Stories of King Arthur and His Knights: Retold from Malory's "Morte dArthur" — John Shaqi
Stories of King Arthur and His Knights: Retold from Malory's "Morte dArthur"Malory, Thomas, Sir
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Stories of King Arthur and His Knights: Retold from Malory's "Morte dArthur"
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthur, King -- Juvenile literature; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Knights and knighthood -- Juvenile literature
Thereupon Queen Morgan rode into a valley where many great stones were,
and when she saw that she must be overtaken, she shaped herself, horse
and man, by enchantment, unto great marble stones. Anon came Sir
Arthur and Sir Ontzlake, but they might not know the lady from her men,
nor one knight from another.
"Ah," said the King, "here may ye see the vengeance of God, and now I
am sorry that this misadventure is befallen."
And then he looked for the scabbard, but it could not be found, so he
returned to the abbey where he came from. When Arthur was gone, Queen
Morgan turned all into the likeness as she and they were before, and
said, "Sirs, now may we go where we will."
So she departed into the country of Gore, and there was she richly
received, and made her castles and towns passing strong, for always she
feared much King Arthur.
When the King had well rested him at the abbey, he rode unto Camelot,
and found his Queen and his barons right glad of his coming. And when
they heard of his strange adventures as is afore rehearsed, they all
had marvel of the falsehood of Morgan le Fay, and many knights wished
her burned because of her wicked enchantments. "Well," said the King,
"I shall so be avenged on her, if I live, that all Christendom shall
speak of it."
On the morn there came a damsel from Morgan to the King, and she
brought with her the richest mantle that ever was seen in that court,
for it was set as full of precious stones as one might stand by
another, and there were the richest stones that ever the King saw. And
the damsel said, "Your sister sendeth you this mantle, and desireth
that ye should take this gift of her, and in what thing she hath
offended you, she will amend it at your own pleasure."
When the King beheld this mantle it pleased him much, but he said
little. With that came one of the Damsels of the Lake unto the King
and said, "Sir, I must speak with you in private."
"Say on," said the King, "what ye will."
"Sir," said the damsel, "put not on you this mantle till ye have seen
more, and in no wise let it come on you or any knight of yours, till ye
command the bringer thereof to put it upon her."
"Well," said King Arthur, "it shall be done as ye counsel me." And
then he said unto the damsel that came from his sister, "Damsel, this
mantle that ye have brought me I will see upon you."
"Sir," said she, "it will not beseem me to wear a king's garment."
"By my head," said Arthur, "ye shall wear it ere it come on my back, or
any man's that here is."
And so the King made it to be put upon her, and forthwithal she fell
down dead, and nevermore spake word after, but burned to coals.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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