When the Queen heareth these letters and this witting of her son that
came thus by his death, she falleth in a swoon on the coffer. After
that she taketh the head between her two hands, and knew well that it
was he by a scar that he had on his face when he was a child. The King
himself maketh dole thereof so sore that none may comfort him, for
before these tidings he had thought that his son was still on live and
that he was the Best Knight in the world, and when the news came to his
court that the Knight of the Golden Circlet had slain the Knight of the
Dragon, he supposed that it had been Lohot his son, for that none had
named Perceval nor Gawain nor Lancelot. And all they of the court are
right sorrowful for the death of Lohot, and Messire Kay hath departed,
and if the damsel had nor respited the day until the fortieth after the
King's return, vengeance would have been taken of Kay or ever he might
have turned him thence. For never did no man see greater dole made in
the King's court than they of the Table Round made for the youth. King
Arthur and the Queen were so stricken of sorrow that none durst call
upon them to make cheer. The damsel that brought thither the coffer
was well avenged of the shame that Messire Kay the Seneschal had done
her on a day that was past, for this thing would not have been known so
soon save it had been by her.
VII.
When the mourning for the King's son was abated, Lancelot and many
others said unto him, "Sir, you know well that God willeth you should
go to the castle that was King Fisherman's on pilgrimage to the most
Holy Graal, for it is not right to delay a thing that one hath in
covenant with God."
"Lords," saith the King, "right willingly will I go, and thereto am I
right well disposed."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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