Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur. Sir Thomas Malory
made his vow before the king to take prisoner or else slay the viscount of Rome, or else to die in the trying.
Then the king commanded Sir Cador to take command of the rearguard, “And take ranks from the Round Table that you like the best—except Sir Lancelot and Sir Bors—with many others. Sir Kay and Sir Cliges will also be there; Sir Marrock and Marhalt will be with me at the fore, and all these—along with many others—will await upon my person.” Thus King Arthur dispersed his host into diverse parties that the Romans could not escape, but would have to fight.
When the emperor had entered the vale of Soissons, he could see where King Arthur waited for battle, with his banners displayed. He was beset on all sides; he could not escape, but rather had either to fight or yield himself. There were no other options. “Now I see well,” said Sir Lucius, “that yonder traitor has betrayed me.”
Then he rearranged his knights into various parties, and set up a banner—a dragon with eagles on a field of sable. Then he commanded the trumpets to blow and the tabors to sound, so that all the vale echoed. Then he cried aloud so that all men could hear, “Sirs, you well know that honor and worship have ever followed the Romans. Let this day not be lost due to a lack of courage, for I see well by yonder army that many people will die this day. Therefore, do valiantly this day, and the field will be ours.”
The Welsh king was so close that he heard Sir Lucius. Then he dressed himself to the viscount in order to keep his vow. His arms were clearly displayed—a doleful dragon—and into the vanguard he thrust himself with a stiff spear in hand. There he met with the valiant Villiers who was viscount of Rome, and there he struck him through his ribs with a spear, so that blood burst out on every side. He fell to the earth, and spoke no words after.
Then the noble Sir Uwain boldly approached and thrust throughout the emperor’s ranks where the press was thickest, slaying a great lord right by the emperor’s standard. Then he flew to the banner and struck it through with his bright sword, taking it from them and riding away with it to his fellowship.
Then Sir Lancelot leapt forth on his horse straight toward Sir Lucius, and as he went he smote clean through a king who stood next to him whose name was Jacounde, a full noble Saracen. Then he rushed forth at Sir Lucius and smote him on the helm with his sword so that he fell to the earth. Then he rode back and forth over him, three times in a row, and took the banner of Rome and rode away with it to Arthur himself. All who saw it said that there was never a knight who did more worship during his lifetime than Sir Lancelot.
Then Sir Bors dressed himself to a stern knight, smiting him on the back of the helmet so that his neck broke. Then he joined in combat on horseback with a fearsome giant, and struck him through both sides, and as he turned away he slew two other knights. By then the archers of England and Britain began to shoot, and the others—Romans and Saracens—shot back with darts and cross-bows.
Then began a fierce battle on both sides, with much slaughter on the Romans’ party. The Dutchmen did much harm and their short heavy arrows did great damage, for they were on the Romans’ side with their bows of horn. The great giants of Genoa killed many knights, crushing out their brains with clubs of steel. They also struck out the brains of a great many horses.
When Arthur saw the giants’ deeds, he cried out to the knights who could hear, saying, “Fair lords, look that you do not lose your honor! Do not let your worship be taken by yonder bare-legged knaves; you shall see what I do as my true part!” He then took out Excalibur and moved toward Galapas, who grieved him the most. He cut him off cleanly at the knees. “Now you are a size like unto our companions.” Then he struck off his head quickly.
Then came in Sir Cador and Sir Kay, Sir Gawain and good Sir Lancelot, Sir Bors, Sir Lionel, and Sir Ector de Maris, and Sir Ascamore, the good knight who never failed his lord, and Sir Pelleas and Sir Marhalt, both proven men of arms. All these fierce knights set upon the giants, and by the strokes that were dealt and the judgments given, they felled fifty of them to the earth, stark dead.
So those knights of the Round Table went forth with the king; there was never better king nor knights since God first made the world. They laid on with long swords and smashed out brains. No shields nor shiny armor could withstand them, until at last they had brought ten thousand men to the earth. Then the Romans reeled back a little, for they were somewhat rebuked, but King Arthur and his brave knights pressed after them. Then Sir Kay, Sir Cliges, and Sir Bedevere the Rich encountered with the Romans by the side of a cliff, and through their valiance, these three slew more than five hundred.
Sir Kay rode up to the King of Ethiopia and struck him clean through, and as he turned back to his companions, an enemy struck him between the breast and bowels. Even though he was hurt, he turned back and smote the other man on the head, striking clean down to the breast, and said, “Though I die of your blow, you shall have little praise.” When Sir Cliges and Sir Bedevere saw that Sir Kay was hurt, they fought against the Romans as greyhounds do with hares. Then they returned to King Arthur and told him how things had gone.
“Sir King,” said Sir Kay, “I have served you long. Now bring me to some burial place, for my father’s sake, and remember me to Dame Guenevere, your good queen; greet well my worshipful wife, who never angered me, and bid her, for love of me, to pray for my soul.”
Then King Arthur wept at the pain in his heart, and said, “My heart thinks you shall live forever.” With that, the king himself pulled out the spear and had physicians examine and treat him thoroughly; they found neither lung nor liver nor bowels were injured. The king then put him in his own tent with trusty knights and said, “I shall avenge your wound if I act aright.” In his melancholy state, the king met with another king, and with Excalibur he smote his back asunder. In his haste he met with another, and speared him all the way through at the waist. So he rushed here and there, in the thickest of the press, more than thirty times.
Then Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, and his son Sir Lovell headed out to one side, where the Emperor Lucius was standing. As soon as Sir Lucius saw Sir Gawain, he cried aloud, “You are indeed welcome, for you seek after sorrow! Here you shall soon be overcome!” Sir Lancelot was angry at his grim words, and came at him with his sword raised above his bright helm, so that gushing blood flowed about his feet. Sir Gawain with his long sword laid on quickly, so that three emirs died at his hands. Neither did Sir Lovell fail in the battle, but he slew a king and a duke, both of them noble knights.
Then the Romans rallied. When they saw their lord so harried they chased and chopped down many of our good knights, and in that rebuking, the bold Bedevere was borne down to the earth, seriously wounded by a foul sword. Sir Lancelot and Sir Lovell quickly rescued him. And with that, King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table came in and rescued the rich men who were unlikely to escape at that time; for oftentimes through envy, great cruelty is shown that becomes the death of many great knights. Although they may speak fair words to one another, when it comes to battle such praise matters little.
As soon as Arthur had a sight of the Emperor Lucius, he would tarry no longer for king or captain. Each of them struck at the other with his sword. Sir Lucius hit Arthur on the nose with his sword, and wounded him almost to his tongue. Sir Arthur was angry, and gave him back a blow with all the might that he had in his arm, so that from the crest of his helm to his chest it clove down, and so ended the emperor.
Then the king met with Sir Cador, his eager cousin, and told him, “Kill down cleanly for love of Sir Kay, my foster-brother, and for the love of Sir Bedevere who has served me long. Spare no one for gold or silver. The man who would save a man who is accompanied by Saracens has little for which he may be praised. Slay down cleanly, sparing neither heathen nor Christian.”
Then Sir Cador and Sir Cliges took up their swords, as did Sir Lancelot, Sir Bors, Sir Lionel and Sir Ector de Maris. They whirled through many men of arms. Sir Gawain, Sir Gaheris, Sir Lovell and Sir Florence, his brother who was conceived on Sir Brandiles’ sister on a mountainside, all these knights rushed forward, along with many other knights of the Round Table who are not listed here. They hurled over hills, valleys, and steep vales, and on every side they slew a wondrous amount of men, so that many thousands lay heaped up in a pile together.
No matter what the Romans and Saracens