King Arthur and the Knights of the Round TableMalory, Thomas, Sir
General
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthurian romances
"I am Joseph of Arimathea," answered he, "whom our Lord hath sent to
bear thee fellowship."
When he heard that, Sir Galahad went to Sir Percival and Sir Bors and
kissed them and commended them to God, saying, "Salute for me Sir
Lancelot, my father, and bid them remember this unstable world."
Therewith he kneeled down and prayed, and suddenly his soul departed,
and a multitude of angels bare it up to heaven. Then came a hand from
heaven and took the vessel and the spear and bare them out of sight.
Since then was never man so hardy as to say that he had seen the
Sangreal.
And after all these things, Sir Percival put off his armor and betook
him to an hermitage, and within a little while passed out of this world.
And Sir Bors, when he had buried him beside his sister, returned,
weeping sore for the loss of his two brethren, to King Arthur, at
Camelot.
THE PASSING OF ARTHUR
XIV
SIR LANCELOT AND THE FAIR ELAINE
Now after the quest of the Sangreal was fulfilled and all the knights
who were left alive were come again to the Round Table, there was great
joy in the court. And passing glad were King Arthur and Queen Guinevere
to see Sir Lancelot and Sir Bors, for they had been long absent in that
quest.
And so greatly was Sir Lancelot's fame now spread abroad that many
ladies and damsels daily resorted to him and besought him for their
champion; and all right quarrels did he gladly undertake for the
pleasure of our Lord Christ. And always as much as he might he withdrew
him from the queen.
Wherefore Queen Guinevere, who counted him for her own knight, grew
wroth with him, and on a certain day she called him to her chamber, and
said thus: "Sir Lancelot, I daily see thy loyalty to me doth slack, for
ever thou art absent from this court, and takest other ladies' quarrels
on thee more than ever thou wert wont. Now do I understand thee, false
knight, and therefore shall I never trust thee more. Depart now from my
sight, and come no more within this court upon pain of thy head." With
that she turned from him and would hear no excuses.
So Sir Lancelot departed in heaviness of heart, and calling Sir Bors,
Sir Ector, and Sir Lionel, he told them how the queen had dealt with
him.
"Fair sir," replied Sir Bors, "remember what honor ye have in this
country, and how ye are called the noblest knight in the world;
wherefore go not, for women are hasty, and do often what they sore
repent of afterwards. Be ruled by my advice. Take horse and ride to the
hermitage beside Windsor, and there abide till I send ye better
tidings."
To that Sir Lancelot consented, and departed with a sorrowful
countenance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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