Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XIX CHAPTER II

CHAPTER II

How Sir Meliagrance took the queen and her knights, which
were sore hurt in fighting

SO as the queen had Mayed and all her knights, all were
bedashed with herbs, mosses and flowers, in the best
manner and freshest.  Right so came out of a wood Sir
Meliagrance with an eight score men well harnessed, as
they should fight in a battle of arrest, and bade the queen
and her knights abide, for maugre their heads they should
abide.  Traitor knight, said Queen Guenever, what cast
thou for to do?  Wilt thou shame thyself?  Bethink thee
how thou art a king's son, and knight of the Table Round,
and thou to be about to dishonour the noble king that
made thee knight; thou shamest all knighthood and thyself,
and me, I let thee wit, shalt thou never shame, for I had
liefer cut mine own throat in twain rather than thou
shouldest dishonour me.  As for all this language, said Sir
Meliagrance, be it as it be may, for wit you well, madam,
I have loved you many a year, and never or now could I
get you at such an advantage as I do now, and therefore I
will take you as I find you.

Then spake all the ten noble knights at once and said:
Sir Meliagrance, wit thou well ye are about to jeopard your
worship to dishonour, and also ye cast to jeopard our
persons howbeit we be unarmed.  Ye have us at a great
avail, for it seemeth by you that ye have laid watch upon
us; but rather than ye should put the queen to a shame
and us all, we had as lief to depart from our lives, for an if
we other ways did, we were shamed for ever.  Then said
Sir Meliagrance:  Dress you as well ye can, and keep the
queen.  Then the ten knights of the Table Round drew
their swords, and the other let run at them with their
spears, and the ten knights manly abode them, and smote
away their spears that no spear did them none harm.  Then
they lashed together with swords, and anon Sir Kay, Sir
Sagramore, Sir Agravaine, Sir Dodinas, Sir Ladinas, and
Sir Ozanna were smitten to the earth with grimly wounds.
Then Sir Brandiles, and Sir Persant, Sir Ironside, Sir
Pelleas fought long, and they were sore wounded, for
these ten knights, or ever they were laid to the ground,
slew forty men of the boldest and the best of them.

So when the queen saw her knights thus dolefully
wounded, and needs must be slain at the last, then for pity
and sorrow she cried Sir Meliagrance:  Slay not my noble
knights, and I will go with thee upon this covenant, that
thou save them, and suffer them not to be no more hurt,
with this, that they be led with me wheresomever thou
leadest me, for I will rather slay myself than I will go
with thee, unless that these my noble knights may be in my
presence.  Madam, said Meliagrance, for your sake they
shall be led with you into mine own castle, with that ye will
be ruled, and ride with me.  Then the queen prayed the
four knights to leave their fighting, and she and they
would not depart.  Madam, said Sir Pelleas, we will do as
ye do, for as for me I take no force of my life nor death.
For as the French book saith, Sir Pelleas gave such buffets
there that none armour might hold him.