Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
History
Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
England -- Social life and customs -- 16th century; Great Britain -- History -- Edward III, 1327-1377
And therewith the tears filled in his eyes. And then he said: Gawaine,
Gawaine, ye have set me in great sorrow, for I have great doubt that
my true fellowship shall never meet here more again. Ah, said Sir
Launcelot, comfort yourself; for it shall be unto us a great honour
and much more than if we died in any other places, for of death we be
siccar. Ah, Launcelot, said the king, the great love that I have had
unto you all the days of my life maketh me to say such doleful words;
for never Christian king had never so many worthy men at his table as
I have had this day at the Round Table, and that is my great sorrow.
When the queen, ladies, and gentlewomen, wist these tidings, they had
such sorrow and heaviness that there might no tongue tell it, for
those knights had held them in honour and charity. But among all other
Queen Guenever made great sorrow. I marvel, said she, my lord would
suffer them to depart from him. Thus was all the court troubled for
the love of the departition of those knights. And many of those ladies
that loved knights would have gone with their lovers; and so had they
done, had not an old knight come among them in religious clothing; and
then he spake all on high and said: Fair lords, which have sworn in
the quest of the Sangreal, thus sendeth you Nacien, the hermit, word,
that none in this quest lead lady nor gentlewoman with him, for it is
not to do in so high a service as they labour in; for I warn you
plain, he that is not clean of his sins he shall not see the mysteries
of our Lord Jesu Christ. And for this cause they left these ladies and
gentlewomen. After this the queen came unto Galahad and asked him of
whence he was, and of what country. He told her of whence he was. And
son unto Launcelot, she said he was. As to that, he said neither yea
or nay. So God me help, said the queen, of your father ye need not to
shame you, for he is the goodliest knight, and of the best men of the
world come, and of the strain of all parties, of kings. Wherefore ye
ought of right to be, of your deeds, a passing good man; and
certainly, she said, ye resemble him much. Then Sir Galahad was a
little ashamed and said: Madam, sith ye know in certain, wherefore do
ye ask it me? for he that is my father shall be known openly and all
betimes. And then they went to rest them. And in the honour of the
highness of Galahad he was led into King Arthur's chamber, and there
rested in his own bed. And as soon as it was day the king arose, for
he had no rest of all that night for sorrow. Then he went unto Gawaine
and to Sir Launcelot that were arisen for to hear mass. And then the
king again said: Ah Gawaine, Gawaine, ye have betrayed me; for never
shall my court be amended by you, but ye will never be sorry for me as
I am for you. And therewith the tears began to run down by his visage.
And therewith the king said: Ah, knight Sir Launcelot, I require thee
thou counsel me, for I would that this quest were undone an it might
be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account