Arthurian romances; Romances -- Translations into English
Afterwards it saith in the tale, that the king went to Cornwall; there
came to him anon one that was a crafty workman, and met the king, and
fair him greeted:—-"Hail be thou, Arthur, noblest of kings' I am thine
own man; through many land I have gone; I know of tree-works
(carpentry) wondrous many crafts. I heard say beyond the sea new
tidings, that thy knights gan to fight at thy board, on a midwinter's
day many there fell; for their mickle mood wrought murderous play, and
for their high lineage each would be within. But I will thee work a
board exceeding fair, that thereat may sit sixteen hundred and more,
all turn about, so that none be without; without and within, man
against man. And when thou wilt ride, with thee thou mightest it
carry, and set it where thou wilt, after thy will, and then thou
needest never fear, to the world's end, that ever any moody knight at
thy board may make fight, for there shall the high be even with the
low." Timber was caused to be brought, and the board to be begun; in
four weeks' time the work was completed.
At a high day the folk was assembled, and Arthur himself approached
soon to the board, and ordered all his knights to the board
forth-right. When all were seated, knights to their meat, then spake
each with other, as if it were his brother; all they sate about; was
there none without. Every sort of knight was there exceeding well
disposed, all they were one by one (seated), the high and the low,
might none there boast of other kind of drink other than his comrades,
that were at the board. This was the same board that Britons boast of,
and say many sorts of leasing, respecting Arthur the king. So doth
every man, that another can love; if he is to him too dear, then will
he lie, and say of him more honour than he is worth; no man is he so
wicked, that his friend will not act well to him. Eft if among folk
enmity areareth, in ever any time between two men, men can say leasing
of the hateful one, though he were the best man that ever ate at
board, the man that to him were loath, he can him last find! It is not
all sooth nor all falsehood that minstrels sing; but this is the sooth
respecting Arthur the king. Was never ere such king, so doughty
through all things! For the sooth stands in the writings how it is
befallen, from beginning to the end, of Arthur the king, no more nor
less but as his laws (or acts) were.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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