[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum Sextum

ANd thenne he told her alle to gyder word by word and the trouthe how it befelle hym at the turne ment / And after told her his aduysyon that he had had that ny∣ghte in his slepe / and prayd her to telle hym what hit myght mene / for he was not wel contente with hit /

¶ A Launcelot sayd she as longe as ye were knyghte of er∣thely knyghthode / ye were the moost merueillous man of the world and moost aduenturous / ¶Now said the lady sythen ye be sette amonge the knyghtes of heuenly aduentures / yf ad¦uenture felle the contrary at that turnement / haue thou no mer¦ueille / for that turnement yesterdaye was but a tokenynge of oure lord / And not for thenne there was none enchauntement for they at the turnement were erthely knyghtes / The turnemēt was a token to see who shold haue most knyghtes outher Cly¦azar the sone of kynge Pelles or Argustus the sone of kynge Harlon / But Clyazar was alle clothed in whyte / And Ar∣gustus was couerd in blak the whiche were comen / Alle what this betokeneth I shalle telle yow / ¶The daye of Pentecost whan kynge Arthur helde his court / it befelle that erthely ky∣nges and knyghtes toke a turnement to gydrs / that is to say the quest of the Sancgr••al / The erthely knyghtes were they / the whiche were clothed al in black / and the couerynge betoke¦neth the synnes wherof they be not confessid / And they with the couerynge of whyte betokeneth vyrgynyte / and they that chosen chastyte / And thus was the quest begonne in them / Thenne thow behelde the synners and the good men / and when thow sawest the synners ouercomē / thow enclynest to that par¦ty for bobaunce and pryde of the world / and alle that must be lefte in that quest / ¶ For in this quest thow shalte haue many felawes and thy betters / For thow arte soo feble of euylle truste and good byleue / this made hit whan thou were there where they took the / and ledde the in to the forest / And anone there appiered the Sancgreal vnto the whyte kn∣yghtes / but thow was soo f••ble of good byleue and feyth that thou myghtest not abyde hit for alle the techynge of the good man / but anone thou tornest to the synners / and that caused thy mysauenture that thow sholdest knowe good from euylle / and vayne glory of the world / the whiche is not worth a pere And for grete pryde thou madest grete sorow that thou had∣dest not ouercome alle the whyte knyghtes with the keueryng of whyte by whome was betokeneth vyrgynyte & chastyte / & therfor god was wroth with yow / for god loueth no suche de∣des in this quest / & this aduision signefyeth y^t thou were of euil

feythe and of poure byleue / the whiche wille make the to falle in to the depe pytte of helle yf thow kepe the not

¶Now haue I warned the of thy vayne glory / and of thy pryde / that thow hast many tymes erryd ageynst thy maker beware of euerlastynge payne / for of alle erthely knyghtes I haue moost pyte of the / for I knowe wel thow hast not thy pyere of ony erthely synful man / And soo she commaunded syr launcelot to dyner / And after dyner he toke his hors and commaunded her to god / and soo rode in to a depe valeye / and there he sawe a ryuer and an hyhe mntayn / And thorou the water he must nedes passe / the whiche was hydous / and then∣ne in the name of god he took hit with good herte / And when he came ouer / he sawe an armed knyghte hors and man black as ony beare withoute ony word he smote syr launcelots hors to the erthe / and soo he passed on he wyst not where he was be∣come / And thenne he took his helme and his shelde / & thanked god of his aduenture