Lancelot of the Laik Part 25

His falou?chip aba?it of that thing, And als therof anoyt was the king, 2244 [Sidenote: Arthur reproves him for forgetting the coming day of battle.]

Sayng, "Nece, yow haith al foly vroght And wilfulne, that haith no{ch}t in thi thoght The day of batell of galot and me."

[Sidenote: Gawane says it must be so.]

Q{uod} gawan, "Now non other ways ma be." 2248 [Sidenote: Gawane and his fellow lace their helms, and take their leave.]

Thar-w{i}t{h} he and his falow?chip al?o Thar halmys la?it, on to ther hor thei go, Syne tuk ther lef, and frome the court the fare, Thar names ware to long for to declar. 2252 Now ?al we leif hyme and h{is} c.u.mpany, That in thar ?eking pa??ith bi??ely; [Sidenote: The story returns to the lady of Melyhalt.]

And of the lady of melyhalt we tell, W{i}t{h} whome the kny{ch}t mot ned alway duell. 2256

[T52] [O] day ?he mayd hyme on to h{ir} p{re}?ens fet, And on o ?ege be-?id hir haith hyme ?et, "S{ir}, in keping I have yow halding long,"

And thus ?che ?aid, "for gret tre?pas & wrong, 2260 Magre my ?tewart, in wor?chip, and for-thi ?he ?uld me thonk;"--"madem," q{uod} he, "and I Thonk yhow ?o that eu{er}, at my mycht, Whar-?o I pa that I ?al be yhour kny{ch}t." 2264

[Footnote T52: Room is here left in the MS. for an illuminated letter, and a small "o" inserted as a note.]

[Headnote: THE LADY ASKS LANCELOT HIS NAME.]

[Sidenote: She inquires Lancelot's name.]

"Grant mercy, ?{ir}, bot o thing I ?ow pray, What that ?he ar ?he wold w{i}c{h}sauf to ?ay."

[Sidenote: He refuses to tell.]

"Madem," q{uod} he, "yhour mercy a?k I, quhy That for to ?ay apone no wy may I." 2268 "No! wil ?he not? non oy{er} ways as now [Sidenote: She vows to keep him in thrall till the day of combat;]

?he ?al repent, and ek I mak awow One to the thing the wich that I be?t love, 2271 Out frome my keping ?al ?he not Remuf [Fol. 28b.]

Befor the day of the a??emblee, Wich that, o ?her, is n{er}e?t for to bee; And if that ?ow haith ple??it for to ?ay, ?he had fore me deliu{er}it ben this day; 2276 [Sidenote: and to go to the court to try and learn it.]

And I ?al knaw, quhey{er} ?he wil or no, For I furt{h}-w{i}t{h} one to the court ?al go, Whar that al thithing{is} goith & cu{m}yth ?on."

"Madem," q{uod} he, "yhour ple?ance mot be done." 2280 [Sidenote: The knight retires.]

W{i}t{h} that the kny{ch}t one to his chalm{er} goith, And the lady hir makith to be wroith A?anis hyme, but ?uthly vas ?che not, For he al-out was mor in to hir thoght. 2284 Than ?chapith ?he a?ane the ferd day, And richly ?che gan hir-?elf aray; Syne clepit haith apone her cu?ynes, [Sidenote: Before going to the court,]

And ?aith, "y will one to the court me dre; 2288 And malice I have ?chawin on to ?hon kny{ch}t, For-quhy he wold no{ch}t ?chew me quhat he hicht, Bot ?o, I-wy, It is no{ch}t in my tho{ch}t, For worthyar non In to this erth is wro{ch}t. 2292 [Sidenote: she prays her cousin to take care of him.]

Tharfor I pray, and hartly I requer ?he mak hyme al the cu{m}pany and chere, And do hyme al the wor?chip and the e, Excep his honore, wich that may hym ple; 2296 And quhen I c.u.m deliu{er}ith hyme als fre As he is now;"--"ne have no dred," q{uod} ?che.

[Headnote: SHE GOES TO SEE ARTHUR.]

[T]he lady p{ar}t.i.t, and hir lef hath ton, And by hir Iorne to the court Is gon. 2300 [Sidenote: The lady meets Arthur at Logris;]

The king hapnit at logris for to bee, Wich of his realme was than the chef cete; And haith hir met, and In til hartly wy Re?auit her, and welcu{m}myt oft-?y; 2304 [Sidenote: who brings her home to his palace;]

And haith hir home one to his palice bro{ch}t, Whar that no dante nedith to be ?ocht, And maid hir cher w{i}t{h} al his ful entent.

Eft fupir one to o chalm{er} ar thei went, 2308 The king and ?che, and ek the quen al thre; Of hir t.i.thand{is} at hir than a?kit hee, [Sidenote: and inquires what has brought her.]

And what that hir one to the court had bro{ch}t?

"S{ir}," q{uod} ?che, "I come[T53] not al for no{ch}t; 2312 [Sidenote: She says she has a friend who has made a challenge,]

I have o frend haith o dereyne ydoo, And I can fynd none able kny{ch}t tharto; [Fol. 29a.]

For he the wich that in the {con}trar Is Is hardy, ?trong, and of gret kyne, I-wy; 2316 Bot, It is ?aid, If I my{ch}t have w{i}t{h} me ?our kny{ch}t, quich in the last a??emble [Sidenote: which the red knight could best maintain.]

Was in the feld, and the red armys bur, In his manhed y my{ch}t my cau a??ur; 2320 And yhow, ?{ir}, richt hartly I exort In to this ned my my?t{er} to ?upport."

"Madem, by faith one to the quen I aw

[Footnote T53: MS. "conne."]

[Headnote: ARTHUR CAN TELL HER NOTHING.]

[Sidenote: Arthur replies that Gawane is gone to seek him.]

That I be?t loue, the kny{ch}t I neu{er} ?aw 2324 In nerne by which that I hyme knew; And ek gawane Is gan hyme for to ?ew W{i}t{h} other fourty kny{ch}t{is} In to c.u.mpany."

The lady ?mylit at ther fante??y; 2328 The quen thar-w{i}t{h} p{re}?umyt wel that ?che [Sidenote: The queen asks the lady if she knows where he is.]

Knew quhat he was, and ?aid, "madem, If ?he Knowith of hyme what that he is, or quhar, We ?how be?ech til ws for to declar." 2332 [Sidenote: She replies no, and proposes to return.]

"Madem," q{uod} ?che, "now be the faith that I Aw to the king and yhow, as for no why To court I cam, but of hyme to Inquere; And ?en of hyme I can no t.i.thing{is} here, 2336 Nedlyng{is} to-morn homwart mon I fair."

[Sidenote: Arthur prays her to stay.]

"Na," q{uod} the king, "madem, our ?on It waire; ?he ?al remayne her for the qwenys ?ak; Syne ?hal ?he of our be?t kny{ch}t{is} tak." 2340 "S{ir}," q{uod} ?che, "I pray ?ow me excu, For-quhy to pa nedis me behu; Nor, ?en I want the kny{ch}t which I have ?o{ch}t, Wtheris w{i}t{h} me to have de?ir I no{ch}t, 2344 For I of otheris have that may ?uffice."

Bot ?hit the king hir prayt on ?ich wy, [Sidenote: She remains till the third day.]

That ?che remanit whill the thrid day; Syne tuk hir leif to pa?ing hom hir way. 2348 [Sidenote: She is sumptuously entertained,]

It nedis not the fe?ting to declar Maid one to hir, nor company nor fare; Sche had no kny{ch}t, ?che had no damy?eill, Nor thei richly rewardit war and well. 2352 [Sidenote: and returns home.]

Now goith the lady homwart, and ?che In her entent de?yrus Is to ?ee The flour of kny{ch}thed and of chevelry; So was he pry?it and hold to euery wy. 2356

[Headnote: THE LADY AGAIN SENDS FOR LANCELOT.]

++The lady, which one to hir palace come, [Fol. 29b.]

[Sidenote: Soon after, she sends for Lancelot,]

Bot of ?chort time remanith haith at home When ?che gart bryng, w{i}t{h}outen Recidens, W{i}t{h} grete effere this kny{ch}t to hir p{rese}ns, 2360 And ?aid hyme; "?{ir}, ?o mekil have I ?o{ch}t And knowith that be-for I knew no{ch}t, [Sidenote: and proposes to ransom him,]

That If yhow lyk I wil yhour Ransone mak."

"Madem, gladly, wil ?he wich?auf to tak 2364 Eft{er} that as my powar may atten, Or that I may p{ro}wid be ony men."

"Now, ?{ir}," ?ho ?aid, "for?ut{h} It ?al be so, [Sidenote: on one of three conditions.]

Yhe ?al have thre, and che yhow on of tho; 2368 And if yhow lykith them for to refu, I can no mor, but ?he ?al me excu, Yhe ned{is} mot ?u?ten yhour aduentur Contynualy In ward for til endur." 2372 "Madem," q{uod} he, "and I yhow hartly pray, What that thei ?ay[T54] ?he wald w{i}c{h}?auf to ?ay?"

[Footnote T54: So MS. We should probably read "bee."]

[Sidenote: Either he must tell whom he loves,]

"[T]he fir?t," q{uod} ?che, "who hath in to the chen Of low yhour hart, and if ?he may deren? 2376 [Sidenote: or declare his name,]

The next, yhour nam, the which ?e ?al not lye?

[Sidenote: or say if he expects again to equal his former exploits.]

The thrid, if eu{er} ?he think of cheualry So mekil wor?chip to atten in feild Apone o day in armys wnd{er} ?cheld, 2380 As yat ?he dyd the ?amyne day, when ?he In red armys was at the a??emblee?"

"Madem," q{uod} he, "is thar non vther way Me to redem, but only thus to ?ay 2384 Of thing{is}, which that Rynyth me to blam, Me to awant my lady or hir name?

But If that I mo?t ?chawin furth that one, What su{er}te ?chal I have for to gone 2388 At libertee out of this dang{er} free?"

"Schir, ?or to dred no my?t{er} is," q{uod} ?hee; "As I am trew and fa{i}t{h}full woman hold, ?he ?al go fre quhen one of thir is told." 2392 "Madem, yhour will non vther ways I may, [Sidenote: He refuses to tell his lady's name,]

I mone obey; and to the fir?t y ?ay, [T55] [I]s, to declar the lady of myne hart, My go?t ?al rather of my bre?t a?tart"-- 2396 Whar-by the lady fayndit al for no{ch}t The lowe quhich long hath ben In to h{is} tho{ch}t-- [Sidenote: or his own;]

"And of my nam, ?chortly for to ?ay, It ?tondith ?o that one no wy I may. 2400 Bot of the thrid, madem, I se that I [Fol. 30a.]

Mon ?ay the thing that tuechith velany; [Sidenote: but declares that he trusts to do more than ever before; and requires his liberty.]

For ?ut{h} it is I tra?t, and G.o.d before, In feld that I ?al do of armys more 2404 Than eu{er} I did, if I {com}mandit bee.

[Footnote T55: A s.p.a.ce is here left for an illuminated letter.]

[Headnote: LANCELOT CLAIMS HIS LIBERTY;]

And now, madem, I have my libertee, For I have ?aid I neu{er} tho{ch}t to ?ay."

"Now, ?{ir}," q{uod} ?che, "when-eu{er} ?he wil ye may; 2408 [Sidenote: She begs of him a boon;]

Bot o thing Is, I yhow hartly raquer, Sen I have hold yhow apone ?uch maner Not as my fo, that ?he vald grant me till."

"Madem," q{uod} he, "It ?al be as ?he will." 2412 "Now, ?{ir}," q{uod} ?che, "it is no thing bot ?he [Sidenote: that he will remain with her till the day of battle;]

Reman w{i}t{h} ws wn to the a??emble, And euery thyng that In yhour my?t{er} lyis I ?all gar ordan at yhour awn dewy; 2416 And of the day I ?hall yow c{er}tefy Of the a??emble ?he ?al not pas therby."

"Madem," q{uod} he, "It ?al be as yhow li?t."

"Now, ?{ir}," q{uod} ?che, "and than I hald It be?t, 2420 That ?he reman lyk to the ?amyne dogre As that ?he war, yat non ?al wit that ?he Deliu{er}it war; and in to ?acret wy Thus may ?he be; and now yhe ?al dewy 2424 [Sidenote: and inquires what arms he would like to have made for him. He chooses black armour,]

What armys that yhow lykyth I gar mak."

[Headnote: AND ASKS FOR BLACK ARMOUR.]

"Madem," q{uod} he, "armys al of blak."

W{i}t{h} this, this kny{ch}t is to his chalm{er} gon; The lady gan ful prewaly di??pone 2428 For al that longith to the kny{ch}t, in feild; Al blak his hor, his armour, and his ?cheld, [Sidenote: which is provided.]

That nedful is, al thing ?che well p{re}widith; And in hir keping thus w{i}t{h} hir he bidith. 2432 Suppos of love ?che takyne hath the charg, [Sidenote: She keeps her love close,]

Sche bur It clos, ther-of ?che vas not larg, Bot wy?ly ?che ab?tenit hir di??ir, For ell{is} quhat, ?che knew, he was afyre; 2436 Thar-for hir wit hir wor?chip haith defendit, [Sidenote: being commended for discretion.]

For in this world thar was nan mor co{m}mendit, Boith of di?creccioune and of womanhed, Of gou{er}nans, of nurtur, and of farhed. 2440 This kny{ch}t w{i}t{h} hir thus al this whil mon duell, [Sidenote: The story returns to Arthur--]