Kabanata Kabanata 461 · How Sir Launcelot answered for the queen, and waged battle

. How Sir Launcelot answered for the queen, and waged battle

against Sir Meliagrance; and how Sir Launcelot was taken in a trap.

What array is this? said Sir Launcelot. Then Sir Meliagrance told them

what he had found, and showed them the queen’s bed. Truly, said Sir

Launcelot, ye did not your part nor knightly, to touch a queen’s bed

while it was drawn, and she lying therein; for I dare say my lord

Arthur himself would not have displayed her curtains, she being within

her bed, unless that it had pleased him to have lain down by her; and

therefore ye have done unworshipfully and shamefully to yourself. I wot

not what ye mean, said Sir Meliagrance, but well I am sure there hath

one of her wounded knights lain by her this night, and therefore I will

prove with my hands that she is a traitress unto my lord Arthur. Beware

what ye do, said Launcelot, for an ye say so, an ye will prove it, it

will be taken at your hands.

My lord, Sir Launcelot, said Sir Meliagrance, I rede you beware what ye

do; for though ye are never so good a knight, as ye wot well ye are

renowned the best knight of the world, yet should ye be advised to do

battle in a wrong quarrel, for God will have a stroke in every battle.

As for that, said Sir Launcelot, God is to be dread; but as to that I

say nay plainly, that this night there lay none of these ten wounded

knights with my lady Queen Guenever, and that will I prove with my

hands, that ye say untruly in that now. Hold, said Sir Meliagrance,

here is my glove that she is traitress unto my lord, King Arthur, and

that this night one of the wounded knights lay with her. And I receive

your glove, said Sir Launcelot. And so they were sealed with their

signets, and delivered unto the ten knights. At what day shall we do

battle together? said Sir Launcelot. This day eight days, said Sir

Meliagrance, in the field beside Westminster. I am agreed, said Sir

Launcelot. But now, said Sir Meliagrance, sithen it is so that we must

fight together, I pray you, as ye be a noble knight, await me with no

treason, nor none villainy the meanwhile, nor none for you. So God me

help, said Sir Launcelot, ye shall right well wit I was never of no

such conditions, for I report me to all knights that ever have known

me, I fared never with no treason, nor I loved never the fellowship of

no man that fared with treason. Then let us go to dinner, said

Meliagrance, and after dinner ye and the queen and ye may ride all to

Westminster. I will well, said Sir Launcelot.

Then Sir Meliagrance said to Sir Launcelot: Pleaseth it you to see the

estures of this castle? With a good will, said Sir Launcelot. And then

they went together from chamber to chamber, for Sir Launcelot dread no

perils; for ever a man of worship and of prowess dreadeth least always

perils, for they ween every man be as they be; but ever he that fareth

with treason putteth oft a man in great danger. So it befell upon Sir

Launcelot that no peril dread, as he went with Sir Meliagrance he trod

on a trap and the board rolled, and there Sir Launcelot fell down more

than ten fathom into a cave full of straw; and then Sir Meliagrance

departed and made no fare as that he nist where he was.

And when Sir Launcelot was thus missed they marvelled where he was

become; and then the queen and many of them deemed that he was departed

as he was wont to do suddenly. For Sir Meliagrance made suddenly to put

away aside Sir Lavaine’s horse, that they might all understand that Sir

Launcelot was departed suddenly. So it passed on till after dinner; and

then Sir Lavaine would not stint until that he ordained litters for the

wounded knights, that they might be laid in them; and so with the queen

and them all, both ladies and gentlewomen and other, went unto

Westminster; and there the knights told King Arthur how Meliagrance had

appealed the queen of high treason, and how Sir Launcelot had received

the glove of him: And this day eight days they shall do battle afore

you. By my head, said King Arthur, I am afeard Sir Meliagrance hath

taken upon him a great charge; but where is Sir Launcelot? said the

king. Sir, said they all, we wot not where he is, but we deem he is

ridden to some adventures, as he is ofttimes wont to do, for he hath

Sir Lavaine’s horse. Let him be, said the king, he will be founden, but

if he be trapped with some treason.