_How Sir Launcelot departed from the king and from Joyous Gard over
seaward, and what knights went with him._
Then Sir Launcelot sighed, and therewith the tears fell on his cheeks,
and then he said thus: Alas, most noble christian realm, whom I have
loved above all other realms, and in thee have I gotten a great part of
my worship, and now I shall depart in this wise. Truly me repenteth
that ever I came in this realm that should be thus shamefully banished,
undeserved and causeless. But fortune is so variant, and the wheel so
movable, there is no constant abiding, and that may be proved by many
old chronicles of noble Hector, and Troilus, and Alisander the mighty
conqueror, and many other more. When they were most in their royalty,
they alight lowest; and so fareth by me, said Sir Launcelot, for in
this realm I had worship, and by me and mine all the whole Round Table
hath been increased more in worship by me and my blood than by any
other. And therefore wit thou well, Sir Gawaine, I may live upon my
lands as well as any knight that here is. And if ye, most redoubted
king, will come upon my lands with Sir Gawaine, to war upon me, I must
endure you as well as I may. But as to you, Sir Gawaine, if that ye
come there, I pray you charge me not with treason nor felony, for, and
ye do, I must answer you. Do thou thy best, said Sir Gawaine, therefore
hie thee fast that thou were gone, and wit thou well we shall soon come
after, and break the strongest castle that thou hast upon thy head.
That shall not need, said Sir Launcelot, for and I were as orgulous set
as ye are, wit ye well I should meet with you in midst of the field.
Make thou no more language, said Sir Gawaine, but deliver the queen
from thee, and pike thee lightly out of this court. Well, said Sir
Launcelot, and I had wist of this short coming, I would have advised me
twice or that I had come hither; for and the queen had been so dear to
me as ye noise her, I durst have kept her from the fellowship of the
best knights under heaven. And then Sir Launcelot said unto Guenever,
in hearing of the king and them all, Madam, now I must depart from you
and this noble fellowship for ever; and sithen it is so, I beseech you
to pray for me, and say me well, and if ye be hard bestad by any false
tongues, lightly, my lady, let send me word, and if any knight’s hands
may deliver you by battle, I shall deliver you. And therewithal Sir
Launcelot kissed the queen, and then he said all openly, Now let see
what he be in this place, that dare say the queen is not true unto my
lord Arthur: let see who will speak, and he dare speak. And therewith
he brought the queen to the king, and then Sir Launcelot took his leave
and departed; and there was neither king, duke ne earl, baron ne
knight, lady nor gentlewoman, but all they wept as people out of their
mind, except Sir Gawaine; and when the noble Sir Launcelot took his
horse, to ride out of Carlisle, there was sobbing and weeping for pure
dole of his departing; and so he took his way unto Joyous Gard, and
then ever after he called it the Dolorous Gard. And thus departed Sir
Launcelot from the court for ever. And so when he came to Joyous Gard,
he called his fellowship unto him, and asked them what they would do.
Then they answered all wholly together with one voice, they would as he
would do. My fair fellows, said Sir Launcelot, I must depart out of
this most noble realm, and now I shall depart it grieveth me sore, for
I shall depart with no worship. For a banished man departed never out
of no realm with no worship, and that is my heaviness, for ever I fear
after my days that they shall chronicle upon me that I was banished out
of this land; and else, my fair lords, be ye sure, and I had not dread
shame, my lady queen Guenever and I should never have departed. Then
spake many noble knights, as Sir Palamides, Sir Safir his brother, and
Sir Bellangere le Beuse, and Sir Urre with Sir Lavaine, with many
other, Sir, and ye be so disposed to abide in this country, we will
never fail you; and if ye list not to abide in this land, there is none
of the good knights that here be will fail you, for many causes. One
is, all we that be not of your blood shall never be welcome to the
court. And sithen it liked us to take a part with you in your distress
and heaviness in this realm, wit you well it shall like us as well to
go in other countries with you, and there to take such part as ye do.
My fair lords, said Sir Launcelot, I well understand you, and, as I
can, thank you: and ye shall understand such livelihood as I am born
unto I shall depart with you, in this manner of wise, that is for to
say, I shall depart all my livelihood and all my lands freely among
you, and I myself will have as little as any of you, for have I
sufficient that may long to my person, I will ask none other rich
array; and I trust to God to maintain you on my lands as well as ever
were maintained any knights. Then spake all the knights at once, He
have shame that will leave you; for we all understand in this realm
will be now no quiet, but ever strife and debate, now the fellowship of
the Round Table is broken; for by the noble fellowship of the Round
Table was king Arthur upborne, and by their nobleness the king and all
his realm was in quiet and in rest. And a great part, they said all,
was because of your nobleness.