So saying,from the carven flower above,To which it made a restless heart,he took,And gave,the diamond:then from where he sat At Arthur's right,with smiling face arose,With smiling face and frowning heart,a Prince In the mid might and flourish of his May,Gawain,surnamed The Courteous,fair and strong,And after Lancelot,Tristram,and Geraint And Gareth,a good knight,but therewithal Sir Modred's brother,and the child of Lot,Nor often loyal to his word,and now Wroth that the King's command to sally forth In quest of whom he knew not,made him leave The banquet,and concourse of knights and kings.
So all in wrath he got to horse and went;
While Arthur to the banquet,dark in mood,Past,thinking 'Is it Lancelot who hath come Despite the wound he spake of,all for gain Of glory,and hath added wound to wound,And ridden away to die?'So feared the King,And,after two days'tarriance there,returned.
Then when he saw the Queen,embracing asked,'Love,are you yet so sick?''Nay,lord,'she said.
'And where is Lancelot?'Then the Queen amazed,'Was he not with you?won he not your prize?'
'Nay,but one like him.''Why that like was he.'
And when the King demanded how she knew,Said,'Lord,no sooner had ye parted from us,Than Lancelot told me of a common talk That men went down before his spear at a touch,But knowing he was Lancelot;his great name Conquered;and therefore would he hide his name From all men,even the King,and to this end Had made a pretext of a hindering wound,That he might joust unknown of all,and learn If his old prowess were in aught decayed;And added,"Our true Arthur,when he learns,Will well allow me pretext,as for gain Of purer glory."'
Then replied the King:
'Far lovelier in our Lancelot had it been,In lieu of idly dallying with the truth,To have trusted me as he hath trusted thee.
Surely his King and most familiar friend Might well have kept his secret.True,indeed,Albeit I know my knights fantastical,So fine a fear in our large Lancelot Must needs have moved my laughter:now remains But little cause for laughter:his own kin--Ill news,my Queen,for all who love him,this!--His kith and kin,not knowing,set upon him;
So that he went sore wounded from the field:
Yet good news too:for goodly hopes are mine That Lancelot is no more a lonely heart.
He wore,against his wont,upon his helm A sleeve of scarlet,broidered with great pearls,Some gentle maiden's gift.'
'Yea,lord,'she said,'Thy hopes are mine,'and saying that,she choked,And sharply turned about to hide her face,Past to her chamber,and there flung herself Down on the great King's couch,and writhed upon it,And clenched her fingers till they bit the palm,And shrieked out 'Traitor'to the unhearing wall,Then flashed into wild tears,and rose again,And moved about her palace,proud and pale.
Gawain the while through all the region round Rode with his diamond,wearied of the quest,Touched at all points,except the poplar grove,And came at last,though late,to Astolat:
Whom glittering in enamelled arms the maid Glanced at,and cried,'What news from Camelot,lord?
What of the knight with the red sleeve?''He won.'
'I knew it,'she said.'But parted from the jousts Hurt in the side,'whereat she caught her breath;Through her own side she felt the sharp lance go;Thereon she smote her hand:wellnigh she swooned:
And,while he gazed wonderingly at her,came The Lord of Astolat out,to whom the Prince Reported who he was,and on what quest Sent,that he bore the prize and could not find The victor,but had ridden a random round To seek him,and had wearied of the search.
To whom the Lord of Astolat,'Bide with us,And ride no more at random,noble Prince!
Here was the knight,and here he left a shield;This will he send or come for:furthermore Our son is with him;we shall hear anon,Needs must hear.'To this the courteous Prince Accorded with his wonted courtesy,Courtesy with a touch of traitor in it,And stayed;and cast his eyes on fair Elaine:
Where could be found face daintier?then her shape From forehead down to foot,perfect--again From foot to forehead exquisitely turned:
'Well--if I bide,lo!this wild flower for me!'
And oft they met among the garden yews,And there he set himself to play upon her With sallying wit,free flashes from a height Above her,graces of the court,and songs,Sighs,and slow smiles,and golden eloquence And amorous adulation,till the maid Rebelled against it,saying to him,'Prince,O loyal nephew of our noble King,Why ask you not to see the shield he left,Whence you might learn his name?Why slight your King,And lose the quest he sent you on,and prove No surer than our falcon yesterday,Who lost the hern we slipt her at,and went To all the winds?''Nay,by mine head,'said he,'I lose it,as we lose the lark in heaven,O damsel,in the light of your blue eyes;But an ye will it let me see the shield.'
And when the shield was brought,and Gawain saw Sir Lancelot's azure lions,crowned with gold,Ramp in the field,he smote his thigh,and mocked:
'Right was the King!our Lancelot!that true man!'
'And right was I,'she answered merrily,'I,Who dreamed my knight the greatest knight of all.'
'And if I dreamed,'said Gawain,'that you love This greatest knight,your pardon!lo,ye know it!
Speak therefore:shall I waste myself in vain?'
Full simple was her answer,'What know I?
My brethren have been all my fellowship;
And I,when often they have talked of love,Wished it had been my mother,for they talked,Meseemed,of what they knew not;so myself--I know not if I know what true love is,But if I know,then,if I love not him,I know there is none other I can love.'
'Yea,by God's death,'said he,'ye love him well,But would not,knew ye what all others know,And whom he loves.''So be it,'cried Elaine,And lifted her fair face and moved away:
But he pursued her,calling,'Stay a little!
One golden minute's grace!he wore your sleeve:
Would he break faith with one I may not name?
Must our true man change like a leaf at last?
