Le Morte Darthur / by Syr Thomas Malory ; the original edition of William Caxton now reprinted and edited with an introduction and glossary by H. Oskar Sommer ; with an essay on Malory's prose style by Andrew Lang

¶ Capitulum xii

THen̄e syr Launcelot neuer after ete but lytel mete nor dranke tyl he was dede / for than he seekened more and more and dryed & dwyned awaye / for the bysshop nor none of his felowes myȝt not make hym to ete and lytel he dranke that he was waxen by a kybbet shorter than he was / that the peple coude not knowe hym / for euermore day & nyȝt he prayed but somtyme he slombred a broken slepe / euer he was lyeng grouelyng on the tombe of kyng Arthur & quene Gueneuer / & there was no comforte that the bysshop nor syr Bors nor none of his felowes coude make hym it auaylled not / Soo wythin syx wekye after syr Launcelot fyl seek and laye in his bedde & thenne he sente for the bysshop that there was heremyte and al his trewe felowes / Than Syr Launcelot sayd wyth drery steuen / syr bysshop I praye you gyue to me al my ryghtes that longeth to a chrysten man / It shal not nede you sayd the heremyte and al his felowes / It is but heuynesse of your blood ye shal be wel mended by the grace of god to morne / My fayr lordes sayd syr Launcelot wyt you wel my careful body wyl in to therthe I houe warnyng more than now I wyl say / therfore gyue me my ryghtes / So whan he was howselyd and enelyd / and had al that a crysten man ought to haue he prayed the bysshop that his felowes myght bere his body to Ioyous garde / Somme men say it was anwyk / & somme may say it was hamborow how be it sayd syr Launcelot me repenteth sore but I made myn auowe somtyme that in ioyous garde I wold be buryed / and by cause of brekyng of myn auowe I praye you al lede me thyder / Than there was wepyng and wryngyng of handes among his felowes / So at a seson of the nyght they al wente to theyr beddes for they alle laye in one chambre / And so after mydnyght ayenst day the bysshop then was hermyte as he laye in his bedd a slepe he fyl vpon a grete laughter / and therwyth al the felyshyp awoke and came to

[leaf 430r] the bysshop & asked hym what he eyled / A Iℏu mercy sayd the bysshop why dyd ye awake me I was neuer in al my lyf so mery & so wel at ease / wherfore sayd syr bors / Truly sayd the bysshop here was syr Launcelot with me with mo angellis than euer I sawe men in one day / & I sawe the angellys heue vp syr Launcelot vnto heuen & the yates of heuen opened ayenst hym / It is but dretchyng of sweuens sayd syr Bors for I doubte not syr Launcelot ayleth no thynge but good / It may wel be sayd the bysshop goo ye to his bedde & than shall ye proue the soth / So whan syr Bors & his felowes came to his bedde they founde hym starke dede / & he laye as he had smyled & the swettest fauour aboute hym that euer they felte / than was there wepyng & wryngyng of handes / & the grettest dole they made that euer made men / & on the morne the bysshop dyd his masse of requyem / & after the bysshop & al the ix knyghtes put syr Launcelot in the same hors bere that quene Gueneuere was layed in tofore that she was buryed / & soo the bysshop & they al togydere wente wyth the body of syr Launcelot dayly tyl they came to Ioyous garde / & euer they had an / C / torches bernnyng aboute hym / & so within xv dayes they came to Ioyous garde . & there they layed his corps in the body of the quere / & sange & redde many saulters & prayes ouer hym and aboute hym / & euer his vysage was layed open & naked that al folkes myght beholde hym / for suche was the custom in tho dayes that al men of worshyp shold so lye wyth open vysage tyl that they were buryed / and ryght thus as they were at theyr seruyce there came syr Ector de maris that had vij yere sought al Englond scotland & walys sekyng his brother syr Launcelot /