[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum vij

THenne the kyng at the quenes request made hym to a lyghte / and to vnlace his helme that the Quene myʒt see hym in the vysage / whanne she beheld hym she sayd sothely I dar wel say that sir launcelot begat hym / for neuer two men resembled more in lykenes / therfor it nys no merueyle though he be of grete prowesse / So a lady that stode by the Quene sa∣id / Madame for goddes sake oughte he of ryghte to be so good a knyghte / ye forsothe said the quene / for he is of alle partyes come of the best knyghtes of the world and of the hyhest lyg¦nage / for sir launcelot is come but of the / viij / degre from oure lord Ihesu Cryst / and syre Galahalt is of the nynthe degree from oure lord Ihesu Cryst / therfor I dar saye they be the gret∣test gentilmen of the world / and thenne the kynge and al es∣tates wente home vnto Camelot / and soo wente to euensonge

to the grete mynster / And soo after vpon that to souper / and euery knyʒt sette in his owne place as they were to fore hand Thenne anone they herd crakynge and cryenge of thonder that hem thought the place shold alle to dryue / In the myddes of this blast entred a sonne beaume more clerer by seuen tymes than euer they sawe daye / And al they were alyghted of the grace of the holy ghoost / thenne beganne euery knyghte to be∣hold other / & eyther sawe other by theire semynge fayrer than euer they sawe afore / Not for thenne there was no knyght my∣ghte speke one word a grete whyle / and soo they loked euery man on other as they had ben dome / Thenne ther entred in to the halle the holy graile couerd with whyte samyte / but ther was none myghte see hit / nor who bare hit / And there was al the halle fulfylled with good odoures / and euery knyʒt had suc••e metes and drynkes as he best loued in this world / And whan the holy grayle had be borne thurgh the halle / thenne the holy vessel departed sodenly that they wyste not where hit be∣cam / thenne had they alle brethe to speke / And thenne the ky∣nge yelded thankynges to god of his good grace that he had sente them / Certes said the kynge we oughte to thanke oure lord ihesu gretely for that he hath shewed vs this daye atte re∣uerence of this hyhe feest of Pentecost / Now said sir Gawayn we haue ben serued this daye of what metes and drynkes we thoughte on / but one thynge begyled vs we myght not see the holy Grayle / it was soo precyously couerd / wherfor I wil ma¦ke here auowe / that to morne withoute lenger abydyng I shall laboure in the quest of the Sancgreal / that I shalle hold me oute a twelue moneth and a day or more yf nede be / & neuer shalle I retorne ageyne vnto the Courte / tyl I haue sene hit more openly than it hath ben sene here / & yf I may not spede / I shall retorne ageyne as he that maye not be ageynst the wil of our lord Ihesu Cryste / whan they of the table round herde syr Gawayne saye so / they arose vp the most party and maade suche auowes as sire Gawayne had made /

¶Anone as kynge Arthur herd this / he was gretely dys∣pleasyd / for he wyste wel they myghte not ageyne saye theyre auowes ¶Allas said kynge Arthur vnto sir Gawayn ye haue nyghe slayne me with the auowe and promesse that

ye haue made / For thurgh yow ye haue berafte me the fayrest felauship and the truest of knyghthode that euer were sene to gyders in ony realme of the world / For whanne they departe from hens I am sure / they alle shalle neuer mete more in thys world / for they shalle dye many in the quest / And soo it for∣thynketh me a lytel / for I haue loued them as wel as my lyf wherfor hit shall greue me ryghte sore the departycyon of this felauship / For I haue had an old customme to haue hem in my felauship /