第56章 BOOK V(3)

And therewith the king awoke anon,and was sore abashed of this dream,and sent anon for a wise philosopher,commanding to tell him the signification of his dream.Sir,said the philosopher,the dragon that thou dreamedst of betokeneth thine own person that sailest here,and the colours of his wings be thy realms that thou hast won,and his tail which is all to-tattered signifieth the noble knights of the Round Table;and the boar that the dragon slew coming from the clouds betokeneth some tyrant that tormenteth the people,or else thou art like to fight with some giant thyself,being horrible and abominable,whose peer ye saw never in your days,wherefore of this dreadful dream doubt thee nothing,but as a conqueror come forth thyself.

Then after this soon they had sight of land,and sailed till they arrived at Barflete in Flanders,and when they were there he found many of his great lords ready,as they had been commanded to wait upon him.

CHAPTER V

How a man of the country told to him of a marvellous giant,and how he fought and conquered him.

THEN came to him an husbandman of the country,and told him how there was in the country of Constantine beside Brittany,a great giant which had slain,murdered and devoured much people of the country,and had been sustained seven year with the children of the commons of that land,insomuch that all the children be all slain and destroyed;and now late he hath taken the Duchess of Brittany as she rode with her meiny,and hath led her to his lodging which is in a mountain,for to ravish and lie by her to her life's end,and many people followed her,more than five hundred,but all they might not rescue her,but they left her shrieking and crying lamentably,wherefore I suppose that he hath slain her in fulfilling his foul lust of lechery.She was wife unto thy cousin Sir Howell,whom we call full nigh of thy blood.

Now,as thou art a rightful king,have pity on this lady,and revenge us all as thou art a noble conqueror.Alas,said King Arthur,this is a great mischief,I had liefer than the best realm that I have that I had been a furlong way to-fore him for to have rescued that lady.Now,fellow,said King Arthur,canst thou bring me thereas this giant haunteth?Yea,Sir,said the good man,look yonder whereas thou seest those two great fires,there shalt thou find him,and more treasure than I suppose is in all France.When the king had understood this piteous case,he returned into his tent.

Then he called to him Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere,and commanded them secretly to make ready horse and harness for himself and them twain;for after evensong he would ride on pilgrimage with them two only unto Saint Michael's mount.And then anon he made him ready,and armed him at all points,and took his horse and his shield.And so they three departed thence and rode forth as fast as ever they might till that they came to the foreland of that mount.And there they alighted,and the king commanded them to tarry there,for he would himself go up into that mount.And so he ascended up into that hill till he came to a great fire,and there he found a careful widow wringing her hands and making great sorrow,sitting by a grave new made.And then King Arthur saluted her,and demanded of her wherefore she made such lamentation,to whom she answered and said,Sir knight,speak soft,for yonder is a devil,if he hear thee speak he will come and destroy thee;I hold thee unhappy;what dost thou here in this mountain?for if ye were such fifty as ye be,ye were not able to make resistance against this devil:here lieth a duchess dead,the which was the fairest of all the world,wife to Sir Howell,Duke of Brittany,he hath murdered her in forcing her,and hath slit her unto the navel.

Dame,said the king,I come from the noble conqueror King Arthur,for to treat with that tyrant for his liege people.Fie on such treaties,said she,he setteth not by the king nor by no man else;but an if thou have brought Arthur's wife,dame Guenever,he shall be gladder than thou hadst given to him half France.

Beware,approach him not too nigh,for he hath vanquished fifteen kings,and hath made him a coat full of precious stones embroidered with their beards,which they sent him to have his love for salvation of their people at this last Christmas.And if thou wilt,speak with him at yonder great fire at supper.

Well,said Arthur,I will accomplish my message for all your fearful words;and went forth by the crest of that hill,and saw where he sat at supper gnawing on a limb of a man,baking his broad limbs by the fire,and breechless,and three fair damosels turning three broaches whereon were broached twelve young children late born,like young birds.

When King Arthur beheld that piteous sight he had great compassion on them,so that his heart bled for sorrow,and hailed him,saying in this wise:He that all the world wieldeth give thee short life and shameful death;and the devil have thy soul;why hast thou murdered these young innocent children,and murdered this duchess?Therefore,arise and dress thee,thou glutton,for this day shalt thou die of my hand.Then the glutton anon started up,and took a great club in his hand,and smote at the king that his coronal fell to the earth.And the king hit him again that he carved his belly and cut off his genitours,that his guts and his entrails fell down to the ground.Then the giant threw away his club,and caught the king in his arms that he crushed his ribs.Then the three maidens kneeled down and called to Christ for help and comfort of Arthur.

And then Arthur weltered and wrung,that he was other while under and another time above.And so weltering and wallowing they rolled down the hill till they came to the sea mark,and ever as they so weltered Arthur smote him with his dagger.