Bab Bab 361 · How great sorrow was made of the king and the queen and

. How great sorrow was made of the king and the queen and

ladies for the departing of the knights, and how they departed.

And therewith the tears fell in his eyes. And then he said: Gawaine,

Gawaine, ye have set me in great sorrow, for I have great doubt that my

true fellowship shall never meet here more again. Ah, said Sir

Launcelot, comfort yourself; for it shall be unto us a great honour and

much more than if we died in any other places, for of death we be

siker. Ah, Launcelot, said the king, the great love that I have had

unto you all the days of my life maketh me to say such doleful words;

for never Christian king had never so many worthy men at his table as I

have had this day at the Round Table, and that is my great sorrow.

When the queen, ladies, and gentlewomen, wist these tidings, they had

such sorrow and heaviness that there might no tongue tell it, for those

knights had held them in honour and chierté. But among all other Queen

Guenever made great sorrow. I marvel, said she, my lord would suffer

them to depart from him. Thus was all the court troubled for the love

of the departition of those knights. And many of those ladies that

loved knights would have gone with their lovers; and so had they done,

had not an old knight come among them in religious clothing; and then

he spake all on high and said: Fair lords, which have sworn in the

quest of the Sangreal, thus sendeth you Nacien, the hermit, word, that

none in this quest lead lady nor gentlewoman with him, for it is not to

do in so high a service as they labour in; for I warn you plain, he

that is not clean of his sins he shall not see the mysteries of our

Lord Jesu Christ. And for this cause they left these ladies and

gentlewomen.

After this the queen came unto Galahad and asked him of whence he was,

and of what country. He told her of whence he was. And son unto

Launcelot, she said he was. As to that, he said neither yea nor nay. So

God me help, said the queen, of your father ye need not to shame you,

for he is the goodliest knight, and of the best men of the world come,

and of the strain, of all parties, of kings. Wherefore ye ought of

right to be, of your deeds, a passing good man; and certainly, she

said, ye resemble him much. Then Sir Galahad was a little ashamed and

said: Madam, sith ye know in certain, wherefore do ye ask it me? for he

that is my father shall be known openly and all betimes. And then they

went to rest them. And in the honour of the highness of Galahad he was

led into King Arthur’s chamber, and there rested in his own bed.

And as soon as it was day the king arose, for he had no rest of all

that night for sorrow. Then he went unto Gawaine and to Sir Launcelot

that were arisen for to hear mass. And then the king again said: Ah

Gawaine, Gawaine, ye have betrayed me; for never shall my court be

amended by you, but ye will never be sorry for me as I am for you. And

therewith the tears began to run down by his visage. And therewith the

king said: Ah, knight Sir Launcelot, I require thee thou counsel me,

for I would that this quest were undone, an it might be Sir, said Sir

Launcelot, ye saw yesterday so many worthy knights that then were sworn

that they may not leave it in no manner of wise. That wot I well, said

the king, but it shall so heavy me at their departing that I wot well

there shall no manner of joy remedy me. And then the king and the queen

went unto the minster. So anon Launcelot and Gawaine commanded their

men to bring their arms. And when they all were armed save their

shields and their helms, then they came to their fellowship, which were

all ready in the same wise, for to go to the minster to hear their

service.

Then after the service was done the king would wit how many had

undertaken the quest of the Holy Grail; and to accompt them he prayed

them all. Then found they by the tale an hundred and fifty, and all

were knights of the Round Table. And then they put on their helms and

departed, and recommended them all wholly unto the queen; and there was

weeping and great sorrow. Then the queen departed into her chamber and

held her, so that no man should perceive her great sorrows. When Sir

Launcelot missed the queen he went till her chamber, and when she saw

him she cried aloud: O Launcelot, Launcelot, ye have betrayed me and

put me to the death, for to leave thus my lord. Ah, madam, I pray you

be not displeased, for I shall come again as soon as I may with my

worship. Alas, said she, that ever I saw you; but he that suffered upon

the cross for all mankind, he be unto you good conduct and safety, and

all the whole fellowship.

Right so departed Sir Launcelot, and found his fellowship that abode

his coming. And so they mounted upon their horses and rode through the

streets of Camelot; and there was weeping of rich and poor, and the

king turned away and might not speak for weeping. So within a while

they came to a city, and a castle that hight Vagon. There they entered

into the castle, and the lord of that castle was an old man that hight

Vagon, and he was a good man of his living, and set open the gates, and

made them all the cheer that he might. And so on the morn they were all

accorded that they should depart everych from other; and on the morn

they departed with weeping cheer, and every knight took the way that

him liked best.