_How Sir Launcelot overtook a knight which chased his wife to have
slain her, and how he said to him._
So Sir Launcelot rode many wild ways, throughout marshes and many wild
ways. And as he rode in a valley he saw a knight chasing a lady with a
naked sword to have slain her. And by fortune, as this knight should
have slain this lady, she cried on Sir Launcelot and prayed him to
rescue her. When Sir Launcelot saw that mischief he took his horse and
rode between them, saying, Knight, fie for shame, why wilt thou slay
this lady? thou dost shame unto thee and all knights. What hast thou to
do betwixt me and my wife? said the knight; I will slay her, maugre thy
head. That shall ye not, said Sir Launcelot, for rather we two will
have ado together. Sir Launcelot, said the knight, thou doest not thy
part, for this lady hath betrayed me. It is not so, said the lady,
truly he saith wrong on me, and because I love and cherish my cousin
german, he is jealous betwixt him and me, and as I shall answer to God,
there was never sin betwixt us. But, sir, said the lady, as thou art
called the worshipfullest knight of the world, I require thee of true
knighthood keep me and save me, for whatsoever ye say he will slay me,
for he is without mercy. Have ye no doubt, said Launcelot, it shall not
lie in his power. Sir, said the knight, in your sight I will be ruled
as ye will have me. And so Sir Launcelot rode on the one side and she
on the other: he had not ridden but a while but the knight bad Sir
Launcelot turn him and look behind him and said, Sir, yonder come men
of arms after us riding. And so Sir Launcelot turned him, and thought
no treason. And therewith was the knight and the lady on one side, and
suddenly he swapped off his lady’s head. And when Sir Launcelot had
espied him what he had done, he said, and called him, Traitor thou hast
shamed me for ever. And suddenly Sir Launcelot alight off his horse,
and pulled out his sword to slay him. And therewithal he fell flat to
the earth, and gripped Sir Launcelot by the thighs, and cried mercy.
Fie on thee said Sir Launcelot, thou shameful knight, thou mayest have
no mercy, and therefore arise and fight with me. Nay, said the knight,
I will never arise till ye grant me mercy. Now will I proffer thee
fair, said Launcelot: I will unarm me unto my shirt, and will have
nothing upon me but my shirt, and my sword in my hand, and if thou
canst slay me quit be thou for ever. Nay, sir, said Pedivere, that will
I never. Well, said Sir Launcelot, take this lady and the head, and
bear it upon thee, and here shalt thou swear upon my sword to bear it
alway upon thy back, and never to rest till thou come to queen
Guenever. Sir, said he, that will I do, by the faith of my body. Now,
said Launcelot, tell me what is your name. Sir, my name is Pedivere. In
a shameful hour wert thou born, said Launcelot. So Pedivere departed
with the dead lady and the head, and found the queen with king Arthur
at Winchester, and there he told all the truth. Sir knight, said the
queen, this is an horrible deed and a shameful, and a great rebuke unto
Sir Launcelot: but notwithstanding his worship is not known in divers
countries. But this shall I give you in penance: make ye as good skift
as ye can, ye shall bear this lady with you on horseback unto the Pope
of Rome, and of him receive your penance for your foul deeds, and ye
shall never rest one night there as ye do another, and if ye go to any
bed the dead body shall lie with you. This oath there he made, and so
departed, and as it telleth in the French book, when he came to Rome
the Pope bad him go again to queen Guenever, and in Rome was his lady
buried by the Pope’s commandment. And after this Sir Pedivere fell to
great goodness, and was an holy man and an hermit.