Idylls of the King, Alfred, Lord Tennyson [best historical biographies .TXT] 📗

Then that other blew
A hard and deadly note upon the horn.
“Approach and arm me!” With slow steps from out
An old storm-beaten, russet, many-stained
Pavilion, forth a grizzled damsel came,
And armed him in old arms, and brought a helm
With but a drying evergreen for crest,
And gave a shield whereon the Star of Even
Half-tarnished and half-bright, his emblem, shone.
But when it glittered o’er the saddle-bow,
They madly hurled together on the bridge;
And Gareth overthrew him, lighted, drew,
There met him drawn, and overthrew him again,
But up like fire he started: and as oft
As Gareth brought him grovelling on his knees,
So many a time he vaulted up again;
Till Gareth panted hard, and his great heart,
Foredooming all his trouble was in vain,
Laboured within him, for he seemed as one
That all in later, sadder age begins
To war against ill uses of a life,
But these from all his life arise, and cry,
“Thou hast made us lords, and canst not put us down!”
He half despairs; so Gareth seemed to strike
Vainly, the damsel clamouring all the while,
“Well done, knave-knight, well-stricken, O good knight-knave⁠—
O knave, as noble as any of all the knights⁠—
Shame me not, shame me not. I have prophesied⁠—
Strike, thou art worthy of the Table Round⁠—
His arms are old, he trusts the hardened skin⁠—
Strike⁠—strike⁠—the wind will never change again.”
And Gareth hearing ever stronglier smote,
And hewed great pieces of his armour off him,
But lashed in vain against the hardened skin,
And could not wholly bring him under, more
Than loud Southwesterns, rolling ridge on ridge,
The buoy that rides at sea, and dips and springs
Forever; till at length Sir Gareth’s brand
Clashed his, and brake it utterly to the hilt.
“I have thee now;” but forth that other sprang,
And, all unknightlike, writhed his wiry arms
Around him, till he felt, despite his mail,
Strangled, but straining even his uttermost
Cast, and so hurled him headlong o’er the bridge
Down to the river, sink or swim, and cried,
“Lead, and I follow.”

But the damsel said,
“I lead no longer; ride thou at my side;
Thou art the kingliest of all kitchen-knaves.

“ ‘O trefoil, sparkling on the rainy plain,
O rainbow with three colours after rain,
Shine sweetly: thrice my love hath smiled on me.’

“Sir⁠—and, good faith, I fain had added⁠—Knight,
But that I heard thee call thyself a knave⁠—
Shamed am I that I so rebuked, reviled,
Missaid thee; noble I am; and thought the King
Scorned me and mine; and now thy pardon, friend,
For thou hast ever answered courteously,
And wholly bold thou art, and meek withal
As any of Arthur’s best, but, being knave,
Hast mazed my wit: I marvel what thou art.”

“Damsel,” he said, “you be not all to blame,
Saving that you mistrusted our good King
Would handle scorn, or yield you, asking, one
Not fit to cope your quest. You said your say;
Mine answer was my deed. Good sooth! I hold
He scarce is knight, yea but half-man, nor meet
To fight for gentle damsel, he, who lets
His heart be stirred with any foolish heat
At any gentle damsel’s waywardness.
Shamed? care not! thy foul sayings fought for me:
And seeing now thy words are fair, methinks
There rides no knight, not Lancelot, his great self,
Hath force to quell me.”

Nigh upon that hour
When the lone hern forgets his melancholy,
Lets down his other leg, and stretching, dreams
Of goodly supper in the distant pool,
Then turned the noble damsel smiling at him,
And told him of a cavern hard at hand,
Where bread and baken meats and good red wine
Of Southland, which the Lady Lyonors
Had sent her coming champion, waited him.

Anon they past a narrow comb wherein
Where slabs of rock with figures, knights on horse
Sculptured, and deckt in slowly-waning hues.
“Sir Knave, my knight, a hermit once was here,
Whose holy hand hath fashioned on the rock
The war of Time against the soul of man.
And yon four fools have sucked their allegory
From these damp walls, and taken but the form.
Know ye not these?” and Gareth lookt and read⁠—
In letters like to those the vexillary
Hath left crag-carven o’er the streaming Gelt⁠—
“Phosphorus,” then “Meridies”⁠—“Hesperus”⁠—
“Nox”⁠—“Mors,” beneath five figures, armed men,
Slab after slab, their faces forward all,
And running down the Soul, a Shape that fled
With broken wings, torn raiment and loose hair,
For help and shelter to the hermit’s cave.
“Follow the faces, and we find it. Look,
Who comes behind?”

For one⁠—delayed at first
Through helping back the dislocated Kay
To Camelot, then by what thereafter chanced,
The damsel’s headlong error through the wood⁠—
Sir Lancelot, having swum the river-loops⁠—
His blue shield-lions covered⁠—softly drew
Behind the twain, and when he saw the star
Gleam, on Sir Gareth’s turning to him, cried,
“Stay, felon knight, I avenge me for my friend.”
And Gareth crying pricked against the cry;
But when they closed⁠—in a moment⁠—at one touch
Of that skilled spear, the wonder of the world⁠—
Went sliding down so easily, and fell,
That when he found the grass within his hands
He laughed; the laughter jarred upon Lynette:
Harshly she asked him, “Shamed and overthrown,
And tumbled back into the kitchen-knave,
Why laugh ye? that ye blew your boast in vain?”
“Nay, noble damsel, but that I, the son
Of old King Lot and good Queen Bellicent,
And victor of the bridges and the ford,
And knight of Arthur, here lie thrown by whom
I know not, all through mere unhappiness⁠—
Device and sorcery and unhappiness⁠—
Out, sword; we are thrown!” And Lancelot answered, “Prince,
O Gareth⁠—through the mere unhappiness
Of one who came to help thee, not to harm,
Lancelot, and all as glad to find thee whole,
As on the day when Arthur knighted him.”

Then Gareth, “Thou⁠—Lancelot!⁠—thine the hand
That threw me? An some chance to mar the boast
Thy brethren of thee make⁠—which could not chance⁠—
Had sent thee down before a lesser spear,
Shamed had I been, and sad⁠—O Lancelot⁠—thou!”

Whereat the maiden, petulant, “Lancelot,
Why came ye not, when called? and wherefore now
Come ye, not called? I gloried in my knave,
Who being still rebuked, would answer still
Courteous as any knight⁠—but now, if knight,
The marvel dies, and leaves me fooled and tricked,
And only wondering wherefore played upon:
And doubtful whether I and mine be scorned.
Where should be truth if not in Arthur’s hall,
In Arthur’s presence? Knight, knave, prince and fool,
I hate thee and forever.”

And Lancelot said,
“Blessed be thou,