Le Morte Darthur
_How dame Brisen by enchantment brought Sir Launcelot to dame Elaine,
and how queen Guenever rebuked him._
So then dame Brisen came to Sir Launcelot and said, Sir Launcelot du
Lake, my lady queen Guenever awaiteth upon you. O my fair lady, said
Sir Launcelot, I am ready to go with you where ye will have me. So Sir
Launcelot took his sword in his hand, and then dame Brisen took him by
the finger and led him unto her lady, dame Elaine; and then she
departed and left them together. Wit ye well the lady was glad, and so
was Sir Launcelot, for he wend that it was the queen. Then queen
Guenever sent one of her women unto Sir Launcelot; and when she came
there, she found Sir Launcelot was away: so she came to the queen and
told her all. Alas, said the queen, where is that false knight become?
Then the queen was nigh out of her wit, and then she writhed and
weltered as a mad woman; and at the last the queen met with Sir
Launcelot, and thus she said, False traitor knight that thou art, look
thou never abide in my court, and not so hardy, thou false traitor
knight that thou art, that ever thou come in my sight. Alas, said Sir
Launcelot: and therewith he took such an heartly sorrow at her words
that he fell down to the floor in a swoon. And therewithal queen
Guenever departed. And when Sir Launcelot awoke of his swoon he lept
out at a bay window into a garden, and there with thorns he was all
to-scratched in his visage and his body, and so he ran forth he wist
not whither, and was wild wood as ever was man; and so he ran two year,
and never man might have grace to know him.
CHAP. IX.
_How dame Elaine was commanded by queen Guenever to avoid the court,
and how Sir Launcelot became mad._
Now turn we unto queen Guenever and to the fair lady Elaine. When dame
Elaine heard the queen so to rebuke Sir Launcelot, and also she saw how
he swooned, and how he lept out at a bay window, then she said unto
queen Guenever, Madam, ye are greatly to blame for Sir Launcelot, for
now ye have lost him; for I saw and heard by his countenance that he is
mad for ever. Alas, madam, ye do great sin, and to yourself great
dishonour, for ye have a lord of your own, and therefore it is your
part to love him; for there is no queen in this world hath such another
king as ye have. And if ye were not, I might have the love of my lord
Sir Launcelot; and cause I have to love him, for I am his, and by him I
have borne a fair son, and his name is Galahad, and he shall be in his
time the best knight of the world. Dame Elaine, said the queen, I
charge you and command you to avoid my court; and for the love ye owe
unto Sir Launcelot discover not his counsel, for and ye do it will be
his death. As for that, said dame Elaine, I dare undertake he is marred
for ever, and that have ye made, for ye nor I are like to rejoice him;
for he made the most piteous groans when he lept out at yonder bay
window that ever I heard man make. Alas! said fair Elaine, and alas!
said the queen Guenever, for now I wot well we have lost him for ever.
So on the morn dame Elaine took her leave to depart, and she would no
longer abide. Then king Arthur brought her on her way with more than an
hundred knights through a forest. And by the way she told Sir Bors de
Ganis all how it betid, and how Sir Launcelot lept out at a bay window
araged out of his wit. Alas, said Sir Bors, where is my lord Sir
Launcelot become? Sir, said Elaine, I wot never. Alas, said Sir Bors,
betwixt you both ye have destroyed that good knight. As for me, said
dame Elaine, I said never nor did never thing that should in any wise
displease him; but with the rebuke that queen Guenever gave him I saw
him swoon to the earth; and when he awoke he took his sword in his
hand, and lept out at a window, with the grisliest groan that ever I
heard man make. Now farewell, dame Elaine, said Sir Bors, and hold my
lord Arthur with a tale as long as ye can, for I will turn again unto
queen Guenever and give her a heat: and I require you as ever ye will
have my service, make good watch, and espy if ever ye may see my lord
Sir Launcelot. Truly, said fair Elaine, I shall do all that I may do,
for as fain would I know and wit where he is become as you or any of
his kin, or queen Guenever, and cause great enough have I thereto as
well as any other. And wit ye well, said fair Elaine to Sir Bors, I
would lose my life for him rather than he should be hurt: but alas, I
cast me never for to see him; and the chief causer of this is dame
Guenever. Madam, said dame Brisen, the which had made the enchantment
before betwixt Sir Launcelot and her, I pray you heartily let Sir Bors
depart and hie him with all his might, as fast as he may, to seek Sir
Launcelot. For I warn you he is clean out of his mind, and yet he shall
be well holpen, and but by miracle. Then wept dame Elaine, and so did
Sir Bors de Ganis, and so they departed; and Sir Bors rode straight
unto queen Guenever, and when she saw Sir Bors she wept as she were
wood. Fie on your weeping, said Sir Bors, for ye weep never but when
there is no boot. Alas, said Sir Bors, that ever Sir Launcelot’s kin
saw you. For now have ye lost the best knight of our blood, and he that
was all our leader and our succour. And I dare say and make it good,
that all kings, christian nor heathen, may not find such a knight, for
to speak of his nobleness and courtesy with his beauty and his
gentleness. Alas, said Sir Bors, what shall we do that be of his blood?
Alas, said Ector de Maris. Alas, said Lionel.
CHAP. X.
_What sorrow queen Guenever made for Sir Launcelot, and how he was
sought by knights of his kin._
And when the queen heard them say so, she fell to the earth in a dead
swoon. And then Sir Bors took her up, and roused her, and when she was
awaked she kneeled afore the three knights, and held up both her hands,
and besought them to seek him, and spare not for no goods but that he
be founden, for I wot he is out of his mind. And Sir Bors, Sir Ector,
and Sir Lionel departed from the queen, for they might not abide no
longer for sorrow. And then the queen sent them treasure enough for
their expenses, and so they took their horses and their armour, and
departed. And then they rode from country to country, in forests and in
wildernesses and in wastes, and ever they laid watch as well both at
forests and at all manner of men as they rode, to hearken and enquire
after him, as he that was a naked man in his shirt, with a sword in his
hand. And thus they rode nigh a quarter of a year, endlong and
overthwart, in many places, forests and wildernesses, and ofttimes were
evil lodged for his sake, and yet for all their labour and seeking
could they never hear word of him. And wit you well these three knights
were passing sorry. Then at the last Sir Bors and his fellows met with
a knight, that hight Sir Melion de Tartare. Now, fair knight, said Sir
Bors, whither be ye away? for they knew either other aforetime. Sir,
said Sir Melion, I am in the way toward the court of king Arthur. Then
we pray you, said Sir Bors, that ye will tell my lord Arthur, and my
lady queen Guenever, and all the fellowship of the Round Table, that we
cannot in no wise hear tell where Sir Launcelot is become. Then Sir
Melion departed from them, and said that he would tell the king and the
queen and all the fellowship of the Round Table, as they had desired
him. So when Sir Melion came to the court of king Arthur, he told the
king and the queen and all the fellowship of the Round Table, what Sir
Bors had said of Sir Launcelot. Then Sir Gawaine, Sir Uwaine, Sir
Sagramor le Desirous, Sir Aglovale, and Sir Percivale de Galis, took
upon them by the great desire of king Arthur, and in especial by the
queen, to seek throughout all England, Wales, and Scotland, to find Sir
Launcelot. And with them rode eighteen knights more to bear them
fellowship. And wit ye well they lacked no manner of spending: and so
were they three and twenty knights.
Now turn we to Sir Launcelot, and speak we of his care and woe and what
pain he there endured, for cold, hunger, and thirst he had plenty. And
thus as these noble knights rode together, they by one assent departed,
and then they rode by two, by three, and by four, and by five; and ever
they assigned where they should meet. And so Sir Aglovale and Sir
Percivale rode together unto their mother that was a queen in those
days. And when she saw her two sons, for joy she wept tenderly. And
then she said, Ah, my dear sons, when your father was slain he left me
four sons, of the which now be twain slain; and for the death of my
noble son Sir Lamorak shall my heart never be glad. And then she
kneeled down upon her knees tofore Aglovale and Sir Percivale, and
besought them to abide at home with her. Ah, sweet mother, said Sir
Percivale, we may not; for we be come of king’s blood of both parties,
and therefore, mother, it is our kind to haunt arms and noble deeds.
Alas, my sweet sons, then she said, for your sakes I shall lose my
liking and joy, and then wind and weather I may not endure, what for
the death of your father king Pellinore, that was shamefully slain by
the hands of Sir Gawaine and his brother Sir Gaheris, and they slew him
not manly, but by treason. Ah, my dear sons, this is a piteous
complaint for me of your father’s death, considering also the death of
Sir Lamorak, that of knighthood had but few fellows. Now, my dear sons,
have this in your mind. Then there was but weeping and sobbing in the
court when they should depart, and she fell in swooning in midst of the
court.
CHAP. XI.
_How a servant of Sir Aglovale’s was slain, and what vengeance Sir
Aglovale and Sir Percivale did therefore._
And when she was awaked she sent a squire after them with spending
enough. And so when the squire had overtaken them, they would not
suffer him to ride with them, but sent him home again to comfort their
mother, praying her meekly of her blessing. And so this squire was
benighted, and by misfortune he happened to come unto a castle where
dwelled a baron. And so when the squire was come into the castle, the
lord asked him from whence he came, and whom he served? My lord, said
the squire, I serve a good knight that is called Sir Aglovale. The
squire said it to good intent, weening unto him to have been more
forborne for Sir Aglovale’s sake than if he had said he had served the
queen, Aglovale’s mother. Well, my fellow, said the lord of that
castle, for Sir Aglovale’s sake thou shalt have evil lodging, for
Aglovale slew my brother, and therefore thou shalt die on part of
payment. And then that lord commanded his men to have him away, and so
pulled him out of the castle, and there they slew him without mercy.
Right so on the morn came Sir Aglovale and Sir Percivale riding by a
church-yard, where men and women were busy, and beheld the dead squire,
and they thought to bury him. What is there, said Sir Aglovale, that ye
behold so fast? A good man start forth and said, Fair knight, here
lieth a squire slain shamefully this night. How was he slain, fair
fellow? said Sir Aglovale. My fair sir, said the man, the lord of this
castle lodged this squire this night, and because he said he was
servant unto a good knight that is with king Arthur, his name is Sir
Aglovale, therefore the lord commanded to slay him, and for this cause
is he slain. Gramercy, said Sir Aglovale, and ye shall see his death
revenged lightly, for I am that same knight for whom this squire was
slain. Then Sir Aglovale called unto him Sir Percivale, and bad him
alight lightly, and so they alight both, and betook their horses to
their men, and so they went on foot into the castle. And all so soon as