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THenne sayd the noble Kynge Arthur to syre Gawayne / dere neuewe I pray yow make yow redy in your best armoure with youre bretheren syre Gaherys and syre Gareth to brynge my Quene to the fyre there to haue her Iugement and receyue the dethe
¶ Nay my moost noble
[leaf 405v] lord sayd sir Gawayne that wylle I neuer doo / for wete yow wel / I wylle neuer be in that place where soo noble a Quene as is my lady dame Gueneuer shalle take a shameful ende / For wete yow wel sayd sire Gawayne my herte wylle neuer serue me to see her dye / and it shalle neuer be sayd that euer I was of youre counceylle of her dethe / Thenne sayd the kyng to syr Gawayne / suffer your broder syr Gaherys and syr Gareth to be there / my lord sayd sire Gawayne wete yow wel / they wille be lothe to be there present by cause of many aduentures the whiche ben lyke there to falle / but they are yonge & ful vnable to saye yow nay / Thenne spak sire Gaherys & the good knyghte sire Gareth vnto syre Arthur / syre ye may wel commaunde vs to be there / but wete yow wel it shalle be sore ageynst oure wylle / but and we be there by youre strayte commaundement / ye shall playnly hold vs there excused / we wyl be there in peasyble wyse and bere none harneis of warre vpon vs / In the name of god sayd the kynge thenne make you redy / for she shalle soone haue her Iugement anone / Allas sayd syr Gawayne that euer I shold endure to see this woful daye / Soo sir Gawayne torned hym / and wepte hertely / and so he wente in to his chamber and thēne the quene was led forth withoute Carleil / and there she was despoylled in to her smok And soo thenne her ghoostly fader was broughte to her to be shryuen of her mysdedes / Thenne was there wepynge & waylynge and wryngynge of handes of many lordes and ladyes / But there were but fewe in comparyson that wold bere ony armour for to strengthe the dethe of the quene / Thenne was ther one that sire Launcelot had sente vnto that place for to aspye what tyme the quene shold goo vnto her dethe / And anone as he sawe the quene despoylled in to her smok / and soo shryuen / thenne he gaf sir launcelot warnynge / thenne was there but sporynge and pluckynge vp of horses / and ryghte so they cam to the fyre / And who that stood ageynste them there were they slayne / there myghte none withstande sir Launcelot / so all that bare armes and withstoode hem there were they slayne ful many a noble knyghte / For there was slayne sir Bellyas le orgulous / Sir Segwarydes / Sir Gryflet / sir Brandyles / syre
[leaf 406r] Agloual / syr Tor / syr Gauter / sire Gyllymer / syr Reynold iij bretheren / syr Damas / syr Pyramus / syr Kay the straunger / sir Dryaunt / sir Lambegus / syr Hermynde / syr Pertylope / syre Perymones two bretheren that were called the grene knyght and the reed knyghte / And soo in this rassynge and hurlyng as syre Launcelot thrange here and there / it myhapped hym to slee Gaherys and syr Gareth the noble knyghte / for they were vnarmed and vnware / For as the Frensshe booke sayth/ syr Launcelot smote syr Gareth and syr Gaherys vpon the brayne pannes where thorou they were slayne in the felde how be hit in veray trouthe syr launcelot sawe hem not / and soo were they fonde dede amonge the thyckest of the prees /
¶ Thenne whan syr launcelot had thus done and slayne / and putte to flyghte alle that wold withstande hym / Thenne he rode streyghte vnto dame Gueneuer and maade a kyrtyl and a gowne to be cast vpon her / and thenne he made her to be sette behynde hym / and prayd her to be of good chere / wete yow wel / the Quene was gladde that she was escaped from the dethe / And thenne she thanked god and sir Launcelot / and soo he rode his way with the Quene as the Frensshe book saith vnto Ioyous gard / and there he kepte her as a noble knyghte shold doo / & many grete lordes and somme kynges sent syr Launcelot many good knyghtes / and many noble knyghtes drewe vnto sir Launcelot /
¶ whan this was knowen openly that kyng Arthur and sire launcelot were at debate / many knyghtes were gladde of their debate / and many were ful heuy of their debate