第 四百七十八 章 · Of the communication between King Arthur and Sir Launcelot,

. Of the communication between King Arthur and Sir Launcelot,

and how King Arthur reproved him.

Then it befell upon a day in harvest time, Sir Launcelot looked over

the walls, and spake on high unto King Arthur and Sir Gawaine: My lords

both, wit ye well all is in vain that ye make at this siege, for here

win ye no worship but maugre and dishonour; for an it list me to come

myself out and my good knights, I should full soon make an end of this

war. Come forth, said Arthur unto Launcelot, an thou durst, and I

promise thee I shall meet thee in midst of the field. God defend me,

said Sir Launcelot, that ever I should encounter with the most noble

king that made me knight. Fie upon thy fair language, said the king,

for wit you well and trust it, I am thy mortal foe, and ever will to my

death day; for thou hast slain my good knights, and full noble men of

my blood, that I shall never recover again. Also thou hast lain by my

queen, and holden her many winters, and sithen like a traitor taken her

from me by force.

My most noble lord and king, said Sir Launcelot, ye may say what ye

will, for ye wot well with yourself will I not strive; but thereas ye

say I have slain your good knights, I wot well that I have done so, and

that me sore repenteth; but I was enforced to do battle with them in

saving of my life, or else I must have suffered them to have slain me.

And as for my lady, Queen Guenever, except your person of your

highness, and my lord Sir Gawaine, there is no knight under heaven that

dare make it good upon me, that ever I was a traitor unto your person.

And where it please you to say that I have holden my lady your queen

years and winters, unto that I shall ever make a large answer, and

prove it upon any knight that beareth the life, except your person and

Sir Gawaine, that my lady, Queen Guenever, is a true lady unto your

person as any is living unto her lord, and that will I make good with

my hands. Howbeit it hath liked her good grace to have me in chierte,

and to cherish me more than any other knight; and unto my power I again

have deserved her love, for ofttimes, my lord, ye have consented that

she should be brent and destroyed, in your heat, and then it fortuned

me to do battle for her, and or I departed from her adversary they

confessed their untruth, and she full worshipfully excused. And at such

times, my lord Arthur, said Sir Launcelot, ye loved me, and thanked me

when I saved your queen from the fire; and then ye promised me for ever

to be my good lord; and now methinketh ye reward me full ill for my

good service. And my good lord, meseemeth I had lost a great part of my

worship in my knighthood an I had suffered my lady, your queen, to have

been brent, and insomuch she should have been brent for my sake. For

sithen I have done battles for your queen in other quarrels than in

mine own, meseemeth now I had more right to do battle for her in right

quarrel. And therefore my good and gracious lord, said Sir Launcelot,

take your queen unto your good grace, for she is both fair, true, and

good.

Fie on thee, false recreant knight, said Sir Gawaine; I let thee wit my

lord, mine uncle, King Arthur, shall have his queen and thee, maugre

thy visage, and slay you both whether it please him. It may well be,

said Sir Launcelot, but wit you well, my lord Sir Gawaine, an me list

to come out of this castle ye should win me and the queen more harder

than ever ye won a strong battle. Fie on thy proud words, said Sir

Gawaine; as for my lady, the queen, I will never say of her shame. But

thou, false and recreant knight, said Sir Gawaine, what cause hadst

thou to slay my good brother Sir Gareth, that loved thee more than all

my kin? Alas thou madest him knight thine own hands; why slew thou him

that loved thee so well? For to excuse me, said Sir Launcelot, it

helpeth me not, but by Jesu, and by the faith that I owe to the high

order of knighthood, I should with as good will have slain my nephew,

Sir Bors de Ganis, at that time. But alas that ever I was so unhappy,

said Launcelot, that I had not seen Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris.

Thou liest, recreant knight, said Sir Gawaine, thou slewest him in

despite of me; and therefore, wit thou well I shall make war to thee,

and all the while that I may live. That me repenteth, said Sir

Launcelot; for well I understand it helpeth not to seek none accordment

while ye, Sir Gawaine, are so mischievously set. And if ye were not, I

would not doubt to have the good grace of my lord Arthur. I believe it

well, false recreant knight, said Sir Gawaine; for thou hast many long

days overled me and us all, and destroyed many of our good knights. Ye

say as it pleaseth you, said Sir Launcelot; and yet may it never be

said on me, and openly proved, that ever I by forecast of treason slew

no good knight, as my lord, Sir Gawaine, ye have done; and so did I

never, but in my defence that I was driven thereto, in saving of my

life. Ah, false knight, said Sir Gawaine, that thou meanest by Sir

Lamorak: wit thou well I slew him. Ye slew him not yourself, said Sir

Launcelot; it had been overmuch on hand for you to have slain him, for

he was one of the best knights christened of his age, and it was great

pity of his death.