Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVIII CHAPTER XVI

Sacred Texts  Legends and Sagas  Index  BOOK XVIII  Previous  Next 

 CHAPTER XVI
 
 How Sir Bors sought Launcelot and found him in the
 hermitage, and of the lamentation between them.
 
 
 NOW turn we unto Sir Bors de Ganis that came unto
 Winchester to seek after his cousin Sir Launcelot.  And
 so when he came to Winchester, anon there were men
 that Sir Lavaine had made to lie in a watch for such a
 man, and anon Sir Lavaine had warning; and then Sir
 Lavaine came to Winchester and found Sir Bors, and
 there he told him what he was, and with whom he was,
 and what was his name.  Now fair knight, said Sir Bors,
 I require you that ye will bring me to my lord, Sir
 Launcelot.  Sir, said Sir Lavaine, take your horse, and
 within this hour ye shall see him.  And so they departed,
 and came to the hermitage.
 
 And when Sir Bors saw Sir Launcelot lie in his bed
 pale and discoloured, anon Sir Bors lost his countenance,
 and for kindness and pity he might not speak, but wept
 tenderly a great while.  And then when he might speak
 he said thus:  O my lord, Sir Launcelot, God you bless,
 and send you hasty recover; and full heavy am I of my
 misfortune and of mine unhappiness, for now I may call
 myself unhappy.  And I dread me that God is greatly
 displeased with me, that he would suffer me to have such
 a shame for to hurt you that are all our leader, and all our
 worship; and therefore I call myself unhappy.  Alas that
 ever such a caitiff-knight as I am should have power by
 unhappiness to hurt the most noblest knight of the world.
 Where I so shamefully set upon you and overcharged you,
 and where ye might have slain me, ye saved me; and so
 did not I, for I and your blood did to you our utterance.
 I marvel, said Sir Bors, that my heart or my blood would
 serve me, wherefore my lord, Sir Launcelot, I ask your
 mercy.  Fair cousin, said Sir Launcelot, ye be right
 welcome; and wit ye well, overmuch ye say for to please
 me, the which pleaseth me not, for why I have the same I
 sought; for I would with pride have overcome you all,
 and there in my pride I was near slain, and that was in
 mine own default, for I might have given you warning of
 my being there.  And then had I had no hurt, for it is an
 old said saw, there is hard battle thereas kin and friends
 do battle either against other, there may be no mercy but
 mortal war.  Therefore, fair cousin, said Sir Launcelot,
 let this speech overpass, and all shall be welcome that God
 sendeth; and let us leave off this matter and let us speak
 of some rejoicing, for this that is done may not be
 undone; and let us find a remedy how soon that I may
 be whole.
 
 Then Sir Bors leaned upon his bedside, and told Sir
 Launcelot how the queen was passing wroth with him,
 because he wore the red sleeve at the great jousts; and
 there Sir Bors told him all how Sir Gawaine discovered it:
 By your shield that ye left with the Fair Maiden of
 Astolat.  Then is the queen wroth, said Sir Launcelot
 and therefore am I right heavy, for I deserved no wrath,
 for all that I did was because I would not be known.
 Right so excused I you, said Sir Bors, but all was in vain,
 for she said more largelier to me than I to you now.  But
 is this she, said Sir Bors, that is so busy about you, that
 men call the Fair Maiden of Astolat?  She it is, said Sir
 Launcelot, that by no means I cannot put her from me.
 Why should ye put her from you? said Sir Bors, she is a
 passing fair damosel, and a well beseen, and well taught;
 and God would, fair cousin, said Sir Bors, that ye could
 love her, but as to that I may not, nor I dare not, counsel
 you.  But I see well, said Sir Bors, by her diligence about
 you that she loveth you entirely.  That me repenteth,
 said Sir Launcelot.  Sir, said Sir Bors, she is not the first
 that hath lost her pain upon you, and that is the more
 pity: and so they talked of many more things.  And so
 within three days or four Sir Launcelot was big and strong
 again.