The Death of King Arthur (37 page)

‘My lord Lancelot,' Sir Bors replied, ‘I advise you to take the good with the bad. Since events have fallen out in this way, I believe that you must defend yourself forcefully. Surely there is no band of Christian knights who can defeat you? I will also counsel you, my lord, to protect the queen. If she is in distress, and about to suffer for your sake, it is your duty to rescue her. Otherwise the shame of your name will stretch to the ends of the world. Since you were surprised in her company, it is your responsibility to take her part and ensure that she is not put to death. I do not know whether you were with her rightfully or wrongfully, but I do know this. If she should die, the shame would lie upon your head for ever.'

‘Jesus defend me from all shame,' Lancelot said. ‘I call upon the blessed Saviour, too, to protect the life and good name of our sovereign lady. She cannot be condemned for my sake. So, my lords, friends and kinsmen all of you, what will you do?'

They called out in one voice. ‘We will do as you do!'

‘Then let me put the case to you. I believe that King Arthur, our lord, will in the heat of anger consign his wife to the fire. His evil counsellors will urge him on. So what, lords, is it best for me to do?'

Sir Bors stepped forward. ‘You must rescue the queen. If she is burned, it will be for your sake. If you are caught, then you are likely to suffer the same fate or perhaps an even more shameful one. You must be resolute. Save her.'

Lancelot listened to them very gravely. ‘My fair lords,' he replied, ‘you know well that I will never do anything to dishonour you or my own blood. You also know that I am determined to save the queen from a cruel death. If you now counsel me to rescue her at all costs, you must also be aware that I will wreak much harm in the process. I am likely to destroy some of my best friends. There are other knights who, in loyalty to me, will desert their sovereign. These are not outcomes I seek or desire. And tell me this. Once I have rescued Queen Guinevere, where will I take her?'

‘That is the least of the problems,' Sir Bors told him. ‘How did Sir Tristram behave in a similar plight? Did he not follow your advice and keep Isolde for almost three years in your own castle of Joyous Garde? Since that castle belongs to you, why not use it for the preservation and safety of the queen? If the king condemns her to death by burning, you have every right to ride to her protection. You can keep her in Joyous Garde until the wrath of the king has passed. Then you may lead her back to him, and earn the gratitude of both of them.'

‘I am not sure that the example of Sir Tristram is a good one,' Lancelot replied to him. ‘Do you not recall that when he brought Isolde back to King Mark, that false king slew him with a sharp spear? The lance pierced his heart even as he played the harp before the queen. It grieves me still to speak of his death, because he was one of the finest knights in the world.'

‘All that is true enough,' Bors said. ‘But remain steadfast. Surely you know that there is no comparison between King Arthur and King Mark? Arthur has always kept his word. He is honourable.'

They discussed the matter for a long time, until they all agreed that for better or worse they would rescue the queen. If she were condemned to death, she would be kept safe in Lancelot's castle. They rode out to a wood close to Carlisle, and awaited the judgement of the king.

Sir Mordred had escaped, severely wounded, from Lancelot; weak from the loss of blood, he was still able to mount his horse and make his way to the king. He explained what had happened to his sovereign, and described how all the other knights had been killed.

‘God have mercy on us!' cried the king. ‘How can this be? Do you say that you found him in the queen's chamber?'

‘Yes, sir, in God's name it is the truth. He was not armed but, having dispatched Sir Collgrevaunce, he donned that trusty knight's armour. Then he fell upon us.'

The king was disturbed by this news. ‘Sir Lancelot is a mighty warrior. He has no rival. I bitterly regret that he has now turned against me, for in becoming my foe he will surely break up the fellowship of the Round Table. He has so many noble kinsmen that our unity will be gone for ever. There is something else. To save my honour, I must also consign my wife to the flames.' Arthur bowed his head in sorrow.

A short time later, the proclamation was made about the trial of the queen. The verdict itself was not in doubt. She was led to the Stone of Judgement, in the field of the fifty footsteps, where the evidence was pronounced against her. She stood in silence, with her head bowed, before the great lords of the court.

Just as the trial ended, Sir Gawain stood up and addressed the king. ‘My lord Arthur,' he said, ‘I would advise you not to be too hasty in pronouncing death upon Queen Guinevere. Can you not declare a delay in judgement? There are many reasons for urging this. One of them is simple. It may be that, when Lancelot was found in the lady's chamber, he was there with no malicious intent. You know from your own experience that the Lady Guinevere has many reasons for showing gratitude to Sir Lancelot. He has saved her life on several occasions, and has done battle for her when no other knight was willing to do so. It may well be that she sent for him out of the goodness of her heart, in the wish to reward him for all his generous deeds. If she sent for him secretly, that was because she knows that there are many scandalmongers and gossips at the court who would love to sow mischief. She may have made the wrong decision, but things we do for the best often turn out to be for the worst. That is a law of life. I am sure, sir, that Queen Guinevere is a true and faithful wife. As for Sir Lancelot, I know that he will challenge to the duel any knight who dares to impugn the modesty of the queen or the honour of his own conduct.'

‘That may well be true. Lancelot trusts so much in his own strength that he fears no man. But I refuse to take your advice, Sir Gawain. The law is the law. The queen must go to the stake and, if I catch Lancelot, I will condemn him also to a shameful death.'

‘God forbid, sir king, that I should live to see such a thing!'

‘Why do you say that? You have no reason to love him. He has just slaughtered your brother, Sir Agravain, and he almost killed Mordred. Has he not also murdered two of your sons, Sir Florens and Sir Lovell?'

‘I know that. I bitterly regret the death of my two sons. But I warned them all – brothers and sons alike – about the outcome of any struggle with Lancelot. They refused my advice. So I will not meddle with him or try to take revenge upon him. They put themselves in the path of perils. They are the cause of their own deaths.'

King Arthur listened to him gravely. ‘Prepare yourself, Sir Gawain. Put on your finest armour and then, with your brothers Gaheris and Gareth, attend upon the queen. Bring her to the place of judgement and consign her to the fire.'

‘No, my most noble king. I cannot do it. I will never escort my lady, the queen, to a miserable and dishonourable death. I could not endure to see her tied to the stake, and I will play no part in her death.'

‘Then see to it that your brothers take your place.'

‘My lord, they know well enough what shame will fall upon them. But they are too young and inexperienced to refuse you.'

Gaheris and Gareth stepped forward from the company of knights, and addressed the king. ‘Sir, you may command us to be there,' Gareth said. ‘That is your right. But we will attend against our wishes. Will you not excuse us?' The king shook his head.

‘Very well,' Gaheris said. ‘But we will not wear armour or bear arms. We will give the queen the kiss of peace.'

‘In the name of God, then, prepare yourselves.' The king was very stern. ‘She shall be brought to judgement very soon.'

Gawain cried out in sorrow. ‘Alas that I should live to see this unhappy day!' He turned away, weeping, and rushed out of the hall.

Very shortly after, Queen Guinevere was commanded to put on a plain smock, and was escorted from the castle to the place of execution. She made full confession of her sins to the priest in attendance, even as the assembled lords and ladies grieved for her.

Sir Lancelot had placed one of his men among the courtiers to give him good warning of the event. As soon as this man saw the queen being led forward, he leaped on to his horse and rode to the wood in order to inform Lancelot. The knights broke from their cover and, with Lancelot in the front rank, they galloped across the field towards the queen. The assault was a fierce one, and Lancelot himself killed a score of worthy knights. By ill fortune he also killed Gawain's two young brothers, Gareth and Gaheris, who were in fact unarmed. In the alarm and heat of battle, he had failed to recognize them. The French books tell us that he dealt them mighty blows about their heads, so that they fell to the ground with their brains spilling out. Yet Lancelot never saw them. They were found lying in a pile of corpses.

When Lancelot had killed or put to flight all of his opponents, he rode up to Guinevere. He gave her a gown and girdle, to put over her plain smock; he asked her to sit behind him on his horse and, when she was safely seated, he told her to be of good cheer. All would be well. As they rode off together, she praised God for her deliverance from death. And, of course, she also thanked her rescuer.

They made their way to Lancelot's castle, Joyous Garde, where he entertained her in knightly fashion. Many great lords, and other knights of his affinity, assembled there to pledge their allegiance to the queen. When it was clear that King Arthur and Sir Lancelot had become enemies, there were some who welcomed the news. There were others, however, who prophesied more woe and warfare. They were right.

The Vengeance of Gawain

When King Arthur was told about Sir Lancelot's daring rescue of the queen, and of the death in battle of many knights, he was distraught. When he was informed of the deaths of Sir Gaheris and Sir Gareth, he fainted from the sorrow he felt. When he was roused from his swoon, he spoke to those around him. ‘I curse the day that I was crowned! I have lost the fairest fellowship of noble knights that ever served a Christian king. Forty knights have been killed within the last two days. Sir Lancelot and his kin will never ride by my side again. Such is the outcome of this war. I have lost my lordship over the bravest warriors in the world.' He stood up, and remained very still before his throne. ‘My lords, I solemnly charge you to keep silent. You must not inform Sir Gawain of the fate of his two young brothers. If he hears of this, he will go out of his mind.' He put his hand to his mouth in a gesture of fear or of fury. ‘How could Lancelot do such a thing? He knew well enough that Gareth loved him better than any other man alive.'

‘That is true, sire,' one of the knights told him. ‘But they were slain in the raging torrent of battle, when Lancelot was surrounded by spears and swords. He struck out at them without knowing who they were.'

‘Well, it matters little how or why they were killed. Their deaths will cause a mighty and miserable war. Gawain will never rest until Sir Lancelot and his kin are all overthrown. He will insist that I destroy them – or else he will destroy me. My heart has never been so heavy as it is now. It is strange that I feel the loss of my knights more than the loss of my queen. Queens can be replaced. But how can I find again such a noble company as that of the Round Table? It should not have come to this. I blame Agravain and Mordred for stirring up such a sea of trouble. Their evil will against Lancelot will bring doom or discredit upon us all.' And, at that, the knights in the hall set up loud cries of lamentation.

In another part of the castle, one courtier had made his way to Sir Gawain. ‘Lancelot has taken away the queen,' he said. ‘In the contest around her, he slew some twenty-four of our company.'

‘Is it so? Well, it is not unexpected. I knew well enough that Lancelot would either rescue her or die in the attempt. No man of worship would behave differently. If I had been in his situation, I would have acted in the same way. Twenty-four knights dead? Jesus keep my brothers safe! But where are they? I do not see them. Surely they would have sought me out?'

‘Truly, sir,' the man said, ‘Gaheris and Gareth are dead.'

‘What are you saying to me?' Gawain's face lost all of its colour, and he took a step backwards. ‘That is the worst news in the world. I loved them both. I loved Gareth more than life itself!' He stared ahead. ‘Who killed him?'

‘Sir Lancelot slew them both.'

‘I cannot believe that to be true. Gareth loved Lancelot better than he loved me or any of my brothers. Gareth reverenced him above the king himself. If Lancelot had asked him to take his part against Arthur, he would have done so willingly. He would have fought against me for Lancelot's sake. No. Lancelot could not have killed Gareth.'

‘I am afraid, sir, it is known by all that he slaughtered both of them.'

‘So now,' Sir Gawain said, ‘all joy is gone for ever.' He lay upon the floor in a stupor of sorrow. When eventually he roused himself, he began a long low moan of pain. Then he went to the presence chamber of the king, weeping, and fell down in front of him. ‘My uncle, my sovereign, two of your noblest knights – two of my dearest brothers – have been piteously slain.' The king wept with him, and together they sent up many cries and lamentations. ‘Sir lord,' Gawain said, ‘I must see the body of Gareth.'

‘You cannot see him,' Arthur replied. ‘I have ensured that he and Gaheris are already buried. I knew well enough that your sorrow would be hard to bear and that the sight of your brothers would only increase your anguish.'

‘But can you tell me this, my lord? In what manner did Lancelot kill them both? They were unarmed. No knight would kill a man without shield or sword.'