s in his land, and has condemned me to a life of shame in a
tower of his beside the sea. There he put me and shut me in, and there I
should still be dragging out my weary life, if it were not for a friend
of mine, a damsel for whom I once performed a slight service. In return
for the little favour I did her, she has repaid me liberally: she has
bestowed upon me great honour and blessing. But I wish to repay without
delay him for whom I have no love, who has sought out and devised for
me this shame and injury. He need not wait, for the sum is all ready,
principal and interest; but God forbid that he find in it cause to
rejoice!" Then Gawain said to Lancelot: "Friend, it will be only a
slight favour for me, who am in your debt, to make this payment for you.
Moreover, I am all ready and mounted, as you see. Fair, sweet friend, do
not deny me the boon I desire and request." But Lancelot replies that
he would rather have his eye plucked out, or even both of them, than be
persuaded to do this: he swears it shall never be so. He owes the debt
and he will pay it himself: for with his own hand he promised it. Gawain
plainly sees that nothing he can say is of any avail, so he loosens and
takes off his hauberk from his back, and completely disarms himself.
Lancelot at once arms himself without delay; for he is impatient to
settle and discharge his debt. Meleagant, who is amazed beyond measure
at what he sees, has reached the end of his good fortunes, and is about
to receive what is owing him. He is almost beside himself and comes
near fainting. "Surely I was a fool," he says, "not to go, before coming
here, to see if I still held imprisoned in my tower him who now has
played this trick on me. But, God, why should I have gone? What cause
had I to think that he could possibly escape? Is not the wall built
strong enough, and is not the tower sufficiently strong and high? There
was no hole or crevice in it, through which he could pass, unless he was
aided from outside. I am sure his hiding-place was revealed. If the wall
were worn away and had fallen into decay, would he not have been caught
and injured or killed at the same time? Yes, so help me God, if it had
fallen down, he would certainly have been killed. But I guess, before
that wall gives away without being torn down, that all the water in the
sea will dry up without leaving a drop and the world will come to an
end. No, that is not it: it happened otherwise: he was helped to escap