[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xx

THenne sir launcelot wepte with heuy chere / and sayd Now I knowe wel ye saye me sothe / Sire sayd the good man / hyde none old synne from me / Truly said syr Launcelot that were me ful lothe to discouere / For this x∣iiij yere I neuer discouerd one thynge that I haue vsed / and that maye I now wyte my shame and my disauentur / And thenne he told there that good man alle his lyf / And hou he had loued a quene vnmesurably and oute of mesure longe / & alle my grete dedes of armes that I haue done I dyd for the moost party for the quenes sake / And for her sake wold I doo batail were hit ryght or wronge / and neuer dyd I bata∣ille alle only for goddes sake / but for to wynne worshyp and to cause me to be the better biloued / and lytel or noughte I thanked god of hit / Thenne syr launcelot sayd I praye yow / counceylle me / I wille counceyle yow said the heremyte / yf ye wille ensure me that ye will neuer come in that quenes felau¦ship as moche as ye may forbere / And thenne syre launcelot promysed hym he nold by the feithe of his body / loke that yo∣ur herte and your mouthe acoorde said the good man / and I shalle ensure yow ye shalle haue more worship than euer ye had / Holy fader said syre launcelot I merueylle of the wys

that sayd to me merueillous wordes as ye haue herd to fore¦hand / haue ye no merueylle sayd the good man therof / for hit semeth wel god loueth yow / for men maye vnderstande a stone is hard of kynde / and namely one more than another / and that is to vnderstande by the syr launcelot / for thou wylt not leue thy synne for no goodnes that god hath sente the / therfor thou arte more than ony stone / and neuer woldest thow be maade neysshe nor by water nor by fyre / And that is the hete of the holy ghoost maye not entre in the / Now take hede in alle the world men shal not fynde one knyghte to whome oure Lord hath yeuen soo moche of grace as he hath yeuen yow / for he hath yeuen yow fayrenes with semelynes / he hath yeuen the wyt dis∣crecyon to knowe good from euyll / he hath yeuen the prowesse and hardynesse and gyuen the to werke soo largely / that thou hast had at al dayes the better where someuer thow came / and now our lord wille suffre the no lenger / but that thow shalte knowe hym whether thow wilt or nylt / And why the voyce called the bytter than wood / for where ouer moche synne duel¦leth / there may be but lytel swetnesse / wherfor thow arte lyke∣ned to an old roten tree / Now haue I shewed the why thou arte harder than the stone & bytterer than the tree / Now shall I shewe the why thow arte more naked and barer than the fygge tree / It befelle that our lord on palmsondaye preched in Iherusalem / and there he fonde in the people that alle hardnes was herberowed in them / and there he fond in alle the towne not one that wold herberowe hym / And thenne he wente with∣oute the Towne / and fond in myddes of the way a fygge tree the whiche was ryghte fayr and wel garnysshed of leues / but fruyte had it none / Thenne our lord cursyd the tree that bare no fruyte that betokeneth the fygge tree vnto Iherusalem that had leues and no fruyte / Soo thow syr launcelot whan the hooly Grayle was broughte afore the / he fonde in the noo fruyte / nor good thoughte nor good wille and defowled with lechery / Cer¦tes said sir launcelot alle that ye haue said is true / And from hens forward I caste me by the grace of god neuer to be so wyc¦ked as I haue ben / but as to folowe knyghthode and to do fe¦tys of armes / Thenne the good man Ioyned syr launcelot su∣che penaunce as he myghte doo and to sewe knyghthode / and

so assoylled hym / and praid syre launcelot to abyde with hym alle that daye / I wylle wel said syr launcelot / for I haue ney¦ther helme ne hors ne suerd / As for that sayd the good man I shalle helpe yow or to morne at euen of an hors and al that longed vnto yow / And thenne syr laūcelot repented hym gre¦tely /