Roman van Lancelot

naar het (eenig-bekende) handschrift der Koninklijke Bibliotheek

Capitulum V.

And whanne syr launcelot sawe kyng Pelles and Elayne, he waxed ashamed and said thus, o lord Jhesu how came I here, for goddes sake my lord lete me wete how that I came here. Sir said dame Elayne in to thys Countrey ye cam lyke a madde man clene oute of your wytte, And here have ye ben kepte as a foole, and no creature here knewe what ye were untyl by fortune a mayden of myn broughte me unto yow where as ye lay slepynge by a welle, and anone as I veryly heheld yow, I knewe yow. And thenne I told my fader, and so where ye broughte afore this holy vessel. And by the vertu of it thus were ye helyd. O Jhesu mercy said sire launcelot yf this be sothe, how many there be that knowen of my woodenes. Soo god me help sayd Elayne no mo but my fader and I and dame Brysen. Now for Crystes love said sir Launcelot kepe hit in counceylle, and lete noo man knowe hit in the world, for I am sore ashamed that I have ben thus myscaryed, for I am bannysshed oute of the Countrey of Logrys for ever that is for to saye the countrey of Englond. And soo syr Launcelot lay more than a fourtenyghte or ever that he myghte stere for sorenes. And thenne upon a day he sayd unto dame Elayne these wordes, lady Elayne for your sake I have had moche travaill care and anguysshe, it nedeth not to reherse hit, ye knowe how. Not withstanding I knowe wel I have done foule to yow whan that I drewe my swerd to you to have slayn you upon the morn whan I had layn with yow. And alle was the cause that ye and dame Brysen made me for to lye by yow maulgre myn hede, and as ye saye that nyghte Galahalt your sone was begoten, that is trouthe sayd dame Elayne. Now wille ye for my love said sire launcelot goo unto your fader and gete me a place of hym wherin I maye dwelle. For in the courte of kynge Arthur maye I never come. Syr said dame Elayne I will lyve and dye

[p. LXII]

with yow, and only for your sake, and yf my lyf myghte not availe you and my dethe myghte availe yow, wete you wel I wold dye for your sake, and I wille go to my fader, and I am sure, there is no thynge that I can desyre of hym but I shalle have hit. And where ye be my lord syr Launcelot doubte ye not but I wille be with yow with alle the servyse that I may do. Soo forth with alle she wente to her fader, and said syre, my lord syr launcelot desyreth te be here by yow in some Castel of yours. Wel doughter said the kynge sythe hit is his desyre to abyde in these marches he shalle be in the Castel of Blyaunt, ant there shalle ye be with hym and twenty of the fayrest ladyes that ben in this coutrey, and they shalle alle be of the grete blood, and ye shalle have ten knyghtes with yow. For doughter I wille that ye wete we alle ben honoured by the blood of sire launcelot.