第17章
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  HowArthurtookuponhmtofghttobedelveredoutofprson,andalsofortodelvertwentyknghtsthatwerenprson。

  WHATareyethatsocomplan?sadKngArthur。Webeheretwentyknghts,prsoners,sadthey,andsomeofushavelanheresevenyear,andsomemoreandsomeless。Forwhatcause?

  sadArthur。Weshalltellyou,sadtheknghts;thslordofthscastle,hsnamesSrDamas,andhesthefalsestknghtthatlveth,andfulloftreason,andaverycowardasanylveth,andhehathayoungerbrother,agoodknghtofprowess,hsnamesSrOntzlake;andthstratorDamas,theelderbrotherwllgvehmnopartofhslvelhood,butasSrOntzlakekeepeththoroughprowessofhshands,andsohekeepethfromhmafullfarmanorandarch,andtherenSrOntzlakedwellethworshpfully,andswellbelovedofallpeople。AndthsSrDamas,ourmastersasevlbeloved,forheswthoutmercy,andhesacoward,andgreatwarhathbeenbetwxtthemboth,butOntzlakehatheverthebetter,andeverheprofferethSrDamastofghtforthelvelhood,bodyforbody,buthewllnotdo;other-elsetofndaknghttofghtforhm。

  UntothatSrDamashadgrantedtofndaknght,buthessoevlbelovedandhated,thattheresneveraknghtwllfghtforhm。AndwhenDamassawths,thattherewasneveraknghtwouldfghtforhm,hehathdalylanawatwthmanyknghtswthhm,andtakenalltheknghtsnthscountrytoseeandespytheradventures,hehathtakenthembyforceandbroughtthemtohsprson。Andsohetookusseparatelyaswerodeonouradventures,andmanygoodknghtshavedednthsprsonforhunger,tothenumberofeghteenknghts;andfanyofusallthatheres,orhathbeen,wouldhavefoughtenwthhsbrotherOntzlake,hewouldhavedelveredus,butforbecausethsDamasssofalseandsofulloftreasonwewouldneverfghtforhmtodefort。Andwebesoleanforhungerthatunnethewemaystandonourfeet。Goddelveryou,forhsmercy,sadArthur。

  Anon,therewthaltherecameadamoseluntoArthur,andaskedhm,Whatcheer?cannotsay,sadhe。Sr,sadshe,anyewllfghtformylord,yeshallbedelveredoutofprson,andelseyeescapeneverthelfe。Now,sadArthur,thatshard,yethadlefertofghtwthaknghtthantodenprson;

  wthths,sadArthur,maybedelveredandalltheseprsoners,wlldothebattle。Yes,sadthedamosel。amready,sadArthur,anhadhorseandarmour。Yeshalllacknone,sadthedamosel。Meseemeth,damosel,shouldhaveseenyounthecourtofArthur。Naysadthedamosel,cameneverthere,amthelord’sdaughterofthscastle。Yetwasshefalse,forshewasoneofthedamoselsofMorganleFay。

  AnonshewentuntoSrDamas,andtoldhmhowhewoulddobattleforhm,andsohesentforArthur。Andwhenhecamehewaswellcoloured,andwellmadeofhslmbs,thatallknghtsthatsawhmsadtwereptythatsuchaknghtshoulddenprson。

  SoSrDamasandhewereagreedthatheshouldfghtforhmuponthscovenant,thatallotherknghtsshouldbedelvered;

  anduntothatwasSrDamasswornuntoArthur,andalsotodothebattletotheuttermost。Andwththatallthetwentyknghtswerebroughtoutofthedarkprsonntothehall,anddelvered,andsotheyallabodetoseethebattle。

  HowAccolonfoundhmselfbyawell,andhetookuponhmtodobattleaganstArthur。

  NOWturnweuntoAccolonofGaul,thatwhenheawokehefoundhmselfbyadeepwell-sde,wthnhalfafoot,ngreatperlofdeath。Andtherecameoutofthatfountanappeofslver,andoutofthatpperanwaterallonhghnastoneofmarble。

  WhenSrAccolonsawths,heblessedhmandsad,JesussavemylordKngArthur,andKngUrens,forthesedamoselsnthsshphavebetrayedus,theyweredevlsandnowomen;andf

  mayescapethsmsadventure,shalldestroyallwheremayfndthesefalsedamoselsthatuseenchantments。Rghtwththattherecameadwarfwthagreatmouthandaflatnose,andsalutedSrAccolon,andsadhowhecamefromQueenMorganleFay,andshegreetethyouwell,andbddethyoubeofstrongheart,foryeshallfghttomorrowwthaknghtatthehourofprme,andthereforeshehathsentyouhereExcalbur,Arthur’ssword,andthescabbard,andshebddethyouasyeloveher,thatyedothebattletotheuttermost,wthoutanymercy,lkeasyehadpromsedherwhenyespaketogethernprvty;andwhatdamoselthatbrngethhertheknght’shead,whchyeshallfghtwthal,shewllmakeheraqueen。Nowunderstandyouwell,sadAccolon,shallholdthathavepromsedhernowhavethesword:whensawyemyladyQueenMorganleFay?Rghtlate,sadthedwarf。ThenAccolontookhmnhsarmsandsad,Recommendmeuntomyladyqueen,andtellherallshallbedonethathavepromsedher,andelsewlldefort。Now

  suppose,sadAccolon,shehathmadeallthesecraftsandenchantmentsforthsbattle。Yemaywellbelevet,sadthedwarf。Rghtsotherecameaknghtandaladywthssqures,andsalutedAccolon,andprayedhmfortoarse,andcomeandresthmathsmanor。AndsoAccolonmounteduponavodhorse,andwentwththeknghtuntoafarmanorbyaprory,andtherehehadpassnggoodcheer。

  ThenSrDamassentuntohsbrotherSrOntzlake,andbademakehmreadybyto-mornatthehourofprme,andtobenthefeldtofghtwthagoodknght,forhehadfoundagoodknghtthatwasreadytodobattleatallponts。WhenthswordcameuntoSrOntzlakehewaspassngheavy,forhewaswoundedalttleto-forethroughbothhsthghswthaspear,andmadegreatdole;butashewaswounded,hewouldhavetakenthebattleonhand。Sothappedatthattme,bythemeansofMorganleFay,AccolonwaswthSrOntzlakelodged;andwhenheheardofthatbattle,andhowOntzlakewaswounded,hesadthathewouldfghtforhm。BecauseMorganleFayhadsenthmExcalburandthesheathfortofghtwththeknghtonthemorn:thswasthecauseSrAccolontookthebattleonhand。ThenSrOntzlakewaspassngglad,andthankedSrAccolonwthallhsheartthathewoulddosomuchforhm。AndtherewthalSrOntzlakesentworduntohsbrotherSrDamas,thathehadaknghtthatforhmshouldbereadynthefeldbythehourofprme。

  SoonthemornSrArthurwasarmedandwellhorsed,andaskedSrDamas,Whenshallwetothefeld?Sr,sadSrDamas,yeshallhearmass。AndsoArthurheardamass,andwhenmasswasdonetherecameasqureonagreathorse,andaskedSrDamasfhsknghtwereready,forourknghtsreadynthefeld。

  ThenSrArthurmounteduponhorseback,andtherewerealltheknghtsandcommonsofthatcountry;andsobyalladvcestherewerechosentwelvegoodmenofthecountryfortowatuponthetwoknghts。AndrghtasArthurwasonhorsebacktherecameadamoselfromMorganleFay,andbroughtuntoSrArthuraswordlkeuntoExcalbur,andthescabbard,andsaduntoArthur,MorganleFaysendethhereyourswordforgreatlove。

  Andhethankedher,andweenedthadbeenso,butshewasfalse,fortheswordandthescabbardwascounterfet,andbrttle,andfalse。

  OfthebattlebetweenKngArthurandAccolon。

  ANDthentheydressedthemonbothpartesofthefeld,andlettherhorsesrunsofastthatethersmoteothernthemdstofthesheldwththerspear-heads,thatbothhorseandmanwenttotheearth;andthentheystartedupboth,andpulledouttherswords。Themeanwhlethattheywerethusatthebattle,cametheDamoseloftheLakentothefeld,thatputMerlnunderthestone;andshecameththerforloveofKngArthur,forsheknewhowMorganleFayhadsoordanedthatKngArthurshouldhavebeenslanthatday,andthereforeshecametosavehslfe。

  Andsotheywenteagerlytothebattle,andgavemanygreatstrokes,butalwaysArthur’sswordbtnotlkeAccolon’ssword;

  butforthemostpart,everystrokethatAccolongavehewoundedsoreArthur,thattwasmarvelhestood,andalwayshsbloodfellfromhmfast。

  WhenArthurbeheldthegroundsosorebe-bledhewasdsmayed,andthenhedeemedtreasonthathsswordwaschanged;forhsswordbtnotsteelastwaswonttodo,thereforehedreadedhmsoretobedead,foreverhmseemedthattheswordnAccolon’shandwasExcalbur,forateverystrokethatAccolonstruckhedrewbloodonArthur。Now,knght,sadAccolonuntoArthur,keeptheewellfromme;butArthuranswerednotagan,andgavehmsuchabuffetonthehelmthattmadehmtostoop,nghfallngdowntotheearth。ThenSrAccolonwthdrewhmalttle,andcameonwthExcalburonhgh,andsmoteSrArthursuchabuffetthathefellnghtotheearth。Thenweretheywrothboth,andgaveeachothermanysorestrokes,butalwaysSrArthurlostsomuchbloodthattwasmarvelhestoodonhsfeet,buthewassofullofknghthoodthatknghtlyheenduredthepan。AndSrAccolonlostnotadealofblood,thereforehewaxedpassnglght,andSrArthurwaspassngfeeble,andweenedverlytohaveded;butforallthathemadecountenanceasthoughhemghtendure,andheldAccolonasshortashemght。ButAccolonwassoboldbecauseofExcalburthathewaxedpassnghardy。ButallmenthatbeheldhmsadtheysawneverknghtfghtsowellasArthurddconsderngthebloodthathebled。Sowasallthepeoplesorryforhm,butthetwobrethrenwouldnotaccord。Thenalwaystheyfoughttogetherasferceknghts,andSrArthurwthdrewhmalttlefortoresthm,andSrAccoloncalledhmtobattleandsad,tsnotmeformetosuffertheetorest。AndtherewthhecamefercelyuponArthur,andSrArthurwaswrothforthebloodthathehadlost,andsmoteAccolononhghuponthehelm,somghtly,thathemadehmnghtofalltotheearth;andtherewthArthur’sswordbrastatthecross,andfellnthegrassamongtheblood,andthepommelandthesurehandlesheheldnhshands。WhenSrArthursawthat,hewasngreatfeartode,butalwayshehelduphssheldandlostnoground,norbatednocheer。

  HowKngArthur’sswordthathefoughtwthbrake,andhowherecoveredofAccolonhsownswordExcalbur,andovercamehsenemy。

  THENSrAccolonbeganwthwordsoftreason,andsad,Knght,thouartovercome,andmaystnotendure,andalsothouartweaponless,andthouhastlostmuchofthyblood,andamfullloathtoslaythee,thereforeyeldtheetomeasrecreant。Nay,sadSrArthur,maynotso,forhavepromsedtodothebattletotheuttermostbythefathofmybody,whlemelasteththelfe,andthereforehadlefertodewthhonourthantolvewthshame;andftwerepossbleformetodeanhundredtmes,hadlefertodesooftthanyeldmetothee;forthoughlackweapon,shalllacknoworshp,andfthouslaymeweaponlessthatshallbethyshame。Well,sadAccolon,asfortheshamewllnotspare,nowkeeptheefromme,forthouartbutadeadman。AndtherewthAccolongavehmsuchastrokethathefellnghtotheearth,andwouldhavehadArthurtohavecredhmmercy。ButSrArthurpresseduntoAccolonwthhssheld,andgavehmwththepommelnhshandsuchabuffetthathewentthreestrdesaback。

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