Book X · ORGELUSE, part 7 of 10

¶And to Gawain she gave this penance, afoot must he wend his way While his lady she rode beside him--To a woodland they came alway, And he led the steed to a tree-trunk, and the shield that awhile it bare He hung round his neck as befitting, and lightly bestrode the mare, And scarcely the steed might bear him--Then they came to a builded land, 505 And a castle so fair and stately he saw there before him stand, And his heart and his eyes bare witness no fortress was like this hall, So knightly and fair the palace, and so countless its turrets tall. And many a maiden looked forth from its casements, he thought to see Four hundred and more, o'er all others, I ween, four might fairest be. 510

¶Then the lady and her companion they rode a well-trodden road To a water whose waves ran swiftly, and ships sailed the flood so broad. By the landing there lay a meadow, where men jousts were wont to ride, And the towers of that stately castle rose fair on the further side. Then Gawain, that gallant hero, saw a knight who rode swift and near, 515 As one who for combat lusted, and he spared not or shield or spear.

¶Quoth the lady, fair Orgelusé, and haughty her tone and proud, 'In what else thou mayst gainsay me in this be my truth allowed, For other I ne'er have told thee save that shame shall thy portion be, Now here, if thou canst, defend thee, since no better is left to thee. 520 Methinks he who cometh hither shall fell thee beneath his thrust-- If thy garments perchance be riven, and thou bitest, ashamed, the dust, Then those women above shall mourn thee, who look for some deed of fame, Seest thou how they gaze from the lattice? How, then, if they see thy shame?' Then the boatman across the water he came at the lady's will, 525 From the shore to the boat she stepped there, and Gawain it but pleased him ill; For, mocking, fair Orgelusé spake thus to the gallant knight, 'Thou com'st not with me, I leave thee on this shore as a pledge for fight!' Then sadly his voice rang after, 'Say, Lady, wilt leave me so? Shall I never again behold thee?' Then she spake, 'I would have thee know 530 If victory be thy portion thou shalt look on my face again, Yet but small is the chance I think me.' So sailed she from knight Gawain.

¶Then up rode Lischois Giwellius, 'twere a lie if I said he flew, And yet little other did he for the earth scarce his footprints knew. And for this must I praise the charger, who the greensward with such swift feet 535 Had trodden--Gawain bethought him how he best might his foeman meet; He thought, 'Should I here await him afoot, or this steed bestride? If his horse's speed he check not he surely o'er me will ride, And this fate must o'ertake his charger, to fall o'er my fallen steed; But, if he for combat lusteth, afoot on this flowery mead 540 Will I face him and give him battle, since battle he doth desire, Tho' never I win her favour who hath brought on me need so dire.'

¶Fight they must, and they fought as heroes, he who came and he who did wait, For jousting he made him ready, and the lance-point Gawain held straight, And he rested it on the saddle, (for thus did he counsel take,) 545 Then e'en as the joust was ridden the spears did in splinters break, And the knights, the one as the other, they fell in that goodly fray, For the better charger stumbled and by Gawain its rider lay. Then the twain to their feet upspringing their swords from the scabbard drew, Since alike they were keen for combat, and their shields in pieces flew, 550 For each hewed at the shield of the other till a hand's breadth alone, I ween, They held, for the pledge of conflict the shield it hath ever been.

¶Flashed the sword-blades, fire sprang from the helmets, a venture brave I trow Was his who should here be victor, tho' stern conflict he first must know. Long space did they fight, those heroes, on the flowery meadow wide, 555 And as smiths, who all day have laboured, as it weareth to eventide Grow faint with their toil and weary with the mighty blows they smite, So weary and faint were those heroes who here did for honour fight.

¶But for this none methinks shall praise them, unwise do I hold the twain, No cause had they here for battle, 'twas fame that they thought to gain; 560 And strangers unto each other, each other's life they sought, And yet, had they made confession, each owed to the other naught!

¶Now Gawain was a gallant wrestler, and his foe to the ground would bring If in spite of the sword he might grip him, and let but the mighty ring Of his arms his foeman circle, he forced him where'er he would. 565 Now must he with force defend him, and he fought as a hero good, And his courage waxed ever higher, and the youth in his arms he caught, And he bare him to earth beneath him tho' e'en as a man he fought. And he quoth, 'Wilt thou live, thou hero, thou must yield thee unto mine hand!' Yet Lischois, he was all unready to follow so stern command; 570 For never his pledge had he given, and he deemed it a wondrous thing That the hand of a knight should o'erthrow him, and him in such peril bring That against his will he must yield him, who had ever the victor been, For in sooth full many a combat his foeman o'erthrown had seen. Full oft he from them had taken what he cared not to give again, 575 Nay, rather his life would he forfeit; and he spake unto knight Gawain, And he said, 'Let what would befall him, his pledge to no man he'd give;' Nay, death would he rather suffer, since no longer he cared to live!

¶Then sadly, he spake, the vanquished, 'Thou hero, is victory thine? So long as God bare me favour such honour was ever mine; 580 But now hath my fame an ending, and thy right hand hath laid me low, And if maiden and man must hearken to the tale of my overthrow Whose glory once rose to the heaven, then death shall my portion be Ere my kinsmen shall hear the story, and shall sorrow and mourn for me! Yet Gawain still prayed him yield him, but his will and his mind were so 585 That he prayed God would rather take him, or slay him by this his foe. Thought Gawain, 'I am loth to kill him, if he swear but to do my will Unharmed he may go'--yet the young knight withheld him his promise still.