The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur

by Howard Pyle

Chapter Sixth

Sir Launcelot brings the Queen to King Arthur at Camelot. He quitteth England, and King Arthur and Sir Gawaine pursue him.

SO the King went to Camelot, and upon the third day the Queen was brought to him at that place.

Thus saith the history of these things when the Queen was brought to the Court of the King, to wit:

How Sir Launcelot brings the Queen to Camelot.

First there came an hundred knights clad cap-a-pie all in armor and with fittings and trimmings of green velvet. And these knights wore olive wreaths upon their heads, indicative of peace. Followed these, four and twenty esquires clad all in green velvet, and these were also crowned with olive wreaths. After these came four and twenty ladies in waiting upon the Queen, and these, like all the others, were clad in green velvet and were embroidered with pearls and precious stones even to the heels of their horses, and the bridles of their horses were bound with wreaths of olive. Then came the Queen and Sir Launcelot clad all in white samite, and the Queen carried an olive branch in her hand and Sir Launcelot was crowned with an olive wreath. And the raiment of these two was all aglitter with the jewels and pearls with which their clothes were embroidered until they were stiff with that embroidery.

How the King sat at Camelot.

At that time King Arthur received them seated upon his throne with great dignity in the hall of the Castle at Camelot. And the throne upon which he sat was of wrought gold and was cushioned and trimmed with crimson velvet, embroidered in gold with the figures of leopards. And over above the throne was a great canopy of crimson velvet ornamented with the figures of leopards, embroidered with threads of gold. The King was clothed all in white, and he wore a gold chain studded with jewels about his neck and he wore his royal crown upon his head. Upon the left hand of the King stood seven bishops in full canonical robes, and upon his right hand was a throne like to his, and on that throne the Queen should have been seated. But she was not seated there, for otherwise it was empty.

Upon the left hand of the King, but upon the second step below the throne, sat Sir Gawaine, the beloved nephew of the King. And all about the hall were several hundred knights in full armor and armed cap-a-pie with sword and lance, so that that hall glittered and gleamed with the shine of that armor.

So King Arthur sat in state to receive the return of the Queen, and anon she came to that place where the King awaited her. First came the knights and esquires of Sir Launcelot, and these drew up in two parties extending the length of the hall, leaving a line between them. Then came Sir Launcelot and the Queen walking hand in hand up the length of that lane, and the faces of Sir Launcelot and of that lady were both of them exceedingly pale—hers with fear and his with fear for her. Behind these two came the four and twenty ladies in waiting upon the Queen, and these stopped in the midst of that lane and waited, whilst she and Sir Launcelot approached King Arthur.

So Sir Launcelot and the Queen came to the foot of the throne where sat the King, and when they had come to that spot Sir Launcelot kneeled and the Queen stood before King Arthur.

Sir Launcelot speaketh.

Quoth Sir Launcelot, “Dread Lord and King, here I bring to you your Queen as I have promised to do, and if I took her away in sorrow and in haste, then do I return her to you with ten thousand times the joy as compared to what was that sorrow, and in ten thousand times the peace and amity to what was that haste. Lord, for thirteen weeks has she dwelt at Joyous Gard with all the state and circumstance due to her royalty, and she cometh to you now as pure and as virginal as she came to you at Camilard when first you loved her at that place and she loved you. Lord, I pray you that you will take the Queen to your heart, and will cherish her there as you one time cherished her, for, excepting that you pledged me your word that no harm should befall her, she otherwise would not have been thus brought to you as she is brought to-day.”

The King rebukes Sir Launcelot.

Then King Arthur frowned until his eyes disappeared beneath his eyebrows. For a little he answered nothing, then in a little he said, “Messire, one time you were my friend and the best-beloved of all my knights, but that time is past and gone, never to return again, for now it is altogether otherwise with me and with you. Messire, I admire at your coolness and phlegm. For you took my Queen away from me by force and by force have you held her for all these several months. Many knights have died by your hand and through your instrumentality, and several of those knights were knights of my Round Table that one time held you to it in bonds of love and amity. Yet now you stand before me and recommend to me that I shall take back my Queen into my heart again. Messire, wit you not that that which hath been done can never be undone, but is and must remain altogether finished and completed? So it is with this thing that you have done; for it also is and must remain altogether finished and completed. Look you, Messire, here beside me is this throne, which is empty. So it shall remain forever empty for me, for never again shall Queen Guinevere or any other queen occupy it, for I hereby and herewith renounce her utterly and entirely. She hath withdrawn herself from my court and my bed and so she shall forever remain withdrawn from them, for never again will I take her to my heart, or place her in that estate which she once occupied.

The King sendeth the Queen to a convent.

“I have pledged myself that no harm shall come to her through me; but herewith I give her over to the Church. There she shall remain a recluse until the day of her death.”

So said King Arthur, and at a motion of his hand the Lord Bishop of Rochester came forth and took the Lady by the hand and led her away; and as he led her away, she was weeping very bitterly.

So the Bishop of Rochester took the Queen to the Convent of Saint Bridget at Rochester, and there she remained the lady abbess of that convent even to the day of her death, as shall hereinafter be related.

Now all this while Sir Launcelot still kneeled before King Arthur, and anon the King said to him again, “Messire, your own doom I will not announce to you; but I will relegate the annunciation of that doom to this lord, my well-beloved nephew, Sir Gawaine. For the injury which you did to him is a thousand times greater than the injury which you did to me. For though you took my Queen away from me, yet you did her no harm. But with him, you slew five of his blood; to wit, three of his brethren and two of his sons. And whilst three of them were in arms against you so that you slew them wittingly and in self-defence, yet two of those stood unarmed and naked before you, and those two loved you better than anyone in all the world. One of those two your own hand made a knight and the other was knit to you with many acts and deeds of friendship and of love. Accordingly, I commit your doom to Sir Gawaine to announce to you.”

Sir Gawaine pronounces the doom of banishment against Sir Launcelot.

Then Sir Gawaine smiled very bitterly upon Sir Launcelot, and he said, “Messire, this is the doom that I pronounce. The King hath, in his great clemency, promised you that no harm shall befall you in life or in limb. So no harm shall come to you in that way if you are reasonable and obey the commands of the King. This is his command—that in fifteen days from this you must quit this kingdom, and that you shall never again return to it whilst I live or while the King liveth.

And against his knights.

“Also I pronounce the doom of banishment against those who have been associated with you in these late affairs, to wit, against Sir Ector de Maris, Sir Bors de Ganis and Sir Ure, and Sir Blamor and Sir Bleoberis de Ganis, against Sir Galahautin, and Sir Galahud, and Sir Menaduke, and Sir Galahadin, and Sir Hebes, and Sir Lavaine, and Sir Melias de Lisle, and Sir Palamydes, and Sir Safyr, and Sir Clegis. Upon all of these I pronounce the doom of banishment upon behalf of this King, and if any of you be found within this isle of Britain fifteen days from now, you will be arrested and hanged as traitors. Meantime all your castles, earldoms, and baronies shall be forfeited to the King.”

Said Sir Launcelot, “Sir, that is a bitter sentence; for here in this island have I lived all my life, and of it I love every stock and stone that mine eyes behold. But if I be outlawed and cast forth from this kingdom, then will I go to my Castle of Chillion in the land of France, and there I believe I shall be right well welcome and protected. So come, my lords, and let us be gone to that country whiles there yet remains time for us to depart.”

Sir Launcelot and his knights withdraw.

So Sir Launcelot and all those lords who were condemned with him departed from the coast of England and entered into France, where they took up their lodging with much sorrow and repining.

And King Arthur seized upon all their earldoms, baronies, and estates, and some of these he bestowed elsewhere and some of them he held for the crown.

Now after those knights had departed for France, Sir Gawaine urged upon King Arthur that he should follow them to that kingdom and attack them there at the Castle of Chillion. King Arthur said, “Sir, why should I do this thing? Did not Sir Launcelot bring back my Queen to me and did I not forgive him for what he had done? Is he not now banished from the land, and is he not then punished for all those things that he has done? Let him now live and die in peace.”

But to this Sir Gawaine ever answered, “Sir, I cannot reconcile it to myself thus to surrender my rights in this case. For Sir Launcelot slew my brothers and my sons, and never will I forgive him for that offence. Either his blood or my blood shall answer for this; wherefore, if thou wilt not follow him to France, then I myself will go thither and will seek him out and punish him. As for thee, thou mayst forgive him as a man, but yet thou mayst not forgive him as a king. For as a king thou art the head of the law, wherefore thou mayst not forgive one who hath broken the law. So with Sir Launcelot of the Lake, for he broke the laws and he brought these Knights of the Round Table against thee and to follow him; wherefore it is thy duty under the law to assail him and to punish him for his treason, and also to punish those who follow him likewise for their treason.”

The King moveth against Sir Launcelot.

Now by this time King Arthur was growing toward being an old man, and he was much broken by sorrow and by cares, wherefore these words of Sir Gawaine so moved him that at last he agreed to sail with an army into France and to attack Sir Launcelot and his friends at Chillion. So King Arthur entrusted the government of Britain to his nephew, Sir Mordred (who was brother to Sir Gawaine), and he and Sir Gawaine departed with a great army for France.

So this army appeared before the Castle of Chillion, and they shut Sir Launcelot and his friends up within the castle and besieged them at that place.

Then said Sir Launcelot, “How is this; hath not King Arthur any mercy upon us, or doth he seek our lives and our blood? Well, if he seeks those lives and that blood, then will there be many cruel and bitter battles betwixt us, and many knights shall fall, and so will come the entire end of the Round Table. Ah, well, if God willeth that it be so, so it must be.”

Of the battles about Chillion.

So there were many battles around about Chillion and many lost their lives. And though the knights of King Arthur lost more lives than did the knights of Sir Launcelot, yet they could better afford to lose those lives because new knights were constantly coming from Britain to replenish the army of King Arthur, but no new knights were coming to the army of Sir Launcelot, wherefore his losses were not replenished to him.

Now at that time there was a very wise and learned physician in the camp of King Arthur, and one day Sir Gawaine sent for this learned man to come to him. When that wise man stood before Sir Gawaine, Sir Gawaine said to him this, “Sir, can you not produce for me a lotion that shall render me free from all wounds of any sort?”

The wise man provides medicine for Sir Gawaine.

Quoth the wise man, “Sir, this is impossible. But I can give to you a medicine of this sort, that if you take it, you will, from the ninth hour of morning until the prime of noon, have the strength in your limbs and in your arms as of ten men.” Sir Gawaine laughed, and said, “Provide me then with that medicine.”

So the wise man prepared that medicine and gave it to Sir Gawaine, and so it was for him as that physician had promised. For from the ninth hour of the morning until the prime of noon, Sir Gawaine was uplifted in arm and body to the strength of ten men.

Sir Gawaine giveth challenge against Sir Launcelot.

So the next day after this medicine had been delivered to him, Sir Gawaine went to the walls of the castle and he paraded under the walls of the castle, and he called out, “Sir Launcelot, come forth and do me battle. For this satisfaction thou owest to me for slaying my kindred.” But Sir Launcelot would not come forth to do him battle. For Sir Launcelot still loved Sir Gawaine and he loved King Arthur; both for the sake of those times that were past and gone, when they had joy and pleasure together. So because that the one was Sir Gawaine and the other was King Arthur, he would not come forth to do battle. Nay, because of his love for those two, Sir Launcelot would not fight in that part of the battle where Sir Gawaine or King Arthur was, but would do battle at other parts.

But when the next day had come, Sir Gawaine came again and the strength of ten men was in his arms and his body. And he paraded back and forth under the walls of the castle, and ever as he paraded he cried out aloud, “Sir Launcelot, thou caitiff knight! Come forth and do me battle! For thy doom is upon thee, and thou shalt die in this war; wherefore, come and do me battle, or else announce that thou art afraid of me.”

But still Sir Launcelot would not go forth against him, but he sat in the castle and groaned for sorrow and bitterness of spirit. Then Sir Ector came to Sir Launcelot, and he said, “Kinsman, suffer me that I go forth and do battle in thy behalf; for this man sharneth us by this challenge.”

Then Sir Launcelot wept, and he said, “Thou shalt not go, for wit you that I loved this man better than mine own blood. And if he should be slain, then will my heart be filled with grief such as can never vacate it again. And if thou art killed, then will I be without my brother, and must take it upon me to fight Sir Gawaine upon the behalf of thy death. Wherefore, I pray thee go not forth to meet him.”

But ever Sir Ector besought Sir Launcelot saying, “Brother, suffer me to go!” And at last Sir Launcelot said, “Well go, and may God be with thee!”

So Sir Ector armed himself and departed out of the castle to meet Sir Gawaine.

Then Sir Gawaine rode up to Sir Ector and he said to him, “Sir, what knight are you?” Quoth Sir Ector, “I am Sir Ector de Maris, the brother of Sir Launcelot of the Lake.” Said Sir Gawaine, “Why come you here?” And Sir Ector replied, “I come to do battle with you upon my brother’s behalf.” Then Sir Gawaine laughed and he said, “Sir, you are welcome. Rather would I have it that you were Sir Launcelot, but failing him I will accept you as his proxy. So make yourself ready to encounter me.”

Sir Gawaine overthroweth Sir Ector.

So each of those two knights rode to a certain distance and prepared himself for that encounter. And when they were in all ways prepared they charged very furiously against one another. In that meeting the spear of Sir Ector broke into many pieces, but the spear of Sir Gawaine held. And because he had the strength of ten men behind his spear, it penetrated the shield of Sir Ector and it penetrated his body, so that it stood a haeadth out behind his back.

Then Sir Ector fell from his horse and, in passing, the spear of Sir Gawaine was broken so that the baton of the spear of Sir Gawaine remained sticking in the body of Sir Ector; a part of it sticking out before, and a part of it sticking out behind.

Then Sir Gawaine rode back to where Sir Ector lay, and he said to him, “Sir, how fares it with you?” Quoth Sir Ector, “Alas, Messire! I have received my death-wound.” Then Sir Gawaine laughed very bitterly, and he said, “So shall it always be with traitors, such as thou.”

Then with that Sir Gawaine turned his horse and rode away from that place, leaving Sir Ector lying where he was.

Anon there came forth those from within the castle and they lifted up Sir Ector where he lay. And they laid him in the hollow of the shield and bare him into the castle. And all who saw Sir Ector in that condition wept to behold him so.

So they bore him to a chamber and laid him upon a soft couch and Sir Ector groaned very dolorously with the agony of his wound, and Sir Launcelot and several others stood before him, and ever as Sir Launcelot considered him, the tears welled out of his eyes and rolled like shining jewels down his cheeks.

So about the eleventh hour of the night Sir Ector said to Sir Launcelot, “Sir, this wound is my death-wound. I pray you to draw out the baton of that spear and let me pass.” Sir Launcelot said, “I cannot draw it forth.” Sir Ector said, “Is there no friend here who will draw forth this baton, and suffer me to die?”

Then said Sir Bors, “I will draw it forth,” and with that he came to the bedside of Sir Ector and he laid hold of the baton of the spear. And he drew very strongly upon that baton and it came forth out of that wound and with it came a great effusion of blood.

Sir Ector dieth.

Then Sir Ector groaned very deeply and he said, “I pass,” and with that he closed his eyes and in a little while he was dead. Then they who were there wept a great passion of tears, for Sir Ector was well-beloved of all of them.

Now when the next morning was come, Sir Gawaine came again before the castle and rode there as aforetime. And ever as he rode he cried out, “Sir Launcelot, thou craven knight, come forth and do me battle.” But still Sir Launcelot would not come forth against him. Then Sir Bors de Ganis came to Sir Launcelot and he said to him, “Sir, suffer me to go forth against this knight, for he bringeth shame upon us all.”

Quoth Sir Launcelot, “I crave you not to go, Sir; for this knight, Sir Gawaine, is a very strong and powerful knight. Already hath he slain Sir Ector, and should you also lose your life, what great loss that would be to us all.” “Nevertheless,” said Sir Bors, “I would fain go forth against him. For God may give me the victory, in which it will be a great benefit to us all in that he will no more come to trouble us.”

Then Sir Launcelot turned away his head, and anon he said, “Go, in God’s name, and may good fortune attend you. As for me, I cannot go against Sir Gawaine because of the love I held for him. For should he slay me, that would be a great misfortune for us all, but should I slay him, never would I cease to sorrow and to repine for his death. Wherefore, I cannot now go against him, but you may go against him.”

So Sir Bors armed himself and went forth out of the castle, and when Sir Gawaine beheld him coming he was rejoiced, for he thought that this was Sir Launcelot.

So Sir Gawaine rode up to him as he approached, and he said to him, “Messire, what knight are you?” Him Sir Bors made answer, “Sir I am Sir Bors de Ganis, and I have come forth here against you upon behalf of Sir Launcelot of the Lake.”

“Sir,” said Sir Gawaine, “you are very welcome; though rather would I have to do with Sir Launcelot of the Lake than with any other man in all of the world. For I have no quarrel against you, but against him I have a quarrel.”

“Nevertheless,” said Sir Bors, “I stand here now upon his behalf to do battle for him.”

Quoth Sir Gawaine, “Prepare yourself then for battle!” So Sir Bors took his assigned place and when they were in all wise prepared they rushed together with great violence and fury.

In that encounter the spear of each knight was broken into many pieces, even to the very fist that held the spear, and the horse of each recoiled so that it sunk back upon its haunches and would, perhaps, have fallen, had not the address of the knight rider recovered it. Then each knight cast aside the truncheon of his spear and voided his horse, and each drew his sword with great readiness and rushed to the battle very furiously, violently and impetuously. Each smote the other many sore buffets and strokes so that each knight was wounded in several places.

But Sir Gawaine was possessed of the strength of ten, and Sir Bors was possessed but of the strength of one, so that by and by Sir Bors was obliged to hold his shield low because of weariness from the redoubled fury of Sir Gawaine’s attack.

Sir Gawaine woundeth Sir Bors.

So Sir Gawaine perceived that opening which he made in his defence, and, grinding his teeth together, he whirled up his sword and smote Sir Bors upon the shoulder of that arm that held his sword. So violent and savage was the blow that it sheared through the iron of the epulier and it sheared through the flesh and bone of the shoulder so that the arm of Sir Bors fell and hung down from the shoulder and his hand dropped the sword that he held.

Sir Bors asks his life.

Then Sir Gawaine laughed and ran forward and he set his foot upon the sword of Sir Bors. And Sir Bors sank down upon his knees and he said in a weak and faltering voice, “Sir Gawaine, I am sorely wounded. If it please thee to do so, I pray thee to spare my life.”

Quoth Sir Gawaine, “Why should I spare thee thy life? Thou art a traitor knave, and it is not fit that I should spare thee, but rather I should slay thee as thou kneelest before me. But I cannot forget our long and many associations; and I cannot forget that thou wert one of those three knights who achieved the Grail, and brought the Grail back again to Sarras. So I will forgive thee, and will spare thee thy life, if so be that God will also spare it.”

Then Sir Gawaine turned and sheathed his sword, and he mounted his horse and rode away. And anon there came the friends of Sir Bors from the Castle of Chillion, and they lifted him up and laid him upon a litter, and so they bore him away into the castle.

And they took Sir Bors to a room of the castle and stripped off his armor and beheld the wound that it was very ghastly and dismal. And so much blood was emitted from that wound that Sir Bors fainted and for awhile he hung hovering upon the edge of death.

Sir Bors doth not die.

But he did not die then or afterward, but he revived and his wound was healed so that he, by and by, became well and strong again.

Then Sir Launcelot came to where Sir Bors was, and he said to him, “Sir Bors, how fared it with thee?” And Sir Bors said in a fainting voice, “Sir, I know not how it was with Sir Gawaine. For I found him to be so passing strong that never have I found a stronger. For he smote down my defences and he smote me this blow that I have received, and from which I shall maybe die. For mine arm is nearly severed from its shoulder, and I wit not whether I shall ever be strong and hale again.”

Then Sir Launcelot wept and he said, “Alas, that this is so! For now I cannot forego this battle with Sir Gawaine any longer. For yesterday he slew my brother, Sir Ector, and to-day he hath nearly slain thee. So to-morrow I shall have to have ado with him, or else, by and by, all shall perish at this place.”

Then Sir Bors said, “Sir, beware of him, for he hath strength more than human, wherefore I fear that he may prove to thee thy undoing.”

To that Sir Launcelot answereth, “I should be sorry to find it so. But whether it is thus or not, still must I have ado with him upon the chance that I may thus save the lives of others within this place.”

So it came that Sir Launcelot was prepared to do battle with Sir Gawaine.

Now if you would hear more of this famous fight betwixt Sir Launcelot and Sir Gawaine, I pray you to read that which followeth. For there it shall be fully and distinctly set forth as it hath been told of in several ancient histories dealing with these things.