[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xij /

MErcy Ihesu sayd kynge Arthur where is syr launce∣lot du lake that he is not here at this tyme / Thus as they stood and spak of many thynges / there wa•• aspy¦ed syr launcelot that came rydyng toward them / and told the kynge / Pees sayd the kynge lete no ma••er thynge be sayd vn¦tyl he be come to vs / Soo whan syr launcelot aspyed Kyng Arthur / he descended from his hors and came to the kynge / & salewed hym / and them all / Anone as the mayde syre Vrres syster sawe syr launcelot / she ranne to her broder there as he lay in his lyttar / and sayd broder here is come a knyghte that my herte gyueth gretely vnto / Fayr syster sayd syr Vrre soo dothe my herte lyghte ageynst hym / and certaynly I hope now to be heled for my hert yeueth vnto hym more thā to al these y^t haue

serched me / Thenne sayd Arthur vnto syr Launcelot ye muste doo as we haue done / and told syr launcelot what they hadde done / and shewed hym them alle / that had serched hym / Ihe∣su defende me sayd syr Launcelot whan soo many kynges and knyghtes haue assayed and fayled / that I shold presume vp¦on me to encheue that alle ye my lordes myghte not encheue / Ye shalle not chese sayd kynge Arthur / for I will commaunde yow for to doo as we alle haue done / My most renoumed lord said sir Launcelot ye knowe wel I dar not nor may not diso∣beye your commaundement / but and I myghte or durste / wete yow wel I wold not take vpon me to touche that wounded knyghte in that entente that I shold passe alle other knygh∣tes / Ihesu defende me from that shame / Ye take it wrong sayd kynge Arthur / ye shal not do it for no presumpcyon / but for to bere vs felaushyp in soo moche ye be a felawe of the table ro∣und / and wete yow wel sayd kynge Arthur / and ye preua∣yle not and hele hym / I dare say / there is no knyghte in thys land may hele hym / and therfor I pray yow / doo as we ha∣ue done / and thenne alle the kynges and knyghtes for the moost party prayd sir Launcelot to serche hym / and thenne the wounded knyghte syr Vrre sette hym vp weykely / and praid sir Launcelot hertely sayeng / curtois knyghte I requyre the for goddes sake hele my woundes / for me thynketh euer sythen ye came here / my woundes greuen me not / A my fayre lord sayd syr launcelot Ihesu wold that I myghte helpe yow I shame me sore that I shold be thus rebuked / for neuer was I able in worthynes to doo so hyghe a thynge / Thenne sire Launcelot kneled doune by the wounded knyghte sayenge / My lord Ar¦thur I must doo your commaundement / the whiche is sore a∣geynst my herte / And thenne he helde vp his handes / & loked in to the eest / sayenge secretely vnto hym self / thow blessid fa∣der / sone and holy ghoost I byseche the of thy mercy / that my symple worshyp and honeste be saued / and thou blessid Try¦nyte thow mayst yeue power to hele this seke knyghte by thy grete vertu and grace of the / but good lord neuer of my self And thenne sir Launcelot prayd sir Vrre to lete hym see hys hede / and thenne deuoutely knelyng he ransaked the thre woū¦des that they bled a lytyl / and forth with alle the woundes

fayre heled / and semed as they had ben hole a seuen yere / And in lyke wyse he serched his body of other thre woundes and they heled in lyke wyse / and thenne the last of alle he ser¦ched the whiche was in his hand / and anone it heled fayre / ¶Thenne kyng Arthur and alle the kynges and knyghtes kneled doune and gaf thankynges and louynges vnto god and to his blessid moder / And euer syre Launcelot wepte as he had ben a child that had ben beten / Thenne kynge Arthur lete araye preestes and clerkes in the moost deuoutest manere to brynge in sir Vrre within Carleil with syngynge and lo∣uynge to god / And when this was done / the kyng lete clothe hym in the rychest maner that coude be thoughte / and thenne were there but fewe better made knyghtes in alle the courte / for he was passyngly wel made and bygly / and Arthur asked syr Vrre how he felte hym self / My good lord he sayd I felt my self neuer soo lusty / wylle ye Iuste and doo dedes of armes sayd kyng Arthur / Sir sayd Vrre and I had all that lon∣ged vnto Iustes I wold be soone redy /