_How Sir Meliagraunce 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? me seemeth, 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 are accorded with him, as for me I may
not be against it, howbeit Sir Meliagrance hath done full shamefully to
me, and cowardly. Ah, madam, and 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, that should let me, but I should make Sir Meliagrance’s heart
full cold or ever I departed from hence. That I wot 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 the ten knights were that were wounded
sore. So she shewed 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 every
each to other, and full fain they would have been revenged, but they
peaced themself 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 on sleep. 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 bestad, 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.