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SOo torne we ageyne vnto kynge Arthur that whan it was told hym / how and in what maner of wyse the quene was taken awey from the fyre / And whan he herd of the deth of his noble knyghtes / and in especyal for syr gaheris and sir Gareths deth / thenne the kyng swouned for pure sorou And whan he awoke of his swoun / thenne he sayd ¶Allas that euer I bare croun vpon my hede / For now haue I loste the fayrest felaushyp of noble knyghtes that euer helde crysten
kynge to gyders / Allas my good knyghtes ben slayne aweye from me / now within these two dayes I haue lost xl knyʒtes / & also the noble felaushyp of syr laūcelot and his blood / for now I may neuer hold hem to gyders no more with my wor¦shyp / Allas that euer this werre beganne / Now fayr felawes sayd the kynge I charge yow that no man telle sir gawayn of the dethe of his two bretheren / for I am sure sayd the kyng whan sir Gawayne hereth telle that sir Gareth is dede he wyll goo nyghe oute of his mynde / Mercy Ihesu said the kyng why slewe he syre Gareth and sire Gaherys / for I dar saye as for syre Gareth he loued sir Launcelot aboue al men erthely / that is trouthe sayd some knyghtes / but they were slayne in the hurtlyng as sir launcelot thrange in the thyck of the prees / and as they were vnarmed he smote hem / and wyst not who∣me that he smote / and soo vnhappyly they were slayne / The dethe of them sayd Arthur wyll cause the grettest mortal wer∣re that euer was / I am sure wyste sir Gawayne that syr Ga¦reth were slayne I shold neuer haue reste of hym tyl I had destroyed syr launcelots kynne and hym self both / outher els he to destroye me / and therfor sayd the kynge wete yow well my herte was neuer soo heuy as it is now / and moche more I am soryer for my good knyghtes losse / than for the losse of my fayre quene / for quenes I myghte haue ynowe / but suche a felaushyp of good knyghtes shalle neuer be to gyders in no company / and now I dare say sayd kyng Arthur there was neuer crysten kynge helde suche a felaushyp to gyders / & allas that euer syr launcelot & I shold be at debate / A Agrauayn Agrauayn sayd the kyng Ihesu forgyue it thy sowle / for thyn euyl wyl that thou and thy broder syre Mordred haddest vn∣to syr launcelot hath caused al this sorowe / and euer amonge these complayntes the kyng wepte and swouned
¶Thenne ther came one vnto syr Gawayne and told hym / how the Quene was ladde awaye with syr launcelot / & nygh a xxiiij knyghtes slayne / O Ihesu defende my bretheren sayd sir gawayne / for ful wel wyst I that syr launcelot wold rescowe her / outher els he wold dye in that felde / and to saye the trouth he had not ben a man of worshyp had he not rescowed the que¦ne that day / in so moche she shold haue ben brente for his sake
And as in that sayd sir Gawayne he hath done but knyʒtly / and as I wold haue done my self and I had stand in ly∣ke caas / but where ar my bretheren sayd sir Gawayne / I mer¦ueyll I here not of hem / Truly sayd that man sir Gareth and syr Gaherys be slayne / Ihesu defende sayd sir Gawayne / for alle the world I wold not that they were slayne / and in e∣specyal my good broder sir Gareth / syr sayd the man he is sl∣ayne and that is grete pyte / who slewe hym sayd sir Gawayn Sir sayd the man Launcelot slewe hem bothe / that may I not byleue sayd syr Gawayne that euer he slewe my broder syre Gareth / For I dar say my broder Gareth loued hym better than me and alle his bretheren / and the kynge bothe / Also I dare say and sir Launcelot had desyred my broder syr Gareth with hym / he wolde haue ben with hym ageynst the kynge and vs al / and therfore I may neuer byleue that syr launcelot slewe my broder. Sir sayd this man it is noysed that he slewe hym