{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart009.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart009.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart009.htm","text":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK I CHAPTER X\n \n Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends and Sagas\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n BOOK I\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n CHAPTER X\n \n How Merlin counselled King Arthur to send for King Ban and King\n Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.\n \n SO after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London,\n and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to\n council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that\n made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his\n lands. Wherefore the king asked counsel at them all. They could\n no counsel give, but said they were big enough. Ye say well,\n said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all\n that loveth me speak with Merlin? ye know well that he hath done\n much for me, and he knoweth many things, and when he is afore\n you, I would that ye prayed him heartily of his best advice. All\n the barons said they would pray him and desire him. So Merlin\n was sent for, and fair desired of all the barons to give them\n best counsel. I shall say you, said Merlin, I warn you all, your\n enemies are passing strong for you, and they are good men of arms\n as be alive, and by this time they have gotten to them four kings\n more, and a mighty duke; and unless that our king have more\n chivalry with him than he may make within the bounds of his own\n realm, an he fight with them in battle, he shall be overcome and\n slain. What were best to do in this cause? said all the barons. \n I shall tell you, said Merlin, mine advice; there are two\n brethren beyond the sea, and they be kings both, and marvellous\n good men of their hands; and that one hight King Ban of Benwick,\n and that other hight King Bors of <16>Gaul, that is France. And\n on these two kings warreth a mighty man of men, the King Claudas,\n and striveth with them for a castle, and great war is betwixt\n them. But this Claudas is so mighty of goods whereof he getteth\n good knights, that he putteth these two kings most part to the\n worse; wherefore this is my counsel, that our king and sovereign\n lord send unto the kings Ban and Bors by two trusty knights with\n letters well devised, that an they will come and see King Arthur\n and his court, and so help him in his wars, that he will be sworn\n unto them to help them in their wars against King Claudas. Now,\n what say ye unto this counsel? said Merlin. This is well\n counselled, said the king and all the barons.\n \n Right so in all haste there were ordained to go two knights on\n the message unto the two kings. So were there made letters in\n the pleasant wise according unto King Arthur's desire. Ulfius\n and Brastias were made the messengers, and so rode forth well\n horsed and well armed and as the guise was that time, and so\n passed the sea and rode toward the city of Benwick. And there\n besides were eight knights that espied them, and at a strait\n passage they met with Ulfius and Brastias, and would have taken\n them prisoners; so they prayed them that they might pass, for\n they were messengers unto King Ban and Bors sent from King\n Arthur. Therefore, said the eight knights, ye shall die or be\n prisoners, for we be knights of King Claudas. And therewith two\n of them dressed their spears, and Ulfius and Brastias dressed\n their spears, and ran together with great raundom. And Claudas'\n knights brake their spears, and theirs to-held and bare the two\n knights out of their saddles to the earth, and so left them\n lying, and rode their ways. And the other six knights rode afore\n to a passage to meet with them again, and so Ulfius and Brastias\n smote other two down, and so passed on their ways. And at the\n fourth passage there met two for two, and both were laid unto the\n earth; so there was none of the eight knights but he was sore\n hurt or bruised. And when they come to Benwick it fortuned there\n were both kings, Ban and Bors.\n \n <17>\n And when it was told the kings that there were come messengers,\n there were sent unto them two knights of worship, the one hight\n Lionses, lord of the country of Payarne, and Sir Phariance a\n worshipful knight. Anon they asked from whence they came, and\n they said from King Arthur, king of England; so they took them in\n their arms and made great joy each of other. But anon, as the\n two kings wist they were messengers of Arthur's, there was made\n no tarrying, but forthwith they spake with the knights, and\n welcomed them in the faithfullest wise, and said they were most\n welcome unto them before all the kings living; and therewith they\n kissed the letters and delivered them. And when Ban and Bors\n understood the letters, then they were more welcome than they\n were before. And after the haste of the letters they gave them\n this answer, that they would fulfil the desire of King Arthur's\n writing, and Ulfius and Brastias, tarry there as long as they\n would, they should have such cheer as might be made them in those\n marches. Then Ulfius and Brastias told the kings of the\n adventure at their passages of the eight knights. Ha! ah! said\n Ban and Bors, they were my good friends. I would I had wist of\n them; they should not have escaped so. So Ulfius and Brastias\n had good cheer and great gifts, as much as they might bear away;\n and had their answer by mouth and by writing, that those two\n kings would come unto Arthur in all the haste that they might. \n So the two knights rode on afore, and passed the sea, and came to\n their lord, and told him how they had sped, whereof King Arthur\n was passing glad. At what time suppose ye the two kings will be\n here? Sir, said they, afore All Hallowmass. Then the king let\n purvey for a great feast, and let cry a great jousts. And by All\n Hallowmass the two kings were come over the sea with three\n hundred knights well arrayed both for the peace and for the war. \n And King Arthur met with them ten mile out of London, and there\n was great joy as could be thought or made. And on All Hallowmass\n at the great feast, sat in the hall the three kings, and Sir Kay\n seneschal served in the hall, and Sir Lucas the butler, that\n <18>was Duke Corneus' son, and Sir Griflet, that was the son of\n Cardol, these three knights had the rule of all the service that\n served the kings. And anon, as they had washen and risen, all\n knights that would joust made them ready; by then they were ready\n on horseback there were seven hundred knights. And Arthur, Ban,\n and Bors, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Sir Ector, Kay's\n father, they were in a place covered with cloth of gold like an\n hall, with ladies and gentlewomen, for to behold who did best,\n and thereon to give judgment.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK I CHAPTER X","type":"page"}