¶ Capitulum ij

ANd thenne sir Arthur asked hem what noyse they made / my lord sayd Agrauayye I shal telle yow that I may kepe noo lenger / here is I and my broder syre Mordred brake into my broder syr Gawayne / syr Gaherys / and to syre Gareth / how this we knowe alle that syr Launcelot holdeth your quene and hath done longe / and we be your syster sones / & we may suffre it no lenger / and alle we wote that ye shold be aboue syr launcelot / and ye are the kynge that made hym knyghte / and therfor we wille preue hit that he is a traytoure to your persone / yf hit be soo sayd syr Arthur wete yow wel he is none other / but I wold be lothe to begynne suche a thynge Page  799 [leaf 400r] but I myght haue preues vpon hit / for sir launcelot is an hardy knyghte / and alle ye knowe / he is the best knyghte among vs alle // and but yf he be taken with the dede / he wylle fyghte with hym that bryngeth vp the noyse / and I knowe no knyȝt that is able to matche hym / Therfore and it be sothe as ye saye I wold he were taken with the dede / For as the Frensshe book sayth the kynge was ful lothe therto that ony noyse shold be vpon syr launcelot and his quene / for the kynge had a demynge / but he wold not here of hit / for syr launcelot had done soo moche for hym and the quene soo many tymes that wete ye wel the kynge loued hym passyngly wel / My lord sayd syre Agrauayne ye shal ryde to morne on huntynge / and doubte ye not syr launcelot wille not goo with yow / Thenne whan it draweth toward nyghte / ye may sende the quene word that ye wil lye oute alle that nyghte / and soo may ye sende for your cokes and thenne vpon payne of deth we shalle take hym that nyght with the quene / and outher we shal brynge hym to yow dede or quyck / I wille wel sayd the kynge / thenne I counceylle yow sayd the kynge take with yow sure felauship / syre sayd Agrauayne my broder sir Mordred and I wil take with vs twelue knyghtes of the round table / Beware sayd kyng arthur / for I warne yow ye shalle fynde hym wyghte / lete vs dele sayd sir Agrauayne and sir Mordred / Soo on the morn kynge Arthur rode on huntynge / and sente word to the quene that he wold be oute alle that nyghte / Thenne sir Agrauayne and sire Mordred gate to them twelue knyghtes / and dyd them self in a chamber in the Castel of Carleyl / and these were their names / syr Colgreuaunce / syr Mador de la porte / syre Gyngalyne / syr Melyot de Logrys / syre Petypase of wynchelsee / syr Galleron of Galway / syr Melyon of the montayne / sir Astamore / syre Gromore somyr Ioure / syr Curselayne / syr Florence / syr Louel / So these twelue knyghtes were with sir mordred and sir Agrauayne / and al they were of Scotland outher of syr Gawayns kynne / outher wel willers to his bretheren / Soo whan the nyghte came sir Launcelot told syre Bors how he wold goo that nyghte and speke with the quene / Sir sayd sir Bors ye shal not go this nyghte by my coūceil Why sayd sir launcelot / Sir sayd sir Bors I drede me euer of Page  800 [leaf 400v] sir Agrauayn that wayteth yow dayly to do yow shame and vs al / and neuer gaf my herte ageynst no goynge that euer ye wente to the Quene soo moche as now / for I mystrust that the kynge is oute this nyghte from the quene by cause perauentur he hath layne somme watche for yow and the Quene / and therfor I drede me sore of treason / Haue ye no drede sayd syr Launcelot / for I shalle goo and come ageyne and make noo taryenge / Sir said sir Bors that me repenteth / for I drede me sore that your goynge oute thys nyghte shalle wrathe vs alle Fair neuewe sayd sire launcelot I merueylle moche why ye saye thus sythen the quene hath sente for me / and wete ye wel I wille not be soo moche a coward / but she shalle vnderstande I wille see her good grace / God spede yow wel sayd sir bors and send yow sound and sauf ageyne