Kabanata Kabanata 437 · How the truth was known by the Maiden of the Lake, and of

. How the truth was known by the Maiden of the Lake, and of

divers other matters.

And so it befell that the damosel of the lake, her name was Nimue, the

which wedded the good knight Sir Pelleas, and so she came to the court;

for ever she did great goodness unto King Arthur and to all his knights

through her sorcery and enchantments. And so when she heard how the

queen was an-angered for the death of Sir Patrise, then she told it

openly that she was never guilty; and there she disclosed by whom it

was done, and named him, Sir Pinel; and for what cause he did it, there

it was openly disclosed; and so the queen was excused, and the knight

Pinel fled into his country. Then was it openly known that Sir Pinel

enpoisoned the apples at the feast to that intent to have destroyed Sir

Gawaine, because Sir Gawaine and his brethren destroyed Sir Lamorak de

Galis, to the which Sir Pinel was cousin unto. Then was Sir Patrise

buried in the church of Westminster in a tomb, and thereupon was

written: Here lieth Sir Patrise of Ireland, slain by Sir Pinel le

Savage, that enpoisoned apples to have slain Sir Gawaine, and by

misfortune Sir Patrise ate one of those apples, and then suddenly he

brast. Also there was written upon the tomb that Queen Guenever was

appealed of treason of the death of Sir Patrise, by Sir Mador de la

Porte; and there was made mention how Sir Launcelot fought with him for

Queen Guenever, and overcame him in plain battle. All this was written

upon the tomb of Sir Patrise in excusing of the queen. And then Sir

Mador sued daily and long, to have the queen’s good grace; and so by

the means of Sir Launcelot he caused him to stand in the queen’s good

grace, and all was forgiven.

Thus it passed on till our Lady Day, Assumption. Within a fifteen days

of that feast the king let cry a great jousts and a tournament that

should be at that day at Camelot, that is Winchester; and the king let

cry that he and the King of Scots would joust against all that would

come against them. And when this cry was made, thither came many

knights. So there came thither the King of Northgalis, and King Anguish

of Ireland, and the King with the Hundred Knights, and Galahad, the

haut prince, and the King of Northumberland, and many other noble dukes

and earls of divers countries. So King Arthur made him ready to depart

to these jousts, and would have had the queen with him, but at that

time she would not, she said, for she was sick and might not ride at

that time. That me repenteth, said the king, for this seven year ye saw

not such a noble fellowship together except at Whitsuntide when Galahad

departed from the court. Truly, said the queen to the king, ye must

hold me excused, I may not be there, and that me repenteth. And many

deemed the queen would not be there because of Sir Launcelot du Lake,

for Sir Launcelot would not ride with the king, for he said that he was

not whole of the wound the which Sir Mador had given him; wherefore the

king was heavy and passing wroth. And so he departed toward Winchester

with his fellowship; and so by the way the king lodged in a town called

Astolat, that is now in English called Guildford, and there the king

lay in the castle.

So when the king was departed the queen called Sir Launcelot to her,

and said thus: Sir Launcelot, ye are greatly to blame thus to hold you

behind my lord; what, trow ye, what will your enemies and mine say and

deem? nought else but, See how Sir Launcelot holdeth him ever behind

the king, and so doth the queen, for that they would have their

pleasure together. And thus will they say, said the queen to Sir

Launcelot, have ye no doubt thereof.