'Twas yet in the early morning, when his message he fain had brought, And the queen, in the chapel kneeling, on the page of her psalter thought; 280 Then the squire bent his knee before her, and he gave her a token fair, For she took from his hand a letter, and the cover must writing bear That was writ by a hand she knew well, ere yet she the name might know, From the squire, of him who had sent him, as she looked on him kneeling low. Then the queen she spake to the letter, 'Now blessed that hand shall be 285 That wrote thee; for care was my portion since the day that mine eyes might see The hand that hath writ this writing'--She wept, yet for joy was fain, And she quoth to the squire, 'Of a surety thy master shall be Gawain!' 'Yea, Lady, he truly offers true service as aye of yore, With never a thought of wavering, yet his joy it shall suffer sore, 290 If so be thou wilt not upraise it; and never it stood so ill With his honour as now it standeth--And more would he tell thee still, In joy shall he live henceforward if comfort he gain from thee; And I wot that yet more shall be written than what thou hast heard from me.' Then she quoth, 'I have truly read there the cause that hath brought thee here, 295 And service I think to do him with many a woman dear, Who to-day shall I ween be reckoned to have won to them beauty's prize-- Save Parzival's wife and another, Orgelusé, in all men's eyes, Thro' Christendom none shall be fairer--Since far from King Arthur's court Gawain rode, sore grief and sorrow have made of my life their sport. 300 And Meljanz de Lys hath told me he saw him in Barbigöl-- Alas!' quoth the queen, 'that ever mine eyes saw thee, Plimizöl! What sorrow did there befall me! Since that day might I never greet Kunnewaare of Lalande, she hath left me, my friend and companion sweet. And the right of the good Round Table was broken by words of scorn, 305 And four years and a half and six weeks have left us, I ween, forlorn, Since the Grail Parzival rode seeking; and after him rode Gawain To Askalon--Nor Jeschuté nor Hekuba come again Since the day that they parted from me, and grief for my friends so true Hath driven my peace far from me, nor joy since that day I knew!' 310 And the queen spake much of her sorrow: then the squire would