Page:Collected poems Robinson, Edwin Arlington.djvu/317

 "Why do you fling those two names in my face? 'Twas Modred made an end of Lamorak, Not I; and Lancelot now has done for Tor. Fll urge no king on after Lancelot For such a two as Tor and Lamorak : Their father killed my father, and their friend Was Lancelot, not I. I'll own my fault I'm. living; and while I've a tongue can talk, Fll say this to the King: 'Burn Lancelot By inches till he give you back the Queen; Then hang him drown him or do anything To rid the world of him.' He killed my brothers, And he was once my friend. Now damn the soul Of him who killed my brothers! There you have me." "You are a strong man, Gawaine, and your strength Goes ill where foes are. You may cleave their limbs And heads off, but you cannot damn their souls; What you may do now is to save their souls, And bodies too, and like enough your own. Remember that King Arthur is a king, And where there is a king there is a kingdom. Is not the kingdom any more to you Than one brief enemy? Would you see it fall And the King with it, for one mortal hate That burns out reason? Gawaine, you are king Today. Another day may see no king But Havoc, if you have no other word For Arthur now than hate for Lancelot. Is not the world as large as Lancelot? Is Lancelot, because one woman's eyes Are brighter when they look on him, to sluice The world with angry blood ? Poor flesh ! Poor flesh! And you, Gawaine, are you so gaffed with bate You cannot leave it and so plunge away