الفصل الفصل 75 · How Queen Morgan le Fay made great sorrow for the death of

. How Queen Morgan le Fay made great sorrow for the death of

Accolon, and how she stole away the scabbard from Arthur.

Then came tidings unto Morgan le Fay that Accolon was dead, and his

body brought unto the church, and how King Arthur had his sword again.

But when Queen Morgan wist that Accolon was dead, she was so sorrowful

that near her heart to-brast. But because she would not it were known,

outward she kept her countenance, and made no semblant of sorrow. But

well she wist an she abode till her brother Arthur came thither, there

should no gold go for her life.

Then she went unto Queen Guenever, and asked her leave to ride into the

country. Ye may abide, said Queen Guenever, till your brother the king

come home. I may not, said Morgan le Fay, for I have such hasty

tidings, that I may not tarry. Well, said Guenever, ye may depart when

ye will. So early on the morn, or it was day, she took her horse and

rode all that day and most part of the night, and on the morn by noon

she came to the same abbey of nuns whereas lay King Arthur; and she

knowing he was there, she asked where he was. And they answered how he

had laid him in his bed to sleep, for he had had but little rest these

three nights. Well, said she, I charge you that none of you awake him

till I do, and then she alighted off her horse, and thought for to

steal away Excalibur his sword, and so she went straight unto his

chamber, and no man durst disobey her commandment, and there she found

Arthur asleep in his bed, and Excalibur in his right hand naked. When

she saw that she was passing heavy that she might not come by the sword

without she had awaked him, and then she wist well she had been dead.

Then she took the scabbard and went her way on horseback. When the king

awoke and missed his scabbard, he was wroth, and he asked who had been

there, and they said his sister, Queen Morgan had been there, and had

put the scabbard under her mantle and was gone. Alas, said Arthur,

falsely ye have watched me. Sir, said they all, we durst not disobey

your sister’s commandment. Ah, said the king, let fetch the best horse

may be found, and bid Sir Ontzlake arm him in all haste, and take

another good horse and ride with me. So anon the king and Ontzlake were

well armed, and rode after this lady, and so they came by a cross and

found a cowherd, and they asked the poor man if there came any lady

riding that way. Sir, said this poor man, right late came a lady riding

with a forty horses, and to yonder forest she rode. Then they spurred

their horses, and followed fast, and within a while Arthur had a sight

of Morgan le Fay; then he chased as fast as he might. When she espied

him following her, she rode a greater pace through the forest till she

came to a plain, and when she saw she might not escape, she rode unto a

lake thereby, and said, Whatsoever come of me, my brother shall not

have this scabbard. And then she let throw the scabbard in the deepest

of the water so it sank, for it was heavy of gold and precious stones.

Then she rode into a valley where many great stones were, and when she

saw she must be overtaken, she shaped herself, horse and man, by

enchantment unto a great marble stone. Anon withal came Sir Arthur and

Sir Ontzlake whereas the king might know his sister and her men, and

one knight from another. Ah, said the king, here may ye see the

vengeance of God, and now am I sorry that this misadventure is

befallen. And then he looked for the scabbard, but it would not be

found, so he returned to the abbey where he came from. So when Arthur

was gone she turned all into the likeliness as she and they were

before, and said, Sirs, now may we go where we will.