Chapter 7 - Page 2

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 provided him a twenty men of arms and an hundred
archers, for to destroy the queen and her knights, for he thought that
time was the best season to take the queen. 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 Meleagans with an eightscore 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 castest 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 dishonor the noble king that made
thee knight; thou shamest all knighthood and thyself, and me. I let
thee wit, me shalt thou never shame, for I had lever cut my throat
in twain than thou shouldst dishonor me." "As for all this
language," said Sir Meleagans, "be it as it may, for wit you well,
madam, I have loved you many a year, and never or now could I get
you at such an advantage as I do now, and therefore I will take you as
I find you." Then spake all the ten noble knights at once, and said:
"Sir Meleagans, wit thou well ye are about to jeopard your worship
to dishonor, and also ye cast to jeopard our persons; howbeit we be
unarmed, ye have us at great avail, for it seemeth by you that ye have
laid watch upon us; but rather than ye should put the queen to
shame, find us all, we had as lief to depart from our lives, for if we
other ways did we should be ashamed forever." Then Sir Meleagans said,
"Dress you as well as you can, and keep the queen." Then all 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 Sagramour, Sir
Agravaine, Sir Dodynas, Sir Ladynas, and Sir Ozanna were smitten to
the earth with grimly wounds. Then Sir Brandiles, and Sir Persant, Sir
Ironside, and Sir Pelleas fought long, and they were sorely wounded;
for these ten knights or ever they were laid to the ground slew
forty men of the boldest and 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 Meleagans, slay not my
noble knights, and I will go with thee upon this covenant, that thou
save them, and suffer them to be no more hurt, with this, that they be
led with me wheresoever