nashamefulhourwertthouborn,sadLauncelot。
SoPedveredepartedwththedeadladyandthehead,andfoundthequeenwthKngArthuratWnchester,andtherehetoldallthetruth。Srknght,sadthequeen,thssanhorrbledeedandashameful,andagreatrebukeuntoSrLauncelot;butnotwthstandnghsworshpsnotknownnmanydverscountres;butthsshallgveyounpenance,makeyeasgoodshftasyecan,yeshallbearthsladywthyouonhorsebackuntothePopeofRome,andofhmreceveyourpenanceforyourfouldeeds;andyeshallneverrestonenghtwhereasyedoanother;anyegotoanybedthedeadbodyshalllewthyou。
Thsoaththerehemade,andsodeparted。AndasttellethntheFrenchbook,whenhecametoRome,thePopebadehmgoaganuntoQueenGuenever,andnRomewashsladyburedbythePope’scommandment。AndafterthsSrPedverefelltogreatgoodness,andwasanholymanandanhermt。
HowSrLauncelotcametoKngArthur’sCourt,andhowtherewererecountedallhsnoblefeatsandacts。
NOWturnweuntoSrLauncelotduLake,thatcamehometwodaysaforetheFeastofPentecost;andthekngandallthecourtwerepassngfanofhscomng。AndwhenSrGawane,SrUwane,SrSagramore,SrEctordeMars,sawSrLauncelotnKay’sarmour,thentheywstwelltwashethatsmotethemdownallwthonespear。Thentherewaslaughngandsmlngamongthem。
AndevernowandnowcamealltheknghtshomethatSrTurqunehadprsoners,andtheyallhonouredandworshppedSrLauncelot。
WhenSrGahersheardthemspeak,hesad,sawallthebattlefromthebegnnngtotheendng,andtherehetoldKngArthurallhowtwas,andhowSrTurqunewasthestrongestknghtthateverhesawexceptSrLauncelot:thereweremanyknghtsbarehmrecord,nghthreescore。ThenSrKaytoldtheknghowSrLauncelothadrescuedhmwhenheshouldhavebeenslan,andhowhemadetheknghtsyeldthemtome,andnottohm。
Andtheretheywereallthree,andbarerecord。AndbyJesu,sadSrKay,becauseSrLauncelottookmyharnessandleftmehsrodengoodpeace,andnomanwouldhaveadowthme。
AnontherewthaltherecamethethreeknghtsthatfoughtwthSrLauncelotatthelongbrdge。AndtheretheyyeldedthemuntoSrKay,andSrKayforsookthemandsadhefoughtneverwththem。Butshalleaseyourheart,sadSrKay,yondersSrLauncelotthatovercameyou。Whentheywstthattheywereglad。AndthenSrMelotdeLogrescamehome,andtoldtheknghowSrLauncelothadsavedhmfromthedeath。Andallhsdeedswereknown,howfourqueens,sorceresses,hadhmnprson,andhowhewasdelveredbyKngBagdemagus’daughter。
AlsothereweretoldallthegreatdeedsofarmsthatSrLauncelotddbetwxtthetwokngs,thatsfortosaytheKngofNorthgalsandKngBagdemagus。AllthetruthSrGahalantneddtell,andSrMadordelaPorteandSrMordred,fortheywereatthatsametournament。ThencamentheladythatknewSrLauncelotwhenthathewoundedSrBelleusatthepavlon。
Andthere,atrequestofSrLauncelot,SrBelleuswasmadeknghtoftheRoundTable。AndsoatthattmeSrLauncelothadthegreatestnameofanyknghtoftheworld,andmosthewashonouredofhghandlow。
ExplctthenobletaleofSrLauncelotduLake,whchsthev。book。HerefolloweththetaleofSrGarethofOrkneythatwascalledBeaumansbySrKay,andstheseventhbook。
HowBeaumanscametoKngArthur’sCourtanddemandedthreepettonsofKngArthur。
WHENArthurheldhsRoundTablemostplenour,tfortunedthathecommandedthatthehghfeastofPentecostshouldbeholdenatactyandacastle,thewhchnthosedayswascalledKynkeKenadonne,uponthesandsthatmarchednghWales。SoevertheknghadacustomthatatthefeastofPentecostnespecal,aforeotherfeastsntheyear,hewouldnotgothatdaytomeatuntlhehadheardorseenofagreatmarvel。AndforthatcustomallmannerofstrangeadventurescamebeforeArthurasatthatfeastbeforeallotherfeasts。AndsoSrGawane,alttleto-forenoonofthedayofPentecost,espedatawndowthreemenuponhorseback,andadwarfonfoot,andsothethreemenalghted,andthedwarfkepttherhorses,andoneofthethreemenwashgherthantheothertwanbyafootandanhalf。ThenSrGawanewentuntothekngandsad,Sr,gotoyourmeat,forhereatthehandcomestrangeadventures。SoArthurwentuntohsmeatwthmanyotherkngs。AndtherewerealltheknghtsoftheRoundTable,[save]onlythosethatwereprsonersorslanatarecounter。Thenatthehghfeastevermoretheyshouldbefulflledthewholenumberofanhundredandffty,forthenwastheRoundTablefullycomplshed。
Rghtsocamentothehalltwomenwellbeseenandrchly,anduponthershouldersthereleanedthegoodlestyoungmanandthefarestthatevertheyallsaw,andhewaslargeandlong,andbroadntheshoulders,andwellvsaged,andthefarestandthelargesthandedthatevermansaw,buthefaredasthoughhemghtnotgonorbearhmselfbutfheleaneduponthershoulders。AnonasArthursawhmtherewasmadepeaceandroom,andrghtsotheyyedewthhmuntothehghdas,wthoutsayngofanywords。Thenthsmuchyoungmanpulledhmaback,andeaslystretchedupstraght,sayng,KngArthur,Godyoublessandallyourfarfellowshp,andnespecalthefellowshpoftheTableRound。Andforthscauseamcomehther,toprayyouandrequreyoutogvemethreegfts,andtheyshallnotbeunreasonablyasked,butthatyemayworshpfullyandhonourablygrantthemme,andtoyounogreathurtnorloss。Andthefrstdonandgftwllasknow,andtheothertwogftswllaskthsdaytwelvemonth,wheresomeveryeholdyourhghfeast。Nowask,sadArthur,andyeshallhaveyouraskng。
Now,sr,thssmypettonforthsfeast,thatyewllgvememeatanddrnksuffcentlyforthstwelvemonth,andatthatdaywllaskmneothertwogfts。
Myfarson,sadArthur,askbetter,counselthee,forthssbutasmpleaskng;formyheartgvethmetotheegreatly,thatthouartcomeofmenofworshp,andgreatlymyconcetfalethmebutthoushaltproveamanofrghtgreatworshp。Sr,hesad,thereofbeastbemay,haveaskedthatwllask。
Well,sadthekng,yeshallhavemeatanddrnkenough;neverdefendedthatnone,nethermyfrendnormyfoe。Butwhatsthynamewouldwt?cannottellyou,sadhe。Thatsmarvel,sadthekng,thatthouknowestnotthyname,andthouartthegoodlestyoungmanthateversaw。ThenthekngbetookhmtoSrKaythesteward,andchargedhmthatheshouldgvehmofallmannerofmeatsanddrnksofthebest,andalsothathehadallmanneroffndngasthoughhewerealord’sson。
Thatshalllttleneed,sadSrKay,todosuchcostuponhm;
fordareundertakehesavllanborn,andneverwllmakeman,foranhehadcomeofgentlemenhewouldhaveaskedofyouhorseandarmour,butsuchashes,soheasketh。Andsthenhehathnoname,shallgvehmanamethatshallbeBeaumans,thatsFar-hands,andntothektchenshallbrnghm,andthereheshallhavefatbroseeveryday,thatheshallbeasfatbythetwelvemonths’endasaporkhog。RghtsothetwomendepartedandbelefthmtoSrKay,thatscornedhmandmockedhm。
HowSrLauncelotandSrGawanewerewrothbecauseSrKaymockedBeaumans,andofadamoselwhchdesredaknghttofghtforalady。
THEREATwasSrGawanewroth,andnespecalSrLauncelotbadeSrKayleavehsmockng,fordarelaymyheadheshallproveamanofgreatworshp。LetbesadSrKay,tmaynotbebynoreason,forashes,sohehathasked。Beware,sadSrLauncelot,soyegavethegoodknghtBrewnor,SrDnadan’sbrother,aname,andyecalledhmLaCoteMaleTale,andthatturnedyoutoangerafterward。Asforthat,sadSrKay,thsshallneverprovenonesuch。ForSrBrewnordesredeverworshp,andthsdesrethbreadanddrnkandbroth;uponpanofmylfehewasfosteredupnsomeabbey,and,howsomevertwas,theyfaledmeatanddrnk,andsohtherhescomeforhssustenance。
AndsoSrKaybadegethmaplace,andstdowntomeat;soBeaumanswenttothehalldoor,andsethmdownamongboysandlads,andthereheatesadly。AndthenSrLauncelotaftermeatbadehmcometohschamber,andthereheshouldhavemeatanddrnkenough。AndsoddSrGawane:butherefusedthemall;
hewoulddononeotherbutasSrKaycommandedhm,fornoproffer。ButastouchngSrGawane,hehadreasontoprofferhmlodgng,meat,anddrnk,forthatproffercameofhsblood,forhewasnearerkntohmthanhewst。ButthatasSrLauncelotddwasofhsgreatgentlenessandcourtesy。
Sothushewasputntothektchen,andlaynghtlyastheboysofthektchendd。Andsoheenduredallthattwelvemonth,andneverdspleasedmannorchld,butalwayshewasmeekandmld。
Buteverwhenthathesawanyjoustngofknghts,thatwouldheseeanhemght。AndeverSrLauncelotwouldgvehmgoldtospend,andclothes,andsoddSrGawane,andwheretherewereanymasteresdone,thereatwouldhebe,andtheremghtnonecastbarnorstonetohmbytwoyards。ThenwouldSrKaysay,Howlkethyoumyboyofthektchen?SotpassedontllthefeastofWhtsuntde。AndatthattmethekngheldtatCarlonnthemostroyallestwsethatmghtbe,lkeasheddyearly。ButthekngwouldnomeateatupontheWhtsunday,untlheheardsomeadventures。Thencamethereasquretothekngandsad,Sr,yemaygotoyourmeat,forherecomethadamoselwthsomestrangeadventures。Thenwastheknggladandsathmdown。
Rghtsotherecameadamoselntothehallandsalutedthekng,andprayedhmofsuccour。Forwhom?sadthekng,whatstheadventure?
Sr,shesad,havealadyofgreatworshpandrenown,andshesbesegedwthatyrant,sothatshemaynotoutofhercastle;
andbecauseherearecalledthenoblestknghtsoftheworld,
cometoyoutoprayyouofsuccour。Whathghtyourlady,andwheredwellethshe,andwhosshe,andwhatshsnamethathathbesegedher?Srkng,shesad,asformylady’snamethatshallnotyeknowformeasatthstme,butletyouwtshesaladyofgreatworshpandofgreatlands;andasforthetyrantthatbesegethheranddestroyethherlands,hescalledtheRedKnghtoftheRedLaunds。knowhmnot,sadthekng。
Sr,sadSrGawane,knowhmwell,forhesoneoftheperlloustknghtsoftheworld;mensaythathehathsevenmen’sstrength,andfromhmescapedoncefullhardwthmylfe。Fardamosel,sadthekng,therebeknghtsherewoulddotherpowerfortorescueyourlady,butbecauseyouwllnottellhername,norwhereshedwelleth,thereforenoneofmyknghtsthatherebenowshallgowthyoubymywll。Thenmustspeakfurther,sadthedamosel。