CHAPTER I
How Queen Guenever rode a-Maying with certain knights of the Round Table and clad all in green.
SO it befell in the month of May,Queen Guenever called unto her knights of the Table Round;and she gave them warning that early upon the morrow she would ride a-Maying into woods and fields beside Westminster.And Iwarn you that there be none of you but that he be well horsed,and that ye all be clothed in green,outher in silk outher in cloth;and I shall bring with me ten ladies,and every knight shall have a lady behind him,and every knight shall have a squire and two yeomen;and I will that ye all be well horsed.So they made them ready in the freshest manner.And these were the names of the knights:Sir Kay le Seneschal,Sir Agravaine,Sir Brandiles,Sir Sagramore le Desirous,Sir Dodinas le Savage,Sir Ozanna le Cure Hardy,Sir Ladinas of the Forest Savage,Sir Persant of Inde,Sir Ironside,that was called the Knight of the Red Launds,and Sir Pelleas,the lover;and these ten knights made them ready in the freshest manner to ride with the queen.And so upon the morn they took their horses with the queen,and rode a-Maying in woods and meadows as it pleased them,in great joy and delights;for the queen had cast to have been again with King Arthur at the furthest by ten of the clock,and so was that time her purpose.
Then there was a knight that hight Meliagrance,and he was son unto King Bagdemagus,and this knight had at that time a castle of the gift of King Arthur within seven mile of Westminster.And this knight,Sir Meliagrance,loved passing well Queen Guenever,and so had he done long and many years.And the book saith he had lain in await for to steal away the queen,but evermore he forbare for because of Sir Launcelot;for in no wise he would meddle with the queen an Sir Launcelot were in her company,outher else an he were near-hand her.And that time was such a custom,the queen rode never without a great fellowship of men of arms about her,and they were many good knights,and the most part were young men that would have worship;and they were called the Queen's Knights,and never in no battle,tournament,nor jousts,they bare none of them no manner of knowledging of their own arms,but plain white shields,and thereby they were called the Queen's Knights.And then when it happed any of them to be of great worship by his noble deeds,then at the next Feast of Pentecost,if there were any slain or dead,as there was none year that there failed but some were dead,then was there chosen in his stead that was dead the most men of worship,that were called the Queen's Knights.And thus they came up all first,or they were renowned men of worship,both Sir Launcelot and all the remnant of them.
But this knight,Sir Meliagrance,had espied the queen well and her purpose,and how Sir Launcelot was not with her,and how she had no men of arms with her but the ten noble knights all arrayed in green for Maying.Then he purveyed him a twenty men of arms and an hundred archers for to destroy the queen and her knights,for he thought that time was best season to take the queen.
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 Iget you at such an advantage as I do now,and therefore Iwill 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.
