CHAPTER V
 
 How Sir Meliagrance required forgiveness of the queen, and
 how she appeased Sir Launcelot; and other matters
 
 
 WHEN Sir Meliagrance heard that Sir Launcelot was there
 he ran unto Queen Guenever, and fell upon his knee, and
 said:  Mercy, madam, now I put me wholly into your
 grace.  What aileth you now? said Queen Guenever;
 forsooth I might well wit some good knight would revenge
 me, though my lord Arthur wist not of this your work.
 Madam, said Sir Meliagrance, all this that is amiss on my
 part shall be amended right as yourself will devise, and
 wholly I put me in your grace.  What would ye that I
 did? said the queen.  I would no more, said Meliagrance,
 but that ye would take all in your own hands, and that ye
 will rule my lord Sir Launcelot; and such cheer as may
 be made him in this poor castle ye and he shall have until
 to-morn, and then may ye and all they return unto Westminster;
 and my body and all that I have I shall put in your
 rule.  Ye say well, said the queen, and better is peace than
 ever war, and the less noise the more is my worship.
 
 Then the queen and her ladies went down unto the
 knight, Sir Launcelot, that stood wroth out of measure in
 the inner court, to abide battle; and ever he bade:  Thou
 traitor knight come forth.  Then the queen came to him
 and said:  Sir Launcelot, why be ye so moved? Ha,
 madam, said Sir Launcelot, why ask ye me that question?
 Meseemeth, said Sir Launcelot, ye ought to be more wroth
 than I am, for ye have the hurt and the dishonour, for wit
 ye well, madam, my hurt is but little for the killing of a
 mare's son, but the despite grieveth me much more than
 all my hurt.  Truly, said the queen, ye say truth; but
 heartily I thank you, said the queen, but ye must come in
 with me peaceably, for all thing is put in my hand, and all
 that is evil shall be for the best, for the knight full sore
 repenteth him of the misadventure that is befallen him.
 Madam, said Sir Launcelot, sith it is so that ye been
 accorded with him, as for me I may not be again it,
 howbeit Sir Meliagrance hath done full shamefully to me,
 and cowardly.  Ah madam, said Sir Launcelot, an I had
 wist ye would have been so soon accorded with him I
 would not have made such haste unto you.  Why say ye
 so, said the queen, do ye forthink yourself of your good
 deeds?  Wit you well, said the queen, I accorded never
 unto him for favour nor love that I had unto him, but
 for to lay down every shameful noise.  Madam, said Sir
 Launcelot, ye understand full well I was never willing nor
 glad of shameful slander nor noise; and there is neither
 king, queen, nor knight, that beareth the life, except my
 lord King Arthur, and you, madam, should let me, but I
 should make Sir Meliagrance's heart full cold or ever I
 departed from hence.  That wot I well, said the queen,
 but what will ye more? Ye shall have all thing ruled as
 ye list to have it.  Madam, said Sir Launcelot, so ye be
 pleased I care not, as for my part ye shall soon please.
 
 Right so the queen took Sir Launcelot by the bare
 hand, for he had put off his gauntlet, and so she went
 with him till her chamber; and then she commanded him
 to be unarmed.  And then Sir Launcelot asked where
 were the ten knights that were wounded sore; so she
 showed them unto Sir Launcelot, and there they made
 great joy of the coming of him, and Sir Launcelot made
 great dole of their hurts, and bewailed them greatly.  And
 there Sir Launcelot told them how cowardly and traitorly
 Meliagrance set archers to slay his horse, and how he was
 fain to put himself in a chariot.  Thus they complained
 everych to other; and full fain they would have been
 revenged, but they peaced themselves because of the queen.
 Then, as the French book saith, Sir Launcelot was called
 many a day after le Chevaler du Chariot, and did many
 deeds, and great adventures he had.  And so leave we of
 this tale le Chevaler du Chariot, and turn we to this tale.
 
 So Sir Launcelot had great cheer with the queen, and
 then Sir Launcelot made a promise with the queen that the
 same night Sir Launcelot should come to a window outward
 toward a garden; and that window was y-barred with
 iron, and there Sir Launcelot promised to meet her when
 all folks were asleep.  So then came Sir Lavaine driving
 to the gates, crying:  Where is my lord, Sir Launcelot du
 Lake?  Then was he sent for, and when Sir Lavaine saw
 Sir Launcelot, he said:  My lord, I found well how ye
 were hard bestead, for I have found your horse that was
 slain with arrows.  As for that, said Sir Launcelot, I pray
 you, Sir Lavaine, speak ye of other matters, and let ye
 this pass, and we shall right it another time when we
 best may.