_Of the communication between king Arthur and Sir Launcelot, and how
king Arthur reproved him._
Then it befell upon a day in harvest time, Sir Launcelot looked over
the walls, and spake on high unto king Arthur and Sir Gawaine, My lords
both, wit ye well all is in vain that ye make at this siege, for here
win ye no worship, but maugre and dishonour, for and it list me to come
myself out, and my good knights, I should full soon make an end of this
war. Come forth, said Arthur unto Launcelot, and thou darest, and I
promise thee I shall meet thee in midst of the field. God defend me,
said Sir Launcelot, that ever I should encounter with the most noble
king that made me knight. Fie upon thy fair language, said the king,
for wit you well, and trust it, I am thy mortal foe, and ever will to
my death day, for thou hast slain my good knights and full noble men of
my blood, that I shall never recover again: also thou hast dishonoured
my queen, and holden her many winters, and sithen like a traitor taken
her from me by force. My most noble lord and king, said Sir Launcelot,
ye may say what ye will, for ye wot well with yourself I will not
strive, but there as ye say I have slain your good knights, I wot well
that I have done so, and that me sore repenteth, but I was enforced to
do battle with them, in saving of my life, or else I must have suffered
them to have slain me. And as for my lady queen Guenever, except your
person of your highness, and my lord Sir Gawaine, there is no knight
under heaven that dare make it good upon me, that ever I was traitor
unto your person. And where it pleaseth you to say that I have holden
my lady your queen years and winters, unto that I shall make a large
answer, and prove it upon any knight that beareth the life, except your
person and Sir Gawaine, that my lady queen Guenever is a true lady unto
your person, as any is living unto her lord, and that will I make good
with my hands; howbeit, it hath liked her good grace to have me in
charity, and to cherish me more than any other knight, and unto my
power I again have deserved her love, for oft-times, my lord, ye have
consented that she should be burnt and destroyed in your heat, and then
it fortuned me to do battle for her, and or I departed from her
adversary they confessed their untruth, and she full worshipfully
excused. And at such times, my lord Arthur, said Sir Launcelot, ye
loved me, and thanked me when I saved your queen from the fire, and
then ye promised me for ever to be my good lord, and now me thinketh ye
reward me full ill for my good service; and, my good lord, me seemeth I
had lost a great part of my worship in my knighthood, and I had
suffered my lady your queen to have been burnt, and insomuch she should
have been burnt for my sake. For sithen I have done battles for your
queen in other quarrels than in mine own, me seemeth now I had more
right to do battle for her in right quarrel, and therefore my good and
gracious lord, said Sir Launcelot, take your queen unto your good
grace, for she is both fair, true, and good. Fie on thee, false
recreant knight, said Sir Gawaine, I let thee wit my lord mine uncle
king Arthur shall have his queen and thee, maugre thy visage, and slay
you both whether it please him. It may well be, said Sir Launcelot, but
wit ye well, my lord Sir Gawaine, and me list to come out of this
castle, ye should win me and the queen more harder than ever ye wan a
strong battle. Fie on thy proud words, said Sir Gawaine; as for my lady
the queen, I will never say of her shame, but thou false and recreant
knight, said Sir Gawaine, what cause hadst thou to slay my good brother
Sir Gareth, that loved thee more than all my kin? Alas, thou madest him
knight with thine own hands; why slewest thou him that loved thee so
well? For to excuse me, said Sir Launcelot, it helpeth me not, but by
the faith that I owe to the high order of knighthood, I should with as
good will have slain my nephew Sir Bors de Ganis at that time: but
alas, that ever I was so unhappy, said Launcelot, that I had not seen
Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris. Thou liest, recreant knight, said Sir
Gawaine, thou slewest him in despite of me: and therefore wit thou well
I shall make war to thee, and all the while that I may live. That me
repenteth, said Sir Launcelot, for well I understand it helpeth me not
to seek none accordment, while ye Sir Gawaine are so mischievously set.
And if ye were not, I would not doubt to have the good grace of my lord
Arthur. I believe it well, false recreant knight, said Sir Gawaine, for
thou hast many long days overled me, and us all, and destroyed many of
our good knights. Ye say as it pleaseth you, said Sir Launcelot, and
yet may it never be said on me and openly proved, that ever I before
cast of treason, slew no good knight, as, my lord Sir Gawaine, ye have
done. And so did I never, but in my defence, that I was driven thereto,
in saving of my life. Ah, false knight, said Sir Gawaine, that thou
meanest by Sir Lamorak: wit thou well I slew him. Ye slew him not
yourself, said Sir Launcelot, it had been over much on hand for you to
have slain him, for he was one of the best knights christened of his
age, and it was great pity of his death.