The Story of King Arthur and his KnightsPyle, Howard
General
The Story of King Arthur and his Knights
Pyle, Howard
Arthur, King -- Legends; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Folklore -- England; Knights and knighthood -- Folklore
So, by and by, there befell another certain morning when she looked out
of the casement and, lo! there sat that strange knight by the fountain
once more as he had aforetime sat. And he bathed his face and his bosom
in the water as he had aforetime done. And he appeared as comely and as
noble as he had appeared before; and his hair and his young beard shone
like gold as they had shone before in the sun. And this time she beheld
that his collar of gold lay upon the brink of the fountain beside him,
and it sparkled with great splendor in the sunlight the whiles he bathed
his bosom. Then, after that damsel had regarded him for a considerable
time, she ran with all speed to the chamber where the Lady Guinevere
still lay, and she cried in a loud voice, “Lady! lady! arouse thee and
come with me! For, lo! that same young knight whom I beheld before, is
even now bathing himself at the fountain under the linden-tree.”
Then the Lady Guinevere, greatly marvelling, aroused herself right
quickly, and, dighting herself with all speed, went with the damsel unto
that casement window which looked out into that part of the garden.
[Sidenote: The Lady Guinevere beholds the knight at the fountain.]
And there she herself beheld the young knight where he laved himself at
the fountain. And she saw that his hair and his beard shone like gold in
the sunlight; and she saw that his undervestment was of purple linen
threaded with gold; and she saw that beside him lay that cunningly
wrought collar of gold inset with many jewels of various colors, and the
collar shone with great splendor where it lay upon the marble verge of
the fountain.
Somewhiles she gazed, exceedingly astonished; then she commanded the
damsel Mellicene for to come with her, and therewith she turned and
descended the turret stairs, and went quickly out into the garden, as
her damsel had done aforetime. Then, as that damsel had done, she
straightway hastened with all speed down the alley-way toward the
fountain.
But, behold! when she had come there, she found no young knight, but
only the gardener boy, exactly as had happened with the damsel Mellicene
aforetime. For King Arthur had heard her coming, and had immediately put
that enchanted cap upon his head. Then the Lady Guinevere marvelled very
greatly to find there only the gardener’s boy, and she wist not what to
think of so strange a thing. Wherefore she demanded of him, even as
Mellicene had done, whither had gone the young knight whom she had
beheld anon there at the fountain. And unto her the gardener lad made
answer as aforetime: “Lady! there hath been no one at this place at any
time this morning, but only I.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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