¶Capitulum Tercium

THenne by the quenes commaundement they lefte batail and dressid the wounded knyghtes on horsbak some syttyng somme ouerthwarte their horses / that hit was pyte to beholde them / And thenne sir Mellyagraunce charged the quene & al her knyghtes that none of al her felaushyp shold departe from her / for ful sore he dradde sir launcelot du lake lest he shold ha¦ue ony knoulechynge / Alle this aspyed the Quene / and pry∣uely she called vnto her a child of her chamber that was sw∣yftly horsed to whome she sayd / Go thow whan thou seest thy tyme / and here this rynge vnto sir launcelot du lake / and pra∣ye hym as he loueth me that he wylle see me / and rescowe me yf euer he wille haue Ioye of me / and spare not thy hors said the quene nouther for water neyther for lond / Soo the chyld aspyed his tyme / and lyghtely he took his hors with the spo∣res and departed as fast as he myghte / And whan sir Mel∣lyagraunce sawe hym soo flee / he vnderstood that hit was by the quenes commaundement for to warne sir launcelot / Then∣ne they that were best horsed chaced hym and shot at hym / But from hem alle the child wente sodenly / and thenne syre Mellyagraunce sayd to the quene / Madame ye are aboute to bitraye me / but I shalle ordeyne for sir launcelot that he shall not come lyghtely at yow / And thenne he rode with her and they alle to his castel in alle the haste that they myghte / And by the waye sire Mellyagraunce layd in an enbusshement the best archers that he myghte gete in his coūtrey to the nombre of Page  [unnumbered] a thyrtty to awayte vpon sir Launcelot chargyng them that yf they sawe suche a manere of knyghte come by the way vpon a whyte hors that in ony wyse they slee his hors / but in no ma∣nere of wyse haue not adoo with hym bodyly / for he is ouer hard to be ouercomen / Soo this was done / and they were co∣men to his castel / but in no wyse the quene wold neuer lete no¦ne of the ten knyghtes and her ladyes oute of her syghte / but alwayes they were in their presence / for the book sayth sir Mel∣lyagraunce durste make no maystryes for drede of sir launce∣lot in soo moche he demed that he had warnynge / Soo whan the child was departed from the felauship of syr Mellyagra∣unce within a whyle he came to westmynstre / And anone he fonde sir launcelot / And whanne he had told his message / & delyuerd hym the quenes rynge / Allas sayd syr Launcelot now am I shamed for euer onles that I maye rescowe that noble lady from dishonour / thenne egerly he asked his armo∣ur / and euer the child told syr launcelot how the ten knygh∣tes foughte merueyllously / and how sir Pelleas and sire I∣ronsyde and sir Brandyles and sir Persaunt of Inde fought strongly / but namely sir Pelleas / there myghte none withstā∣de hym / & how they all fouʒte tyll at the last they were layd to the erthe / and thenne the quene made apoyntement for to sa¦ue their lyues / and goo with syr Mellyagraunce / Allas sayd syr Launcelot / that moost noble lady that she shold be so dest∣royed / I had leuer said sir launcelot than alle Fraunce that I had ben there were wel armed / Soo whan syre launcelot was armed / and vpon his hors / he prayd the chyld of the Quenes chamber to warne syr Lauayne how sodenly he was departed / and for what cause / and praye hym as he loueth me that he wylle hyhe hym after me / and that he stynte not vntyll he come to the castel where sir Mellyagraunce abydeth / or dwel¦leth / for there sayd sire launcelot he shalle here of me / and I am a man lyuynge / and res•owe the quene and the ten knyʒ∣tes the whiche he traitoursly hath taken / and that shalle I pre¦ue vpon his hede and alle them that hold with hym /