So on the morrow, he caused her body to be buried richly and solemnly, and ordained ma.s.ses for her soul, and made great sorrow over her.
Then the queen sent for Sir Lancelot, and prayed his pardon for her wrath against him without cause. "This is not the first time it hath been so," answered he; "yet must I ever bear with ye, and so do I now forgive you."
So Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot were made friends again; but anon such favor did she show him, as in the end brought many evils on them both and all the realm.
XV
THE WAR BETWEEN ARTHUR AND LANCELOT AND THE Pa.s.sING OF ARTHUR
Within a while thereafter was a jousting at the court, wherein Sir Lancelot won the prize. And two of those he smote down were Sir Agravaine, the brother of Sir Gawain, and Sir Modred, his false brother--King Arthur"s son by Belisent. And because of his victory they hated Sir Lancelot, and sought how they might injure him.
So on a night, when King Arthur was hunting in the forest, and the queen sent for Sir Lancelot to her chamber, they two espied him; and thinking now to make a scandal and a quarrel between Lancelot and the king, they found twelve others, and said Sir Lancelot was ever now in the queen"s chamber, and King Arthur was dishonored.
Then, all armed, they came suddenly round the queen"s door, and cried, "Traitor! now art thou taken."
"Madam, we be betrayed," said Sir Lancelot; "yet shall my life cost these men dear."
Then did the queen weep sore, and dismally she cried, "Alas! there is no armor here whereby ye might withstand so many; wherefore ye will be slain, and I be burnt for the dread crime they will charge on me."
But while she spake the shouting of the knights was heard without, "Traitor, come forth, for now thou art snared!"
"Better were twenty deaths at once than this vile outcry," said Sir Lancelot.
Then he kissed her and said, "Most n.o.ble lady, I beseech ye, as I have ever been your own true knight, take courage; pray for my soul if I be now slain, and trust my faithful friends, Sir Bors and Sir Lavaine, to save you from the fire."
But ever bitterly she wept and moaned, and cried, "Would G.o.d that they would take and slay me, and that thou couldest escape."
"That shall never be," said he. And wrapping his mantle round his arm he unbarred the door a little s.p.a.ce, so that but one could enter.
Then first rushed in Sir Chalaunce, a full strong knight, and lifted up his sword to smite Sir Lancelot; but lightly he avoided him, and struck Sir Chalaunce, with his hand, such a sore buffet on the head as felled him dead upon the floor.
Then Sir Lancelot pulled in his body and barred the door again, and dressed himself in his armor, and took his drawn sword in his hand.
But still the knights cried mightily without the door, "Traitor, come forth!"
"Be silent and depart," replied Sir Lancelot; "for be ye sure ye will not take me, and to-morrow will I meet ye face to face before the king."
"Ye shall have no such grace," they cried; "but we will slay thee, or take thee as we list."
"Then save yourselves who may," he thundered, and therewith suddenly unbarred the door and rushed forth at them. And at the first blow he slew Sir Agravaine, and after him twelve other knights, with twelve more mighty buffets. And none of all escaped him save Sir Modred, who, sorely wounded, flew away for life.
Then returned he to the queen, and said, "Now, madam, will I depart, and if ye be in any danger I pray ye come to me."
"Surely will I stay here, for I am queen," she answered; "yet if to-morrow any harm come to me I trust to thee for rescue."
"Have ye no doubt of me," said he, "for ever while I live am I your own true knight."
Therewith he took his leave, and went and told Sir Bors and all his kindred of this adventure. "We will be with thee in this quarrel," said they all; "and if the queen be sentenced to the fire, we certainly will save her."
Meanwhile Sir Modred, in great fear and pain, fled from the court, and rode until he found King Arthur, and told him all that had befallen. But the king would scarce believe him till he came and saw the bodies of Sir Agravaine and all the other knights.
Then felt he in himself that all was true, and with his pa.s.sing grief his heart nigh broke. "Alas!" cried he, "now is the fellowship of the Round Table forever broken: yea, woe is me! I may not with my honor spare my queen."
Anon it was ordained that Queen Guinevere should be burned to death, because she had dishonored King Arthur.
But when Sir Gawain heard thereof, he came before the king, and said, "My lord, I counsel thee be not too hasty in this matter, but stay the judgment of the queen a season, for it may well be that Sir Lancelot was in her chamber for no evil, seeing she is greatly beholden to him for so many deeds done for her sake, and peradventure she had sent to him to thank him, and did it secretly that she might avoid slander."
But King Arthur answered, full of grief, "Alas! I may not help her; she is judged as any other woman."
Then he required Sir Gawain and his brethren, Sir Gaheris and Sir Gareth, to be ready to bear the queen to-morrow to the place of execution.
"Nay, n.o.ble lord," replied Sir Gawain, "that can I never do; for neither will my heart suffer me to see the queen die, nor shall men ever say I was of your counsel in this matter."
Then said his brother, "Ye may command us to be there, but since it is against our will, we will be without arms, that we may do no battle against her."
So on the morrow was Queen Guinevere led forth to die by fire, and a mighty crowd was there, of knights and n.o.bles, armed and unarmed. And all the lords and ladies wept sore at that piteous sight. Then was she shriven by a priest, and the men came nigh to bind her to the stake and light the fire.
At that Sir Lancelot"s spies rode hastily and told him and his kindred, who lay hidden in a wood hard by; and suddenly, with twenty knights, he rushed into the midst of all the throng to rescue her.
But certain of King Arthur"s knights rose up and fought with them, and there was a full great battle and confusion. And Sir Lancelot drave fiercely here and there among the press, and smote on every side, and at every blow struck down a knight, so that many were slain by him and his fellows.
Then was the queen set free, and caught up on Sir Lancelot"s saddle and fled away with him and all his company to the Castle of La Joyous Garde.
Now so it chanced that, in the turmoil of the fighting, Sir Lancelot had unawares struck down and slain the two good knights Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris, knowing it not, for he fought wildly, and saw not that they were unarmed.
When King Arthur heard thereof, and of all that battle, and the rescue of the queen, he sorrowed heavily for those good knights, and was pa.s.sing wroth with Lancelot and the queen.
But when Sir Gawain heard of his brethren"s death he swooned for sorrow and wrath, for he wist that Sir Lancelot had killed them in malice. And as soon as he recovered he ran in to the king, and said, "Lord king and uncle, hear this oath which now I swear, that from this day I will not fail Sir Lancelot till one of us hath slain the other. And now, unless ye haste to war with him, that we may be avenged, will I myself alone go after him."
Then the king, full of wrath and grief, agreed thereto, and sent letters throughout the realm to summon all his knights, and went with a vast army to besiege the Castle of La Joyous Garde. And Sir Lancelot, with his knights, mightily defended it; but never would he suffer any to go forth and attack one of the king"s army, for he was right loth to fight against him.
So when fifteen weeks were pa.s.sed, and King Arthur"s army wasted itself in vain against the castle, for it was pa.s.sing strong, it chanced upon a day Sir Lancelot was looking from the walls and espied King Arthur and Sir Gawain close beside.
"Come forth, Sir Lancelot," said King Arthur right fiercely, "and let us two meet in the midst of the field."
"G.o.d forbid that I should encounter with thee, lord, for thou didst make me a knight," replied Sir Lancelot.
Then cried Sir Gawain, "Shame on thee, traitor and false knight, yet be ye well a.s.sured we will regain the queen and slay thee and thy company; yea, double shame on ye to slay my brother Gaheris unarmed, Sir Gareth also, who loved ye so well. For that treachery, be sure I am thine enemy till death."
"Alas!" cried Sir Lancelot, "that I hear such tidings, for I knew not I had slain those n.o.ble knights, and right sorely now do I repent it with a heavy heart. Yet abate thy wrath, Sir Gawain, for ye know full well I did it by mischance, for I loved them ever as my own brothers."
"Thou liest, false recreant," cried Sir Gawain, fiercely.
At that Sir Lancelot was wroth, and said, "I well see thou art now mine enemy, and that there can be no more peace with thee, or with my lord the king, else would I gladly give back the queen."