第 四百七十三 章 · Of the counsel and advice that was taken by Sir Launcelot

. Of the counsel and advice that was taken by Sir Launcelot

and his friends for to save the queen.

My lord, Sir Launcelot, said Sir Bors, by mine advice ye shall take the

woe with the weal, and take it in patience, and thank God of it. And

sithen it is fallen as it is, I counsel you keep yourself, for an ye

will yourself, there is no fellowship of knights christened that shall

do you wrong. Also I will counsel you my lord, Sir Launcelot, than an

my lady, Queen Guenever, be in distress, insomuch as she is in pain for

your sake, that ye knightly rescue her; an ye did otherwise, all the

world will speak of you shame to the world’s end. Insomuch as ye were

taken with her, whether ye did right or wrong, it is now your part to

hold with the queen, that she be not slain and put to a mischievous

death, for an she so die the shame shall be yours. Jesu defend me from

shame, said Sir Launcelot, and keep and save my lady the queen from

villainy and shameful death, and that she never be destroyed in my

default; wherefore my fair lords, my kin, and my friends, said Sir

Launcelot, what will ye do? Then they said all: We will do as ye will

do. I put this to you, said Sir Launcelot, that if my lord Arthur by

evil counsel will to-morn in his heat put my lady the queen to the fire

there to be brent, now I pray you counsel me what is best to do. Then

they said all at once with one voice: Sir, us thinketh best that ye

knightly rescue the queen, insomuch as she shall be brent it is for

your sake; and it is to suppose, an ye might be handled, ye should have

the same death, or a more shamefuler death. And sir, we say all, that

ye have many times rescued her from death for other men’s quarrels, us

seemeth it is more your worship that ye rescue the queen from this

peril, insomuch she hath it for your sake.

Then Sir Launcelot stood still, and said: My fair lords, wit you well I

would be loath to do that thing that should dishonour you or my blood,

and wit you well I would be loath that my lady, the queen, should die a

shameful death; but an it be so that ye will counsel me to rescue her,

I must do much harm or I rescue her; and peradventure I shall there

destroy some of my best friends, that should much repent me; and

peradventure there be some, an they could well bring it about, or

disobey my lord King Arthur, they would soon come to me, the which I

were loath to hurt. And if so be that I rescue her, where shall I keep

her? That shall be the least care of us all, said Sir Bors. How did the

noble knight Sir Tristram, by your good will? kept not he with him La

Beale Isoud near three year in Joyous Gard? the which was done by your

alther device, and that same place is your own; and in likewise may ye

do an ye list, and take the queen lightly away, if it so be the king

will judge her to be brent; and in Joyous Gard ye may keep her long

enough until the heat of the king be past. And then shall ye bring

again the queen to the king with great worship; and then peradventure

ye shall have thank for her bringing home, and love and thank where

other shall have maugre.

That is hard to do, said Sir Launcelot, for by Sir Tristram I may have

a warning, for when by means of treaties, Sir Tristram brought again La

Beale Isoud unto King Mark from Joyous Gard, look what befell on the

end, how shamefully that false traitor King Mark slew him as he sat

harping afore his lady La Beale Isoud, with a grounden glaive he thrust

him in behind to the heart. It grieveth me, said Sir Launcelot, to

speak of his death, for all the world may not find such a knight. All

this is truth, said Sir Bors, but there is one thing shall courage you

and us all, ye know well King Arthur and King Mark were never like of

conditions, for there was never yet man could prove King Arthur untrue

of his promise.

So to make short tale, they were all consented that for better outher

for worse, if so were that the queen were on that morn brought to the

fire, shortly they all would rescue her. And so by the advice of Sir

Launcelot, they put them all in an embushment in a wood, as nigh

Carlisle as they might, and there they abode still, to wit what the

king would do.