Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur. Sir Thomas Malory
go to yonder fire that flames so high, and there, truly, you shall find him.”
Then Arthur went to the crest of the hill and saw where the giant was sitting, alone, at his supper, gnawing on the limb of a large man. There he warmed his bare buttocks by the bright fire. Three damsels turned three spits, and thereon were twelve infants, skewered like birds.
When the king beheld that sight his heart nearly bled for sorrow. Then he spoke to himself with angry words: “Now may He that rules all give you sorrow, thief, sitting there! You are the foulest freak that ever was formed, and fiendishly you feed yourself—may the devil take your soul! For what reason, churl, have you killed these Christian children? You have created many martyrs in your murderous ventures throughout these lands. You shall have mercy from St. Michael, for whom this mount is named. Also, why have you slain this fair duchess? Therefore, prepare to fight me, you son of a dog; you shall die today by the power of my hands.”
Then the glutton stared and snarled foully. He had teeth like a greyhound, the foulest being that ever a man might see; such a one was never formed on earth, for there was no devil in hell that was more horrible. From his head to his feet he was five fathoms long and huge.
He got to his feet and took up an iron club. He swung at the king with that great weapon. He struck the head of the club down clean to the cold earth. The king covered himself with his shield and delivered a blow to the center of the giant’s forehead such that his blade struck all the way through into the brain. He continued to swing at King Arthur, but the king dodged away and gave him a blow high on his haunches, slicing his genitals away from his body.
Then the giant roared and brayed, but still he struck out, missing Arthur and hitting the earth such that he cut into the surface of the ground more than a sword length. Then the king went up to him and gave him such a blow that he sliced open his belly; out came such gore that the grass and the ground all about was befouled. Then the giant cast away the club and caught the king up in his arms, handling him so roughly that he crushed his ribs.
Then the poor maidens wrung their hands and kneeled on the ground, calling to Christ. At that the monster threw Arthur down, so that they struggled and tumbled over the crags and bushes, each holding the other fast in his arms. At one moment Arthur was on top and at the next he was below, and so they continued fighting until they reached the water’s edge.
While they were fighting Arthur continually stabbed him with his short dagger—up to the hilt—and in the struggle he broke three of the giant’s ribs. By chance they rolled near to the two knights who were waiting with the horses. When Sir Kay saw the king and the giant grappling so together, he said, “Alas, we are forfeit forever! Yonder is our lord, overcome by a fiend.”
“Not so,” said the king. “But help me, Sir Kay, for this saintly body I have dragged out of yonder steep valleys.”
“In faith,” said Sir Bedevere, “that is a foul churl!” He grabbed the saint out of the king’s arms and said, “I have great wonder that St. Michael should look like this and that God would still permit him to abide in heaven! If saints who serve Jesus are such as this, I will never seek out any, by the faith of my body.”
The king laughed at Bedevere’s words and said, “I have sought this saint at my own great peril. Strike off his head and stick it on a spear; then give it to your servant with the fastest horse and have him bear it to Sir Howell, who is hard beset. Bid him be merry, for his enemy is destroyed. After that, in Barfleur, set it on the barbican, so that all who come into this country might behold it. Then you two go up and fetch me my shield, my sword, and huge club of iron; if you would like to take any of the treasure, take as much as you like, for there shall you find wealth beyond measure. As long as I have the kirtle and the club, I wish for nothing more. This was a fierce giant who greatly tested my strength; I have never met with such a one as this in fifteen winters, saving once—on the Mount of Araby I met with such a one. But this one was more fierce, so that I might almost have foundered, had fortune not smiled on me.”
Then the knights fetched the club and the coat and all that remained, and took with them whatever treasure they liked. Then they and the king mounted their horses, and rode from there as they had come.
Then the news spread all throughout the country, and the people came before the king and with one voice thanked God and him that their enemy was destroyed.
“All of you should thank God,” said Arthur, “and no one else. See that all the treasure is equally divided, so that no one can complain of his share.” Then he commanded his cousin, Sir Howell, to build a church on that same crag to the honor of Saint Michael.
18 The Battle Against Rome Begins
In the morning, the king went from Barfleur with his retinue proudly arrayed. They crossed over streams into a fair land, and then down into a valley, where they pitched their tents.
Then two messengers arrived; one was the marshal of France, and he told how the emperor had come into France, and “he has destroyed much of our borderlands, and he has come into Burgundy, and destroyed many districts there, slaughtering many of your noble people. Wherever he goes, there is destruction. Now he has come into France, where he burns everything clean away. Now all the twelve peers—dukes and others—and the peers of the city of Paris, have fled down into the Low Country toward the Rhône. Unless you help them quickly, they will all have to yield, both people and towns. They are not able to help each other, but must yield soon.”
Then the king bid Sir Bors, “Now prepare yourselves happily; Sir Lionel and Sir Bedevere, see that you go with Sir Gawain, my nephew, taking also many good knights, and ride straight to Sir Lucius and say that I bid him to remove himself from my lands in haste. If he will not, bid him prepare himself for battle; we will reclaim our rights with our hands, and that will be more worship for us than to overcome masterless men.”
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Then in all haste they mounted on horseback, these noble knights. When they came to a green wood they saw before them in a meadow beside a river many proud pavilions of silk in diverse colors, and the emperor’s pavilion was in the middle with an eagle displayed on high. Our knights rode through the wood until they came to the emperor’s tent; they left behind them provisions and men at arms in a concealed place. Sir Lionel and Sir Bedevere remained behind, while Sir Gawain and Sir Bors went with the message.
They rode nobly to the emperor’s tent and both spoke at once with haughty words. “Now may you and all the soldiers about you have sorrow, Sir Emperor. Why do you wrongfully occupy the throne of the Roman Empire? That is King Arthur’s heritage through his descent from his noble elders: all but Uther, his father, held this throne. Therefore the king commands you to ride out of his lands, or else to fight for them and win them in knightly combat.”
“You speak well,” said the emperor, “as your lord has commanded you. Say to your lord that I send him greetings although I take no joy in your men thus rebuking me and my lords. Tell your lord that I will ride down to the Seine and win all the lands in that area; and after I will ride to the Rhône and cleanly win all the lands there.”
“It is not seemly,” said Sir Gawain, “that a creature such as you should brag with such words. I would rather fight against you than have all of France.”
“As would I,” said Sir Bors. “I would rather fight against you than rule over all Britain and noble Burgundy.”
Then a knight named Sir Gaius who was the emperor’s cousin said these words: “These English Britons are braggarts by nature; you can see how they boast and brag as if they dared take on all the world.” Gawain was angered by these words, and with his mighty sword that gleamed brightly, he struck off the head of Sir Gaius.
So they turned their horses and rode over water and through wood until they came to the hiding place where Sir Lionel and Sir Bedevere were still concealed. The Romans followed quickly, on horseback and on foot, over the fair fields into the fair woods. With an eager will, Sir Bors turned and saw a proud knight, all arrayed in gold, who struck down many of Arthur’s knights. When Sir Bors saw him, he took aim and cast a spear