us
Gard. The Castle of Joyous Gard was strong, and after fifteen weeks
had passed no breach had been made in its walls. And one day, at the
time of harvest, Sir Lancelot came forth on a truce, and the King and
Sir Gawaine challenged him to do battle.

'Nay,' answered Sir Lancelot, 'with yourself I will never strive, and
I grieve sorely that I have slain your Knights. But I was forced to
it, for the saving of my life and that of my lady the Queen. And
except yourself, my lord, and Sir Gawaine, there is no man that shall
call me traitor but he shall pay for it with his body. As to Queen
Guenevere, oft times, my lord, you have consented in the heat of your
passion that she should be burnt and destroyed, and it fell to me to
do battle for her, and her enemies confessed their untruth, and
acknowledged her innocent. And at such times, my lord Arthur, you
loved me and thanked me when I saved your Queen from the fire, and
promised ever to be my good lord, for I have fought for her many times
in other quarrels than my own. Therefore, my gracious lord, take your
Queen back into your grace again.'

To these words of Sir Lancelot's, King Arthur answered nothing, but in
his heart he would fain have made peace with Sir Lancelot, but Sir
Gawaine would not let him. He reproached Sir Lancelot bitterly for the
deaths of his brothers and kinsmen, and called Sir Lancelot a craven
and other ill names that he would not fight with King Arthur. So at
the last Sir Lancelot's patience and courtesy failed him, and he told
them that the next morning he would give them battle.

The heart of Sir Gawaine leaped with joy when he heard these words of
Sir Lancelot, and he summoned all his friends and his kinsfolk, and
bade them watch well Sir Lancelot, and to slay him if a chance
offered. But he knew not that Sir Lancelot had bidden the Knights of
his following in no wise to touch King Arthur or Sir Gawaine. And when
the dawn broke a great host marched out of the Castle of Joyous Gard,
with Sir Lancelot at the head, and Sir Bors and Sir Lionel commanding
on either side. All that day they fought, and sometimes one army
seemed to be gaining, and sometimes the other. Many times King Arthur
drew near Sir Lancelot, and would have slain him, and Sir Lancelot
suffered him, and would not strike again. But the King was unhorsed by
Sir Bors, and would have been slain but for Sir Lancelot, who stayed
his hand. 'My lord Arthur,' he said, 'for God's love stop thi