The Lily Maid Of Astolat

It came to pass that, within fifteen days of the Feast of the

Assumption, King Arthur announced that a great tournament would be held

on that day at Camelot, where he and the king of Scots would hold the

lists against all who should come. This tidings went far, and there came

to Camelot many noble knights, among them the king of North Wales, King

Anguish of Ireland, the king with the hundred knights, Sir Galahalt the

h gh prince, and other kings, dukes, and earls.



But when Arthur was ready to ride from London, where he then was, to

Camelot, the queen begged to be excused from going with him, saying that

she was not well. Lancelot, too, would not go, on the plea that he was

not well of the wound which Sir Mador had given him. So the king set out

in grief and anger, for the absence of his wife and Lancelot tried him

sorely. On his way to Camelot he lodged in a town named Astolat, which

is now known as Gilford, and here he remained for several days.



But hardly had he departed before the queen sought Lancelot, and blamed

him severely for not going with the king, saying that he thus exposed

her to slander.



"Madam, your wisdom comes somewhat late. Why gave you not this advice

sooner?" said Lancelot. "I will go, since you command it; but I warn you

that at the jousts I will fight against the king and his party."



"Fight as you will, but go," said Guenever. "If you take my counsel,

however, you will keep with your king and your kindred."



"Be not displeased with me, madam," said Lancelot. "I will do as God

wills, and that, I fear, will be to fight against the king's party."



So the knight took horse and rode to Astolat, and here in the evening he

obtained quarters in the mansion of an old baron, named Sir Bernard of

Astolat. It happened that this mansion was near the quarters of the

king, who, as in the dusk he walked in the castle garden, saw Lancelot

draw near to Sir Bernard's door, and recognized him.



"Aha!" said the king, "is that the game? That gives me comfort. I shall

have one knight in the lists who will do his duty nobly."



"Who is that?" asked those with him.



"Ask me not now," said the king, smiling. "You may learn later."



Meanwhile Lancelot was hospitably received by the old baron, though the

latter knew not his guest.



"Dear sir," said Lancelot to his host, "I thank you for your kindness,

and I shall owe you deeper thanks if you will lend me a shield. Mine is

too well known, and I wish to fight in disguise."



"That shall I willingly," answered his host. "I have two sons who were

lately knighted, and the elder, Sir Tirre, has been hurt. His shield you

shall have, for it is yet unknown in list or field. As for my younger

son, Sir Lavaine, he is a strong and likely youth, whom I beg you will

take with you. I feel that you must be a champion of renown, and hope

you will tell me your name."



"Not at present, if you will excuse me," said Lancelot. "If I speed well

at the tournament I will return and tell you. But I shall be glad to

have Sir Lavaine with me, and to use his brother's shield."



"You are welcome to both," said Sir Bernard.



This old baron had a daughter of great beauty, and in the freshness of

youth, who was known in that region as the Fair Maid of Astolat, by name

Elaine le Blank. And when she saw Lancelot her whole heart went out to

him in love,--a love of that ardent nature that never dies while she who

wears it lives.



Lancelot, too, was strongly attracted by her fresh young face, of

lily-like charm; but he had no love to give. Yet he spoke in tender

kindness to the maiden, and so emboldened her that she begged him to

wear her token at the tournament.



"You ask more than I have ever yet granted to lady or damsel," said

Lancelot. "If I yield to your wish I shall do more for your love than

any woman born can claim."






She besought him now with still more earnestness, and it came to his

mind that if he wished to go to the lists disguised he could take no

better method, for no one would recognise Lancelot under a damsel's

token.



"Show me what you would have me wear, fair maiden," he said.



"It is a red sleeve of mine," she answered, "a sleeve of scarlet,

embroidered with great pearls," and she brought it to him.



"I have never done this for damsel before," said Lancelot. "In return I

will leave my shield in your keeping. Pray keep it safe till we meet

again."



Then the evening was spent in merry cheer; but that night Elaine slept

but lightly, for her slumber was full of dreams of Lancelot, and her

heart burned with fears that he might come to harm in the lists.



On the next day King Arthur and his knights set out for Camelot. Soon

afterwards Lancelot and Lavaine took leave of Sir Bernard and his fair

daughter, while the eyes of Elaine followed the noble form of Lancelot

fondly and far, as he rode. Both the knights had white shields, and

Lancelot bore with him Elaine's red embroidered sleeve. When they

reached Camelot they took lodging privately with a rich burgess of the

town, that none might know them.



When came Assumption Day, the lists were set, the trumpets blew to the

field, the two parties of knights gathered promptly to the fray, and

fierce was the encounter between them. In the end, after hard fighting,

the party of Arthur bore back their opponents, who were headed by the

kings of Northumberland and North Wales.



All this was seen by Lancelot and Lavaine, who sat their horses at a

distance looking on.



"Come," said Lancelot, "let us help these good fellows, who seem to be

overpowered."



"Lead on," said Lavaine. "I shall follow and do my best."



Then Lancelot, with the red sleeve fastened upon his helmet, rode into

the thickest of the press, and smote down such numbers of knights with

spear and sword that the party of the Round Table were forced to give

back, and their opponents came on with fresh heart. And close upon

Lancelot's track Lavaine smote down several good knights.



"Who can this wonderful fighter be?" asked Gawaine of the king.



"I know him well," said Arthur, "but will not name him since he is in

disguise."



"I could believe it was Lancelot," said Gawaine, "but for that red

sleeve. No man ever saw Lancelot wear a woman's token."



"Let him be," said Arthur. "He will be better known before he is done."



Then nine knights of Lancelot's kindred, angry at seeing this one

champion beat down all before him, joined together and pressed hotly

into the din, smiting down all that opposed them. Three of them--Bors,

Hector, and Lionel--spurred together on Lancelot, all striking him at

once with their spears. So great was their force that Lancelot's horse

was hurled to the ground, and his shield pierced by Bors, whose spear

wounded him in the side, breaking and leaving its head deep in the

flesh.



Seeing this misfortune, Lavaine spurred fiercely on the king of the

Scots, thrust him from his horse, and, in despite of them all, brought

that horse to Lancelot, and helped him to mount. Then, though so sorely

hurt, Lancelot drew his sword, and, aided by Lavaine, did such deeds of

arms as he had never surpassed in his hours of greatest strength. As the

chronicles say, that day he unhorsed more than thirty knights; and

Lavaine followed his example well, for he smote down ten Knights of the

Round Table in this his first tournament. So does a noble example stir

young hearts.



"I would give much to know who this valiant knight can be," said

Gawaine.



"He will be known before he departs," answered Arthur. "Trust me for

that."



Then the king blew to lodging, and the prize was given by the heralds to

the knight with the white shield who bore the red sleeve. Around

Lancelot gathered the leaders on his side, and thanked him warmly for

gaining them the victory.



"If I have deserved thanks I have sorely paid for them," said Lancelot,

"for I doubt if I escape with my life. Dear sirs, permit me to depart,

for just now I would rather have repose than be lord of all the world."



Then he broke from them and galloped away, though his wound forced

piteous groans from his steadfast heart. When out of sight of them all

he checked his horse, and begged Lavaine to help him dismount and to

draw the spear-head from his side.



"My lord," said Lavaine, "I would fain help you; yet I fear that to draw

the spear will be your death."



"It will be my death if it remains," said Lancelot. "I charge you to

draw it."



This Lavaine did, the pain being so deadly that Lancelot shrieked and

fell into a death-like swoon, while a full pint of blood gushed from the

wound. Lavaine stopped the bleeding as well as he could, and with great

trouble got the wounded knight to a neighboring hermitage, that stood in

front of a great cliff, with a clear stream running by its foot.



Here Lavaine beat on the door with the butt of his spear, and cried

loudly,--



"Open, for Jesus' sake! Open, for a noble knight lies bleeding to death

at your gate!"



This loud appeal quickly brought out the hermit, who was named Baldwin

of Brittany, and had once been a Round Table knight. He gazed with pity

and alarm on the pale face and bleeding form before him.



"I should know this knight," he said. "Who is he?"



"Fair sir," said Lancelot, feebly, "I am a stranger and a knight-errant,

who have sought renown through many realms, and have come here to my

deadly peril."



As he spoke the hermit recognized him, by a wound on his pallid cheek.



"Ah, my lord Lancelot," he said, "you cannot deceive me thus."



"Then, if you know me, help me for heaven's sake. Relieve me from this

pain, whether it be by life or death."



"I shall do my best," said the hermit. "Fear not that you will die."



Then he had him borne into the hermitage, and laid in bed, his armor

being removed. This done, the hermit stanched the bleeding, anointed the

wound with healing ointments, and gave Lancelot a refreshing and healing

draught.



Meanwhile King Arthur invited the knights of both parties to a great

evening feast, and there asked the king of North Wales to bring forward

the knight of the red sleeve, that he might receive the prize he had

won.



"That I cannot do," was the answer. "He was badly, if not fatally,

wounded, and left us so hastily that we know not whither he went."



"That is the worst news I have heard these seven years," said Arthur. "I

would rather lose my throne than have that noble knight slain."



"Do you know him?" they all asked.



"I have a shrewd suspicion who he is; and I pray God for good tidings of

him."



"By my head," said Gawaine, "I should be sorry enough to see harm come

to one that can handle spear and sword like him. He cannot be far away,

and if he is to be found I shall find him."



"Fortune aid you in the quest," said the king.



Then Gawaine took a squire, and they rode in all directions for six or

seven miles around Camelot, but could learn nothing of the missing

knight. Two days afterwards Arthur and his fellowship set out on their

return to London. On their way they passed through Astolat, and here it

happened that Gawaine lodged with Sir Bernard, Lancelot's former host.



He was well received, and the old baron and his fair daughter begged him

earnestly for tidings of the tournament, being specially eager to know

who had done best there.



"Two knights bore all before them," said Gawaine. "Both carried white

shields, and one wore on his helmet a red sleeve, as some fair lady's

token. Never saw I a man before do such mighty deeds, and his fellow

seconded him nobly."



"Blessed be God that that knight did so well," broke out Elaine, "for he

is the first man I ever loved, and shall be the last."



"You know him then?" said Gawaine. "Pray tell me his name."



"That I know not, nor whence he came; but this I truly know, that I love

him, and that the token he wore was mine. This, and this only, I can

justly affirm."



"This is a strange story," said Gawaine. "What knowledge have you of

him? and how came you to know him?"



In response, she told him how the knight had left his shield with her,

and taken that of her brother, with what else she knew.



"I would thank you much for a sight of that shield," said Gawaine.



"I have it in my chamber, covered with a case, and will send for it,"

said Elaine.



When the shield was brought Gawaine removed the case, and at sight he

knew it to be Lancelot's shield.



"Ah, mercy!" said Gawaine, "the sight of this makes my heart heavy."



"Why so?" she demanded.



"For good cause," he answered. "Is the owner of this shield your love?"



"Truly so," she replied. "I love him dearly; would to God he loved me as

dearly."



"Then must I say that you have given your love to the noblest and most

renowned knight in the world."



"So it seemed to me; for he carries a noble soul in his face."



"This I may say," said Gawaine. "I have known this knight for more than

twenty years, and never knew him before to wear a woman's token at joust

or tournament. You owe him thanks, indeed, that he wore yours. Yet I

dread greatly that you will never see him again, and it is for this that

my heart is heavy."



"Why say you so?" she cried, starting up with pallid face. "Is he hurt?

Is he slain?"



"Not slain; but sadly hurt. This more it is my duty to tell you: he is

the noble knight, Sir Lancelot du Lake. I know him by his shield."



"Lancelot! Can this be so? And his hurt--who gave it? Is it really

perilous?"



"Had the knight who wounded him known him, he would have been grieved

almost to death. As for Sir Lancelot, I can tell you nothing more. On

receiving his hurt he left the lists with his comrade, and cannot be

found. He is somewhere concealed."



"Then shall I go seek him!" cried Elaine. "Give me leave to do so, dear

father, if you would not have me lose my mind. I shall never rest till

I find him and my brother, and nurse him back to health."



"Go, daughter, if you will," said her father, "for I am sick at heart to

hear such tidings of that noble knight."



In the morning Gawaine rejoined King Arthur, and told him of what he had

learned.



"I knew already it was Lancelot," said the king; "but never before knew

I him to wear woman's token."



"By my faith, this lily maiden of Astolat loves him deeply," said

Gawaine. "What it means I cannot say, but she has set out to seek him,

and will break her heart if she fail to find him."



And so they rode on to London, where Gawaine made known to the court

that it was Lancelot who wore the red sleeve and won the prize at the

tournament.



This tidings made no small trouble in the court. Bors and his kinsmen

were heavy at heart when they learned that it was Lancelot whom they had

so hotly assailed. And Queen Guenever was beside herself with anger on

learning that it was Lancelot who had worn the red sleeve at the

tournament.



Meanwhile Elaine journeyed to Camelot in search of the wounded knight,

and as she sought far and near about the town, sick at heart, it chanced

that she espied her brother Lavaine, as he rode out to give his horse

air. She called loudly to him, and when he came up asked him,--



"How does my lord, Sir Lancelot?"



"Who told you, sister, that my lord's name was Lancelot?"



She told him how she had learned this, and they rode together to the

hermitage, where Lavaine brought her in to see the wounded knight.



But when she saw him lying there so sick and pale, and with a death-like

hue upon his face, she stood gazing upon him with dilated eyes and

whitening face, and then suddenly fell to the floor in a deep swoon.



"I pray you, Lavaine, take her up and bring her to me," said Lancelot.



When she was brought near him he kissed her pale face, and at the touch

of his lips her cheeks flamed out with red, and life came back to her.



"Fair maiden," said Lancelot, "it pains me to see you so deeply

afflicted. Comfort yourself, I pray you. If you come here to my aid you

are truly welcome; but let not this little hurt trouble you; I shall

soon be well of it."



Then they fell into discourse, and Elaine told Lancelot how Gawaine had

seen and known his shield. This gave him no small trouble, for he knew

well that the story of the red scarf would get to Queen Guenever's ears,

and he feared its effect on her hasty and jealous temper. But Elaine

never left Lancelot, but watched him day and night, nursing him back to

health.