第24章 BOOK II(4)

And when they were met they put off their helms and kissed together,and wept for joy and pity.Then Balan said,I little weened to have met with you at this sudden adventure;I am right glad of your deliverance out of your dolorous prisonment,for a man told me,in the castle of Four Stones,that ye were delivered,and that man had seen you in the court of King Arthur,and therefore I came hither into this country,for here Isupposed to find you.Anon the knight Balin told his brother of his adventure of the sword,and of the death of the Lady of the Lake,and how King Arthur was displeased with him.Wherefore he sent this knight after me,that lieth here dead,and the death of this damosel grieveth me sore.So doth it me,said Balan,but ye must take the adventure that God will ordain you.Truly,said Balin,I am right heavy that my Lord Arthur is displeased with me,for he is the most worshipful knight that reigneth now on earth,and his love will I get or else will I put my life in adventure.For the King Rience lieth at a siege at the Castle Terrabil,and thither will we draw in all haste,to prove our worship and prowess upon him.I will well,said Balan,that we do,and we will help each other as brethren ought to do.

CHAPTER VII

How a dwarf reproved Balin for the death of Lanceor,and how King Mark of Cornwall found them,and made a tomb over them.

Now go we hence,said Balin,and well be we met.The meanwhile as they talked,there came a dwarf from the city of Camelot on horseback,as much as he might;and found the dead bodies,wherefore he made great dole,and pulled out his hair for sorrow,and said,Which of you knights have done this deed?Whereby askest thou it?said Balan.For I would wit it,said the dwarf.

It was I,said Balin,that slew this knight in my defence,for hither he came to chase me,and either I must slay him or he me;and this damosel slew herself for his love,which repenteth me,and for her sake I shall owe all women the better love.Alas,said the dwarf,thou hast done great damage unto thyself,for this knight that is here dead was one of the most valiantest men that lived,and trust well,Balin,the kin of this knight will chase you through the world till they have slain you.As for that,said Balin,I fear not greatly,but I am right heavy that Ihave displeased my lord King Arthur,for the death of this knight.So as they talked together,there came a king of Cornwall riding,the which hight King Mark.And when he saw these two bodies dead,and understood how they were dead,by the two knights above said,then made the king great sorrow for the true love that was betwixt them,and said,I will not depart till I have on this earth made a tomb,and there he pight his pavilions and sought through all the country to find a tomb,and in a church they found one was fair and rich,and then the king let put them both in the earth,and put the tomb upon them,and wrote the names of them both on the tomb.How here lieth Lanceor the king's son of Ireland,that at his own request was slain by the hands of Balin;and how his lady,Colombe,and paramour,slew herself with her love's sword for dole and sorrow.

CHAPTER VIII

How Merlin prophesied that two the best knights of the world should fight there,which were Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristram.

THE meanwhile as this was a-doing,in came Merlin to King Mark,and seeing all his doing,said,Here shall be in this same place the greatest battle betwixt two knights that was or ever shall be,and the truest lovers,and yet none of them shall slay other.

And there Merlin wrote their names upon the tomb with letters of gold that should fight in that place,whose names were Launcelot de Lake,and Tristram.Thou art a marvellous man,said King Mark unto Merlin,that speakest of such marvels,thou art a boistous man and an unlikely to tell of such deeds.What is thy name?

said King Mark.At this time,said Merlin,I will not tell,but at that time when Sir Tristram is taken with his sovereign lady,then ye shall hear and know my name,and at that time ye shall hear tidings that shall not please you.Then said Merlin to Balin,Thou hast done thyself great hurt,because that thou savest not this lady that slew herself,that might have saved her an thou wouldest.By the faith of my body,said Balin,I might not save her,for she slew herself suddenly.Me repenteth,said Merlin;because of the death of that lady thou shalt strike a stroke most dolorous that ever man struck,except the stroke of our Lord,for thou shalt hurt the truest knight and the man of most worship that now liveth,and through that stroke three kingdoms shall be in great poverty,misery and wretchedness twelve years,and the knight shall not be whole of that wound for many years.Then Merlin took his leave of Balin.And Balin said,If I wist it were sooth that ye say I should do such a perilous deed as that,I would slay myself to make thee a liar.

Therewith Merlin vanished away suddenly.And then Balan and his brother took their leave of King Mark.First,said the king,tell me your name.Sir,said Balan,ye may see he beareth two swords,thereby ye may call him the Knight with the Two Swords.

And so departed King Mark unto Camelot to King Arthur,and Balin took the way toward King Rience;and as they rode together they met with Merlin disguised,but they knew him not.Whither ride you?said Merlin.We have little to do,said the two knights,to tell thee.But what is thy name?said Balin.At this time,said Merlin,I will not tell it thee.It is evil seen,said the knights,that thou art a true man that thou wilt not tell thy name.As for that,said Merlin,be it as it be may,I can tell you wherefore ye ride this way,for to meet King Rience;but it will not avail you without ye have my counsel.Ah!said Balin,ye are Merlin;we will be ruled by your counsel.Come on,said Merlin,ye shall have great worship,and look that ye do knightly,for ye shall have great need.As for that,said Balin,dread you not,we will do what we may.

CHAPTER IX

How Balin and his brother,by the counsel of Merlin,took King Rience and brought him to King Arthur.