Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK I CHAPTER XXI

CHAPTER XXI

How Ulfius impeached Queen Igraine, Arthur's mother, of treason;
and how a knight came and desired to have the death of his master
revenged.

RIGHT SO came Ulfius, and said openly, that the king and all
might hear that were feasted that day, Ye are the falsest lady of
the world, and the most traitress unto the king's person. 
Beware, said Arthur, what thou sayest; thou speakest a great
word.  I am well ware, said Ulfius, what I speak, and here is my
glove to prove it upon any man that will say the contrary, that
this Queen Igraine is causer of your great damage, and of your
great war.  For, an she would have uttered it in the life of King
Uther Pendragon, of the birth of you, and how ye were begotten ye
had never had the mortal wars that ye have had; for the most part
of your barons of your realm knew never whose son ye were, nor of
whom ye were begotten; and she that bare you of her body should
have made it known openly in excusing of her worship and yours,
and in like <39>wise to all the realm, wherefore I prove her
false to God and to you and to all your realm, and who will say
the contrary I will prove it on his body.

Then spake Igraine and said, I am a woman and I may not fight,
but rather than I should be dishonoured, there would some good
man take my quarrel.  More, she said, Merlin knoweth well, and ye
Sir Ulfius, how King Uther came to me in the Castle of Tintagil
in the likeness of my lord, that was dead three hours to-fore,
and thereby gat a child that night upon me.  And after the
thirteenth day King Uther wedded me, and by his commandment when
the child was born it was delivered unto Merlin and nourished by
him, and so I saw the child never after, nor wot not what is his
name, for I knew him never yet.  And there, Ulfius said to the
queen, Merlin is more to blame than ye.  Well I wot, said the
queen, I bare a child by my lord King Uther, but I wot not where
he is become.  Then Merlin took the king by the hand, saying,
This is your mother.  And therewith Sir Ector bare witness how he
nourished him by Uther's commandment.  And therewith King Arthur
took his mother, Queen Igraine, in his arms and kissed her, and
either wept upon other.  And then the king let make a feast that
lasted eight days.

Then on a day there came in the court a squire on horseback,
leading a knight before him wounded to the death, and told him
how there was a knight in the forest had reared up a pavilion by
a well, and hath slain my master, a good knight, his name was
Miles; wherefore I beseech you that my master may be buried, and
that some knight may revenge my master's death.  Then the noise
was great of that knight's death in the court, and every man said
his advice.  Then came Griflet that was but a squire, and he was
but young, of the age of the king Arthur, so he besought the king
for all his service that he had done him to give the order of
knighthood.

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