Le Morte Darthur / by Syr Thomas Malory ; the original edition of William Caxton now reprinted and edited with an introduction and glossary by H. Oskar Sommer ; with an essay on Malory's prose style by Andrew Lang

¶ Capitulum xiiij

SOo whan this Bisshop was come Carleyl / he shewed the kynge these bulles / And whan the kyng vnderstood these bulles / he nyst what to doo / ful fayne he wold haue ben accorded with sir launcelot / but sir Gawayne wold not suffre hym / but as for to haue the quene / ther to he agreed But in no wyse syre Gawayne wold not suffer the kyng to accorde with syr Launcelot / but as for the quene he consented / And thenne the Bisshop had of the kynge his grete seal / & his assuraunce as he was a true ennoynted kynge / that syre Launcelot shold come sauf / and goo sauf / and that the quene shold not be spoken vnto / of the kynge / nor of none other / for no thynge done afore tyme past / and of alle these appoyntementes / the Bisshop broughte hym sure assuraunce & wrytynge to shewe sir Launcelot / So whan the Bisshop was come to Ioyous gard / there he shewed sir launcelot how the pope had wryten to Arthur and vnto hym / and there he told hym the peryls yf he withhelde the quene from the kyng / It was neuer in my thoughte saide laūcelot to withholde the quene from my lord Arthur / but in soo moche she shold haue ben dede for my sake / me semeth it was my parte to saue her lyf and putte her from that daunger tyl better recouer myghte come / & now I thanke god sayd sir Launcelot that the pope hath made her pees / for god knoweth sayd syr launcelot I wylle be a thousand fold more gladder to brynge her ageyne than euer I was of her takyng away / With this I maye be sure to come sauf / and goo sauf / and that the quene shal haue her lyberte as she had before / and neuer for no thynge that hath ben surmysed

[leaf 411v] afore this tyme / she neuer fro this day stande in no peryll / for els sayd sir launcelot I dare auenture me to kepe her from an harder shoure than euer I kepte her / It shal not nede yow sayd the Bisshop to drede soo moche / For wete yow wel the pope muste be obeyed / and it were not the popes worshyp nor my poure honeste to wete yow distressyd neyther the quene / neyther in perylle nor shamed / And thenne he shewed sir launcelot alle his wrytynge / bothe from the pope and from kynge Arthur / this is sure ynough / sayd sir Launcelot / for ful well I dare trust my lordes owne wrytynge and his seale / for he was neuer shamed of his promesse

¶ Therfore sayd sir Launcelot vnto the Bisshop / ye shall ryde vnto the kynge afore / and recommaunde me vnto his good grace / and lete hym haue knowlechynge that this same daye eyghte dayes by the grace of god / I my self shall brynge my lady Quene Gueneuer vnto hym / and thenne saye ye vnto my most redoubted kyng that I will say largely for the quene / that I shalle none excepte for drede nor fere / but the kyng hym self and my lord sire Gawayn / and that is more for the kynges loue than for hym self / Soo the Bisshop departed and came to the kynge at Carleyl / and told hym alle how sir laūcelot ansuerd hym / and thenne the teres brast oute of the kynges eyen / Thenne sire Launcelot purueyed hym an honderd knyghtes / and alle were clothed in grene velowet / and theyr horses trapped to their heles / and euery knyghte helde a braunche of olyue in his hande in tokenyng of pees / and the quenne had four and twenty gentylwymmen folowyng her in the same wyse / and sir Launcelot had twelue coursers folowynge hym / and on euery courser sat a yonge gentylman / and alle they were arayed in grene veluet with sarpys of gold about their quarters / and the hors trapped in the same wyse doune to the helys with many ouches y sette with stones and perlys in gold to the nombre of a thowsand / and she and sir Launcelot were clothed in whyte clothe of gold tyssew / and ryght soo as ye haue herd as the Frensshe book maketh mencyon / he rode with the quene from Ioyous gard to Carleyl / and so syr Launcelot rode thorou oute Carleyl and soo in the castel that alle men myȝt beholde / & wete you wel ther was many a

[leaf 412r] wepynge eyen / and thenne syr Launcelot hym self alyghte and auoyded his hors and toke the quene / and soo led her where kynge Arthur was in his seate / and syre Gawayn sat afore hym / and many other grete lordes / Soo whan syre launcelot sawe the kynge / and syr Gawayne / thenne he lad the quene by the arme / and thenne he kneled doune and the quene bothe

¶ Wete yow wel thenne was there many bold knyghte ther with kynge Arthur that wepte as tendyrly / as though they had sene alle their kynne afore them / Soo the kynge sat stylle / and sayd no word / And whan syre Launcelot sawe his coūtenaunce / he arose and pulled vp the quene with hym / & thus he spak ful knyghtely