[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum v

WHanne sir Mellyagraūce herd that sir Launcelot was there / he ranne vnto quene Gueneuer / and felle vpon his knee / and sayd mercy madame now I put me ho¦ly in to your grace / what eyleth yow now sayd quene Guene∣uer

/ For sothe I myghte wel we••e somme good knyʒt wold reuenge me / though my lord Arthur wyste not of this youre werke / Madame said sir Mellyagraunce / alle this that is a∣mys on my parte shalle be amended ryghte as your self wille deuyse / & holy I putte me in your grace / what wold ye that I dyd sayd the quene / I wold no more said Mellyagraunce but that ye wold take alle in your owne handes / and that ye wille rule my lord sir launcelot / and suche chere as maye be made hym in this poure castel ye and he shalle haue vntyl to morne / and thenne may ye and alle they retorne vnto wesim∣ynster / and my body and all that I haue I shal putte in your rule / ye saye wel sayd the quene / and hetter is pee•• than euer werre / and the lesse noyse / the more is my worship / thenne the quene and her ladyes wente doune vnto the knyghte syr laun¦celot / that stood wrothe oute of mesure in the Inner courte to abyde bataille / & euer he had thou traytour knyghte come forth Thenne the quene came to hym and sayde syre Launcelot why be ye soo mo••ued / Ha madame sayd sire Launcelot why aske ye me that question / Me semeth said sir launcelot ye ouʒte to be more wrothe than I am / for ye haue the hurte and the dis∣honour / For wete ye wel madame my hurte is but lytel for the kyllynge of a mares sone / but the despyte greueth me moch more / than alle my hurte / truly sayd the quene ye saye trouth but hertely I thanke yow sayd the quene / but ye muste come in with me peasyble / for al thynge is put in my hand / and alle that is euylle shalle be for the best / for the knyghte ful so∣re repenteth hym of the mysauenture that is befallen hym / Ma¦dame saide sire Launcelot / syth it is soo that ye ben accorded with hym / as for me I may not be ageyn it / how be it sir Mel¦lyagraunce hath done ful shamefully to me & cowardly / ¶A madame said sir Launcelot / & I had wyst ye wold haue ben soo soone accorded with hym / I wold not haue made suche ha∣ste vnto yow / why saye ye soo sayd the quene / doo ye forthynke your self of your good dedes / wete you well sayd the Quene I accorded neuer vnto hym for fauour nor loue that I had vnto hym / but for to laye doune euery shameful noyse

¶Madame said syr launcelot ye vnderstande ful well I was neuer willynge nor gladde of shameful sklaunder nor noyse

And there is neyther kynge / quene ne knyght that bereth the lyf excepte my lord kynge Arthur and yow madame shold lette me / but I shold make sir Mellyagraunce herte ful cold / or euer I departed from hens / That wote I wel said the que¦ne / but what wille ye more ye shall haue alle thynge rulyd as ye lyst to haue it / Madame said syr launcelot / soo ye be plea∣syde I care not / as for my parte ye shal soone please / ryghte so the quene took syr launcelot by the bare hand / for he had put of his gauntelet / and soo she wente with hym tyl her chamber and thenne she commaunded hym to be vnarmed / and thenne syr launcelot asked where were the ten knyghtes that were wounded fore / so she shewed them vnto sir launcelot / and ther they made grete Ioye of the comynge of hym / and sir launcelot made grete dole of their hurtes and bewayled them gretely / & there sir launcelot told them how cowardly and traytourly Mellyagraunce fette archers to slee his hors / and how he was fayne to putte hym self in a charyot / thus they complayned eueryche to other / and ful fayn they wold haue ben reuengid but they peaced them self by cause of the Quene / Thenne as the Frenssh book sayth / syr launcelot was called many a day after le cheualer du charyot / and dyd many dedes and grete aduentures he had / and soo leue we of this tale le Cheualer du Charyot and torne we to this tale / ¶Soo syr Launcelot had grete chere with the quene / and thenne syr launcelot ma∣de a promys with the quene that the same nyghte sir launce∣lot shold come to a wyndowe outward toward a gardyn / & that wyndowe was y bareyd with yron / and there sir launce¦lot promysed to mete her when alle folkes were on slepe / So thenne came syr lauayne dryuynge to the gates cryeng where is my lord syr launcelot du lake / thenne was he sente for / & when sir lauayne sawe sir Launcelot / he sayd my lord I fond well how ye were hard bestad / for I haue fonde your hors that was slayne with arowes / As for that sayd syr launcelot I praye yow syr Lauayne sprke ye of other maters / and lete ye this passe / & we shalle ryghte hit another tyme when we beste may