The Enchanted Castle Of King Pellam

After many years had come and gone, and all at the court of Arthur the

king had grown older and wiser, there came to pass a series of

adventures more marvellous than had ever been known upon the earth

before, and of a nobler kind than mere tourneyings and joustings, being

no less than the quest of the holy vessel named the Sangreal, in which

was kept a portion of the blood of our blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ.


< r /> And through this quest much disaster came upon the land, and the noble

fellowship of the Round Table was broken up and destroyed, for many went

in search of the holy vessel who had lived evil lives, and of these few

came back, but most of them died deaths of violence.



This sacred talisman--the Sangreal--had been brought to England

centuries before by Joseph of Arimathea, a follower of our Saviour, and

had passed down from him to his descendant, King Pellam, of Listengeise,

him whom Balin struck the dolorous stroke, and who was destined to lie

in misery and pain until he should be healed of his wound by the winner

of the holy vessel.



But to tell how this perilous quest began we must go long years back and

relate a story of strange adventures and marvellous deliverances.



For it had happened that during a feast of Whitsuntide Lancelot du Lake

left Arthur's court at Camelot and rode afar in search of adventures.

And after a long journey, in which many strange things came to pass, he

arrived at Listengeise, the land of King Pellam. Here he rescued the

king's fair daughter, Elaine, from a dismal enchantment, under which she

had long lain through the wiles of Morgan le Fay and the queen of

Northgalis, who hated her bitterly from her renown for beauty.



After the rescue of the lady, Lancelot fought with and killed a mighty

serpent that haunted a tomb near by, and had done much harm in the land.

Then there came to him a dignified and noble baron, who thanked him

heartily in the name of the king, and invited him to a repast in the

castle hall.



But as they sat at table a wonderful thing took place. For in at the

open window of the hall there flew a dove, which bore in its mouth what

seemed a little censer of gold. And from this censer came such a rich

and penetrating perfume as if all the spicery of the world had been

there, while upon the table suddenly appeared the most delicious of

meats and drinks. Then came in a damsel, young and beautiful, who bore

in her hands a vessel of gold, before which all who were there kneeled

and prayed devoutly.






"What may all this mean?" asked Lancelot in deep surprise.



"It has been granted you to see the most precious and wonderful thing in

the world," answered the noble baron. "For you have been permitted to

gaze upon the holy Sangreal. In the time to come all Arthur's knights

shall take part in a quest for this precious talisman, and great shall

be the woe therefrom, for through that quest the Round Table fellowship

shall be broken up and many of its noble knights destroyed."



But all that passed in that land is too much for us to tell. We shall

say only that the fair Elaine came to love Lancelot dearly, but he gave

her no love in return, for all the affection of his heart was centred

upon Queen Guenever. Yet King Pellam so desired that Lancelot should wed

his fair daughter that in the end he used enchantment, and brought him

to make her his wife when under a magic spell, the deluded knight

fancying that it was Guenever whom he had wedded.



This delusion last not long, and when the deceived spouse came to his

senses and learned how he had been dealt with, he broke away like a

madman, and, gaining his horse, rode wildly through the land. And every

knight-errant who dared to joust with him was made to suffer from the

fury that burned in his blood.



Long afterwards, as chance and adventure brought about, there came to

King Pellam's castle Sir Bors de Ganis, Lancelot's nephew. He was gladly

received, and treated with all the good cheer and honor which the castle

could afford. And as he sat at his repast with, the castle lords, there

came in, as it had come to Lancelot, the dove with the censer, at which

the air was filled with the richest perfume, and the table covered with

the most delicious viands. Then entered the maiden with the holy grail,

and all fell to their prayers.



"Truly," said Bors, "this is a strange place, and a land full of

marvels."



"This I will say," answered the noble baron who sat in the king's chair,

"that of the knights who come here few see the holy vessel, and fewer go

away with any honor. Gawaine, the good knight, was here but lately; but

he saw not what your eyes have beheld, and he left here in shame. None

but those of a worshipful life and who love God devoutly can behold this

marvel, or sleep in this castle without coming to harm."



"I am in quest of adventures," said Bors, "and shall lie in your castle

this night, come what will. Men call me honest and virtuous, and I stand

ready to dare all perils the castle may hold."



"I counsel you not," said the baron. "You will hardly escape without

harm and shame."



"Let come what will come, I am ready."



"Then I advise you to confess, and go to your chamber with a clean soul,

for you will be sorely tried."



"Let it be so. Your counsel is wise."



After Sir Bors had been confessed and received absolution, he was led

into a fair large chamber, around which were many doors, while a bed of

royal richness stood in the middle of the floor. Here he was left alone,

and threw himself on the bed in his armor, deeming it wise to be

prepared for all that might come.



Not long had he lain there with open eyes and alert wits, when the room

was all at once brilliantly lighted up, though whence the light came he

could not tell. And suddenly a great and long spear, whose point burnt

like a taper, shot across the chamber without hand to guide it, and

struck him in the shoulder so fierce a blow that his armor was pierced,

and he received a wound, a hand's-breadth in depth, which pained him

bitterly.



Quickly afterwards an armed knight strode in, with shield on shoulder

and sword in hand, who cried in a harsh voice,--



"Arise, sir knight, and fight with me."



"I shall not fail you," said Bors, hot with the pain of his wound. "I am

sorely hurt, but I have vowed boldly to dare aught that might come to

me. If that burning spear came from your hand you shall pay dearly for

it."



With these words he sprang from the bed and attacked the intruder, and a

hard and stern battle began, which lasted long. At the end the intruding

knight was driven backward to a chamber door, through which he passed,

leaving Bors master of the floor.



But hardly had he rested a minute when the defeated knight returned, as

fresh as at the start, and attacked Bors with renewed strength. Again

the battle went on fiercely. But when Bors saw his antagonist once more

retreating towards the chamber door, he cried out,--



"Not so, my good fellow. You played that trick on me once; you shall

not again. Back and defend yourself. If you defeat me it shall be by

strength, not by magic." And he stationed himself before the door, and

drove back his opponent with such fury, that in a moment more he hurled

him to the floor.



"Yield, or you die!" he cried, setting his foot on the fallen knight's

head.



"I yield," came the answer.



"What is your name?"



"I am Sir Pedivere of the Straight Marches."



"Then, Sir Pedivere of the Straight Marches, take yourself away. And if

you have any of your fellows behind yonder door, bid them to keep out of

this room, for I came here to sleep, not to fight. At Whitsunday next,

present yourself at King Arthur's court, and tell him that you have come

thither as a prisoner of Sir Bors of the sharp sword."



This, Sir Pedivere swore to do, and left his conqueror to what rest he

could get. But this was little, for enchantment surrounded the daring

knight. The room suddenly became full of frightful noises and alive with

peril. Whence they came he knew not, whether through doors or windows,

but a flight of arrows and of crossbow bolts filled the air, whistling

shrewdly past his ears, while many of them fell upon him and pierced his

flesh through the open places in his armor.



"Who can sleep in such a den of witchcraft as this?" he cried, in a

rage, springing from the bed. As he did so one of the doors opened, and

a great lion leaped fiercely in, with a hideous roar.



"It is better to fight a lion that one can see, than arrows which nobody

shoots," cried Bors, and he rushed without hesitation on the dangerous

animal.



Sharp was the fight that followed, but of short duration. The lion

sprang wildly upon him, and tore the shield from his arm, while the

sharp claws rent his flesh. But the knight retorted with a sweeping

stroke that cut off the frightful beast's head, and stretched its tawny

body lifeless on the floor.



Then Bors walked to the window to see whither the arrows had come, and

as he looked into the castle court he beheld a wondrous sight. For

before his eyes stood a dragon, huge and horrible of aspect, in whose

forehead were letters of gold which seemed to him to form King Arthur's

emblem. And as he gazed there leaped into the court an old and mighty

leopard, which sprang upon the dragon and engaged in desperate battle

with the huge monster.



At last the dragon spit out of its mouth a hundred of what seemed small

dragons, and these quickly leaped upon the frightful beast and rent it

to fragments. Then all the animals disappeared, and an old man came into

the court, around whose neck two adders wreathed their folds. In his

hand was a harp, upon which he played, while he sang an old song telling

how Joseph of Arimathea came to that land. When his song was ended he

said to Sir Bors,--



"Go from this land, sir knight, for you shall have no more adventures

here. You have played your part well and nobly, and shall do still

better hereafter, for wondrous things are reserved for you."



Then Bors saw a dove of whitest plumage fly across the court with a

golden censer in its mouth, from which seemed to stream the most

delicious perfumes. And the tempest which had raged in the sky suddenly

ceased, while from the rent clouds the full moon poured down its white

light to the earth.



Next there came into the court four children who bore four tapers, and

an old man in their midst with a censer in one hand a spear in the

other, and that spear was called the spear of vengeance.



"Go to your cousin, Sir Lancelot," said the old man, "and tell him what

you have seen, and that if he had been as clean of sin as he should be,

the adventure which all this signifies would have been his. Tell him,

moreover, that though in worldly adventures he passes all others in

manhood and prowess, there are many his betters in spiritual worth, and

that what you have seen and done this night he was not deemed worthy

of."



Then Bors saw four meanly-dressed gentlewomen pass through his chamber,

and enter an apartment beyond which was lit up with a light like that of

midsummer. Here they knelt before an altar of silver with four pillars,

where also kneeled a man in the dress of a bishop. And as the knight

looked upward he beheld a naked sword hovering over his head, whose

blade shone like silver, yielding a flashing light that blinded him as

he gazed. As he stood thus sightless, he heard a voice which said,--



"Go hence, Sir Bors, for as yet thou art not worthy to be in this

place."



Then the door of that chamber closed, and he went backward to his bed,

where he lay and slept undisturbed till morning dawned. But when the

regent of King Pellam learned what had happened to his guest in the

night, and how he had escaped the perils of the enchanted chamber, he

greeted him joyfully, and said,--



"You are the first that ever endured so well that chamber's mysteries.

And more has been shown to your eyes than any others have seen. Go home,

worthy knight. You are chosen for great deeds in the time to come."



Sir Bors thereupon took his horse and rode away, thinking long and

deeply on all that had happened to him.