Король Артур и рыцари Круглого стола
Chapter VII
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“Well,”saidSirAccolon,“tellyoumyladyQueenMorgan,thatIshallholdtothatIpromisedher,nowthatIhavethissword—and,”saidhe,“Isupposeitwastobringaboutthisbattlethatshemadealltheseenchantmentsbyhercraft.”“Youhaveguessedrightly,”saidthedwarf,andtherewithalhelefthim.
Thencameaknightandlady,andsixsquires,toSirAccolon,andtookhimtoamanorhousehardby,andgavehimnoblecheer;andthehousebelongedtoSirOutzlake,thebrotherofSirDamas,forsohadMorganleFaycontrivedwithherenchantments.NowSirOutzlakehimselfwasatthattimesorelywoundedanddisabled,havingbeenpiercedthroughbothhisthighsbyaspear-thrust.When,therefore,SirDamassentdownmessengerstohisbrother,biddinghimmakereadybyto-morrowmorning,andbeinthefieldtofightwithagoodknight,forthathehadfoundachampionreadytodobattleatallpoints,SirOutzlakewassorelyannoyedanddistressed,forheknewhehadsmallchanceofvictory,whileyethewasdisabledbyhiswounds;notwithstanding,hedeterminedtotakethebattleinhand,althoughhewassoweakthathemustneedsbeliftedtohissaddle.ButwhenSirAccolonofGaulheardthis,hesentamessagetoSirOutzlakeofferingtotakethebattleinhisstead,whichcheeredSirOutzlakemightily,whothankedSirAccolonwithallhisheart,andjoyfullyacceptedhim.
So,onthemorrow,KingArthurwasarmedandwellhorsed,andaskedSirDamas,“Whenshallwegotothefield?”“Sir,”saidSirDamas,“youshallfirsthearmass.