¶ Capitulum xx
SOo by fortune kynge Arthur and the quene Gueneuer were spekynge to gyders at a wyndowe / and soo as they loked in to Temse / they aspyed this blak barget / and hadde merueylle what it mente / thenne the kynge called sire kay / & shewed hit hym / Sir said sir kay wete you wel there is some newe tydynges / Goo thyder sayd the kynge to sir kay / & take with yow sire Brandyles and Agrauayne / and brynge me redy word that is there / Thenne these four knyghtes departed and came to the barget and wente in / and there they fond the fayrest corps lyenge in a ryche bedde and a poure man sittyng in the bargets ende and no word wold he speke / Soo these foure knyghtes retorned vnto the kyng ageyne and told hym what they fond / That fayr corps wylle I see sayd the kynge And soo thenne the kyng took the quene by the hand / & went thydder / Thenne the kynge made the barget to be holden fast / & thenne the kyng & þe quene entred with certayn knyȝtes wyth them / and there he sawe the fayrest woman lye in a ryche bedde couerd vnto her myddel with many ryche clothes / and alle was of clothe of gold / and she lay as though she had smyled / Thenne the quene aspyed a letter in her ryght hand / and told it to the kynge / Thenne the kynge took it and sayd / now am I sure this letter wille telle what she was / and why she is come hydder / Soo thenne the kynge and the quene wente oute of the barget / and soo commaunded a certayne wayte vpon the barget / And soo whan the kynge was come within his chāber / he called many knyghtes aboute hym / & saide that he wold wete openly what was wryten within that letter / thenne the kynge brake it / & made a clerke to rede hit / & this was the entente of the letter / Moost noble kynghte sir Launcelot / now hath dethe made vs two at debate for your loue I was your louer that men called the fayre mayden of Astolat / therfor vnto alle ladyes I make my mone / yet praye for my soule & bery me atte leest / & offre ye my masse peny / this is my last request and a clene mayden I dyed I take god to wytnes / pray for my soule sir launcelot as thou art pierles / this was alle the Page 762 [leaf 381v] substance in the letter / And whan it was redde / the kyng / the quene and alle the knyghtes wepte for pyte of the doleful cōplayntes / Thenne was sire Launcelot sente for / And whan he was come / kynge Arthur made the letter to be redde to hym / And whanne sire launcelot herd hit word by word / he sayd my lord Arthur / wete ye wel I am ryghte heuy of the dethe of this fair damoysel / god knoweth I was neuer causer of her dethe by my wyllynge / & that wille I reporte me to her own broder / here he is sir Lauayne / I wille not saye nay sayd syre Launcelot / but that she was bothe fayre and good / and moche / I was beholden vnto her / but she loued me out of mesure / Ye myght haue shewed her sayd the quene somme bounte and gentilnes that myghte haue preserued her lyf / madame sayd sir launcelot / she wold none other wayes be ansuerd / but that she wold be my wyf / outher els my peramour / and of these two I wold not graunte her / but I proferd her for her good loue that she shewed me a thousand pound yerly to her / and to her heyres / and to wedde ony manere knyghte that she coude fynde best to loue in her herte / For madame said sir launcelot I loue not to be constrayned to loue / For loue muste aryse of the herte / and not by no constraynte / That is trouth sayd the kynge / and many knyghtes loue is free in hym selfe / and neuer wille be bounden / for where he is bounden / he looseth hym self / Thenne sayd the kynge vnto sire Launcelot / hit wyl be your worshyp that ye ouer see that she be entered worshypfully / Sire sayd sire Launcelot that shalle be done as I can best deuyse / and soo many knyghtes yede thyder to behold that fayr mayden / and soo vpon the morne she was entered rychely / and sir launcelot offryd her masse peny / and all the knyȝtes of the table round that were there at that tyme offryd with syr launcelot / And thenne the poure man wente ageyne with the barget /
¶ Thenne the quene sente for syr Launcelot / & prayd hym of mercy / for why that she had ben wrothe with hym causeles / this is not the fyrste tyme said sir launcelot that ye haue ben displeasyd with me causeles / but madame euer I must suffre yow / but what sorowe I endure I take no force / Soo this paste on alle that wynter with alle manere of huntynge and haukyng / and Iustes and torneyes were many Page 763 [leaf 382r] betwixe many grete lordes / and euer in al places sir Lauayne gate grete worshyp / soo that he was nobly renomed amonge many knyghtes of the table round
