¶ Capitulum ix
MAdame said syr Launcelot I allowe your wytte / it is of late come syn ye were wyse / And therfor madame at this tyme I wille be rulyd by your counceylle / and thys nyghte I wylle take my rest / and to morowe by tyme I wyll take my waye toward wynchestre / ¶ But wete yow wel sayd sir Launcelot to the quene / that at that Iustes I wille be ageynst the kynge and ageynste al his felauship / ye maye there doo as ye lyst sayd the Quene / but by my counceylle ye shalle not be ageynst youre kyng and youre felauship / For therin ben ful many hard knyghtes of youre blood as ye wote wel ynough / hit nedeth not to reherce them /
¶ Madame said syre Launcelot I praye yow that ye be not displeasyd with me / for I wille take the aduenture that god wylle sende me / And soo vpon the morne erly syre launcelot herd masse and brake his fast / and soo toke his leue of the quene departed / And thenne he rode soo moche vntyl he came to Astolat that is Gylford / and there hit happed hym in the euentyde he cam to an old Barons place that hyght sir Bernard of Astolat / And as syre launcelot entryd in to his lodgynge / kynge Arthur aspyed hym as he dyd walke in a gardyn besyde the Castel how he took his lodgynge / & knewe hym ful wel /
¶ It is wel sayd kynge Arthur vnto the knyghtes that were with hym in that gardyn besyde the castel / I haue now aspyed one knyghte that wylle playe his playe at the Iustes / to the whiche we be gone toward / I vndertake he wil do merueils / Who is that we pray you telle vs Page 740 [leaf 370v] sayd many knyghtes that were there at that tyme / ye shal not wete for me said the kynge as at this tyme / And soo the kyng smyled / and wente to his lodgynge / Soo whan sire launcelot was in his lodgynge / and vnarmed hym in his chamber the olde baron and heremyte came to hym makynge his reuerence and welcomed hym in the best maner / but the old knyght knewe not sire Launcelot / Fair sir said sir launcelot to his hooste I wold praye yow to lene me a shelde that were not openly knowen for myn is wel knowen / Sir said his hoost ye shalle haue your desyre / for me semeth ye be one of the lykelyest knyghtes of the world / and therfor I shall shewe you frendship Sire wete yow wel I haue two sones that were but late made knyghtes / and the eldest hyghte sir Tirre / and he was hurt that same day he was made knyghte that he may not ryde / and his sheld ye shalle haue / For that is not knowen I dare saye but here / and in no place els / and my yongest sone hyght Lauayne / and yf hit please yow / he shalle ryde with yow vnto that Iustes / and he is of his age x stronge and wyght / for moche my herte gyueth vnto yow that ye shold be a noble knyȝte therfor I praye yow telle me your name / said sir Bernard As for that sayd sire launcelot ye must holde me excused as at this tyme / And yf god gyue me grace to spede wel att the Iustes / I shalle come ageyne and telle yow / but I praye yow said sir Launcelot in ony wyse lete me haue youre sone sire lauayne with me / and that I maye haue your broders shelde / Alle this shalle be done said sir Bernard /
¶ This old baron had a doughter that tyme that was called that tyme the faire mayden of Astolat / And euer she beheld sir launcelot wonderfully / And as the book sayth she cast suche a loue vnto sir launcelot that she coude neuer withdrawe her loue / wherfore she dyed / and her name was Elayne le blank / Soo thus as she cam to and fro / she was soo hote in her loue that she besoughte syr launcelot to were vpon hym at the Iustes a token of hers
¶ Faire damoysel said sir launcelot / and yf I graunte yow that ye may saye I doo more for youre loue than euer I dyd for lady or damoysel /
¶ Thenne he remembryd hym that he wold goo to the Iustes desguysed / And by cause he had neuer fore that tyme borne noo manere of token of noo damoysel
Page 741 [leaf 371r] ¶ Thenne he bethoughte hym that he wold bere one of her that none of his blood there by myghte knowe hym / and thenne he said Faire mayden I wylle graunte yow to were a token of yours vpon myn helmet / and therfor what it is / shewe it me Sir she said it is a reed sleue of myn of scarlet wel enbroudred with grete perlys / and soo she brought it hym / Soo syre Launcelot receyued it / and sayd neuer dyd I erst soo moche/ for no damoysel / And thenne sir launcelot bitoke the fair mayden his shelde in kepyng / and praid her to kepe that vntyl that he came ageyne / and soo that nyghte he had mery rest & grete chere / For euer the damoysel Elayne was aboute sire Launcelot alle the whyle she myghte be suffred
