{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart116.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart116.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart116.htm","text":"CHAPTER XVI\nHow Sir Launcelot at the request of a lady recovered a\nfalcon, by which he was deceived.\nAND so Sir Launcelot rode through many strange countries, over\nmarshes and valleys, till by fortune he came to a fair castle,\nand as he passed beyond the castle him thought he heard two bells\nring. And then was he ware of a falcon came flying over his head\ntoward an high elm, and long lunes about her feet, and as she\nflew unto the elm to take her perch the lunes over-cast about a\nbough. And when she would have taken her flight she hung by the\nlegs fast; and Sir Launcelot saw how she hung, and beheld the\nfair falcon perigot, and he was sorry for her.\nThe meanwhile came a lady out of the castle and cried on high: O\nLauncelot, Launcelot, as thou art flower of all knights, help me\nto get my hawk, for an my hawk be lost my lord will destroy me;\nfor I kept the hawk and she slipped from me, and if my lord my\nhusband wit it he is so hasty that he will slay me. What is your\nlord's name? said Sir Launcelot. Sir, she said, his name is Sir\nPhelot, a knight that longeth unto the King of Northgalis. Well,\nfair lady, since that ye know my name, and require me of\nknighthood to help you, I will do what I may to get your hawk,\nand yet God knoweth I am an ill climber, and the tree is passing\nhigh, and few boughs to help me withal. And therewith Sir\nLauncelot alighted, and tied his horse to the same tree, and\nprayed the lady to unarm him. And so when he was unarmed, he put\noff all his <204>clothes unto his shirt and breech, and with\nmight and force he clomb up to the falcon, and tied the lines to\na great rotten boyshe, and threw the hawk down and it withal.\nAnon the lady gat the hawk in her hand; and therewithal came out\nSir Phelot out of the groves suddenly, that was her husband, all\narmed and with his naked sword in his hand, and said: O knight\nLauncelot, now have I found thee as I would, and stood at the\nbole of the tree to slay him. Ah, lady, said Sir Launcelot, why\nhave ye betrayed me? She hath done, said Sir Phelot, but as I\ncommanded her, and therefore there nis none other boot but thine\nhour is come that thou must die. That were shame unto thee, said\nSir Launcelot, thou an armed knight to slay a naked man by\ntreason. Thou gettest none other grace, said Sir Phelot, and\ntherefore help thyself an thou canst. Truly, said Sir Launcelot,\nthat shall be thy shame, but since thou wilt do none other, take\nmine harness with thee, and hang my sword upon a bough that I may\nget it, and then do thy best to slay me an thou canst. Nay, nay,\nsaid Sir Phelot, for I know thee better than thou weenest,\ntherefore thou gettest no weapon, an I may keep you therefrom.\nAlas, said Sir Launcelot, that ever a knight should die\nweaponless. And therewith he waited above him and under him, and\nover his head he saw a rownsepyk, a big bough leafless, and\ntherewith he brake it off by the body. And then he came lower\nand awaited how his own horse stood, and suddenly he leapt on the\nfurther side of the horse, fro-ward the knight. And then Sir\nPhelot lashed at him eagerly, weening to have slain him. But Sir\nLauncelot put away the stroke with the rownsepyk, and therewith\nhe smote him on the one side of the head, that he fell down in a\nswoon to the ground. So then Sir Launcelot took his sword out of\nhis hand, and struck his neck from the body. Then cried the\nlady, Alas ! why hast thou slain my husband? I am not causer,\nsaid Sir Launcelot, for with falsehood ye would have had slain me\nwith treason, and now it is fallen on you both. And then she\nswooned as though she would <205>die. And therewithal Sir\nLauncelot gat all his armour as well as he might, and put it upon\nhim for dread of more resort, for he dreaded that the knight's\ncastle was so nigh. And so, as soon as he might, he took his\nhorse and departed, and thanked God that he had escaped that\nadventure.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VI CHAPTER XVI","type":"page"}