{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart477.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart477.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart477.htm","text":"CHAPTER X\nHow King Arthur at the request of Sir Gawaine concluded\nto make war against Sir Launcelot, and laid siege to\nhis castle called Joyous Gard\nALAS, said Sir Gawaine, now is my joy gone. And then\nhe fell down and swooned, and long he lay there as he had\nbeen dead. And then, when he arose of his swoon, he\ncried out sorrowfully, and said: Alas! And right so Sir\nGawaine ran to the king, crying and weeping: O King\nArthur, mine uncle, my good brother Sir Gareth is slain,\nand so is my brother Sir Gaheris, the which were two\nnoble knights. Then the king wept, and he both; and so\nthey fell a-swooning. And when they were revived then\nspake Sir Gawaine: Sir, I will go see my brother, Sir\nGareth. Ye may not see him, said the king, for I caused\nhim to be interred, and Sir Gaheris both; for I well\nunderstood that ye would make over-much sorrow, and the sight\nof Sir Gareth should have caused your double sorrow.\nAlas, my lord, said Sir Gawaine, how slew he my brother,\nSir Gareth? Mine own good lord I pray you tell me.\nTruly, said the king, I shall tell you how it is told me, Sir\nLauncelot slew him and Sir Gaheris both. Alas, said Sir\nGawaine, they bare none arms against him, neither of them\nboth. I wot not how it was, said the king, but as it is\nsaid, Sir Launcelot slew them both in the thickest of the\npress and knew them not; and therefore let us shape a\nremedy for to revenge their deaths.\nMy king, my lord, and mine uncle, said Sir Gawaine,\nwit you well now I shall make you a promise that I shall\nhold by my knighthood, that from this day I shall never\nfail Sir Launcelot until the one of us have slain the other.\nAnd therefore I require you, my lord and king, dress you\nto the war, for wit you well I will be revenged upon Sir\nLauncelot; and therefore, as ye will have my service and\nmy love, now haste you thereto, and assay your friends.\nFor I promise unto God, said Sir Gawaine, for the death\nof my brother, Sir Gareth, I shall seek Sir Launcelot\nthroughout seven kings' realms, but I shall slay him or else\nhe shall slay me. Ye shall not need to seek him so far,\nsaid the king, for as I hear say, Sir Launcelot will abide\nme and you in the Joyous Gard; and much people draweth\nunto him, as I hear say. That may I believe, said Sir\nGawaine; but my lord, he said, assay your friends, and I\nwill assay mine. It shall be done, said the king, and as I\nsuppose I shall be big enough to draw him out of the\nbiggest tower of his castle.\nSo then the king sent letters and writs throughout all\nEngland, both in the length and the breadth, for to assummon\nall his knights. And so unto Arthur drew many knights,\ndukes, and earls, so that he had a great host. And when\nthey were assembled, the king informed them how Sir\nLauncelot had bereft him his queen. Then the king and all\nhis host made them ready to lay siege about Sir Launcelot,\nwhere he lay within Joyous Gard. Thereof heard Sir\nLauncelot, and purveyed him of many good knights, for\nwith him held many knights; and some for his own sake,\nand some for the queen's sake. Thus they were on both\nparties well furnished and garnished of all manner of thing\nthat longed to the war. But King Arthur's host was so\nbig that Sir Launcelot would not abide him in the field,\nfor he was full loath to do battle against the king; but Sir\nLauncelot drew him to his strong castle with all manner of\nvictual, and as many noble men as he might suffice within\nthe town and the castle. Then came King Arthur with\nSir Gawaine with an huge host, and laid a siege all about\nJoyous Gard, both at the town and at the castle, and there\nthey made strong war on both parties. But in no wise Sir\nLauncelot would ride out, nor go out of his castle, of long\ntime; neither he would none of his good knights to issue\nout, neither none of the town nor of the castle, until fifteen\nweeks were past.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XX CHAPTER X","type":"page"}