So this enchantment was cast upon Sir Launcelot, and then they laid him
upon his shield, and bare him so on horseback betwixt two knights, and
brought him unto the castle Chariot, and there they laid him in a
chamber cold, and at night they sent unto him a fair damosel with his
supper ready dight. By that the enchantment was past, and when she came
she saluted him, and asked him what cheer. I cannot say, fair damosel,
said Sir Launcelot, for I wot not how I came into this castle but it be
by an enchantment. Sir, said she, ye must make good cheer, and if ye be
such a knight as it is said ye be, I shall tell you more to-morn by
prime of the day. Gramercy, fair damosel, said Sir Launcelot, of your
good will I require you. And so she departed. And there he lay all that
night without comfort of anybody. And on the morn early came these four
queens, passingly well beseen, all they bidding him good morn, and he
them again.
Sir knight, the four queens said, thou must understand thou art our
prisoner, and we here know thee well that thou art Sir Launcelot du
Lake, King Ban’s son, and because we understand your worthiness, that
thou art the noblest knight living, and as we know well there can no
lady have thy love but one, and that is Queen Guenever, and now thou
shalt lose her for ever, and she thee, and therefore thee behoveth now
to choose one of us four. I am the Queen Morgan le Fay, queen of the
land of Gore, and here is the queen of Northgalis, and the queen of
Eastland, and the queen of the Out Isles; now choose one of us which
thou wilt have to thy paramour, for thou mayest not choose or else in
this prison to die. This is an hard case, said Sir Launcelot, that
either I must die or else choose one of you, yet had I liefer to die in
this prison with worship, than to have one of you to my paramour maugre
my head. And therefore ye be answered, I will none of you, for ye be
false enchantresses, and as for my lady, Dame Guenever, were I at my
liberty as I was, I would prove it on you or on yours, that she is the
truest lady unto her lord living. Well, said the queens, is this your
answer, that ye will refuse us. Yea, on my life, said Sir Launcelot,
refused ye be of me. So they departed and left him there alone that
made great sorrow.
CHAPTER IV. How Sir Launcelot was delivered by the mean of a damosel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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