[Le morte darthur]

¶ Capitulum xiiij

MY moost redoubted kynge ye shalle vnderstande by the popes commaundement and yours I haue brouʒt to yow my lady the quene as ryghte requyreth / And yf there be ony knyghte of what someuer degree that he be excepte your persone that wylle saye or dar say but that she is true & clene to yow / I here my self syr Launcelot du lake wylle make it good vpon his body that she is a true lady vnto yow / but ly∣ars ye haue lystned / & that hath caused debate betwixt yow & me / For tyme hath ben my lord Arthur that ye haue ben gre¦tely plesyd with me whan I dyd batail for my lady youre quene / & ful wel ye knowe my moost noble kynge / that she hath ben put to grete wrong or this tyme / & sythen it pleasyd yow at many tymes that I shold fyghte for her / me semeth my good lord I had more cause to rescowe her from the fyre in soo moche she shold haue ben brente for my sake / For they that told yow tho tales were lyers / & soo it felle vpon them / for by lykelyhode had not the myght of god ben with me / I my∣ghte neuer haue endured fourten knyghtes & they armed & afore purposed & I vnarmed & not purposed / for I was se∣nte for vnto my lady your quene I wote not for what cause / but I was not so soone within the chamber dore but anon syre Agrauayn & syr mordred called me traytour & recreaunt kn∣yghte / They called the ryght sayd syr Gawayn

¶My lord syre Gawayn said syre Launcelot in their quarel they preued hem self not in the ryght / wel wel syr launcelot

sayd the kyng / I haue gyuen the no cause to do to me as thou hast done / For I haue worshypped the and thyn more than ony of alle my knyghtes / My good lord sayd sire launcelot soo ye be not displeasyd / ye shalle vnderstande / I and myn ha¦ue done yow ofte better seruyse than ony other knyghtes haue done in many dyuerse places / and where ye haue ben ful hard bestadde dyuerse tymes / I haue my self rescowed yow from many daungers / and euer vnto my power I was glad to ple¦ase yow and my lord syr Gawayne bothe in Iustes and tur∣nementes and in batails sette bothe on horsbak and on foote / I haue often rescowed yow and my lord syr Gawayne and many moo of your knyʒtes in many dyuerse places / for now I wil make auaunt sayd sir launcelot I wyl that ye al we¦te that yet I fonde neuer no maner of knyghte / but that I was ouer hard for hym and I had done my vtteraunce / thā∣ked be god / how be it I haue ben matched with good knygh¦tes as sir Tristram and syr lamorak / but euer I had a faue∣our vnto them and a demyng what they were / and I take god to record sayd syr launcelot I neuer was wrothe nor gretely heuy with no good Knyghte and I sawe hym besy aboute to wynne worship / and glad I was euer when I fonde ony kn∣yghte that myghte endure me on horsbak and on foote / hou be it sir Carados of the dolorous toure was a ful noble knyʒte & a passynge stronge man / & that wote ye my lorde syr Gawa¦yne / for he myghte wel be called a noble knyghte whan he by¦fyne force pulled you out of youre sadel / and bonde you ouer t••warte afore hym to his sadel bowe / and there my lorde syre Gawayne I rescowed yow and slewe hym afore your siʒte Also I fonde his broder syr Turquyn in lyke wyse ledyng sir Gaherys youre broder boūden afore hym / and there I rescowed your broder and slewe that Turquyn / & delyuerd thre score and foure of my lorde Arthurs knyghtes oute of his pryson And now I dare say sayd sir launcelot I mette neuer with so stronge knyghtes nor so wel fyghtyng as was sir Carados & syr Turquyn / for I fought with them to the vnttermest / & ther∣for saide sir launcelot vnto syr Gawayne me semeth ye ought of ryghte to remembre this / for / & I myʒt haue your good wil I wolde truste to god to haue my lorde Arthurs goode grace