her deliverance, and felt bowed to
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  Speaker 1: the ground with sorrow at the thought of what he
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  Speaker 1: had done for her when she had sent him away
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  Speaker 1: with unkind words. Then all the knights of the round
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  Speaker 1: Table and his kinsman drew near to him and welcomed him,
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  Speaker 1: and there was great mirth in the court. End of
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  Speaker 1: Part three, Story one