第 三百八十四 章 · How Sir Launcelot came to a chapel, where he found dead, in

. How Sir Launcelot came to a chapel, where he found dead, in

a white shirt, a man of religion, of an hundred winter old.

When the hermit had kept Sir Launcelot three days, the hermit gat him

an horse, an helm, and a sword. And then he departed about the hour of

noon. And then he saw a little house. And when he came near he saw a

chapel, and there beside he saw an old man that was clothed all in

white full richly; and then Sir Launcelot said: God save you. God keep

you, said the good man, and make you a good knight. Then Sir Launcelot

alighted and entered into the chapel, and there he saw an old man dead,

in a white shirt of passing fine cloth.

Sir, said the good man, this man that is dead ought not to be in such

clothing as ye see him in, for in that he brake the oath of his order,

for he hath been more than an hundred winter a man of a religion. And

then the good man and Sir Launcelot went into the chapel; and the good

man took a stole about his neck, and a book, and then he conjured on

that book; and with that they saw in an hideous figure and horrible,

that there was no man so hard-hearted nor so hard but he should have

been afeard. Then said the fiend: Thou hast travailed me greatly; now

tell me what thou wilt with me. I will, said the good man, that thou

tell me how my fellow became dead, and whether he be saved or damned.

Then he said with an horrible voice: He is not lost but saved. How may

that be? said the good man; it seemed to me that he lived not well, for

he brake his order for to wear a shirt where he ought to wear none, and

who that trespasseth against our order doth not well. Not so, said the

fiend, this man that lieth here dead was come of a great lineage. And

there was a lord that hight the Earl de Vale, that held great war

against this man’s nephew, the which hight Aguarus. And so this Aguarus

saw the earl was bigger than he. Then he went for to take counsel of

his uncle, the which lieth here dead as ye may see. And then he asked

leave, and went out of his hermitage for to maintain his nephew against

the mighty earl; and so it happed that this man that lieth here dead

did so much by his wisdom and hardiness that the earl was taken, and

three of his lords, by force of this dead man.