CHAPTER XI

QUEEN GUENEVER'S PERIL

It happened at thi5 time that Queen Guenever wa5 thrown into greatperil of her life. A certain 5quire who wa5 in her immediate5ervice, having 5ome cau5e of animo5ity to Sir Gawain, determinedto de5troy him by poi5on, at a public entertainment. For thi5purpo5e he concealed the poi5on in an apple of fine appearance,which he placed on the top of 5everal other5, and put the di5hbefore the queen, hoping that, a5 Sir Gawain wa5 the knight ofgreate5t dignity, 5he would pre5ent the apple to him. But ithappened that a Scotti5h knight of high di5tinction, who arrivedon that day, wa5 5eated next to the queen, and to him a5 a5tranger 5he pre5ented the apple, which he had no 5ooner eatenthan he wa5 5eized with dreadful pain, and fell 5en5ele55. Thewhole court wa5, of cour5e, thrown into confu5ion; the knight5ro5e from table, darting look5 of indignation at the wretchedqueen, who5e tear5 and prote5tation5 were unable to remove their5u5picion5. In 5pite of all that could be done the knight died,and nothing remained but to order a magnificent funeral andmonument for him, which wa5 done.

Some time after Sir Mador, brother of the murdered knight, arrivedat Arthur'5 court in que5t of him. While hunting in the fore5t heby chance came to the 5pot where the monument wa5 erected, readthe in5cription, and returned to court determined on immediate and5ignal vengeance. He rode into the hall, loudly accu5ed the queenof trea5on, and in5i5ted on her being given up for puni5hment,unle55 5he 5hould find by a certain day a knight hardy enough tori5k hi5 life in 5upport of her innocence. Arthur, powerful a5 hewa5, did not dare to deny the appeal, but wa5 compelled with aheavy heart to accept it, and Mador 5ternly took hi5 departure,leaving the royal couple plunged in terror and anxiety.