notstrve;butthereasyesayhaveslanyourgoodknghts,wotwellthathavedoneso,andthatmesorerepenteth;butwasenforcedtodobattlewththemnsavngofmylfe,orelsemusthavesufferedthemtohaveslanme。Andasformylady,QueenGuenever,exceptyourpersonofyourhghness,andmylordSrGawane,theresnoknghtunderheaventhatdaremaketgooduponme,thateverwasatratoruntoyourperson。
Andwheretpleaseyoutosaythathaveholdenmyladyyourqueenyearsandwnters,untothatshallevermakealargeanswer,andprovetuponanyknghtthatbeareththelfe,exceptyourpersonandSrGawane,thatmylady,QueenGuenever,satrueladyuntoyourpersonasanyslvnguntoherlord,andthatwllmakegoodwthmyhands。Howbetthathlkedhergoodgracetohavemencherte,andtochershmemorethananyotherknght;
anduntomypoweraganhavedeservedherlove,forofttmes,mylord,yehaveconsentedthatsheshouldbebrentanddestroyed,nyourheat,andthentfortunedmetodobattleforher,andordepartedfromheradversarytheyconfessedtheruntruth,andshefullworshpfullyexcused。
Andatsuchtmes,mylordArthur,sadSrLauncelot,yelovedme,andthankedmewhensavedyourqueenfromthefre;andthenyepromsedmeforevertobemygoodlord;andnowmethnkethyerewardmefullllformygoodservce。Andmygoodlord,meseemethhadlostagreatpartofmyworshpnmyknghthoodanhadsufferedmylady,yourqueen,tohavebeenbrent,andnsomuchsheshouldhavebeenbrentformysake。Forsthenhavedonebattlesforyourqueennotherquarrelsthannmneown,meseemethnowhadmorerghttodobattleforhernrghtquarrel。Andthereforemygoodandgracouslord,sadSrLauncelot,takeyourqueenuntoyourgoodgrace,forshesbothfar,true,andgood。
Feonthee,falserecreantknght,sadSrGawane;
lettheewtmylord,mneuncle,KngArthur,shallhavehsqueenandthee,maugrethyvsage,andslayyoubothwhethertpleasehm。tmaywellbe,sadSrLauncelot,butwtyouwell,mylordSrGawane,anmelsttocomeoutofthscastleyeshouldwnmeandthequeenmoreharderthaneveryewonastrongbattle。Feonthyproudwords,sadSrGawane;asformylady,thequeen,wllneversayofhershame。Butthou,falseandrecreantknght,sadSrGawane,whatcausehadstthoutoslaymygoodbrotherSrGareth,thatlovedtheemorethanallmykn?Alasthoumadesthmknghtthneownhands;whyslewthouhmthatlovedtheesowell?
Fortoexcuseme,sadSrLauncelot,thelpethmenot,butbyJesu,andbythefaththatowetothehghorderofknghthood,shouldwthasgoodwllhaveslanmynephew,SrBorsdeGans,atthattme。Butalasthateverwassounhappy,sadLauncelot,thathadnotseenSrGarethandSrGahers。
Thoulest,recreantknght,sadSrGawane,thouslewesthmndespteofme;andtherefore,wtthouwellshallmakewartothee,andallthewhlethatmaylve。
Thatmerepenteth,sadSrLauncelot;forwellunderstandthelpethnottoseeknoneaccordmentwhleye,SrGawane,aresomschevouslyset。Andfyewerenot,wouldnotdoubttohavethegoodgraceofmylordArthur。belevetwell,falserecreantknght,sadSrGawane;forthouhastmanylongdaysoverledmeandusall,anddestroyedmanyofourgoodknghts。Yesayastpleasethyou,sadSrLauncelot;andyetmaytneverbesadonme,andopenlyproved,thateverbyforecastoftreasonslewnogoodknght,asmylord,SrGawane,yehavedone;andsoddnever,butnmydefencethatwasdrventhereto,nsavngofmylfe。Ah,falseknght,sadSrGawane,thatthoumeanestbySrLamorak:wtthouwellslewhm。Yeslewhmnotyourself,sadSrLauncelot;thadbeenovermuchonhandforyoutohaveslanhm,forhewasoneofthebestknghtschrstenedofhsage,andtwasgreatptyofhsdeath。
X
HowthecousnsandknsmenofSrLauncelotexctedhmtogoouttobattle,andhowtheymadethemreadyWELL,well,sadSrGawanetoLauncelot,sthenthouenbradestmeofSrLamorak,wtthouwellshallneverleavetheetllhavetheeatsuchavalthatthoushaltnotescapemyhands。trustyouwellenough,sadSrLauncelot,anyemaygetmegetbutlttlemercy。ButastheFrenchbooksath,thenobleKngArthurwouldhavetakenhsqueenagan,andhavebeenaccordedwthSrLauncelot,butSrGawanewouldnotsufferhmbynomannerofmean。AndthenSrGawanemademanymentoblowuponSrLauncelot;andallatoncetheycalledhmfalserecreantknght。
ThenwhenSrBorsdeGans,SrEctordeMars,andSrLonel,heardthsoutcry,theycalledtothemSrPalomdes,SrSafere’sbrother,andSrLavane,wthmanymoreoftherblood,andalltheywentuntoSrLauncelot,andsadthus:MylordSrLauncelot,wtyewellwehavegreatscornofthegreatrebukesthatweheardGawanesaytoyou;whereforeweprayyou,andchargeyouasyewllhaveourservce,keepusnolongerwthnthesewalls;
forwtyouwellplanly,wewllrdentothefeldanddobattlewththem;foryefareasamanthatwereafeard,andforallyourfarspeechtwllnotavalyou。ForwtyouwellSrGawanewllnotsufferyoutobeaccordedwthKngArthur,andthereforefghtforyourlfeandyourrght,anyedare。Alas,sadSrLauncelot,fortordeoutofthscastle,andtodobattle,amfullloath。
ThenSrLauncelotspakeonhghuntoSrArthurandSrGawane:Mylords,requreyouandbeseechyou,sthenthatamthusrequredandconjuredtordentothefeld,thatnetheryou,mylordKngArthur,noryouSrGawane,comenotntothefeld。Whatshallwedothen?sadSrGawane,[N]sthsthekng’squarrelwththeetofght?andtsmyquarreltofghtwththee,SrLauncelot,becauseofthedeathofmybrotherSrGareth。
Thenmustneedsuntobattle,sadSrLauncelot。Nowwtyouwell,mylordArthurandSrGawane,yewllrepenttwhensomeverdobattlewthyou。
Andsothentheydepartedetherfromother;andthenetherpartymadethemreadyonthemornfortodobattle,andgreatpurveyancewasmadeonbothsdes;andSrGawaneletpurveymanyknghtsfortowatuponSrLauncelot,fortooversethmandtoslayhm。AndonthemornatunderneSrArthurwasreadynthefeldwththreegreathosts。AndthenSrLauncelot’sfellowshpcameoutatthreegates,nafullgoodarray;andSrLonelcamentheforemostbattle,andSrLauncelotcamenthemddle,andSrBorscameoutatthethrdgate。Thustheycamenorderandrule,asfullnobleknghts;andalwaysSrLauncelotchargedallhsknghtsnanywsetosaveKngArthurandSrGawane。
X
HowSrGawanejoustedandsmotedownSrLonel,andhowSrLauncelothorsedKngArthurTHENcameforthSrGawanefromthekng’shost,andhecamebeforeandprofferedtojoust。AndSrLonelwasaferceknght,andlghtlyheencounteredwthSrGawane;andthereSrGawanesmoteSrLonelthroughoutthebody,thathedashedtotheearthlkeashehadbeendead;andthenSrEctordeMarsandothermorebarehmntothecastle。Thentherebeganagreatstour,andmuchpeoplewasslan;andeverSrLauncelotddwhathemghttosavethepeopleonKngArthur’sparty,forSrPalomdes,andSrBors,andSrSafere,overthrewmanyknghts,fortheyweredeadlyknghts。AndSrBlamoredeGans,andSrBleobersdeGans,wthSrBellangereleBeuse,thesesknghtsddmuchharm;andeverKngArthurwasnghaboutSrLauncelottohaveslanhm,andSrLauncelotsufferedhm,andwouldnotstrkeagan。SoSrBorsencounteredwthKngArthur,andtherewthaspearSrBorssmotehmdown;andsohealghtedanddrewhssword,andsadtoSrLauncelot:
Shallmakeanendofthswar?andthathemeanttohaveslanKngArthur。Notsohardy,sadSrLauncelot,uponpanofthyhead,thatthoutouchhmnomore,forwllneverseethatmostnoblekngthatmademeknghtnetherslanneshamed。AndtherewthalSrLauncelotalghtedoffhshorseandtookupthekngandhorsedhmagan,andsadthus:MylordArthur,forGod’slovestntthsstrfe,foryegetherenoworshp,andwoulddomneutterance,butalwaysforbearyou,andyenornoneofyoursforbearethme;mylord,rememberwhathavedonenmanyplaces,andnowamevlrewarded。
ThenwhenKngArthurwasonhorseback,helookeduponSrLauncelot,andthenthetearsbrastoutofhseyen,thnkngonthegreatcourtesythatwasnSrLauncelotmorethannanyotherman;andtherewththekngrodehsway,andmghtnolongerbeholdhm,andsad:Alas,thateverthswarbegan。Andthenetherpartesofthebattleswthdrewthemtoreposethem,andburedthedead,andtothewoundedmentheyladsoftsalves;andthustheyenduredthatnghttllonthemorn。
Andonthemornbyundernetheymadethemreadytodobattle。AndthenSrBorsledtheforward。
SouponthemorntherecameSrGawaneasbrmasanyboar,wthagreatspearnhshand。AndwhenSrBorssawhmhethoughttorevengehsbrotherSrLonelofthedesptethatSrGawaneddhmtheotherday。
Andsotheythatknewetherotherfeutredtherspears,andwthallthermghtsoftherhorsesandthemselves,theymettogethersofelonouslythatetherbareotherthrough,andsotheyfellbothtotheearth;andthenthebattlesjoned,andtherewasmuchslaughteronbothpartes。
ThenSrLauncelotrescuedSrBors,andsenthmntothecastle;butnetherSrGawanenorSrBorsdednotoftherwounds,fortheywereallholpen。ThenSrLavaneandSrUrreprayedSrLauncelottodohspan,andfghtastheyhaddone;Forweseeyeforbearandspare,andthatdothmuchharm;thereforeweprayyousparenotyourenemesnomorethantheydoyou。Alas,sadSrLauncelot,havenohearttofghtaganstmylordArthur,forevermeseemethdonotasoughttodo。
Mylord,sadSrPalomdes,thoughyesparethemallthsdaytheywllneverconyouthank;andftheymaygetyouatavalyearebutdead。SothenSrLauncelotunderstoodthattheysadhmtruth;andthenhestranedhmselfmorethanheddaforehand,andbecausehsnephewSrBorswassorewounded。Andthenwthnalttlewhle,byevensongtme,SrLauncelotandhspartybetterstood,fortherhorseswentnbloodpastthefetlocks,therewassomuchpeopleslan。AndthenforptySrLauncelotwthheldhsknghts,andsufferedKngArthur’spartyfortowthdrawthemasde。AndthenSrLauncelot’spartywthdrewthemntohscastle,andetherpartesburedthedead,andputsalveuntothewoundedmen。
SowhenSrGawanewashurt,theyonKngArthur’spartywerenotsoorgulousastheyweretoforehandtodobattle。OfthswarwasnosedthroughallChrstendom,andatthelasttwasnosedaforethePope;andheconsderngthegreatgoodnessofKngArthur,andofSrLauncelot,thatwascalledthemostnoblestknghtsoftheworld,whereforethePopecalleduntohmanobleclerkthatatthattmewastherepresent;theFrenchbooksath,twastheBshopofRochester;andthePopegavehmbullsunderleaduntoKngArthurofEngland,chargnghmuponpanofnterdctngofallEngland,thathetakehsqueenDameGueneveruntohmagan,andaccordwthSrLauncelot。
HowthePopesentdownhsbullstomakepeace,andhowSrLauncelotbroughtthequeentoKngArthurSOwhenthsBshopwascometoCarlsleheshewedthekngthesebulls。Andwhenthekngunderstoodthesebullshenstwhattodo:fullfanhewouldhavebeenaccordedwthSrLauncelot,butSrGawanewouldnotsufferhm;butasfortohavethequeen,theretoheagreed。
ButnnowseSrGawanewouldnotsufferthekngtoaccordwthSrLauncelot;butasforthequeenheconsented。AndthentheBshophadoftheknghsgreatseal,andhsassuranceashewasatrueanontedkngthatSrLauncelotshouldcomesafe,andgosafe,andthatthequeenshouldnotbespokenuntoofthekng,norofnoneother,fornothngdoneaforetmepast;andofalltheseappontmentstheBshopbroughtwthhmsureassuranceandwrtng,toshewSrLauncelot。
SowhentheBshopwascometoJoyousGard,thereheshewedSrLauncelothowthePopehadwrttentoArthuranduntohm,andtherehetoldhmtheperlsfhewthheldthequeenfromthekng。twasnevernmythought,sadLauncelot,towthholdthequeenfrommylordArthur;but,nsomuchsheshouldhavebeendeadformysake,meseemethtwasmyparttosaveherlfe,andputherfromthatdanger,tllbetterrecovermghtcome。AndnowthankGod,sadSrLauncelot,thatthePopehathmadeherpeace;forGodknoweth,sadSrLauncelot,wllbeathousandfoldmoregladdertobrngheragan,thaneverwasofhertakngaway;
wthths,maybesuretocomesafeandgosafe,andthatthequeenshallhaveherlbertyasshehadbefore;