So Pedivere departed with the dead lady and the head, and found the
queen with King Arthur at Winchester, and there he told all the truth.
Sir knight, said the queen, this is an horrible deed and a shameful,
and a great rebuke unto Sir Launcelot; but notwithstanding his worship
is not known in many divers countries; but this shall I give you in
penance, make ye as good shift as ye can, ye shall bear this lady with
you on horseback unto the Pope of Rome, and of him receive your penance
for your foul deeds; and ye shall never rest one night whereas ye do
another; an ye go to any bed the dead body shall lie with you. This
oath there he made, and so departed. And as it telleth in the French
book, when he came to Rome, the Pope bade him go again unto Queen
Guenever, and in Rome was his lady buried by the Pope’s commandment.
And after this Sir Pedivere fell to great goodness, and was an holy man
and an hermit.
CHAPTER XVIII. How Sir Launcelot came to King Arthur’s Court, and how
there were recounted all his noble feats and acts.
Now turn we unto Sir Launcelot du Lake, that came home two days afore
the Feast of Pentecost; and the king and all the court were passing
fain of his coming. And when Sir Gawaine, Sir Uwaine, Sir Sagramore,
Sir Ector de Maris, saw Sir Launcelot in Kay’s armour, then they wist
well it was he that smote them down all with one spear. Then there was
laughing and smiling among them. And ever now and now came all the
knights home that Sir Turquine had prisoners, and they all honoured and
worshipped Sir Launcelot.
When Sir Gaheris heard them speak, he said, I saw all the battle from
the beginning to the ending, and there he told King Arthur all how it
was, and how Sir Turquine was the strongest knight that ever he saw
except Sir Launcelot: there were many knights bare him record, nigh
three score. Then Sir Kay told the king how Sir Launcelot had rescued
him when he should have been slain, and how he made the knights yield
them to me, and not to him. And there they were all three, and bare
record. And by Jesu, said Sir Kay, because Sir Launcelot took my
harness and left me his I rode in good peace, and no man would have ado
with me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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