Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVIII CHAPTER VIII

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 CHAPTER VIII
 
 How the truth was known by the Maiden of the Lake,
 and of divers other matters.
 
 
 AND so it befell that the damosel of the lake, her name
 was Nimue, the which wedded the good knight Sir Pelleas,
 and so she came to the court; for ever she did great
 goodness unto King Arthur and to all his knights through her
 sorcery and enchantments.  And so when she heard how
 the queen was an-angered for the death of Sir Patrise,
 then she told it openly that she was never guilty; and
 there she disclosed by whom it was done, and named him,
 Sir Pinel; and for what cause he did it, there it was openly
 disclosed; and so the queen was excused, and the knight
 Pinel fled into his country.  Then was it openly known
 that Sir Pinel enpoisoned the apples at the feast to that
 intent to have destroyed Sir Gawaine, because Sir Gawaine
 and his brethren destroyed Sir Lamorak de Galis, to the
 which Sir Pinel was cousin unto.  Then was Sir Patrise
 buried in the church of Westminster in a tomb, and
 thereupon was written:  Here lieth Sir Patrise of Ireland,
 slain by Sir Pinel le Savage, that enpoisoned apples to
 have slain Sir Gawaine, and by misfortune Sir Patrise ate
 one of those apples, and then suddenly he brast.  Also
 there was written upon the tomb that Queen Guenever
 was appealed of treason of the death of Sir Patrise, by Sir
 Mador de la Porte; and there was made mention how
 Sir Launcelot fought with him for Queen Guenever, and
 overcame him in plain battle.  All this was written upon
 the tomb of Sir Patrise in excusing of the queen.  And
 then Sir Mador sued daily and long, to have the queen's
 good grace; and so by the means of Sir Launcelot he
 caused him to stand in the queen's good grace, and all
 was forgiven
 
 Thus it passed on till our Lady Day, Assumption.
 Within a fifteen days of that feast the king let cry a great
 jousts and a tournament that should be at that day at
 Camelot, that is Winchester; and the king let cry that he
 and the King of Scots would joust against all that would
 come against them.  And when this cry was made, thither
 came many knights.  So there came thither the King of
 Northgalis, and King Anguish of Ireland, and the King
 with the Hundred Knights, and Galahad, the haut prince,
 and the King of Northumberland, and many other noble
 dukes and earls of divers countries.  So King Arthur
 made him ready to depart to these jousts, and would have
 had the queen with him, but at that time she would not,
 she said, for she was sick and might not ride at that time.
 That me repenteth, said the king, for this seven year ye
 saw not such a noble fellowship together except at
 Whitsuntide when Galahad departed from the court.  Truly,
 said the queen to the king, ye must hold me excused, I
 may not be there, and that me repenteth.  And many
 deemed the queen would not be there because of Sir
 Launcelot du Lake, for Sir Launcelot would not ride with
 the king, for he said that he was not whole of the wound
 the which Sir Mador had given him; wherefore the king
 was heavy and passing wroth.  And so he departed
 toward Winchester with his fellowship; and so by the
 way the king lodged in a town called Astolat, that is now
 in English called Guildford, and there the king lay in the
 castle.
 
 So when the king was departed the queen called Sir
 Launcelot to her, and said thus: Sir Launcelot, ye are
 greatly to blame thus to hold you behind my lord; what,
 trow ye, what will your enemies and mine say and deem?
 nought else but, See how Sir Launcelot holdeth him ever
 behind the king, and so doth the queen, for that they
 would have their pleasure together.  And thus will they
 say, said the queen to Sir Launcelot, have ye no doubt
 thereof.