[Le morte darthur]

Capitulum Octauuum /

ANd ther with the teres fylle in his eyen / And thenne he sayd Gawayne Gawayne ye haue sette me in grete sorowe / For I haue grete doubte that my true felauship shalle neuer mete here more ageyne / A sayd syr Launcelot com¦forte your self / for hit shalle be vnto vs a grete honour & mo∣che more than yf we dyed in ony other places / for of deth we be syker / A laūcelot said y^e kyng y^e grete loue y^t I haue had vn∣to you al the dayes of my lyf maketh me to say suche dolefull wordes / for neuer Crysten kynge had neuer soo many worthy men at this table as I haue had this daye at the round table and that is my grete sorowe / ¶whanne the Quene ladyes & gentilwymmen wyst these tydynges / they had suche sorowe & heuynesse that ther myght no tonge telle hit / for tho knyghtes had hold them in honour and chyerte / But amonge all oth∣er Quene Gueneuer made grete sorowe / I merueylle said she my lord wold suffre hem to departe from hym / thus was al the Courte troubled for the loue of the departycyon of tho knygh¦tes / And many of tho ladyes that loued knyghtes wold ha¦ue gone with her louers / and soo had they done had not an old knyghte come amonge them in Relygyous clothyng / and thenne he spake alle on hyghe / and said fayre Lordes which ha¦ue sworn in the quest of the Sancgreal / Thus sendeth you na¦cyen the heremyte word that none in this queste lede lady nor gentylwoman with hym / for hit is not to doo in so hyghe a ser¦uyse as they labour in / for I warne yow playne he that is not clene of his synnes / he shalle not see the mysteryes of our lord

Ihesu Cryste / and for this cause they lefte these ladyes and gentylwymmen / ¶After this the quene came vnto Galahad and asked hym of whens he was / and of what countrey / he told her of whens he was / and sone vnto Launcelot / she saide he was / as to that he said neyther ye nor nay / / So god me helpe said the quene of your fader ye nede not to shame yow / for he is the goodlyest knyghte and of the best men of the world co∣men and of the strene of alle partyes of kynges / wherfore ye oughte of ryghte to be of your dedes a passynge good man / & certaynly she said ye resemble hym moche / Thenne syr Galahad was a lytel ashamed and said Madame sythe ye knowe in certayne wherfore doo ye aske hit me / for he that is my fader / shalle be knowen openly and al by tymes / And thenne they wente to reste them / And in the honour of the hyhenes of Ga∣lahad he was ledde in to kynge Arthurs chamber / and there rested in his owne bedde / And as soone as hit was daye the kynge arose for he had no rest of alle that nyght for sorowe / Thenne he wente vnto Gawayne and to syr launcelot that we¦re arysen for to here masse / And thenne the kyng ageyn said A Gawayne Gawayne ye haue bitrayed me / For neuer shal my Courte be amended by yow / but ye wille neuer be sory for me as I am for yow / And there with the teres began to ren∣ne doune by his vysage / And there with the kyng said A kn∣yghte syr launcelot / I requyre the thow counceyle me / for I wold that this quest were vndone and it myghte be / syr sayd syr launcelot / ye sawe yester day soo many worthy knyghtes that thenne were sworne / that they may not leue it in no maner of wyse / That wote I wel said the kyng / but it shal so heuye me at their departynge that I wote wel there shal no manere of Ioye remedye me / And thenne the kynge and the Quene wente vnto the mynster / Soo anone launcelot and Gawayne commaunded her men to brynge her armes / And whanne they alle were armed sauf her sheldes and her helmes / thenne they came to theyre felauship / whiche alle were redy in the same wy∣se for to goo to the mynster to here their seruyse

¶Thenne after the seruyse was done / the kynge wolde wete how many hadde vndertake the queste of the holy grayle / and to accompte them he praid them alle

Thenne fond they by the tale an honderd and fyfty / and alle were knyghtes of the table round / And thenne they putte on their helmes and departed / and recommaunded them all holy vnto the Quene / and there was wepynge and grete sorowe / Thenne the Quene departed in to her chamber / and helde her / that no man shold perceyue her grete sorowes / whanne syre Launcelot myst the quene / he wente tyl her chamber / And when she sawe hym / she cryed aloude / O launcelot / launcelot ye haue bitrayed me / and putte me to the deth for to leue thus my lord A madame I praye yow be not displeased / for I shall come ageyne as soone as I may with my worship / Allas sayd she that euer I sawe yow / but he that suffred vpon the crosse for alle mankynde he be vnto yow good conduyte and saufte / and alle the hole felauship / Ryght soo departed Launcelot / & fond his felauship that abode his comyng / and so they mounted on their horses / and rode thorou the strete of Camelot / and there was wepynge of ryche and poure / and the kynge tourned a∣wey and myghte not speke for wepynge / So within a whyle they came to a Cyte and a Castel that hyʒt Vagon / there they entrid in to the castel / and the lord therof was an old man / that hyght Vagon / and he was a good man of his lyuynge / and sette open the gates / & made hem alle the chere that he myʒt And soo on the morne they were alle accorded that they shold departe eueryche from other / And on the morne they departed with wepynge chere / and euery knyʒt took the way that hym lyked best