How King Arthur at the request of Sir Gawaine concluded to make war against Sir Launcelot,and laid siege to his castle called Joyous Gard ALAS,said Sir Gawaine,now is my joy gone.And then he fell down and swooned,and long he lay there as he had been dead.And then,when he arose of his swoon,he cried out sorrowfully,and said:Alas!And right so Sir Gawaine ran to the king,crying and weeping:O King Arthur,mine uncle,my good brother Sir Gareth is slain,and so is my brother Sir Gaheris,the which were two noble knights.Then the king wept,and he both;and so they fell a-swooning.And when they were revived then spake Sir Gawaine:Sir,I will go see my brother,Sir Gareth.Ye may not see him,said the king,for I caused him to be interred,and Sir Gaheris both;for I well understood that ye would make over-much sorrow,and the sight of Sir Gareth should have caused your double sorrow.
Alas,my lord,said Sir Gawaine,how slew he my brother,Sir Gareth?Mine own good lord I pray you tell me.
Truly,said the king,I shall tell you how it is told me,Sir Launcelot slew him and Sir Gaheris both.Alas,said Sir Gawaine,they bare none arms against him,neither of them both.I wot not how it was,said the king,but as it is said,Sir Launcelot slew them both in the thickest of the press and knew them not;and therefore let us shape a remedy for to revenge their deaths.
My king,my lord,and mine uncle,said Sir Gawaine,wit you well now I shall make you a promise that I shall hold by my knighthood,that from this day I shall never fail Sir Launcelot until the one of us have slain the other.
And therefore I require you,my lord and king,dress you to the war,for wit you well I will be revenged upon Sir Launcelot;and therefore,as ye will have my service and my love,now haste you thereto,and assay your friends.
For I promise unto God,said Sir Gawaine,for the death of my brother,Sir Gareth,I shall seek Sir Launcelot throughout seven kings'realms,but I shall slay him or else he shall slay me.Ye shall not need to seek him so far,said the king,for as I hear say,Sir Launcelot will abide me and you in the Joyous Gard;and much people draweth unto him,as I hear say.That may I believe,said Sir Gawaine;but my lord,he said,assay your friends,and Iwill assay mine.It shall be done,said the king,and as Isuppose I shall be big enough to draw him out of the biggest tower of his castle.
So then the king sent letters and writs throughout all England,both in the length and the breadth,for to assummon all his knights.And so unto Arthur drew many knights,dukes,and earls,so that he had a great host.And when they were assembled,the king informed them how Sir Launcelot had bereft him his queen.Then the king and all his host made them ready to lay siege about Sir Launcelot,where he lay within Joyous Gard.Thereof heard Sir Launcelot,and purveyed him of many good knights,for with him held many knights;and some for his own sake,and some for the queen's sake.Thus they were on both parties well furnished and garnished of all manner of thing that longed to the war.But King Arthur's host was so big that Sir Launcelot would not abide him in the field,for he was full loath to do battle against the king;but Sir Launcelot drew him to his strong castle with all manner of victual,and as many noble men as he might suffice within the town and the castle.Then came King Arthur with Sir Gawaine with an huge host,and laid a siege all about Joyous Gard,both at the town and at the castle,and there they made strong war on both parties.But in no wise Sir Launcelot would ride out,nor go out of his castle,of long time;neither he would none of his good knights to issue out,neither none of the town nor of the castle,until fifteen weeks were past.
CHAPTER XI
Of the communication between King Arthur and Sir Launcelot,and how King Arthur reproved him.
THEN it befell upon a day in harvest time,Sir Launcelot looked over the walls,and spake on high unto King Arthur and Sir Gawaine:My lords both,wit ye well all is in vain that ye make at this siege,for here win ye no worship but maugre and dishonour;for an it list me to come myself out and my good knights,I should full soon make an end of this war.Come forth,said Arthur unto Launcelot,an thou durst,and I promise thee I shall meet thee in midst of the field.God defend me,said Sir Launcelot,that ever I should encounter with the most noble king that made me knight.Fie upon thy fair language,said the king,for wit you well and trust it,I am thy mortal foe,and ever will to my death day;for thou hast slain my good knights,and full noble men of my blood,that I shall never recover again.Also thou hast lain by my queen,and holden her many winters,and sithen like a traitor taken her from me by force.
My most noble lord and king,said Sir Launcelot,ye may say what ye will,for ye wot well with yourself will Inot strive;but thereas ye say I have slain your good knights,I wot well that I have done so,and that me sore repenteth;but I was enforced to do battle with them in saving of my life,or else I must have suffered them to have slain me.And as for my lady,Queen Guenever,except your person of your highness,and my lord Sir Gawaine,there is no knight under heaven that dare make it good upon me,that ever I was a traitor unto your person.
And where it please you to say that I have holden my lady your queen years and winters,unto that I shall ever make a large answer,and prove it upon any knight that beareth the life,except your person and Sir Gawaine,that my lady,Queen Guenever,is a true lady unto your person as any is living unto her lord,and that will I make good with my hands.Howbeit it hath liked her good grace to have me in chierte,and to cherish me more than any other knight;and unto my power I again have deserved her love,for ofttimes,my lord,ye have consented that she should be brent and destroyed,in your heat,and then it fortuned me to do battle for her,and or I departed from her adversary they confessed their untruth,and she full worshipfully excused.