[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum tercium

NOw leue we these knyghtes prysoners and speke we of syre Launcelott du lake that lyeth vnder the Ap∣pyl Tree slepynge / euen aboute the noone there come by hym foure quenes of grete estate / And for the hete shold not nyhe hem there rode foure knyghtes aboute hem / and bare a clothe of grene sylke on foure sperys betwixe them and the sonne / And the quenes rode on foure whyte mules

¶Thus as they rode they herde by them a grete hors grymly neye / thenne were they ware of a slepynge knyghte that laye alle armed vnder an appyl tree / anone as these quenes loked on his face / they knewe it was syre launcelot / Thenne they by∣ganne for to stryue for that knyghte / euerychone sayd they wold baue hym to her loue / ¶We shalle not stryue sayd Mor¦gan he fay that was kynge Arthurs syster / I shalle putte an enchauntement vpon hym / that he shalle not awake in syxe owres / And thenne I wylle lede hym awey vnto my castel / And whanne he is surely within my hold / I shalle take the enchauntement from hym / And thenne lete hym chese whyche of vs he wylle haue vnto peramour / ¶Soo thys enchaunte∣ment Was caste vpon syre Launcelott / And thenne they leyd hym vpon his shelde / and bare hym soo an horsback betwixt two knyghtes / and brought hym vnto the castel charyot / and there they leyd hym in a chambyr cold / and att nyghte they sente vnto hym a fayre damoysel with his souper redy dyght By that the enchauntement was past / And whan she came she sale wed hym / and asked hym what there / I can not saye fayre damoysel said syre Launcelot / for I wote not how I cam in to this castel / but it be by an enchauntement / Syre sayd she ye must make good chere / And yf ye be suche a knyʒte as it is sayd ye ben / I shalle telle you more to morne by pryme of the daye / Gramercy fayre damoysel sayd syre Launcelot of youre good wyl I requyre yow / And soo she departed / And there he laye alle that nyght withoute comforte of ony body

¶ And on the morne erly came these foure quenes passyng∣ly wel bysene / Alle they byddyng hym good morne / and he them ageyne / ¶Syre knyghte the foure quenes sayd thow must vnderstande thou arte our prysoner / and we here knowe the wel that thou arte syre Launcelot du laake / kynge Bans

sone / And by cause we vnderstande your worthynes that thou arte the noblest knyght lyuyng / And as we knowe wel ther can no la••y haue thy loue but one / and that is quene Gwene¦uer / and now thow shalt lose her for euer and she the / and ther¦fore the behoueth now to chese one of vs four / I am the quene Morgan le fay quene of the land of Gorre / and here is the quene of Northgalys and the quene of Eestland / and the que¦ne of the oute yles / ¶Now chese one of v•• whiche thou wylt haue to thy peramour / for thou mayst not chese or ele in thys pryson to dye / This is an hard caaas sayd syre Launcelot that eyther I muste dye or els chese one of yow / yet had I leuer to dye in this pryson with worship than to haue one of you to my peramour maugre my hede / And therfore ye be ansuerd I wylle none of yow for ye be fals enchauntresses / And as for my lady dame Gwenener / were I at my lyberte as I was / I wolde preue hit on you or on yours / that she is the truest lady vnto her lord lyuyng / Wel sayd the quenes / is this yo∣ur ansuer that ye wylle reffuse vs / ye on my lyf sayd syr laū¦celot / reffused ye ben of me / Soo they departed and lefte hym there alone that made grete sorowe