第 四百五十九 章 · How Sir Meliagrance required forgiveness of the queen, and

. How Sir Meliagrance required forgiveness of the queen, and

how she appeased Sir Launcelot; and other matters.

When Sir Meliagrance heard that Sir Launcelot was there he ran unto

Queen Guenever, and fell upon his knee, and said: Mercy, madam, now I

put me wholly into your grace. What aileth you now? said Queen

Guenever; forsooth I might well wit some good knight would revenge me,

though my lord Arthur wist not of this your work. Madam, said Sir

Meliagrance, all this that is amiss on my part shall be amended right

as yourself will devise, and wholly I put me in your grace. What would

ye that I did? said the queen. I would no more, said Meliagrance, but

that ye would take all in your own hands, and that ye will rule my lord

Sir Launcelot; and such cheer as may be made him in this poor castle ye

and he shall have until to-morn, and then may ye and all they return

unto Westminster; and my body and all that I have I shall put in your

rule. Ye say well, said the queen, and better is peace than ever war,

and the less noise the more is my worship.

Then the queen and her ladies went down unto the knight, Sir Launcelot,

that stood wroth out of measure in the inner court, to abide battle;

and ever he bade: Thou traitor knight come forth. Then the queen came

to him and said: Sir Launcelot, why be ye so moved? Ha, madam, said Sir

Launcelot, why ask ye me that question? Meseemeth, said Sir Launcelot,

ye ought to be more wroth than I am, for ye have the hurt and the

dishonour, for wit ye well, madam, my hurt is but little for the

killing of a mare’s son, but the despite grieveth me much more than all

my hurt. Truly, said the queen, ye say truth; but heartily I thank you,

said the queen, but ye must come in with me peaceably, for all thing is

put in my hand, and all that is evil shall be for the best, for the

knight full sore repenteth him of the misadventure that is befallen

him. Madam, said Sir Launcelot, sith it is so that ye been accorded

with him, as for me I may not be again it, howbeit Sir Meliagrance hath

done full shamefully to me, and cowardly. Ah madam, said Sir Launcelot,

an I had wist ye would have been so soon accorded with him I would not

have made such haste unto you. Why say ye so, said the queen, do ye

forthink yourself of your good deeds? Wit you well, said the queen, I

accorded never unto him for favour nor love that I had unto him, but

for to lay down every shameful noise. Madam, said Sir Launcelot, ye

understand full well I was never willing nor glad of shameful slander

nor noise; and there is neither king, queen, nor knight, that beareth

the life, except my lord King Arthur, and you, madam, should let me,

but I should make Sir Meliagrance’s heart full cold or ever I departed

from hence. That wot I well, said the queen, but what will ye more? Ye

shall have all thing ruled as ye list to have it. Madam, said Sir

Launcelot, so ye be pleased I care not, as for my part ye shall soon

please.

Right so the queen took Sir Launcelot by the bare hand, for he had put

off his gauntlet, and so she went with him till her chamber; and then

she commanded him to be unarmed. And then Sir Launcelot asked where

were the ten knights that were wounded sore; so she showed them unto

Sir Launcelot, and there they made great joy of the coming of him, and

Sir Launcelot made great dole of their hurts, and bewailed them

greatly. And there Sir Launcelot told them how cowardly and traitorly

Meliagrance set archers to slay his horse, and how he was fain to put

himself in a chariot. Thus they complained everych to other; and full

fain they would have been revenged, but they peaced themselves because

of the queen. Then, as the French book saith, Sir Launcelot was called

many a day after le Chevaler du Chariot, and did many deeds, and great

adventures he had. And so leave we of this tale le Chevaler du Chariot,

and turn we to this tale.

So Sir Launcelot had great cheer with the queen, and then Sir Launcelot

made a promise with the queen that the same night Sir Launcelot should

come to a window outward toward a garden; and that window was y-barred

with iron, and there Sir Launcelot promised to meet her when all folks

were asleep. So then came Sir Lavaine driving to the gates, crying:

Where is my lord, Sir Launcelot du Lake? Then was he sent for, and when

Sir Lavaine saw Sir Launcelot, he said: My lord, I found well how ye

were hard bestead, for I have found your horse that was slain with

arrows. As for that, said Sir Launcelot, I pray you, Sir Lavaine, speak

ye of other matters, and let ye this pass, and we shall right it

another time when we best may.