CHAPTER VI
 
 How Sir Launcelot came in the night to the queen and lay
 with her, and how Sir Meliagrance appeached the
 queen of treason
 
 
 THEN the knights that were hurt were searched, and soft
 salves were laid to their wounds; and so it passed on till
 supper time, and all the cheer that might be made them
 there was done unto the queen and all her knights.  Then
 when season was, they went unto their chambers, but in
 no wise the queen would not suffer the wounded knights
 to be from her, but that they were laid within draughts by
 her chamber, upon beds and pillows, that she herself might
 see to them, that they wanted nothing.
 
 So when Sir Launcelot was in his chamber that was
 assigned unto him, he called unto him Sir Lavaine, and
 told him that night he must go speak with his lady, Dame
 Guenever.  Sir, said Sir Lavaine, let me go with you an
 it please you, for I dread me sore of the treason of Sir
 Meliagrance.  Nay, said Sir Launcelot, I thank you, but
 I will have nobody with me.  Then Sir Launcelot took
 his sword in his hand, and privily went to a place where
 he had espied a ladder to-forehand, and that he took under
 his arm, and bare it through the garden, and set it up to
 the window, and there anon the queen was ready to meet
 him.  And then they made either to other their complaints
 of many divers things, and then Sir Launcelot
 wished that he might have come into her.  Wit ye well,
 said the queen, I would as fain as ye, that ye might come
 in to me.  Would ye, madam, said Sir Launcelot, with
 your heart that I were with you?  Yea, truly, said the
 queen.  Now shall I prove my might, said Sir Launcelot,
 for your love; and then he set his hands upon the bars
 of iron, and he pulled at them with such a might that he
 brast them clean out of the stone walls, and therewithal
 one of the bars of iron cut the brawn of his hands
 throughout to the bone; and then he leapt into the chamber
 to the queen.  Make ye no noise, said the queen, for my
 wounded knights lie here fast by me.  So, to pass upon
 this tale, Sir Launcelot went unto bed with the queen, and
 he took no force of his hurt hand, but took his pleasaunce
 and his liking until it was in the dawning of the day; and
 wit ye well he slept not but watched, and when he saw his
 time that he might tarry no longer he took his leave and
 departed at the window, and put it together as well as he
 might again, and so departed unto his own chamber; and
 there he told Sir Lavaine how he was hurt.  Then Sir
 Lavaine dressed his hand and staunched it, and put upon
 it a glove, that it should not be espied; and so the queen
 lay long in her bed until it was nine of the clock.
 
 Then Sir Meliagrance went to the queen's chamber,
 and found her ladies there ready clothed.  Jesu mercy,
 said Sir Meliagrance, what aileth you, madam, that ye
 sleep thus long?  And right therewithal he opened the
 curtain for to behold her; and then was he ware where
 she lay, and all the sheet and pillow was bebled with the
 blood of Sir Launcelot and of his hurt hand.  When Sir
 Meliagrance espied that blood, then he deemed in her
 that she was false to the king, and that some of the
 wounded knights had lain by her all that night.  Ah,
 madam, said Sir Meliagrance, now I have found you a
 false traitress unto my lord Arthur; for now I prove well
 it was not for nought that ye laid these wounded knights
 within the bounds of your chamber; therefore I will
 call you of treason before my lord, King Arthur.  And
 now I have proved you, madam, with a shameful deed;
 and that they be all false, or some of them, I will make
 good, for a wounded knight this night hath lain by you.
 That is false, said the queen, and that I will report me
 unto them all.  Then when the ten knights heard Sir
 Meliagrance's words, they spake all in one voice and said
 to Sir Meliagrance: Thou sayest falsely, and wrongfully
 puttest upon us such a deed, and that we will make good
 any of us; choose which thou list of us when we are whole
 of our wounds.  Ye shall not, said Sir Meliagrance, away
 with your proud language, for here ye may all see, said
 Sir Meliagrance, that by the queen this night a wounded
 knight hath lain.  Then were they all ashamed when they
 saw that blood; and wit you well Sir Meliagrance was
 passing glad that he had the queen at such an advantage,
 for he deemed by that to hide his treason.  So with this
 rumour came in Sir Launcelot, and found them all at a
 great array.