Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field in Six CantosScott, Walter
General
Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field in Six Cantos
Scott, Walter
Flodden, Battle of, England, 1513 -- Poetry
'And so hee fell on sleepe; and, halfe waking and halfe sleeping,
hee saw come by him two palfreys, both faire and white, the which
beare a litter, therein lying a sicke knight. And when he was nigh
the crosse, he there abode still. All this Sir Launcelot saw and
beheld, for hee slept not verily, and hee heard him say, "O sweete
Lord, when shall this sorrow leave me, and when shall the holy
vessell come by me, where through I shall be blessed, for I have
endured thus long for little trespasse!" And thus a great while
complained the knight, and allwaies Sir Launcelot heard it. With
that Sir Launcelot saw the candlesticke, with the fire tapers, come
before the crosse; but he could see no body that brought it. Also
there came a table of silver, and the holy vessel of the Sancgreall,
the which Sir Launcelot had seen before that time in King Petchour's
house. And therewithall the sicke knight set him upright, and held
up both his hands, and said, "Faire sweete Lord, which is here
within the holy vessell, take heed to mee, that I may bee hole of
this great malady!" And therewith upon his hands, and upon his
knees, he went so nigh, that he touched the holy vessell, and kissed
it: And anon he was hole, and then he said, "Lord God, I thank
thee, for I am healed of this malady." Soo when the holy vessell had
been there a great while, it went into the chappell againe, with the
candlesticke and the light, so that Sir Launcelot wist not where it
became, for he was overtaken with sinne, that he had no power to
arise against the holy vessell, wherefore afterward many men said of
him shame. But he tooke repentance afterward. Then the sicke knight
dressed him upright, and kissed the crosse. Then anon his squire
brought him his armes, and asked his lord how he did. "Certainly,"
said hee, I thanke God right heartily, for through the holy vessell
I am healed: But I have right great mervaile of this sleeping
knight, which hath had neither grace nor power to awake during the
time that this holy vessell hath beene here present."--"I dare it
right well say," said the squire, "that this same knight is defouled
with some manner of deadly sinne, whereof he has never confessed."--
"By my faith," said the knight, "whatsoeer he be, he is unhappie;
for, as I deeme, hee is of the fellowship of the Round Table, the
which is entered into the quest of the Sancgreall."--"Sir," said the
squire, "here I have brought you all your armes, save your helme and
your sword; and, therefore, by mine assent, now may ye take this
knight's helme and his sword;' and so he did. And when he was cleane
armed, he took Sir Launcelot's horse, for he was better than his
owne, and so they departed from the crosse.
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