King Arthur's Last Battle by Thomas Malory

Author:Thomas Malory
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2008-10-16T00:00:00+00:00

[…]

Book XI

CHAPTER 1: How Sir Launcelot rode on his adventure, and how he helped a dolorous lady from her pain, and how that he fought with a dragon

Now leave we Sir Tristram de Liones, and speak we of Sir Launcelot du Lake, and of Sir Galahad, Sir Launcelot’s son, how he was gotten, and in what manner, as the book of French rehearseth.

Afore the time that Sir Galahad was gotten or born, there came in an hermit unto King Arthur upon Whitsunday, as the knights sat at the Table Round. And when the hermit saw the Siege Perilous, he asked the king and all the knights why that siege was void.

Sir Arthur and all the knights answered, ‘There shall never none sit in that siege but one, but if he be destroyed.’

Then said the hermit, ‘Wot ye what is he?’

‘Nay,’ said Arthur and all the knights, ‘we wot not who is he that shall sit therein.’

‘Then wot I,’ said the hermit, ‘for he that shall sit there is unborn and ungotten, and this same year he shall be gotten that shall sit there in that Siege Perilous, and he shall win the Sangrail.’ When this hermit had made this mention he departed from the court of King Arthur.

And then after this feast Sir Launcelot rode on his adventure, till on a time by adventure he passed over the Pounte of Corbin; and there he saw the fairest tower that ever he saw, and thereunder was a fair town full of people; and all the people, men and women, cried at once, ‘Welcome, Sir Launcelot du Lake, the flower of all knighthood, for by thee all we shall be holpen out of danger.’

‘What mean ye,’ said Sir Launcelot, ‘that ye cry so upon me?’

‘Ah, fair knight,’ said they all, ‘here is within this tower a dolorous lady that hath been there in pains many winters and days, for ever she boileth in scalding water; and but late,’ said all the people, ‘Sir Gawain was here and he might not help her, and so he left her in pain.’

‘So may I,’ said Sir Launcelot, ‘leave her in pain as well as Sir Gawain did.’

‘Nay,’ said the people, ‘we know well that it is Sir Launcelot that shall deliver her.’

‘Well,’ said Launcelot, ‘then show me what I shall do.’

Then they brought Sir Launcelot into the tower; and when he came to the chamber thereas this lady was, the doors of iron unlocked and unbolted. And so Sir Launcelot went into the chamber that was as hot as any stew. And there Sir Launcelot took the fairest lady by the hand that ever he saw, and she was naked as a needle; and by enchantment Queen Morgan le Fay and the Queen of Northgales had put her there in that pains, because she was called the fairest lady of that country; and there she had been five years, and never might she be delivered out of her great pains unto the time the best knight of the world had taken her by the hand.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.