บทที่ บทที่ 456 · How Sir Meliagrance took the queen and her knights, which

. How Sir Meliagrance took the queen and her knights, which

were sore hurt in fighting.

So as the queen had Mayed and all her knights, all were bedashed with

herbs, mosses and flowers, in the best manner and freshest. Right so

came out of a wood Sir Meliagrance with an eight score men well

harnessed, as they should fight in a battle of arrest, and bade the

queen and her knights abide, for maugre their heads they should abide.

Traitor knight, said Queen Guenever, what cast thou for to do? Wilt

thou shame thyself? Bethink thee how thou art a king’s son, and knight

of the Table Round, and thou to be about to dishonour the noble king

that made thee knight; thou shamest all knighthood and thyself, and me,

I let thee wit, shalt thou never shame, for I had liefer cut mine own

throat in twain rather than thou shouldest dishonour me. As for all

this language, said Sir Meliagrance, be it as it be may, for wit you

well, madam, I have loved you many a year, and never or now could I get

you at such an advantage as I do now, and therefore I will take you as

I find you.

Then spake all the ten noble knights at once and said: Sir Meliagrance,

wit thou well ye are about to jeopard your worship to dishonour, and

also ye cast to jeopard our persons howbeit we be unarmed. Ye have us

at a great avail, for it seemeth by you that ye have laid watch upon

us; but rather than ye should put the queen to a shame and us all, we

had as lief to depart from our lives, for an if we other ways did, we

were shamed for ever. Then said Sir Meliagrance: Dress you as well ye

can, and keep the queen. Then the ten knights of the Table Round drew

their swords, and the other let run at them with their spears, and the

ten knights manly abode them, and smote away their spears that no spear

did them none harm. Then they lashed together with swords, and anon Sir

Kay, Sir Sagramore, Sir Agravaine, Sir Dodinas, Sir Ladinas, and Sir

Ozanna were smitten to the earth with grimly wounds. Then Sir

Brandiles, and Sir Persant, Sir Ironside, Sir Pelleas fought long, and

they were sore wounded, for these ten knights, or ever they were laid

to the ground, slew forty men of the boldest and the best of them.

So when the queen saw her knights thus dolefully wounded, and needs

must be slain at the last, then for pity and sorrow she cried Sir

Meliagrance: Slay not my noble knights, and I will go with thee upon

this covenant, that thou save them, and suffer them not to be no more

hurt, with this, that they be led with me wheresomever thou leadest me,

for I will rather slay myself than I will go with thee, unless that

these my noble knights may be in my presence. Madam, said Meliagrance,

for your sake they shall be led with you into mine own castle, with

that ye will be ruled, and ride with me. Then the queen prayed the four

knights to leave their fighting, and she and they would not depart.

Madam, said Sir Pelleas, we will do as ye do, for as for me I take no

force of my life nor death. For as the French book saith, Sir Pelleas

gave such buffets there that none armour might hold him.