A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Page 6

  CHAPTER III

  KNIGHTS OF THE TABLE ROUND

  Mainly the Round Table talk was monologues--narrative accountsof the adventures in which these prisoners were captured and theirfriends and backers killed and stripped of their steeds and armor.As a general thing--as far as I could make out--these murderousadventures were not forays undertaken to avenge injuries, nor tosettle old disputes or sudden fallings out; no, as a rule they weresimply duels between strangers--duels between people who had nevereven been introduced to each other, and between whom existed nocause of offense whatever. Many a time I had seen a couple of boys,strangers, meet by chance, and say simultaneously, "I can lick you,"and go at it on the spot; but I had always imagined until now thatthat sort of thing belonged to children only, and was a sign andmark of childhood; but here were these big boobies sticking to itand taking pride in it clear up into full age and beyond. Yet therewas something very engaging about these great simple-heartedcreatures, something attractive and lovable. There did not seemto be brains enough in the entire nursery, so to speak, to baita fish-hook with; but you didn't seem to mind that, after a little,because you soon saw that brains were not needed in a societylike that, and indeed would have marred it, hindered it, spoiledits symmetry--perhaps rendered its existence impossible.

  There was a fine manliness observable in almost every face; andin some a certain loftiness and sweetness that rebuked yourbelittling criticisms and stilled them. A most noble benignityand purity reposed in the countenance of him they called Sir Galahad,and likewise in the king's also; and there was majesty and greatnessin the giant frame and high bearing of Sir Launcelot of the Lake.

  There was presently an incident which centered the general interestupon this Sir Launcelot. At a sign from a sort of master ofceremonies, six or eight of the prisoners rose and came forwardin a body and knelt on the floor and lifted up their hands towardthe ladies' gallery and begged the grace of a word with the queen.The most conspicuously situated lady in that massed flower-bedof feminine show and finery inclined her head by way of assent,and then the spokesman of the prisoners delivered himself and hisfellows into her hands for free pardon, ransom, captivity, or death,as she in her good pleasure might elect; and this, as he said, hewas doing by command of Sir Kay the Seneschal, whose prisonersthey were, he having vanquished them by his single might andprowess in sturdy conflict in the field.

  Surprise and astonishment flashed from face to face all overthe house; the queen's gratified smile faded out at the name ofSir Kay, and she looked disappointed; and the page whispered inmy ear with an accent and manner expressive of extravagant derision--

  "Sir _Kay_, forsooth! Oh, call me pet names, dearest, call mea marine! In twice a thousand years shall the unholy inventionof man labor at odds to beget the fellow to this majestic lie!"

  Every eye was fastened with severe inquiry upon Sir Kay. But hewas equal to the occasion. He got up and played his hand likea major--and took every trick. He said he would state the caseexactly according to the facts; he would tell the simplestraightforward tale, without comment of his own; "and then,"said he, "if ye find glory and honor due, ye will give it unto himwho is the mightiest man of his hands that ever bare shield orstrake with sword in the ranks of Christian battle--even him thatsitteth there!" and he pointed to Sir Launcelot. Ah, he fetchedthem; it was a rattling good stroke. Then he went on and toldhow Sir Launcelot, seeking adventures, some brief time gone by,killed seven giants at one sweep of his sword, and set a hundredand forty-two captive maidens free; and then went further, stillseeking adventures, and found him (Sir Kay) fighting a desperatefight against nine foreign knights, and straightway took the battlesolely into his own hands, and conquered the nine; and that nightSir Launcelot rose quietly, and dressed him in Sir Kay's armor andtook Sir Kay's horse and gat him away into distant lands, andvanquished sixteen knights in one pitched battle and thirty-fourin another; and all these and the former nine he made to swearthat about Whitsuntide they would ride to Arthur's court and yieldthem to Queen Guenever's hands as captives of Sir Kay the Seneschal,spoil of his knightly prowess; and now here were these half dozen,and the rest would be along as soon as they might be healed oftheir desperate wounds.

  Well, it was touching to see the queen blush and smile, and lookembarrassed and happy, and fling furtive glances at Sir Launcelotthat would have got him shot in Arkansas, to a dead certainty.

  Everybody praised the valor and magnanimity of Sir Launcelot; andas for me, I was perfectly amazed, that one man, all by himself,should have been able to beat down and capture such battalionsof practiced fighters. I said as much to Clarence; but this mockingfeatherhead only said:

  "An Sir Kay had had time to get another skin of sour wine into him,ye had seen the accompt doubled."

  I looked at the boy in sorrow; and as I looked I saw the cloud ofa deep despondency settle upon his countenance. I followed thedirection of his eye, and saw that a very old and white-beardedman, clothed in a flowing black gown, had risen and was standingat the table upon unsteady legs, and feebly swaying his ancienthead and surveying the company with his watery and wandering eye.The same suffering look that was in the page's face was observablein all the faces around--the look of dumb creatures who know thatthey must endure and make no moan.

  "Marry, we shall have it again," sighed the boy; "that same oldweary tale that he hath told a thousand times in the same words,and that he _will_ tell till he dieth, every time he hath gotten hisbarrel full and feeleth his exaggeration-mill a-working. WouldGod I had died or I saw this day!"

  "Who is it?"

  "Merlin, the mighty liar and magician, perdition singe him forthe weariness he worketh with his one tale! But that men fearhim for that he hath the storms and the lightnings and all thedevils that be in hell at his beck and call, they would have dughis entrails out these many years ago to get at that tale andsquelch it. He telleth it always in the third person, makingbelieve he is too modest to glorify himself--maledictions lightupon him, misfortune be his dole! Good friend, prithee call mefor evensong."

  The boy nestled himself upon my shoulder and pretended to goto sleep. The old man began his tale; and presently the lad wasasleep in reality; so also were the dogs, and the court, the lackeys,and the files of men-at-arms. The droning voice droned on; a softsnoring arose on all sides and supported it like a deep and subduedaccompaniment of wind instruments. Some heads were bowed uponfolded arms, some lay back with open mouths that issued unconsciousmusic; the flies buzzed and bit, unmolested, the rats swarmedsoftly out from a hundred holes, and pattered about, and madethemselves at home everywhere; and one of them sat up like asquirrel on the king's head and held a bit of cheese in its handsand nibbled it, and dribbled the crumbs in the king's face withnaive and impudent irreverence. It was a tranquil scene, andrestful to the weary eye and the jaded spirit.

  This was the old man's tale. He said:

  "Right so the king and Merlin departed, and went until an hermitthat was a good man and a great leech. So the hermit searchedall his wounds and gave him good salves; so the king was therethree days, and then were his wounds well amended that he mightride and go, and so departed. And as they rode, Arthur said,I have no sword. No force,* [*Footnote from M.T.: No matter.]said Merlin, hereby is a sword that shall be yours and I may.So they rode till they came to a lake, the which was a fair waterand broad, and in the midst of the lake Arthur was ware of an armclothed in white samite, that held a fair sword in that hand.Lo, said Merlin, yonder is that sword that I spake of. With thatthey saw a damsel going upon the lake. What damsel is that?said Arthur. That is the Lady of the lake, said Merlin; and withinthat lake is a rock, and therein is as fair a place as any on earth,and richly beseen, and this damsel will come to you anon, and thenspeak ye fair to her that she will give you that sword. Anonwithal came the damsel unto Arthur and saluted him, and he heragain. Damsel, said Arthur, what sword is that, that yonderthe arm holdeth above the water? I would it were mine, for I haveno sword. Sir Arthu
r King, said the damsel, that sword is mine,and if ye will give me a gift when I ask it you, ye shall have it.By my faith, said Arthur, I will give you what gift ye will ask.Well, said the damsel, go ye into yonder barge and row yourselfto the sword, and take it and the scabbard with you, and I will askmy gift when I see my time. So Sir Arthur and Merlin alight, andtied their horses to two trees, and so they went into the ship,and when they came to the sword that the hand held, Sir Arthurtook it up by the handles, and took it with him. And the armand the hand went under the water; and so they came unto the landand rode forth. And then Sir Arthur saw a rich pavilion. Whatsignifieth yonder pavilion? It is the knight's pavilion, saidMerlin, that ye fought with last, Sir Pellinore, but he is out,he is not there; he hath ado with a knight of yours, that hightEgglame, and they have fought together, but at the last Egglamefled, and else he had been dead, and he hath chased him evento Carlion, and we shall meet with him anon in the highway. Thatis well said, said Arthur, now have I a sword, now will I wagebattle with him, and be avenged on him. Sir, ye shall not so,said Merlin, for the knight is weary of fighting and chasing, sothat ye shall have no worship to have ado with him; also, he willnot lightly be matched of one knight living; and therefore it is mycounsel, let him pass, for he shall do you good service in shorttime, and his sons, after his days. Also ye shall see that dayin short space ye shall be right glad to give him your sisterto wed. When I see him, I will do as ye advise me, said Arthur.Then Sir Arthur looked on the sword, and liked it passing well.Whether liketh you better, said Merlin, the sword or the scabbard?Me liketh better the sword, said Arthur. Ye are more unwise,said Merlin, for the scabbard is worth ten of the sword, for whileye have the scabbard upon you ye shall never lose no blood, be yenever so sore wounded; therefore, keep well the scabbard alwayswith you. So they rode into Carlion, and by the way they met withSir Pellinore; but Merlin had done such a craft that Pellinore sawnot Arthur, and he passed by without any words. I marvel, saidArthur, that the knight would not speak. Sir, said Merlin, he sawyou not; for and he had seen you ye had not lightly departed. Sothey came unto Carlion, whereof his knights were passing glad.And when they heard of his adventures they marveled that he wouldjeopard his person so alone. But all men of worship said it wasmerry to be under such a chieftain that would put his person inadventure as other poor knights did."