第 七十一 章 · How King Arthur’s sword that he fought with brake, and how

. How King Arthur’s sword that he fought with brake, and how

he recovered of Accolon his own sword Excalibur, and overcame his

enemy.

Then Sir Accolon began with words of treason, and said, Knight, thou

art overcome, and mayst not endure, and also thou art weaponless, and

thou hast lost much of thy blood, and I am full loath to slay thee,

therefore yield thee to me as recreant. Nay, said Sir Arthur, I may not

so, for I have promised to do the battle to the uttermost by the faith

of my body, while me lasteth the life, and therefore I had liefer to

die with honour than to live with shame; and if it were possible for me

to die an hundred times, I had liefer to die so oft than yield me to

thee; for though I lack weapon, I shall lack no worship, and if thou

slay me weaponless that shall be thy shame. Well, said Accolon, as for

the shame I will not spare, now keep thee from me, for thou art but a

dead man. And therewith Accolon gave him such a stroke that he fell

nigh to the earth, and would have had Arthur to have cried him mercy.

But Sir Arthur pressed unto Accolon with his shield, and gave him with

the pommel in his hand such a buffet that he went three strides aback.

When the Damosel of the Lake beheld Arthur, how full of prowess his

body was, and the false treason that was wrought for him to have had

him slain, she had great pity that so good a knight and such a man of

worship should so be destroyed. And at the next stroke Sir Accolon

struck him such a stroke that by the damosel’s enchantment the sword

Excalibur fell out of Accolon’s hand to the earth. And therewithal Sir

Arthur lightly leapt to it, and gat it in his hand, and forthwithal he

knew that it was his sword Excalibur, and said, Thou hast been from me

all too long, and much damage hast thou done me; and therewith he

espied the scabbard hanging by his side, and suddenly he sterte to him

and pulled the scabbard from him, and threw it from him as far as he

might throw it. O knight, said Arthur, this day hast thou done me great

damage with this sword; now are ye come unto your death, for I shall

not warrant you but ye shall as well be rewarded with this sword, or

ever we depart, as thou hast rewarded me; for much pain have ye made me

to endure, and much blood have I lost. And therewith Sir Arthur rushed

on him with all his might and pulled him to the earth, and then rushed

off his helm, and gave him such a buffet on the head that the blood

came out at his ears, his nose, and his mouth. Now will I slay thee,

said Arthur. Slay me ye may well, said Accolon, an it please you, for

ye are the best knight that ever I found, and I see well that God is

with you. But for I promised to do this battle, said Accolon, to the

uttermost, and never to be recreant while I lived, therefore shall I

never yield me with my mouth, but God do with my body what he will.

Then Sir Arthur remembered him, and thought he should have seen this

knight. Now tell me, said Arthur, or I will slay thee, of what country

art thou, and of what court? Sir Knight, said Sir Accolon, I am of the

court of King Arthur, and my name is Accolon of Gaul. Then was Arthur

more dismayed than he was beforehand; for then he remembered him of his

sister Morgan le Fay, and of the enchantment of the ship. O sir knight,

said he, I pray you tell me who gave you this sword, and by whom ye had

it.