Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XX CHAPTER X

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 CHAPTER X
 
 How King Arthur at the request of Sir Gawaine concluded
 to make war against Sir Launcelot, and laid siege to
 his castle called Joyous Gard
 
 
 ALAS, said Sir Gawaine, now is my joy gone.  And then
 he fell down and swooned, and long he lay there as he had
 been dead.  And then, when he arose of his swoon, he
 cried out sorrowfully, and said:  Alas!  And right so Sir
 Gawaine ran to the king, crying and weeping:  O King
 Arthur, mine uncle, my good brother Sir Gareth is slain,
 and so is my brother Sir Gaheris, the which were two
 noble knights.  Then the king wept, and he both; and so
 they fell a-swooning.  And when they were revived then
 spake Sir Gawaine:  Sir, I will go see my brother, Sir
 Gareth.  Ye may not see him, said the king, for I caused
 him to be interred, and Sir Gaheris both; for I well
 understood that ye would make over-much sorrow, and the sight
 of Sir Gareth should have caused your double sorrow.
 Alas, my lord, said Sir Gawaine, how slew he my brother,
 Sir Gareth?  Mine own good lord I pray you tell me.
 Truly, said the king, I shall tell you how it is told me, Sir
 Launcelot slew him and Sir Gaheris both.  Alas, said Sir
 Gawaine, they bare none arms against him, neither of them
 both.  I wot not how it was, said the king, but as it is
 said, Sir Launcelot slew them both in the thickest of the
 press and knew them not; and therefore let us shape a
 remedy for to revenge their deaths.
 
 My king, my lord, and mine uncle, said Sir Gawaine,
 wit you well now I shall make you a promise that I shall
 hold by my knighthood, that from this day I shall never
 fail Sir Launcelot until the one of us have slain the other.
 And therefore I require you, my lord and king, dress you
 to the war, for wit you well I will be revenged upon Sir
 Launcelot; and therefore, as ye will have my service and
 my love, now haste you thereto, and assay your friends.
 For I promise unto God, said Sir Gawaine, for the death
 of my brother, Sir Gareth, I shall seek Sir Launcelot
 throughout seven kings' realms, but I shall slay him or else
 he shall slay me.  Ye shall not need to seek him so far,
 said the king, for as I hear say, Sir Launcelot will abide
 me and you in the Joyous Gard; and much people draweth
 unto him, as I hear say.  That may I believe, said Sir
 Gawaine; but my lord, he said, assay your friends, and I
 will assay mine.  It shall be done, said the king, and as I
 suppose I shall be big enough to draw him out of the
 biggest tower of his castle.
 
 So then the king sent letters and writs throughout all
 England, both in the length and the breadth, for to assummon
 all his knights.  And so unto Arthur drew many knights,
 dukes, and earls, so that he had a great host.  And when
 they were assembled, the king informed them how Sir
 Launcelot had bereft him his queen.  Then the king and all
 his host made them ready to lay siege about Sir Launcelot,
 where he lay within Joyous Gard.  Thereof heard Sir
 Launcelot, and purveyed him of many good knights, for
 with him held many knights; and some for his own sake,
 and some for the queen's sake.  Thus they were on both
 parties well furnished and garnished of all manner of thing
 that longed to the war.  But King Arthur's host was so
 big that Sir Launcelot would not abide him in the field,
 for he was full loath to do battle against the king; but Sir
 Launcelot drew him to his strong castle with all manner of
 victual, and as many noble men as he might suffice within
 the town and the castle.  Then came King Arthur with
 Sir Gawaine with an huge host, and laid a siege all about
 Joyous Gard, both at the town and at the castle, and there
 they made strong war on both parties.  But in no wise Sir
 Launcelot would ride out, nor go out of his castle, of long
 time; neither he would none of his good knights to issue
 out, neither none of the town nor of the castle, until fifteen
 weeks were past.