الفصل الفصل 105 · How Sir Launcelot was delivered by the mean of a damosel.

. How Sir Launcelot was delivered by the mean of a damosel.

Right so at the noon came the damosel unto him with his dinner, and

asked him what cheer. Truly, fair damosel, said Sir Launcelot, in my

life days never so ill. Sir, she said, that me repenteth, but an ye

will be ruled by me, I shall help you out of this distress, and ye

shall have no shame nor villainy, so that ye hold me a promise. Fair

damosel, I will grant you, and sore I am of these queen-sorceresses

afeard, for they have destroyed many a good knight. Sir, said she, that

is sooth, and for the renown and bounty that they hear of you they

would have your love, and Sir, they say, your name is Sir Launcelot du

Lake, the flower of knights, and they be passing wroth with you that ye

have refused them. But Sir, an ye would promise me to help my father on

Tuesday next coming, that hath made a tournament betwixt him and the

King of Northgalis—for the last Tuesday past my father lost the field

through three knights of Arthur’s court—an ye will be there on Tuesday

next coming, and help my father, to-morn or prime, by the grace of God,

I shall deliver you clean. Fair maiden, said Sir Launcelot, tell me

what is your father’s name, and then shall I give you an answer. Sir

knight, she said, my father is King Bagdemagus, that was foul rebuked

at the last tournament. I know your father well, said Sir Launcelot,

for a noble king and a good knight, and by the faith of my body, ye

shall have my body ready to do your father and you service at that day.

Sir, she said, gramercy, and to-morn await ye be ready betimes and I

shall be she that shall deliver you and take you your armour and your

horse, shield and spear, and hereby within this ten mile, is an abbey

of white monks, there I pray you that ye me abide, and thither shall I

bring my father unto you. All this shall be done, said Sir Launcelot as

I am true knight.

And so she departed, and came on the morn early, and found him ready;

then she brought him out of twelve locks, and brought him unto his

armour, and when he was clean armed, she brought him until his own

horse, and lightly he saddled him and took a great spear in his hand

and so rode forth, and said, Fair damosel, I shall not fail you, by the

grace of God. And so he rode into a great forest all that day, and

never could find no highway and so the night fell on him, and then was

he ware in a slade, of a pavilion of red sendal. By my faith, said Sir

Launcelot, in that pavilion will I lodge all this night, and so there

he alighted down, and tied his horse to the pavilion, and there he

unarmed him, and there he found a bed, and laid him therein and fell

asleep sadly.