Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVIII CHAPTER III

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 CHAPTER III
 
 How at a dinner that the queen made there was a knight
 enpoisoned, which Sir Mador laid on the queen.
 
 
 AND then the queen let make a privy dinner in London
 unto the knights of the Round Table.  And all was for
 to show outward that she had as great joy in all other
 knights of the Table Round as she had in Sir Launcelot.
 All only at that dinner she had Sir Gawaine and his
 brethren, that is for to say Sir Agravaine, Sir Gaheris, Sir
 Gareth, and Sir Mordred.  Also there was Sir Bors de
 Ganis, Sir Blamore de Ganis, Sir Bleoberis de Ganis, Sir
 Galihud, Sir Galihodin, Sir Ector de Maris, Sir Lionel,
 Sir Palomides, Safere his brother, Sir La Cote Male Taile,
 Sir Persant, Sir Ironside, Sir Brandiles, Sir Kay le Seneschal,
 Sir Mador de la Porte, Sir Patrise, a knight of Ireland,
 Aliduk, Sir Astamore, and Sir Pinel le Savage, the which
 was cousin to Sir Lamorak de Galis, the good knight that
 Sir Gawaine and his brethren slew by treason.  And so
 these four-and-twenty knights should dine with the queen
 in a privy place by themself, and there was made a great
 feast of all manner of dainties.
 
 But Sir Gawaine had a custom that he used daily at
 dinner and at supper, that he loved well all manner of
 fruit, and in especial apples and pears.  And therefore
 whosomever dined or feasted Sir Gawaine would commonly
 purvey for good fruit for him, and so did the queen for
 to please Sir Gawaine; she let purvey for him all manner
 of fruit, for Sir Gawaine was a passing hot knight of
 nature.  And this Pinel hated Sir Gawaine because of his
 kinsman Sir Lamorak de Galis; and therefore for pure
 envy and hate Sir Pinel enpoisoned certain apples for to
 enpoison Sir Gawaine.  And so this was well unto the
 end of the meat; and so it befell by misfortune a good
 knight named Patrise, cousin unto Sir Mador de la Porte,
 to take a poisoned apple.  And when he had eaten it he
 swelled so till he brast, and there Sir Patrise fell down
 suddenly dead among them.
 
 Then every knight leapt from the board ashamed, and
 araged for wrath, nigh out of their wits.  For they wist
 not what to say; considering Queen Guenever made the
 feast and dinner, they all had suspicion unto her.  My
 lady, the queen, said Gawaine, wit ye well, madam, that
 this dinner was made for me, for all folks that know my
 condition understand that I love well fruit, and now I see
 well I had near been slain; therefore, madam, I dread me
 lest ye will be shamed.  Then the queen stood still and was
 sore abashed, that she nist not what to say.  This shall
 not so be ended, said Sir Mador de la Porte, for here
 have I lost a full noble knight of my blood; and therefore
 upon this shame and despite I will be revenged to the
 utterance.  And there openly Sir Mador appealed the
 queen of the death of his cousin, Sir Patrise.  Then stood
 they all still, that none would speak a word against him,
 for they all had great suspicion unto the queen because
 she let make that dinner.  And the queen was so abashed
 that she could none other ways do, but wept so heartily
 that she fell in a swoon.  With this noise and cry came
 to them King Arthur, and when he wist of that trouble he
 was a passing heavy man.